What I did

For the last two and a half weeks in April, I helped with the production of the Drake Relays 2017.

DBS

I was part of the Drake Broadcast System’s team in creating packages for commercials or for the preshows DBS put on.The team I was a part of decided to produce three packages. We made decided to feature Drake track athletes, the history of the relays and the 2017 Beautiful Bulldog Contest. I was mainly working on the history of the relays – setting up interviews, helping to acquire b-roll, decided how to cut the package. However, I also worked on the 2017 Beautiful Bulldog Contest in helping cut and edit the piece. These pieces can be seen here under Drake Relays 2017. I am grateful for this experience as it allowed for me to add to my reel and make connections with my fellow Drake students. It was amazing being able to create something lasting. I think a few of the packages produced will be able to be used for a few years at least.

Actual Relays

I was also on the TV-Crew for the actual relays. It rained half the time and was windy the other half making it incredibly cold but that didn’t stop the excitement of the days. Aiding in this production was incredible. I worked as a camera operator Thursday and Friday night as well as all day Saturday. Basically, I was positioned on a few different cameras throughout the days. Then I shot, panned, tilted, and zoomed when and where the director told me. I even got to crouch under a camera cover for the rain when I was shooting on the main camera. Now that was an experience.

I believe I was helping a streaming service show the relays online, as well as the big screen in the stadium. It was an exciting experience that allowed for me to work on my technique as a camera operator and experience a live sports production.

Overall

Overall I would not trade these past two and a half weeks for anything. I learned a lot, did a lot and accomplished a lot. Expect a post similar to this one next year because there is no way I won’t be doing this again. Who knows maybe I’ll apply to be a Replays Producer instead of just on the production team.

Pictures

*Taken with my phone*