Gambled and lost...sort of

So, today Anya and I came back SUPER EXCITED from Northampton Community College after getting some awesome footage for our table games video only to find out that our interviews were silent. Yep, the lapel mic betrayed us. Mike the lapel mic. Mike the bad lapel mic. Mike the betrayer.

But in all seriousness, how does this happen to us? Obviously, we learned our lesson--don't trust your lapel mic (or don't always trust technology) and make sure everything's working as it should be. I just emailed one of our contacts at the college--she was a sweetheart, so I'm hoping she'll let us interview her, along with our other two contacts, again.

We'll see what happens---changing $500! (that's from a National Lampoons movie...it's a line from that annoying blackjack dealer who makes Clark Griswold's (Chevy Chase) skin crawl..I just thought it would go with our Sands Casino/table games theme).

There's a map for that--Littau

Professor Littau showed us today how to use Google maps for our journalistic endeavors. Though I came in a bit late (thanks Chief Shupp), I didn't miss out on the lecture and was able to see the cool things one can do with Google maps, like create your own tours around a certain area or collaborate (crowdsourcing) with other Google maps users. We had two projects:


Here's what I built! (pun intended). I don't really go to hardware stores--they bore me to death. However, I know there are many who like do-it-yourself projects (even when your spouse says you're clearly out of your mind.) Here are 7 hardware stores that will make your better half hate you or love you.



View Hardware stores around the Lehigh Valley in a larger map

As for our second project, the entire class collaborated by making a map of registered sex offenders around the Lehigh Valley. Debbie and I had to add the locations of registered sex offenders near the zip code 18020. FYI this may be an uncomfortable experience if you find out one of them lives next door. BUT hey, at least you know. Knowledge is power.


View Megan's Law: Registered offenders in Bethlehem, PA in a larger map

Back on track

It's been 18 days since my last post. No, I'm not dead clearly. Blame it on spri-i-i-i-i-ing break.

Hope my 2.3 fans didn't miss me.

Anyway, Prof. Littau critiqued our videos today and I'm happy to announce that my group's critique wasn't bad at all. Basically, there's room for improvement in the voiceover and source departments because our voiceovers were echoey and we overlooked the most important aspect of any story--humans. Not that we didn't include people, but we kind of forgot to show more of them (and we did talk to several people, but when you have 20+ minutes of footage, of which most is B-roll, you sometimes forget that people matter). Also, there were certain shots that could have been shorter.

Ok, lesson learned. Well, not really because we haven't done our next project, but we'll definitely keep it in mind for all of our upcoming, and might I add, exciting, projects.

AND, something I did today which I think deserves a pat on the back (reach over to pat myself on the back) is my live-tweeting of J198. I know Debbie enjoyed it.

NMIH PR

In a minute and thirty seconds, you can brush your teeth or pour yourself a bowl of cereal.

We did this, and while I think it came out pretty good, I wish we would have had a less restricting time limit...but I guess it makes you much more conscious about what you want to include and what you want/need to leave out.

Industria(liz)e me

Hello friends, it's been a while, but don't give up on me yet.

I have abandoned you because professors keep tormenting us with inane work and projects. Give us a break--oh wait, they will. Next week.

However, not all projects are completely useless or downright boring. Today was an exciting day because the CEO and president of the National Museum of Industrial History, Steve Donches, gave my group an exclusive tour around the museum's warehouse, where all the artifacts are being stored until the museum opens in 2011. Let me just say--I am by no means a fan of industrial history, but today I am a convert.

Steve used to work in Bethlehem Steel as VP of Public Affairs (I think), and was there for 30 plus years until the company filed for bankruptcy. Now, he has joined the museum (a Smithsonian affiliate) to preserve the history of Bethlehem and to educate the masses about how the industrial age came about. Let me just say--it's not as complicated as the machines that made it all happen.

We saw old beer-making machines from Switzerland, a 150-year old ice cream maker, a handful of steam engines, and we even caught a glimpse of Charles Schwab's old work desk.

The best part was all of the footage we got. We talked to locals, to the CEO and to a Lehigh grad student who's interning at the museum and of course, we got lots and lots of B-roll (yeah, that's right, I'm using some multimedia jargon). We may even have too much footage. And we followed the rule of thirds and used our lapel mic.

I seriously can't wait for this museum to open and hopefully, our video can express some of that urgency.

But you'll have to wait until tomorrow!