So, on Thursday late afternoon I received a phone call from Jena (The Grad Assistant who previously held the position in the Marketing Department, and also the producer of many of my projects). Jena is now working in the College of International Communication. She asked whether I knew who was doing the interview for Doris Kearns Goodwin, who was scheduled to give a lecture the following morning as a guest speaker for the Dively Frontiers and Globalization Lecture Series at Lynn. As I have written about before, I have interviewed the guest speakers in the past. However, no one said anything to me about it, so I presumed they were perhaps not doing the interview this time. Anyway, to cut a long story short, there was some last minute panic as everyone realized that no one was scheduled to interview Dr. Kearns Goodwin, and I was honored with the opportunity.

Unlike my usual week or two preparation for the interview, I had just a few hours. Plus I had Grad classes until 10pm that night! So, I quickly researched Dr. Kearns Goodwin, sifting through masses of information on her… she really is quite famous. I wrote a piece on her for the iPulse:

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Doris Kearns Goodwin visits Lynn University

By Ashlea Evans

Acclaimed historian, NBC news analyst, and prizewinning author, Doris Kearns Goodwin visited Lynn University Friday. Kearns Goodwin was invited as a guest speaker for the Dively Frontiers and Globalization Lecture Series, which brings outstanding individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership to Lynn’s campus.

Kearns Goodwin was awarded with the Pulitzer Prize for history for her book, No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II. She is also famous for being the first woman to ever step foot into the Red Sox locker room. In her lecture, she spoke to students of her life as special assistant to President Johnson, as well as how her love of baseball has complimented her passion for history. Following the lecture, Kearns Goodwin was interviewed by College of International Communication graduate student, Ashlea Evans, where she was questioned on her journey to success. Kearns Goodwin spoke openly about her relationship with President Lyndon and the years that she spent with him helping him write his memoirs. She also discussed her view of the current presidential race and which character traits students should seek when voting for the next president.

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I formulated the questions I wanted to ask her, and then sent them to Jena for review. She checks them, makes any corrections she feels are necessary and sends them back to me. I then create little cards that I can take on set with me (with little Lynn University Logos on the back). At the last minute, I shot out to go and buy one of her books from Borders. It’s my Dad’s 50th approaching and I thought he’d appreciate one of her prize-winning books personally autographed [not to worry, my folks never read my blog, so my dad won't find out what his present is before his birthday, nor will he find out I just revealed his age to the world!].

Well, the interview went well. We did it differently to how we usually do it. We normally have the guest speaker come up to the studio, however, it is always such a rush and time-pressured. So, this time they set up a studio in the AG Theater, where the lecture was hosted. So, after the lecture, the curtains were drawn back to reveal a studio set. Surprisingly, quite a large number of the audience opted to stay for the interview. And even more surprisingly, I wasn’t that bothered by their presence. In the studio, the lights are generally so intense one cannot see the audience. However, in this situation, I could clearly see everyone.

I suppose I was nervous at first, and stumbled over my first line. So, I decided to stop and start again. Thats the great thing about filming for video or web. You can stop and start again! And once I got it right, the rest was smooth sailing. Doris Kearns Goodwin was very open with her information. The only thing she held back on was telling us whom she supported in the presidential race, but as a news analyst, she has to be unbiased. As we became more involved in the interview, I became more relaxed and was able to ask her questions ad lib (not on my preplanned question cards).

I picture interviews, or at least the journey I have experienced so far, like learning to ride a bike. I think back to my first Pink BMX bike, the large white handles, and the tourquoise fairy wheels (hold on… I’ll have to google what fairy wheels are called in the USA) (aaah… training wheels). Well, my first interviews were co-hosted, firstly with Jena, and then with Chrissy. The Carl Hiaasen interview was my first interview alone. It was wobbly at first, but once I was up and peddling, I just had to keep my chin up and look straight ahead – keeping my balance. This interview with Dr. Kearns Goodwin, I learnt to challenge myself by asking a question ad lib. Eventually, I will have the steadiness and confidence to ask a few more questions ad lib. And (hopefully) in no time, I won’t even need my question cards.

I suppose it’s all a journey, and I’m really enjoying the ride.

I’m loving my job as Graduate Assistant in the Marketing Department. It truly gives me the opportunity to use all the skills that I have learnt over the last 3.5 years of my undergrad. One of the events I am arranging is the “I’m Lynn” contest. The contest is such a wonderful opportunity for a Lynn student to get their work promoted, and win some cash. Students create a 2-5 minute mini documentary, audio slideshow, music video, or something like that. The topic of the video has to be something about Lynn University, for example: A day in the life of … (a faculty member, a student, an athlete), My favorite thing about Lynn is…, etc.

There are four prizes: The Grand Prize ($500 cash), The Overall Video Category Award ($100 cash), The Overall Audio/slideshow Category Award ($100), The $50 cash random draw.

The contest website is here

I am really hoping that we have many many entries. I’ve been going around to the classes and talking to the students, and also asking the teachers and professors to promote the contest. I guess we’ll just have to find out on April 15th – the contest deadline.

On Tuesday, Carl Hiaasen came to Lynn as part of the Dively Frontiers in Globalization Lecture Series. I had the opportunity to interview him in the studio. Last time I mentioned that I was formulating questions to ask him. Well, I sorted my question and put them onto note cards with the Lynn seal on the reverse side.

On Tuesday morning I went to Hiaasen’s lecture in the theater. It was very informative and it helped me to establish which questions I wanted to ask, and which ones I should discard. I was rather nervous leading up to the interview, however, I think it is good to be nervous as it keeps you ‘on your toes’. Hiaasen was very nice and answered all of my questions. I think the most awkward part of an interview is the initial meeting when you’re waiting to start the interview as the camera operators and studio are checking audio etc. I never know what to say and try to start small talk. After I ran out of small talk, I went to plan B…’I'm from South Africa’ – That is always a conversation starter!

The interview ran extremely smoothly! I think as an interviewer, it is important to remember that the audience is watching the interview to hear what the interviewee has to say, not what you as an interviewer think. As an interviewer you are purely a listener, and a question-asker. You have to be both, as without listening… you won’t know what questions to ask. Sometimes I will have a question order set up, and then the interviewee will touch on a topic that relates to one of my upcoming questions, so I’ll skip the order and go straight to the relevant question. It actually happened in Hiaasen’s interview: he touched on the topic of the government and politics, and I had an ending question asking about his view of the upcoming presidential elections, so I changed the order and asked him – ‘Whilst we’re on the topic of the government, what is your view…’
You always have to remember that although you must have a good idea of what the interviewees answer will be to your questions, you will never truly know, and thus it is important to be flexible.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who helped with the interview – from helping me better word questions (at the last minute) to working behind the scenes. An interview wouldn’t be possible without all of you!

If you have a look at the Lynn Events Calendar, you’ll notice that on November 13th that we’ll be having Carl Hiaasen visit the university, as a guest speaker. In the past, we have had speakers, such as Anderson Cooper, Soledad O Brien, David Gergen and many more. I have had the opportunity to interview both Soledad O Brien and David Gergen. They were both experiences I will never forget, and which I am so grateful for.

I believe its so important to have opportunities, such as these. I know that I would not have received such opportunities at any other university. Currently, I am preparing to interview Carl Hiaasen in November. Preparing for such an interview is rather stressful. It takes a lot of research work, and a fair amount of reading. I have been reading reviews on the internet, the scripts of past interviews with him, and also excerpts from his work.
Once I feel competent with the amount of information I have gathered, I begin formulating questions. I also contacted a friend of mine (Jena – who has a great deal of expertise in this area) and asked her to come up with a few questions. I then met with Jena and went over the questions that we had come up with. In many cases, our questions were similar, but it’s always important to have someone else look over your questions and help you better formulate them, as to ensure that you ask the right sort of questions. As an international student, I some times say things differently. Thus, having Jena review my questions is a must and a huge help! (Thank you!) Be sure to always know what your interviewee’s answer will be to your questions. Never ask something you don’t know the answer to.

My next step is to put my questions onto note cards. If you are using a teleprompter, you’d generally not need note cards (depending on how reliable the teleprompter operator is). I will be making the note cards as I feel more comfortable knowing I have a backup plan.

After that, I will be writing the intro and exit to the interview. I will also prepare for the interview by reviewing my questions until I know them.

Finally, I always recommend arriving at the studio an hour or two before the interview time. Help set up, get to know who you will be working with, and familiarize yourself with the studio surroundings.

The actual interview can be daunting, but I always try to remember that I am the one in control, and that the person sitting before me, no matter how famous they may be or what they may have achieved, they were once sitting in the same seat I am.

Here are the interviews with Soledad O Brien and David Gergen:

Last night I watched Anderson Cooper’s Planet in Peril. It is the most amazing documentary special I have seen. I recommend that not only all budding journalists, but all students (who want to educate themselves on the environmental state of our world) should make an effort to watch this. It was on last night at 9 PM on CNN. It’s on tonight at 9 PM as well! Basically Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and Jeff Corwin (Animal Planet biologist) cover aspects of climate change, vanishing habitats, disappearing species and human population growth across the globe. The documentary visits remote places, such as Madagascar and opens the viewers eyes to our planet in peril.

Do yourself a favor and watch this… I promise you won’t be disappointed. For those of you who know me, I think Anderson Cooper is the luckiest man alive… his job is my dream job! What more could you ask for: traveling around the world, visiting remote and untouched places, and at the same time making a difference (in his case, a significant difference).

I vote for Anderson Cooper’s return to Lynn University! To anyone arranging the upcoming May Graduation, may I just say that I think Anderson Cooper would be a fantastic candidate for guest speaker (again). He has achieved so much more since his last visit to Lynn University, and I think, given his international knowledge of global warming (keeping in mind our university is a very diverse and international melting pot of cultures and people) (and also how important environmental awareness is), he is the perfect match! Additionally, for all those English majors, his recent book – Dispatches from the edge – was a phenomenal success. For all those Fashion Majors, his mother is Gloria Vanderbilt. For all those Film students, his father was a Hollywood Actor. For all those Biology and Science students, Planet in Peril (need I say more). For all those International Relations students, he’s been throughout Africa, throughout the Middle East etc. And most obviously, for all those Journalism students.

And if he is unable to be a guest speaker at graduation, then he is most definitely a fine candidate for Dively Frontiers! But I would settle for Sanjay Gupta or Jeff Corwin, if push came to shove!

 http://www.cnn.com/video/#

On Friday, I had the opportunity to help out at the shoot in the studio. Angela Barioli, the secretary of the National Broadcasting Society, interviewed five students that had participated in a program called Project Shell (Soaring High in Language and Literacy), funded by the department of education. The students took classes at Lynn in secondary education, and also participated in after school programs teaching students who needed extra help in learning English as a second language. This project was a five year project that has drawn to and end, and thus Angela interviewed the students in regards to their experiences.

I was in the studio at 10am, but because so few people were there to help set up the studio, we only started rolling cameras around noon. I was there for two reasons, firstly, I was taking photos for the Ipulse story I wrote on the event, and then secondly, I was shooting behind the scenes for the National Broadcasting Society. They will actually be shooting again this coming friday at around eleven am, so if you’re interested in having a peek behind the scenes, make your way to the 3rd floor of the library – there are plenty of seats for guests, and you can always lend a helping hand.

So, where was I?

Oh yes, uploading videos…
Well, for my TV Prac. class I did quite a lot of filming. These pieces I really enjoyed. I chose to focus on things to do and places to see in our area. It was mainly nightlife and restaurants. My Mizner Park piece came out pretty well (apart from the fact I had to duck and dive from Mizner security in order to get my footage)

Talking about Mizner, I’ll be there tonight. They have the Collective Soul/ Live (yes, they’ll be live, but the band ‘LIVE’ will also be there) playing tonight. I’m not actually going to the concert as I don’t like crowds, but I’ll be listening to the music from a comfy, spacious seat at my favorite outside cocktail bar, Gigi’s. For those of you who haven’t been, it’s well worth a visit and they have happy hour from 5 – 7 (2 for 1 cocktails). It’s a great place for ‘Girl’s Night Out’ and their amaretto sours are fantastic.

Let me get back on track….

If you haven’t noticed yet, I have a terrible habit of waffling or getting off topic. It’s just that when I start writing a post for my blog, I’ll start with one topic and then remember another I wanted to write about… and look at this, I’m doing it again!

Seriously, back on track…

Another place I covered was Ellie’s 50’s Diner. This place was amazing, a true blast from the past and the best milkshakes ever!

If you’re an international student, or would just like to experience another culture, The Blue Anchor, is great fun. They have fish and chips, on tap imports (not that I’ve ever tried it), and a great band – Mad Cow. And a ghost…seriously!

In the past year at Lynn, I had the opportunity to work not only in front of the camera, but also behind the camera producing a few of my own segments. For one of my classes last semester, I had to produce several short pieces illustrating my command of camera techniques, and also editing techniques. I invested in a Macbook and also purchased Final Cut Pro, something I advise everyone else to do. It is costly, but it’s well worth it. For those of you who have spent those endless hours during crunch time (end of semester when your final projects are due) in the editing room (either waiting for someone to get off ‘your’ computer or figuring out where exactly you saved your project), you’ll truly appreciate how easy it is to edit on your own laptop. Things get done alot faster, and you learn so much more about editing. Actually final cut is rather addictive when you start playing around with it.

My first task was to produce some sort of piece that would show a POV (point of view) shot. I chose the infamous Requiem for a Dream soundtrack and really just let the music dictate the piece. I then booked out a camera from Bob and Andy (the two best guys in the communication dept. who are always there to lend a helping hand), and I convinced my poor boyfriend that he would be a fantastic actor (much to his misery) and then invited his mates around for a friendly poker evening. But much to their shock and horror, they were to be the extras in my segment (okay, so i had to bribe them with popcorn and drinks… but I got them to stay and partake).

The camera work wasn’t too hard, but i really had to think about how I was going to edit the piece before I shot it. Not all of it worked out as planned, so I had to improvise. So far, I have enjoyed editing this piece the most, I suppose it’s the most artistic piece I have done so far.

Thanks to Youtube, most of my work is posted on the internet:

The second piece i did wasn’t as impressive, but it was very cute. I had to choose a nursery rhymne and put video to it. I found this one more challenging… however, I came up with ‘Happy Birthday’(very original). I basically made it into a bit of a music video. I told the story of a guy (once again my poor boyfriend who gets dragged into all the tedious boring horrible tasks – he’ll kill me for posting all of these videos of him on my blog!) who thinks everyone has forgotten his birthday. He watches the time go by, then thinks he hears a knock at the door. He runs to the door only to see bubbles (he thinks he’s just seeing things). He closes the door and sulks back into his position, when…SURPRISE… no one forgot his birthday after all. As you’ll notice there are not that many extra’s in this piece. In fact, i had to double as camera man, producer, director and extra (I suppose you’d call that quadrooppling). I tried the same ploy as last time with my mates…but the friendly pocker evening was not that convincing this time.

Any how, you can view this video at:

I am going to be late for class if I don’t end this now… so, I’ll continue this in Part Two of ‘Lights…camera…action’.