Today is “Green Update Day.” Every second Thursday I shoot the “Green Update” that you see Monday’s on Newswatch at 5:30 on CHEX-TV. Today I’m going to take you behind the scenes of my weekly television segment. Everyone loves the behind the scenes stuff, so I figure it would make an interesting blog topic for a dull November day.

The three minute Green Update segment you see every Monday begins sometimes two to three weeks in advance. I’m responsible for coming up with a topic, finding folks to interview and arranging the final location of the shoot. It’s not as easy as you would think. Sometimes people cancel at the last minute, I have to work around schedules etc.

I’m always keeping an eye and ear open to possible environmental themed topics that would be of interest to viewers of the 5:30 show. I can’t pick just anything, however. The topic must be “visual.” When I’m considering ideas, I have to keep Kevin (our CHEX 5:30 camera guy) in mind. There must be adequate material for him to get cover shots of. Cover shots are what you see when myself and my guest aren’t on camera. For example, if we were talking about bikes, Kevin and I would run around town getting shots of bikers on the street, and that might be what you would see on the screen while we’re talking. It just makes the whole thing more interesting then looking at two people talking for three minutes.

The actually shooting of the segment doesn’t take that long…well…usually. It really depends on who I’m interviewing. If the person in question has done it dozens of times before, like our Cathy Dueck or Donald Fraser (who used to host it) then it’s over usually over in one take. If it’s someone new, who’s never been in front of a camera, then it can be many takes, going back saying things over until they get it right, re-shooting a question or the whole segment again. Sometimes we can be as long as 45 minutes for a three minute final product.

After we finish shooting the interview, we shoot something called the “bump”. This is where I tease the upcoming segment and it airs right before the 5:30 show goes to commercial. I usually say something to the effect of “Coming up next on the Green Upate…yadda yadda yadda”

And there you have it, a look

behind the scenes of local television production. If you ever have any good (visual ) ideas for me, drop me a note or give me a call. I’m always open to suggestions.