"Coming to you live...” Does this phrase ring a bell to you? My guess is that it does. Live shows air all the time, and I'm sure you’ve seen one more than once in your life. But, have you ever wondered how these “one-chance” performances run so smoothly? Fortunately, I got the opportunity to see first hand what goes into a live TV show.
On my recent tour of WCIA 3's news studio, my Science and the Media classmates and I were invited into the world of live TV. After making a few pit stops to a conference room and the weather studio, we were led to the set of ciLiving.tv by WCIA’s director, Andy Miller. After splitting into two groups, my group headed into the tiny control room to see what takes place off camera. My initial thought was, “These four people get to sit here watching this show on multiple screens all day, hitting a few buttons along the way”. Upon leaving, however, my new impression had drastically changed to, “I can’t imagine the pressure these people must feel, having this whole performance sitting in their hands.” These individuals weren’t there to just watch and critique; they were the very heart and soul of the performance. They did everything from controlling which graphics were put on screen to shouting out which camera angle to use and when. Not a second went by that they weren’t constantly analyzing each aspect of the show, making it better along the way. There was something about the control room’s unnerving atmosphere that changed the way I view live TV. Now, every time I see the word “live” in the corner of my TV screen, I can’t help but think of those few important people, sitting in a small room, calling the shots.
By: Madison Webb
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