Emma Weissmann Blog Post-WCIA Studio Field Trip

Throughout the course of the semester, I have not only learned many valuable lessons on science and its presence in the media, but I have also learned a significant amount about media-oriented industries. One of the most memorable field trips that we went on as a class was our trip to WCIA studios on Tuesday, October 25. We were privileged enough to view the airing of a live show, Ci Living(find the link to CiLiving's website above!) Although the host, Heather Roberts, was obviously the one familiar face the audience saw during the 4:00 p.m. show, there were many behind-the-scene folks who played an important role in production.The show is geared towards people at home and is a Lifestyle-oriented program. The guest of the day was Andy Dallas, of Dallas and Co. Costumes. While everything seemed calm, cool, and collected on the set of the show, the control room was full of jokes, laughter, and, most importantly, direction. I was most impressed with the director in the control room. He directed camera angles "by the seat of his pants," and coordinated exactly what viewers saw at any given moment. Each person had a distinct job, and everything needed to flow perfectly in order for the show to run smoothly. It was surprising to learn that many of the employees in both the control room and behind the cameras were new to the job, since they all seemed to know exactly what they were doing. Andy Miller, News Director for the station, also described an average day in the studio, and informed us of internship opportunities for students (especially at U of I!) who are interested in a career in either journalism or broadcast journalism, in case we should ever want to explore our media career options further.