Plunging

I was asked to go out last weekend and take pictures of the polar bear plunge. For once this semester, I was excited about my assignment. I had mentioned to Andrew and John last week that that would be a really fun event to go and just capture audio for a photo-slideshow. Well, apparently, one of them was listening. I was asked to go capture audio, and possibly take pictures if the staff photographer had to leave early. I would have been fine doing it, but I ended up only capturing audio.

I felt like I did a fairly good job. The only real problem I ran into was that they were moving the media to the side, out of the way. This meant it was incredibly difficult to capture the sound of bodies running into cold water. I could turn my volume way up, but then all the sounds near me were way over-modulated. I settled for sneaking as close to the water as I could. I also really took the time to think of possible nat sound. I got teeth chattering, people squelching through mud, chanting, breathing as people ran to get clothes to put on, inspirational speeches from team captains. It was genuinely a lot of fun.

I also had a new experience, when I was out recording sound. The reporters sent from other media outlets, like KOMU, and KBIA, and the Tribune, I knew. It was a weird feeling walking around a huge group of people, with competing journalists all around, but being able to just walk up and talk to them. I suppose this is an industry standard I should get used to.

When I got back is when the trouble started. There is definitely problems in how the convergence desk works with the photo department. It wasalright at first, they just set me to the task of editing my audio, which I gladly did. However, because their photographer was on assignment elsewhere after the plunge, they couldn't give me an accurate estimate of how long the should be. Luckily, I had vaguely discussed it with the photographer before capturing, so I sort of knew. Then when I finished, I had to wait around for over an hour for the photog to get back. I used the time to tweak little things with the audio, like really getting the fades right and things like that.

Then when he did get back, he wanted huge swathes of audio restructured. I... dislike... how the work that I do can be discounted and changed on the whim of the photographer. I understand that the visuals he had he would like to put a certain way, but my audio also works best a certain way. I definitely prefer doing both portions so that I have final say.

Eventually, though, we hashed out the slideshow. I learned a little bit, as I always do when I report int he field, about technical things, like how to capture far off sounds, and working crowds. But even more so, I learned a valuable lesson. I really dislike working with people who don't have a background in alternative medias. I guess that means real life should get interesting.