As the world and the national media gather at the Duval County Courthouse for the Michael Dunn trial, once again Florida takes center stage. Michael Dunn is facing murder for shooting Jordan Davis for playing loud music at a Gate gas station on Southside Blvd. and Baymeadows Rd. in Jacksonville Fl two years ago. This location is up the street from my apartment. The case is very similar to the Trayvon Martin case about a gun used where the defendant is using the Stand Your Ground law. My station is covering the trial gavel to gavel and in my honest opinion i hope this case will not have the same results as the George Zimmerman case. For all my updates and behind the scenes follow me on twitter at @ThomasDBradley and on facebook.
Twenty-eight years I came of my mom womb with a video camera shooting my own birth. Later that's what I found out that I was very fit to be a news photojournalist. Today I had a easy day shooting two VO SOTS (wanted to to shoot a package), went to lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings which I got free wings but the day is not over...yet. Later I will be going to my first Columbus baseball game in a sky box I might add to cap off my day of birth. It's raining here in "C-Town" so I hope we don't get a rain delay. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".
Well not really. One day this past week I woke up and said to myself I'm going to see what it looks and feel like to be a reporter. On a daily basics I arrive to work and I go out on a story with a reporter and shoot their stories and sometimes I think how they do that? So on Tuesday I went out with my own personal camera gear to the south commons skate park to shoot a news package on the new skate park. I got out of my car and started to shoot b-roll of the skaters doing their tricks and stuff. After that I did a series of stand ups and boy it took 13 takes to get it perfect. Normally when I shoot any of the reporters stand ups it only takes them at least one or three takes to get it right but for me only 12 or 13. Now I know that this stuff isn't easy. So I went to interview one of the skaters in the park. Asking questions during interviews is not hard because I do it everyday when I'm assigned to VO SOTS at the station. Later that evening I went back to the station and during my break I logged all the sound bites, wrote out my script, voiced my track and edited the package on my laptop. Will I ever be a reporter in the near future well...NO! But if the opportunity presents it's self I might revisit that area. The lesson is that reporting is hard but It can be easy too only thing you have to do be yourself and remember the five key words; Who, What, When, Where and How. If you want to see the story look below. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".
This package I shot and edited is my first "one-man-band" package as a news reporter. Basically I just got the itch to do a reporter package on the new skate park in Columbus Georgia. Note: I am not a news reporter I'm a photojournalist (news cameraman), I just wanted to see what it is like to be on the other side of the lens. By the way I wrote the script for this package as well.
So when I arrived to work today I barely had time to say hello to everybody as my assignment editor rushed me out to cover two VOSOTS. During my final assignment I got a call form the assignment desk that I had to travel to Americus Georgia to cover an Boys and Girls Club fundraiser that former GA governor and U.S president Jimmy Carter with celebrity chef and Albany native Paula Deen. Did you think I was star-struck?! Well "no" but I did wanted to meet her because I hear that the food she makes is "oh so good", sorry Mister Food. So I had to come back to the station to ingest and edit the two VOSOTS that I did earlier then get final words from both my assignment editor and executive producer. I went to gas up my news car and headed out to Americus. While I was driving I was thinking of questions to as Ms. Deen and then I said to myself, "Thomas just be yourself and be natural". So I was still on the road going through the countryside of Beuna Vista and I was thinking that I will die of true boredom if I was living out here. I love the big city, I hate the country. Anyways I made my arrival at campus of Georgia Southwestern State University where the event was held and I started shooting b-roll before I had the opportunity to interview Paula Deen. Speaking of her although Jimmy Carter was there she had more people coming up to her to take their pictures and autograph's than the former president. Finally Paula came over and we met and the interview started. If you ever meet her she is the most friendly person you will ever meet. For more on Paula Deen please go to her website and for more on this story I covered please click here. Paula thanks for your time with me and Mrs. Deen you are a true southern belle. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".
WTVM's photojournalist Thomas D Bradley shares a smile with Paula Deen.
Hey everyone I've gotten several emails in the past that some of you could not see my videos or the the "videos" section of my website could not load or it takes too long to load. Well not to worry I have uploaded all of my news packages and stories that I shot and edited on You Tube and attached them on my website on the video section of it. If you want to view the site please click here. In a update in my previous blog post Yours Truly Is Featured On YOU TUBE!, I finally posted the video that the package I shot for it if you want to view that story please click here. All of my videos will be posted on You Tube so all the world can see so please log on to my You Tube web page by clicking here. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".
