Reality Bites
I gamely went to one of the Borders' Twilight DVD release parties tonight in case the city desk wanted a couple of inches on it. This kind of assignment is usually my specialty. I love talking to people, and have a flair for color and atmosphere. So even though I know next to nothing about the vampire romance series besides the rudimentary basics, I was confident that the energy of the teeming crowds of tweens would be enough to carry me through.
Alas. Tomorrow's paper is already pretty tight, so the desk didn't want a story on it -- just a couple of photos and a rope (either a very brief description, or a deep caption, depending on whether you're a glass half-empty or half-full kind of person.)
No no, what they wanted me to do was video. My greatest weakness.
I get totally tongue-tied and camera-shy the minute I get in front of the lens. As I was cracking to Wendy, the videographer/Good Sport who was filming, I purposely burrowed into print journalism and bypassed all broadcasting classes in J-school because the last thing I wanted was to be on TV or video of any kind. What J-school failed to realize, however, was that as journalism moves more and more online, print reporters are having to pick up a series of skills they may not have anticipated. Blog posting or filing by BlackBerry is to be expected. Having to do stand-up for web video, however ... surprise!
So I've done a couple of these with mixed success. I don't mind interviewing folks on camera ... the interaction is nicely distracting. It's standing alone with the mic and having to do the expository reporting that inexplicably freaks me out.
I had an extra hour and change between my regular shift and running over to Borders tonight, however, to collect my thoughts and craft a script of sorts, so I think I did OK.
Luckily, the night was pretty amusing. For example, the three emo kids who sprinted through the store yelling, "We hate Twilight! You can all bite us!" Har har.
But the real highlight of the night -- besides the fortune tellers, the face-painting, the live podcast that had the kids (and quite a few unabashed adults) shrieking so loudly that my ears are STILL ringing -- was when, while we were interviewing fans about how excited they all were, a pair of sub par con artists tried to scam their way into their five minutes of fame.
I'm still a fledgling reporter in many ways, but I can already tell when I'm being completely hosed by a regular joe. Sometimes it's obvious, like when I interviewed a gaggle of girls at the "Sex and the City" movie premiere, and then overheard them give completely different names and ages to another reporter after I was finished questioning them.
So tonight this pair of dark-haired teens came over and asked me, "What's going on?"
Now, we're surrounded by a couple hundred kids dripping with "Twilight" paraphernalia and screaming "Twilight, yey!" etc etc ... not to mention the "TWILIGHT DVD RELEASE PARTY" signs everywhere ... and these kids are asking what's going on?
"Seriously?" I ask them, and the girl laughs, "No just kidding. We're here for Twilight."
"I LOVE Twilight," the guy with her says rather unconvincingly.
"I am totally Bella, and he's Edward," she says.
"I am," he says.
"We call each other Bella and Edward in bed!" this girl adds.
I look at them, and deadpan, "That's great. I can tell you're really fans."
I realize then that the camera has been rolling all the while, so I ask these two a couple of questions in case they're legit ... but they're eyeing the camera too intently, and my spider sense is tingling.
I decide to have a little fun with this and interview them briefly. Mostly because they showed no recognition when I said where I worked, and I can tell they think they're on live TV or something. Let them think that.
First I get them to give their names. The boy spells his. Note: he spells it. He doesn't pronounce it.
Daniel Kuchlik.
Right. Whether you read it as "cooch-lick" or "cuck-lick" it's dirty either way. Very clever.
I gaze at him, hard. "Really?" I ask. He turns beet red and says yes, but the corners of his mouth are twitching.
How old are you?
He has to think a minute before saying "23." Right.
The girl is Jackie. Jackie Kern. She says "22" without hesitating, then adds that she's a substance abuse counselor. Which is fitting, since she and Cooch Lick reek of booze.
Cooch Lick thinks for a moment before deciding that he's an accountant.
I give them a very half-assed 30-second interview. Why are they here?
They can't wait to see the movie.
Right ... this is a DVD release party ... also, neither is wearing the wristband that entitles them to a copy.
When the "interview" is wrapped, they grin at each other and ask which TV station I'm from.
Smiling sweetly, I give the name of my newspaper.
Their faces fall.
"This isn't for TV?"
"Oh no!" I tell them. "It's for our website. Maybe. Thanks for your time!"
They shuffle off looking irritated, and I can't help but cackle.
Kuchlik is pretty funny, but you can't bullshit a bullshitter.
Alas. Tomorrow's paper is already pretty tight, so the desk didn't want a story on it -- just a couple of photos and a rope (either a very brief description, or a deep caption, depending on whether you're a glass half-empty or half-full kind of person.)
No no, what they wanted me to do was video. My greatest weakness.
I get totally tongue-tied and camera-shy the minute I get in front of the lens. As I was cracking to Wendy, the videographer/Good Sport who was filming, I purposely burrowed into print journalism and bypassed all broadcasting classes in J-school because the last thing I wanted was to be on TV or video of any kind. What J-school failed to realize, however, was that as journalism moves more and more online, print reporters are having to pick up a series of skills they may not have anticipated. Blog posting or filing by BlackBerry is to be expected. Having to do stand-up for web video, however ... surprise!
So I've done a couple of these with mixed success. I don't mind interviewing folks on camera ... the interaction is nicely distracting. It's standing alone with the mic and having to do the expository reporting that inexplicably freaks me out.
I had an extra hour and change between my regular shift and running over to Borders tonight, however, to collect my thoughts and craft a script of sorts, so I think I did OK.
Luckily, the night was pretty amusing. For example, the three emo kids who sprinted through the store yelling, "We hate Twilight! You can all bite us!" Har har.
But the real highlight of the night -- besides the fortune tellers, the face-painting, the live podcast that had the kids (and quite a few unabashed adults) shrieking so loudly that my ears are STILL ringing -- was when, while we were interviewing fans about how excited they all were, a pair of sub par con artists tried to scam their way into their five minutes of fame.
I'm still a fledgling reporter in many ways, but I can already tell when I'm being completely hosed by a regular joe. Sometimes it's obvious, like when I interviewed a gaggle of girls at the "Sex and the City" movie premiere, and then overheard them give completely different names and ages to another reporter after I was finished questioning them.
So tonight this pair of dark-haired teens came over and asked me, "What's going on?"
Now, we're surrounded by a couple hundred kids dripping with "Twilight" paraphernalia and screaming "Twilight, yey!" etc etc ... not to mention the "TWILIGHT DVD RELEASE PARTY" signs everywhere ... and these kids are asking what's going on?
"Seriously?" I ask them, and the girl laughs, "No just kidding. We're here for Twilight."
"I LOVE Twilight," the guy with her says rather unconvincingly.
"I am totally Bella, and he's Edward," she says.
"I am," he says.
"We call each other Bella and Edward in bed!" this girl adds.
I look at them, and deadpan, "That's great. I can tell you're really fans."
I realize then that the camera has been rolling all the while, so I ask these two a couple of questions in case they're legit ... but they're eyeing the camera too intently, and my spider sense is tingling.
I decide to have a little fun with this and interview them briefly. Mostly because they showed no recognition when I said where I worked, and I can tell they think they're on live TV or something. Let them think that.
First I get them to give their names. The boy spells his. Note: he spells it. He doesn't pronounce it.
Daniel Kuchlik.
Right. Whether you read it as "cooch-lick" or "cuck-lick" it's dirty either way. Very clever.
I gaze at him, hard. "Really?" I ask. He turns beet red and says yes, but the corners of his mouth are twitching.
How old are you?
He has to think a minute before saying "23." Right.
The girl is Jackie. Jackie Kern. She says "22" without hesitating, then adds that she's a substance abuse counselor. Which is fitting, since she and Cooch Lick reek of booze.
Cooch Lick thinks for a moment before deciding that he's an accountant.
I give them a very half-assed 30-second interview. Why are they here?
They can't wait to see the movie.
Right ... this is a DVD release party ... also, neither is wearing the wristband that entitles them to a copy.
When the "interview" is wrapped, they grin at each other and ask which TV station I'm from.
Smiling sweetly, I give the name of my newspaper.
Their faces fall.
"This isn't for TV?"
"Oh no!" I tell them. "It's for our website. Maybe. Thanks for your time!"
They shuffle off looking irritated, and I can't help but cackle.
Kuchlik is pretty funny, but you can't bullshit a bullshitter.
posted by Nicole Pesce | 3/20/2009 11:33:00 PM
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