Work Experience at Channel Seven: Day Five

Work Experience at Channel Seven

Day Five: Friday, December 7, 2012

Day five. Last day. Already? Unfortunately.

Last night I messaged Edwina on twitter to remind her that I was keen to tag along with her again today if she would have me. She messaged back that she would be reporting on the attack of a police officer from the police centre in the city and to text her in the morning. I messaged her when I woke up and she said to be at the police centre by 7 and I could attend the big press conference with her.

I arrived at 201 Elizabeth Street just as 7am was approaching and as Eddy was getting ready to do a live cross for Sunrise. I waited and watched as she prepared what she was going to say and delivered a well-constructed, highly informing and extremely well spoken update on Detective Inspector Bryson Anderson’s death. After Eddy’s cross we packed up and made our way upstairs to set up for the police press conference. We were the first there so we set up and Eddy introduced me to the journalists and crews from the other television networks and radio stations as they arrived.

The contents of the press conference itself was horrible – hearing the details of how the police officer was killed was horrific – however, those details aside, it was awesome to see how a press conference comes together. To see how everyone arrives and sets up their equipment, gets their notepads and pens out, socialises with the other press and then the room drops to silence as soon as the official speaker walks in was an incredible opportunity. The speaker, in this case NSW Police Commissioner Scipione, spoke about yesterday’s incident and gave details, before the media asked questions to get as much information as possible and also clear up any information that might be misreported. Once the press conference was complete, Commissioner Scipione left the room and the media packed up their equipment and we all left.

NSW Police Commissioner Scipione delivering the conference

Eddy and I caught a cab back to Channel Seven, I greeted Adam and let him know where I had been all morning and then I watched the end of Sunrise out in the plaza. I had bought Mel, Eddy and Karen a bottle of champagne to thank them for everything they had done for me. Mel – for speaking to Karen for me and getting my foot in the door, Karen – for organising my week of work experience before I had arrived and overseeing me while I was there and Eddy – for going over and above to make sure I had the most beneficial, educational and fun week of work experience. I took the bottles upstairs and gave them all to Eddy as Karen and Mel weren’t there. I thanked Eddy for everything and agreed to stay in touch while I’m overseas and to contact her when I get back.

Once I had said my goodbyes upstairs I made my way back downstairs to see if there was anything Adam wanted me to do for him, but as it is Friday and the Sunrise/TMS Christmas Party was this afternoon he didn’t have anything for me to do. He gave me his email address and told me to contact him if I could somehow get credited at uni for my work experience and to let him know if I’m able to come back to Seven next year.

As today was my last day I was reluctant to leave, knowing I wasn’t going back for at least another year, so I decided to sit in the studio to watch the last hour of The Morning Show before I left.

But that was it. It’s all over, red rover.

Hopefully I’ll be back next year though!

Work Experience at Channel Seven: Day Four

Work Experience at Channel Seven

Day Four: Thursday, December 6, 2012

This morning began at the surprisingly bright and early hour of 4am. If I wasn’t getting up for something as exciting as going out on location with Edwina Bartholomew for Sunrise I would probably have hit the snooze button close to half a dozen times but nope, I was up wide eyed and excited at exactly 4am. I had received a twitter message from Eddy saying that there had been a change of plans and not to go in to work that early and that she would call. So I got ready for work and scrolled the social networking world. Eddy soon called and informed me that the morning still had the go ahead and to head into work as soon as I could and we would head out to yesterday’s fire in Lane Cove National Park.

I arrived at work and found Eddy doing a live cross reporting the 2DayFM Royal Prank to a network in London. Once she was finished we made our way down Martin Place and to her car and then we were off. After googling some things along the way and once we had arrived, Eddy wrote some notes and briefly prepared what she was going to say on air for the 6:30am cross to Sunrise for Nat’s news. I was amazed at how she was able to turn a couple of minutes of googling the appropriate police, fire and weather websites into a well detailed, professional and informing news update live in front of the nation. She is a truly incredible reporter.

Edwina Bartholomew reporting live for Sunrise

Eddy moved locations slightly to change up the visuals and did another couple of crosses throughout the morning. She even gave me the opportunity to have a practice run, pretending that I was doing a live cross reporting on the fire. I did horribly, but it was really great to have that opportunity and be put in that position with all of the right gear and everything. Eddy gave me some tips on how to practice speaking on the spot and to slow down when I’m talking. Once Eddy had finished the last live cross to The Morning Show we made our way back to Channel Seven.

It was about 9:45am I think when we returned so I went straight up to greet Karen and Jules and asked them if they had any work they would like me to do. Jules had been saving me a few jobs throughout the week so she assigned me to clipping more of the Sunrise and The Morning Show promotions and making a few phone calls. I had the pleasure of letting someone know they had won $10, 000 thanks to the Sunrise Cash Cow! I called someone else on behalf of The Morning Show as they had also won a prize valued at $10, 000 but they didn’t answer so I left Julie’s name and contact phone number for them to return the call.

Once I had completed all of the tasks Jules had assigned to me Karen contacted the IT department and had them create me my own channel seven log-in and email address! I then began browsing the Sunrise soapbox for any potential stories for tomorrow. I printed a couple out and showed them to one of the producers where he then assigned me to researching and compacting a list of the best radio pranks of all time – in light of the 2DayFM Royal Prank Scandal. I spent an hour or so compiling a list and watching YouTube videos of radio pranks before the producer came over and let me know that they story wouldn’t be running anymore. They had been given approval to run another story – about the Packed to the Rafters house being on the market - so they wouldn’t need the radio pranks list anymore.

By this time it was about 2pm and Jules and Karen didn’t have anything more for me to do, so with that, Thursday, day four of work experience, was complete. 

Work Experience @ Channel Seven: Day Three

Work Experience at Channel SevenDay Three: Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Day three was very impromptu and very exciting. I arrived at work at 6:50 and sat in the studio for fifteen or so minutes before Adam suggested I sit in the control room and watch how Sunrise works from that angle. I sat in there and watched as seven/eight people worked together to ensure the show ran smoothly. At 8:15 I went back out into the corridor to see Adam and he then took me up to the newsroom and introduced me to… someone whose name currently escapes me… who then introduced me to Damien Smith. Damien Smith is a news reporter for Channel Seven, Sydney.

Damien was rushing out of the office to go out on location to shoot for a package and kindly invited me to go along with him. I quickly ran downstairs to grab my handbag and then met up with Damien again and followed him to greet the crew – Dan and Stu – and make our way to the car. We were off to Luna Park and my first time driving across the Sydney Harbour Bridge! There was a function that was taking place with Take 5 magazine to award six brave kids with their trophies after winning a competition. These kids had amazing stories. One story was of Ella, a young girl who received a pulmonary artery valve transplant at the tender age of eight days old from an eighteen-month old boy who drowned. Ella went on to place fourth in a triathlon after the parents of the donor wished for her to learn to swim as soon as she was old enough.

Brave Kids + Celebrities at the Take 5 Brave Kids Award Ceremony

Damien did a live cross after the event for the 11:30 morning news, interviewing Ella and her mother. We then stuck around, making our way around all of the competition winners and filming short interviews and then filming their joys on the Luna Park Ferris Wheel. The expression on their faces was truly priceless.

Damien Smith interviewing Ella and her mother for the 11:30 morning news

After the event we made our way to Government House where there was another award ceremony taking place. But the media contact was unorganised and we were unable to film during the ceremony so we left before the proceedings began.

Once we arrived back at Channel Seven I observed as Damien got straight to work and began producing and putting the package together. Next was to go downstairs for Damien to record his voiceovers and then edit the final package. I found it extremely interesting to see how a package is formed from beginning to end. Before this week I had assumed that the reporters just shot the footage and sent it back to the office for the producers and editors to do the rest of the work but I have been proven otherwise. It definitely made me appreciate all of the reporters a lot more.

By the time the package was fully completed it was 4:30pm. I made my way upstairs to see Karen as I hadn’t seen her all day and I was worried she might think I just didn’t show up all day. Luckily though, Eddy had told her that I was out with Damien for the day. I asked her if there was anything she would like me to do and she told me that it could all wait for tomorrow as I had already had a long day. So with that, I made my way back to my apartment, made some two-minute noodles and passed out at 5:30pm.I woke up at 10pm with missed calls and text messages from my family worried that I was lost somewhere in Sydney without my phone. After calming everyone down I checked my twitter and found I had received a direct message from Eddy! She said that she’s going to the fire in the morning and if I’m at work by 5:15am tomorrow morning I can go with her! Woohoo, bring it on!

And there we have it. Day three: complete.

Work Experience @ Channel Seven: Day Two

Work Experience at Channel Seven

Day Two: Tuesday, December 4, 2012

I was due in at work at 7am again so my alarm was set for 5:30am. I was at work by 6:50 and excited for what the day had in store for me. I greeted Adam and then sat in the studio watching Sunrise take place right before me. Now that’s what I call live television, ha!

Edwina Bartholomew, Sunrise Sydney Correspondent, follows me on twitter and I had told her that I was coming to Sunrise this week, but I was still screaming on the inside when we were introduced and she remembered who I was from twitter (Just pretend you didn’t read that, if you did, Eddy). She was doing an 8:20am segment on the CHOICE Awards and what was found to be the best Christmas puddings on the market. It was my task to warm up the puddings and present them in bowls for Mel and Kochie to taste on air and give the final verdict (The winner was Itha’s Homemade Christmas Puddings). The segment went to plan and the Sunrise cast and crew agreed with the CHOICE Award that the puddings were, in fact, the best.

Mel and Kochie delivering the final verdict on Itha's Homemade Christmas Puddings

After the Christmas Puddings segment it was time to warm up the other two puddings for the channel seven staff upstairs to enjoy with their morning coffee and tidy up the messes made. By this time, Sunrise had finished and The Morning Show was on air so next it was time for Larry’s coffee. As I was sitting at The Coffee Club upstairs waiting for Larry’s coffee, I saw Edwina coming up the escalator and decided to jump at the opportunity to let her know that I was going to be there all week and that I would love to tag along with her on any stories she was doing if she didn’t mind. She let me know that it was a quiet week and there isn’t anything exciting happening, but she might be shooting a package at 10am in Martin Place and I was welcome to tag along. We agreed to meet at her desk at around 10am.

After delivering Larry’s coffee and sitting in the studio watching The Morning Show, I made my way upstairs to Eddy’s desk. She informed me that what she thought she might have been doing had been cancelled and she would know more after the meeting to be held at 10:05. I then went into Mel Doyle’s office to thank her again for the incredible opportunity of work experience at Sunrise, as she was the one that spoke to Karen for me in the first place. It was then time to attend the morning production meeting along with Eddy and the Sunrise producers including the executive producer – Michael Pell. I found it extremely interesting to see where the stories for Sunrise originate and how the angles of the stories are formed.

After the meeting neither Eddy nor Adam had anything they needed help with so instead of watching the rest of The Morning Show I asked Karen if she would like me to do anything for her. Karen then introduced me to Julie Henderson, the Sunrise, Weekend Sunrise and TMS Promotions Manager. Jules asked me to help her out by clipping some shots from Sunrise that she needed. She logged me into Nat Barr’s computer and I spent the next hour clipping the Accor promotions that had aired on Sunrise in the past couple of days. Nat’s computer was next to Eddy’s so when she was leaving I reminded her that I was still keen to tag along on anything she’s doing tomorrow and she said she would message me on twitter later tonight or early tomorrow morning if there is anything on and I was welcome to go along with her.

So... Here’s hoping!

Work Experience @ Channel Seven: Day One

Work Experience at Channel Seven

Day One: Monday, December 3, 2012

Once upon a time in the lovely and picturesque hustle and bustle of Sydney City it was time to begin the big day for a young and hopeful journalism student.

No, but seriously…

My alarm abruptly sounded at 5:30am and I woke with butterflies already fluttering in my stomach but it was time to get up, get ready for work and shake off the nerves. I began the walk to work at 6:30am and arrived at 6:45am. I made my way up the golden channel seven stairs and introduced myself to the security guard behind the administration desk. I was handed my lanyard attached to a security pass and was introduced to Adam; the guest greeter.

I sat in the studio watching how Sunrise looks from behind the camera, joining in on the banter during the ad breaks and watching Justice Crew rehearse and perform. It was exactly how I expected it to be: casual but professional, easy but hard work and loads of fun but laid back and relaxed too. After seeing how things work in the studio it was time to check out the goings on in the control room. The control room consisted of about seven people monitoring everything from the timing of the on-air segments to the written visuals shown on-screen. It was exciting to hear how everything sounds from behind the scenes and to understand how much goes into ensuring everything runs smoothly.

As live as you can get - The Morning Show

I met with Adam again and at this point it was about 9:30am, Sunrise had finished and The Morning Show was now on-air. Adam gave me his headset so I could hear the conversations between the crew and hosts in the studio and the producers in the control room. We got Larry his morning coffee and made sure all guests had arrived and were comfortable. 

Once everything was organised down stairs it was time to sort the mail for Sunrise and The Morning Show. Adam showed me where the desks were of those that received the most mail; Melissa Doyle, David Koch, Michael Pell and Karen Staude. The other work experience person, Micah and I sorted it all and delivered it to their desks along with Edwina Bartholomew’s as I could see her sitting at her desk.

Next I was properly introduced to Karen Staude, Michael Pell’s Personal Assistant. Karen is the one who I was in email contact with regarding the details of beginning my work experience; organising my insurance and the time/date details of when I was to start work. By this time it was nearing 11:30am and Karen didn’t have any work she wanted to do so she told me to leave early and enjoy the city of Sydney.

It was so surreal to be in the big smoke of Sydney City and all on my lonesome but it was pouring with rain so I decided to just head back to my apartment and call everyone at home to let them know how my morning went.

And that was that. Day one: complete.