3. Going Live. EEEK!

 

After working the events gig for a few years, I missed the adrenaline of live broadcasting and decided to send my cv randomly to a little company called etv. I never heard back from them for months and in the meantime had resigned from my job and was preparing to move back to Johannesburg again. I had secured a few freelance gigs to keep me going for a month or 2 and suddenly they contacted me with an interview request. I travelled to Johannesburg the next day and went through my interview process, travelled back to Nelspruit, and again no word for a few weeks. I thought I had done poorly and decided to accept my fate and just carry on.

 

They contacted me a few weeks later and offered me a position. I had gone for a job interview and hadn’t even asked what position I was being interviewed for, I was so nervous. Anyways, it was for a multi-role position within the TV studio control room, called a gallery. This meant I got to play with all the equipment once more!

 

 

After working the events gig for a few years, I missed the adrenaline of live broadcasting and decided to send my cv randomly to a little company called etv. I never heard back from them for months and in the meantime had resigned from my job and was preparing to move back to Johannesburg again. I had secured a few freelance gigs to keep me going for a month or 2 and suddenly they contacted me with an interview request.

 

I travelled to Johannesburg the next day and went through my interview process, travelled back to Nelspruit, and again no word for a few weeks. I thought I had done poorly and decided to accept my fate and just carry on. They contacted me a few weeks later and offered me a position. I had gone for a job interview and hadn’t even asked what position I was being interviewed for, I was so nervous. Anyways, it was for a multi-role position within the TV studio control room, called a gallery. This meant I got to play with all the equipment once more!

 

How exciting it was to be in the centre of live news, especially when something big had happened and people were scrambling to get to air first. I was back again! I tried to learn everything as quickly as possible and just devoured every bit of info, advice, tip or trick I could get my hands on. I progressed quickly and within a few months I was directing the last few bulletins late at night that had lesser viewers and handling them well.

 

One morning though, I received a call from our HOD and I thought I had done something wrong, all he said was that my director would no longer be returning to work and I needed to direct the morning show. It was the opening day of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa! I remember standing at the corner of the studio and watching the 6am show go through their stories and new inserts and sponsored segments and I remember being absolutely terrified!

 

08:55 comes and the anchors need to swop in the 5 min ad-break, crews need to move sets around, and I need to take calm myself. I sit in the directors chair and look at the mass of buttons and lights in front of me, I take over the reigns and all I hear is “10 seconds to air, 5 seconds, 3-2-1” and I say “Roll Server A” and we’re live! Catch the next blog for more and find out how it went!