Training for the Masses: 'Do I Start Now?'
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OK, it's not that bad. It's the director who's most miserable! But the host comes in a close second.
For all the glory of being the one in front of the camera, the job carries with it a great deal of responsibility. In return for being the person everyone recognizes (who, for example, pays any attention to the name of that brilliant director who makes the show so seamless and professional looking? Or of those sharp camera operators whose skill makes you look 10 pounds slimmer?), you have to look intelligent, sound intelligent, and not only conduct — but lead — a conversation with your guest or guests, keeping it and them on track while walking the tightrope between being informative and entertaining.
You have to greet the audience when you start the show and thank them for watching at the end, keep an eye on the floor manager and pay attention to the time cues; and look and sound like you really know what you're doing. Oooh! What fun! And people wonder why I prefer directing!
Like most other jobs in TV production, it's largely a matter of getting the routines down, of getting used to doing it, learning from your mistakes, and not getting lost in your own ego.
Very much like directing, it's an exciting, seat-of-the-pants job, in which anything can happen (and just might). Just as a good director can save a show when things go wrong with the equipment, a good host can save a show when things go sour in front of the camera.
Fortunately, in public-access cable television, things don't go sour very often, and when they do, nobody worries very much. Why not? A couple of reasons, not least being that no one involved is a professional; everyone is a volunteer.
Another reason might be that it's a local show, locally produced, for a local audience. I think that tends to make people more forgiving of mistakes. You're not some overpaid idiot in New York or Los Angeles who's getting a gazillion dollars for doing this show; you're a local guy — a neighbor, a friend, a member of the family.
If you'd like to be a member of our little family — either in front of the camera or behind it — come and see us in Building 6 in Western Gateway Heritage State Park in North Adams. Or, give us a call at 413-663-9006.
Sign up for a workshop series. Get off your patoot and make some TV shows, instead of just watching them. We're waiting to hear from you!
Paul W. Marino is the program director of Northern Berkshire Community Television Corp. His column runs once a month. For more information about volunteering at the station: 413-663-9006 or nobctv@bcn.net.
