Equipment Tips for Beginner Broadcast Journalism & Video Production Students

**Note: The following tips, ideas and suggestions come from the writer's personal experience as a senior Broadcast Journalism major at the University of South Alabama. The following article and all ideas contained here within are not necessarily reflective of said university. Are you a college student entering a major in Broadcast Journalism or Audio/Video Production? If so, you should begin preparing yourself now for the host of technological difficulties you will face with equipment and video/audio editing software. Not only will this prepare you for your college work and projects, but will also serve to prepare you for life in "the biz": your future career. Camera batteries will fail while in the field, microphones will generate audio feedback and tripod legs will stick. It's all part of working with technology. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make things easier on yourself.

1. Always Check out More than One Camera Battery

This first tip may seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many students fail to abide by this "common sense" rule. When checking out equipment from your university's lab, always request more than one camera battery. This will serve several purposes. First, it will ensure that you have enough battery power and camera time for several hours of shooting. Secondly, it will serve as a backup plan in the event that one battery dies or fails to function properly. As a broadcast journalist and field reporter, it is your responsibility to prepare for the worst case scenarios.

2. Check Lavaliere (Lapel) Microphones for Clips

Believe it or not, lapel microphones are prone to lose their collar clips. If you plan to use a lavaliere mic for an interview, be certain you do not leave the equipment room without first checking to see that all clips are properly attached to the mic heads. Nothing is more frustrating than being forced to improvise your micing of an interviewee.

Check out a cardioid (handheld) microphone in the event that the lapel microphone dies or is unable to be used for lack of a clip. However, if your interviewee is wearing an oxford style dress shirt or other garment with button holes, you may be able to run the lapel mic head through an empty button hole near the subject's collar area. Be certain you test the audio levels before beginning the interview to ensure the mic is picking properly receiving your interviewee's voice. If you forget to check for mic clips, you may be forced to improvise.

3. Check out Weather Protection Gear for Outdoor Shooting

Remember that weather is unpredictable. If your news package story will require outdoor shooting, be certain you check out any necessary weather protection gear you may need. Microphone sleeves and camera weather covers (sometimes referred to as "skins," "cloaks," or "bags") will be extremely helpful in the event of rain, sleet, snow and other forms of severe weather. It certainly does not take a college science degree to know that electronics do not mix well with water and lightning. In the event of extreme lightning, you may need to reschedule the shoot or find a safe enclosure in which to film and record. As a general rule of thumb, you should always ask your professor before taking school equipment into severe weather.

4. Know How to Operate your Tripod's Camera Mount Plate

Before leaving the classroom or equipment lab, be certain you know how to mount your camera onto your tripod and secure it to the mounting plate. Do not arrive on location and attempt to figure this out on your own. This is one area of equipment operation that you cannot afford to make a mistake in. Too many students have improperly mounted their camera, let go and watched their school's $5,000 camera plummet to the ground. Too many students are now paying for destroyed equipment. Do not let this be you. Learn how to properly mount and secure your camera before shooting your news package and interviews, particularly if you will need to pan and/or rotate the camera.

5. Check all Equipment Bags before Leaving the Location

This tip should go without saying. Unfortunately, too many broadcast journalism students return to their university's equipment room or editing lab and realize they have left a microphone, camera battery or other small piece of hardware in the field. After packing all of your video and audio equipment, double and triple check every bag to ensure that you have not forgotten anything. Your professor will not smile on a news project that resulted in the loss of school-bought equipment.

Always remember that college level news production and field reporting courses are designed to prepare you for life as a professional broadcast journalists or video/audio production equipment operator. Do not take your assignments lightly. It does not mean you cannot have fun, but it does mean you are expected to maintain a heightened sense of professionalism and an awareness of your equipment and surroundings. Keep the aforementioned tips in mind while operating your equipment and enjoy shooting your story projects and news packages!