The One Day Show

Here is an idea to help prepare your incoming broadcast staff.  I call it the "one day show."

The idea is to get your kids to one location for a day, have them all shoot stories, then edit them back at school the following week.  In just that one day, if all goes well, your kids shoot six or seven segments, and you have a final show of the year to post.

It can be a spring festival, or just a visit to your downtown area, where the kids can find unique characters or local businesses or events to feature.  Thematically, the show is simple to approach:  "A Saturday in Downtown Anytown."  Or "The Anytown Fish Fry."  Whatever is going on, chances are, your staff can find seven nice angles.

Find stories fast in your own backyard for the One Day Show.

The benefit of this modest location shoot is it provides a great chance to let your new staff feel like a team.  It is one of those "bonding" opportunities, but it does not require much stress.  By focusing on just shooting short feature stories in a day, it lets everyone take their time and look around a bit.  The editing, and anchor intros, all the post-production, happen the following week back at school.  The one day show is all about the shoot.

Of course getting all of your kids to show up on a Saturday in spring is likely impossible.  My advice--don't sweat it.  In fact, count on it.  If 14 kids can show up, but eight or nine can't, so be it.  Those who miss out probably will make sure to be part of your next big staff event after they hear how much fun the others had on the one day shoot.