Today I....

erik227

Member
I'm the only overnight photog at my station, I went out for a drive at about 12:00 am I just had that gut feeling. Soon enough We got shots fired at a local pub 19 year old kid shot five times (fatal) On the way back to studio I hear another report On shots fired Get vids of a car full of bullet holes. Good vids, but sad to know my city is going to hell....
 

Deaf and Blind

Well-known member
This happened last Monday morning, but seeing all these posts jogged the memory.

8am monday morning we get a call out to a police station. some one has tipped off the local stations that a murder suspect is to be brought in for questioning. We roll up all the normal faces are there...
Then we notice one station's news crew & link truck is missing. We see the cops leave on their way to get the "suspect" followed by laughter from one of the crews.
It seems the missing crew & link truck has gone directly to the suspects house!

Much hilarity is bounded around as we imagine that stations crimre reporter standing in front of the house doing a piece to camera, doing his big arm gesturing "in this house murder suspect xyz is sleeping we are expecting dectives from wxyz station to arrive here shortly to arrest & question the man"
Now what do you suppose the odds were he looked out of the window, had a few cogs go around & decide to bug out for a while. :)
Needless to say our man was "out" when the police arrived.
Did the detectives give us a sour look when they arrived back empty handed? you bet your ass they did. Were we standing around looking angelic? damn right, we were not the ones outside of the house.
Will some-one get a size ten planted squarely up their posteriour? probably yes.
Ahhh another fun day doing news...
 

Anton Saur

Well-known member
Today I....5 minutes ago....got a 'visit' from the violent crimes task force at my apartment. The one night I get to lay in bed, and fall asleep early...BANG BANG BANG, dogs start their annoying roar BARK BARK BARK....after showng them around my apartment, and my half dressed wife who is on doctor ordered bedrest for her blood pressure, and THEN my ID. They say sorry and leave.

It's my freekin' off day!

Who the hell have I pissed off lately?
 

2000lux

Well-known member
Got called in three hours early to shoot a presser at the A.G.'s office on Spider Man toys in Kellogs cerial boxes that contain mercury batteries.

Then I went to the middle of the state where a Piper Cub pilot made an emergency landing in a field on the side of a hill. I went four wheeling up the hill to shoot it. The owner showed up and talked to me while he took the plane apart.

After that I went back to Hartford to shoot a sign on the new convention center.

Then I went to Salem in the Soutth East end of the state where a cement truck had rolled over and wiped out a pick up, a minivan, and stopped on a box truck. I shot a package there. Then I headed back to Hartford.

After I got back I showed Frmintern the salient parts of the footage because he was going to edit the package and shoot the live shot later that night.

Finally I dorve out to West Hartford pick up a reporter at the governor's new house (he resigned rather than be impeached last week, so he had to move out of the governor's mansion). When I got there he asked me to go around back to see if I could see any thing. I got a shot of the governor's new hot tub which is funny because one of the things he got in trouble for was allegedly accepting a free hot tub for is summer cottage in return for a lucrative government contract. People in the news room were thrilled and it was a prominent part of the package. :)

[ July 01, 2004, 04:33 PM: Message edited by: 2000lux ]
 

Newshutr

Well-known member
This morning, I had the fun task of going to a fatal shooting. The shooting turns out to be a suicide. Also happens to be a cop who comitted suicide in his work car. In addition, he did it in his unmarked car in the parking lot of cop bar.

Didn't know it was a cop, or a cop bar until the inebriated off duties started screaming at me and the other cameraman from FOX. As soon as we found out it was a suicide, we both left.

it was very tense. First time I've been scared at a scene in a while.
 

Terry E. Toller

Well-known member
Drove 80 miles to cover a single car, single fatal auto accident. When I got back in my car, I heard a Sacramento fire chief call for a FIFTH alarm just two miles from my house! Oh well, it all pays the same, minus the gas...
 

RichVid

Well-known member
Went to bed @ 2300 hours after working overnights the whole 4th of July weekend through Monday AM the 6th and not getting hardly squat...

Then proceeded to listen to my pager go ape-**** with a 4 victim shooting inside a bowling alley in my area, a 2nd alarm fire inside a Coke Barn (not the white stuff) at the Port of Long Beach, another working fire at a strip mall, and then a massive fire in a 3 story commercial with total collapse that burned for hours... :(
 

SAwood

Well-known member
forgot that I had to work the dayside shift. I'm nightside 100% of the time, so a dayside shift throws me off. got the messages too late, will probably get suspended.

party on wayne, party on garth.
 

Newshutr

Well-known member
On my way into work yesterday (1am) I see flashing lights in the eastbound lane ahead (I'm heading westbound). I slow down to see a car flipped and mangled guardrail. I tried to get off at the next exit and shoot around to head east, when out of nowhere, this little silver Dodge Neon comes up like a bat out of hell, doing about 80 mph right beside me which makes me swerve and miss the proper exit. So I have to head down to the next closest exit.

I speed up a little (OK..it was 70) and I keep a little pace with the silver car but I drop speed when I get to the exit I need. As I'm going down the exit to head eastbound, something catches my eye and I look up to see dust coming up and filtering the light from the lamps on the freeway. I thought to myself, "Someone drove off the road." But I had committed to getting off the exit.

I shot around and headed back to the flipped car. I was there about three minutes when a little voice told me to head back west to where I had exited the highway previously. As I'm walking back to my explorer, a dump truck pulls next to me and the driver yells out, " THERE'S A SEMI WITH A CAR STUCK UNDER IT!! HE DOESN'T KNOW IT'S THERE AND HE'S DRAGGING IT !!!!"

Well, I guess that that was the dust I saw! I shot back to head westbound again. This time I hit a little traffic but I manage to pull off the side of the road. I walk about a half-mile to see a semi, charred in the left back with a little Silver Dodge Neon stuck in trailer. The Neon is crumpled and burnt.

I got great pics of the ax and Lifeflight and the victim being worked on. Also great sound from three of the four guys who stopped their cars and trucks to help rescue this woman. They actually pulled a door off the frame of the car to get to her. One guy dove into the car while it was on fire to undo her seatbelt. Thing was, the car was on fire inside the drivers compartment. All the rescuers went without a scratch.

I'm kicking myself because I went to shoot the first ax. Had I not seen it, I would have seen the Neon crash into the truck. And the worst thing was, I had to shoot it hand held because my sticks were in the shop getting a leg lock replaced.

[ July 24, 2004, 09:05 AM: Message edited by: Newshutr ]
 

Tazam77

Well-known member
Finally, My chance to post on this topic.

Tuesday I shot a hurricane! :D I am new and it was my first one!

This job does have those great days! :)
 

queen of blue

Well-known member
Ok -- so it's not spot news BUT ....

Today I actually got to SEE the boxes that contain my big screamin' dell computer with the dual monitors that will soon become my personal Avid Express Pro workstation. (Ok, not mine personally, but for my exclusive use - you know what I mean)

2 1/2 years, and I finally made enough noise to get real editors. Guess I'm not in quite as much of a hurry to move after all. Not until I learn the basics of Avid, anyway.

Like I said, not spot news, but I still did the happy dance. :D
 
Today I was shootin a fatal housefire, interviewing the homeowners who were weeping over the loss of their home and tenant when we hear a huge accident a block away. I excuse myself and run to the four car accident. Then I see that the brunt of the accident was taken by a police officer who had just left the scene of the fire. He was slammed by a UPS truck making a right turn onto a main road. I'm scrambling to get as many shots as I can before the cops start yelling at me to get back. They had to cut the roof of the car off to get the injured cop out but he looked alright. You can hear the accident clearly on the tape during the interview. Weird stuff.
 

ewink

Well-known member
Time to give this thread some love again...

Today I....

Well Saturday I...

...Had two lemons thrown at me during a live shot at the Illinois State Fair. One came within inches of me and my camera.

State Police attempted to catch the miscreants but couldn't find them. (not suprised).
 

FTOJRLST

Well-known member
...woke up to my cell phone blaring its funky tone, and realizing that it was the desk, and it was 9:30. Good thing it only takes me 7 minutes to get to the station.

(my wife said I popped the snooze when she left at 8...I must have been really tired.)
 

FTOJRLST

Well-known member
Good thing you hid the goods.

BTW....Congrats again on the new baby!!!

Originally posted by Anton Saur:
Today I....5 minutes ago....got a 'visit' from the violent crimes task force at my apartment. The one night I get to lay in bed, and fall asleep early...BANG BANG BANG, dogs start their annoying roar BARK BARK BARK....after showng them around my apartment, and my half dressed wife who is on doctor ordered bedrest for her blood pressure, and THEN my ID. They say sorry and leave.

It's my freekin' off day!

Who the hell have I pissed off lately?
 

FTOJRLST

Well-known member
This is good stuff....hard to believe but good...

0830- Arrive at station... pick up reporter... Eric White...Helluva nice guy...great to work with.

0840- Leave station head to first shoot 20 miles Southeast.

0900- Arrive at first shoot that was set up the night before...A Forestry Service Training Drill simulating a dry season with numerous forest fires. We gathered a VoSot and we also played a part in the Simulation as the media arriving on the scene wanting info on the fire. I hope this spring during fire season we can get sound and video (cooperation) as quickly. That was the guise for shooting this in the first place.

0950- Back to station to drop off tape...decide on a PKG.

1015- Leave station Head 37 Miles East to folow up on a Child Porn story from the day before.

1050- Eric recieves a call about a possible drug and prostitution bust scheduled for
1300 ...Officer gives us an area to stand by in.

1055- Arrive at Alamance county courthouse...go through 19-92 court records of a defendant who is again charged with crimes against children...gather some names and numbers...make some calls...no gain on making this a turnable folo.

1130- Leave the courthouse...go to the bank to get money for lunch.

1200- Arrive at Krystals (the only one in the viewing area) order 5 Cheese Krystals, 3 Krystal Chicks, Fries and Drink.(Eric ate 1 cheese Krystal and 1 Krystal Chick.)

1235- Arrive near area of scheduled bust...realize there's a Strip Club at this interchange...wonder aloud if it could be...Nah...too coincidental.

1237- A girl knocks on passenger window..wants Eric's autograph...giggles and tells him she loves him and our station. We laugh about this after she bounces away.

1250- Drive up and down a 3 mile stretch of I-85 wondering if agents will show up there in the next ten minutes.

1300- Get a call...bust is postponed until 1500...paperwork snag.

1301- Head toward Elon University to check out possible future stories...and college chicks who just started school tuesday.

1315- Eric notices Sigma Pi sign on road...his frat from college...we search out Sigma Pi house.

1320- Stop at Gas Station to put 21 gallons in my 20.5 gallon fuel tank.

1323- Hot Chick pulls up next to us at pump...We gaze uncontrollably.

1327-We find Frat/Sorority houses on campus...notice a group of girls sunbathing in bikinis...We park and ask them for directions to Sigma Pi...One of the girls leans over the deck pointing out the house...we take a quick look at the ladies and then head over to the Frat house.(NOT MY DECISION)

1333- We knock at Sigma Pi house and chat with a brother who is noticeably still lit up from the previous night's mixer with the afformentioned girls.

1337- after a brief tour of the Frat house...walking across freshly dried sticky beer on a fancy laminate floor...checking out torn up furniture and misplaced furniture cushions, we head back to the news truck.

1345- another phone call from our guy on the inside...the swarm of police, deputies and ALE is on the verge of departing to the location of the bust...and our guy throws us a bone...the bust IS AT THE STRIP CLUB!!!

1400- we arrive back in the area of the impending police action...we drive by the club from afar to see if they beat us there...nope.

1425- Nothing yet...we call our guy..he says 5 minutes...tells us to adust our position and just jump in line when the squad cars start passing us.

1427- A dozen or more marked and unmarked units from the various agencies come sceaming around the corner catching us sligthly by surprise as it is only a couple of minutes past our 5 minute warning.

1428- we jump in line toward the end of the convoy and roll into the parking lot as depties, officers and marshalls, guns drawn, warrants in hand, storm the building. We stay in the parking lot waiting to see what is next.

1435- More Law Enforcement types arrive on the scene flanked by all of the other media who had been corralled at the Sheriff's until the sheriff said go.

1436- Sheriff posts Civil Papers on the building enacting a legal loophole in the law in hopes of shutting the place down...Several of the entertainers had apparantley been soliciting to undercover officers to go to local motels for a little more action.(YOU SHOULD SEE THE AFFIDAVIT!!)

1500- Continuing to shoot the scene as everyone who is at the business and anyone who pulls into the parking lot, patron or employee, is searched for possible contraband...One dude had a large stash of cash and a 9mm, but he must hav been legal because they let him go...They did thank him for keep the gun in plain view and letting them know about it as he pulled into the lot.

1515- Interview with a Scantally clad yound lady who says she just quit the other day and is just here to collect her final paycheck. Her story is an ironic contradiction of epic proportions....and I quote, 'I am surprised, but I knew it was coming. I didn't know that anything was going on like that, but it was only a matter of time before they got caught.'

1530- Wrap up shooting stand ups and teases.

1535- head to station...37 miles west.

1537- Cell phone call...promise a 6 o'clock package.

1538- Start Collaborating with Ericr on package.

1540- Traffic Jam on I-40/85

1547- Traffice Jam Clears.

1615- Package is written.

1620- Arrive at station.

1630- Cut Vo teases and such.

1640- Actually have time to breath until he can type package into computer.

1650- Lay in the Standup Open and close.(NLE gotta love it)

1705- Start editing package with more than enough time to spare.(picking bytes on the fly because we had written to the sound from memory.)

1757- Finished Editing.

1758- 6 pm show begins.

1805- Edit 10 o'clock re-cut

1815- Head for home to pick up wife for supper.

1845- Head to Friday night football...30 miles west.

1930- shoot game one...almost get clobbered by a 200 pound bowling ball...4 times.

2030- head to game 2...15 miles east.

2045- only 1 close call in this game...was the first highlight in my game action for the show.

2145- Game 2 done.

2215- Arrive at station...Edit both ball games...write shot sheets.

2300- Football Show Starts.

2305- Gather all of my supplies...put away team rosters for possible future use...get tapes to use this for a Second Consecutive Weekend of on Call...Make sure I haven't forgotten anything...Watch some of the show.

2320-Go home.

0045- START WRITING THIS FLASH BACK.

0141- FINISH WRITING THIS.

What a long day. Why can't everyday be this much fun. It sure beats last Monday when we didn't shoot a frame of video!!! I LOVE MY JOB!!!
 

Frank McBride

Well-known member
"1650- Lay in the Standup Open and close.(NLE gotta love it)"

Is this mandated, or did you and Eric decide this was the best approach?

FMc
 

FTOJRLST

Well-known member
The Standup open and close...or 'look live' was our decision. There was some brief discussion about a live shot, but it didn't pan out. I don't generally like look lives but it worked in this case. I also thought the package as a whole turned out really well....nats breaks...great sequences...the works.
 

newshawk

Member
FTOJRLST,

Your my Hero. I look up to you each and every day thinking what it would be like to be YOU.

Oh, how I miss market #46.
 
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