Pour yourself a cup of coffee, settle into a comfy chair in front of your computer and tune in to WPTV.
As most of you know by now, The Western Producer’s print journalists are taking a leap into broadcast journalism online. It’s a bit of a new world for us, but old dogs (sorry, staff) really can learn new tricks … even if it takes a little practice.
“TV isn’t TV anymore,” managing editor Michael Raine says.
“TV is video. Internet is now broadcast. We’re just taking what we already do and delivering it in another way.”
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Our newest offering, a weekly wrap of markets and other news, hit our website two Saturdays ago. Most weeks, you’ll see Michael and markets editor D’Arce McMillan chatting in a news anchor format in our newly configured studio.
That has required some creative thinking on the parts of Michael and video editor Robin Booker. I was at Robin’s computer the other day while talking to web editor Paul Yanko, and glanced at his screen to find one of his internet searches displaying the Fabricland website.
Why is Robin searching for fabric? Making a suit, perhaps?
Paul explained that Robin was out seeking green material to serve as a “green screen.”
Green screens, in case you are unaware, are used to block out backgrounds on TV or in movies.
As Robin explained when he returned, WPTV is still a work in progress.
“There may be some changes in style as we go along,” he said.
“(For example), from the first week to the second week, we went from a partial green screen to a full one.”
Robin also tried various ways to capture audio, “most of which failed,” he said with a laugh.
However, determination produced results.
“Now that we’ve done it once, we’ve learned a lot,” he said. “We will continue to refine it.”
He is also planning to add footage provided by our correspondents and Saskatoon reporters from wherever they are shooting. You will, for example, see Ed White reporting from Manitoba in this week’s edition.
The goal is to have our little TV show loaded before noon on Saturday, but this is partly dependent on how fast the computer will move.
Hopefully, it will be online in time to enjoy with that Saturday morning coffee.
