Hello again! Two weeks have passed and the time has finally come. I have finished my story on the manure filtration system!

                        This was probably one of the most difficult stories I've ever had to work on. The problem was that Planet Found is still very protective of their new technology and prototype facility they've implemented at Millennium Farms in Pocomoke City. The location of the farm was not being released to the public nor could I get anyone to talk on camera about the nutrient capture system! This posed two problems for me. One was I had to find an expert to talk about the process of how such a system works without talking to the actual creators. The second was finding enough quality b roll since I couldn't shoot any footage of the site or the machine. I've been taught in class when arriving to shoot at a scene, I should shoot it as if that's the only opportunity I'll get to gain footage for the story. The number of sequences I shot as well as different farms I visited allowed me to get enough interesting visuals to make the story come alive.

            Getting the visuals ended up being some real dirty work in the field. While it was fun, it was taxing carrying the camera equipment across the long fields, especially on the hotter days. I got a lot of dirt in my nails and even my feet pecked at by chickens. But at the end of the day it's all worth it when I take everything and start editing it all together.

            Creating the final video itself is like doing a puzzle; there are a lot of different parts and they all interlock best in certain ways. It's been my job to figure out exactly how to do it! I will be posting a link in my next blog to the final video so that everyone can view it.

             Now I must already start thinking about what I will do for my next story! I want to cover a wide variety of topics so who knows where the news will take me.

            This time, I'll be sure to schedule extra interviews farther in advance. A tip for all you aspiring journalists out there: don't count on someone showing up to an interview you schedule. NO ONE cares about your story as much as you do. So plan for it so that you have time to regroup and have other people lined up. I find personally that getting sound bites is most often what can hold up your production. Getting video, doing narration, and editing are all on your own time so it's easy to plan those accordingly. However, in a world of deadlines, you don't want somebody else to be the reason you miss it!

            I think that should pretty much catch everyone up on my news adventure this semester. If anyone has any ideas on the next topic they'd like me to cover, I'm open for suggestions! I'll be posting again soon to update my status on the next story. Until then, enjoy Spring Break and nicer weather! (fingers crossed)