Making of a TV Series - Part 3

Today we taped our first show! The date came up suddenly but I felt as though I was prepared. I had written up my notes, rehearsed, met with my guest before the taping, and picked out an outfit. What I wasn't prepared for was the nervousness that would instantly creep up on me once the director gave me the signal for "action." Our first take lasted about 10 seconds before I lost my train of thought and had to start over. Thank God it wasn't a live program! Our second take went much better and we were able to tape straight through to the end. There were definitely a few hiccups throughout the program and a section that may need some work but all in all it went well. Not having seen anything yet, I have no idea how it will look once it's edited but my hope is that it won't be too bad.

If all goes well, my new program, named Cross Roads will air next week. It's rather nerve wracking waiting to see what transpires before it airs, but my hope is that there was some value conveyed during the process. My guest did really well and I was happy I chose a guest who I felt comfortable with. My goals for the show were to be able to offer something of value to viewers and to learn a new skill for myself. One thing is for sure, I was definitely out of my comfort zone today. My only hope is that it gets easier. I pray in time I become more polished and the information that is imparted is well received, interesting and inspirational.

The next show is in the works. Believe it or not, we plan to tape again in about two weeks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it goes more smoothly. More later....

The Making of a TV Series - Part 2

I just confirmed my first guest. And, a date has been set to film. Things are moving along quickly. Today I spent time writing my opening and my script for the first show. Without giving too much away, I had a few ideas I jotted down earlier, so today I wrote up my notes and edited them down to the point where it will feel more natural when reading it from a teleprompter.  Next I timed it to see how long it will take and I'm feeling like it's a bit short. I will need to review all of this with the production team and be sure it all works and makes sense.

As the filming date gets closer and more and more details are filled in, I find myself getting excited. But I'm also realizing how much work this has become and will continue to be as I move forward. Regardless, I'm enjoying the process and am learning lots each day.

My next step is to meet with my first guest and review my notes with her. I want to let her know my vision for the first show and what her role will be. I tend to work best when I have material in writing in front of me to refer to so I do have a written script of the first show to go over with her.

More about my meeting with my first guest to come. Stay tuned...

The Making of a TV series - Part 1

The first meeting to discuss my new TV show took place today. While I had initial thoughts about what my program would be about, I'm now filled with a slew of new ideas and many more questions. The challenge I'm having is figuring out a way to meld all the ideas I have together in one cohesive fashion. From deciding on a title, and confirming my first guest, to thinking about music, and setting a start date, I left the meeting with anticipation, excitement and a fair amount of anxiety. With little to no TV production experience, would I be capable of pulling this off?  Would I embarrass myself, or worse, would I embarrass my guests? Would I waste everyone's time? These are the thoughts that went through my head as I drove out of the parking lot on my way home.

While there are many unanswered questions, I'm committed to forging ahead. Next step is to secure my first guest and to write an opening that will introduce my show. I'm thinking about whether to use a teleprompter or go it alone. What are the questions I will ask? What is the point I'm trying to get across? What kind of information or inspiration am I trying to impart?

The idea for the show began when I started doing a few guest spots for another local cable station as a dog trainer. I met this woman at a park in Walpole, MA while walking my dog. Kim, host of Pets and Their People, stopped me in the parking lot and asked if I was interested in being filmed with my pet. As someone who enjoys showing off her dog, I couldn't resist putting my pup, Maizie, on camera. After a brief interview with the host, we exchanged cards and I followed up with her to learn more about her program and find out when our interview would air.

Having a dog training and pet care business, I thought there might be additional opportunities to showcase my services, so I offered to work with Kim to do more guest spots on her program. And, that is where it all began.

To date, we've filmed several guest spots for her program outlining dog training tips and offering up information on various pet related topics. It all got me thinking. How else can I use this medium to communicate the offerings and services of my own business to my own local community? From this train of thought, I was prompted to stop into my own local community cable station -- Norfolk Community Television right in downtown Norfolk, MA.

At first, I assumed there might be a similar program already in the works on which I could appear. But after speaking with the producer, I learned it might make more sense for me to come up with my own show and communicate to the world whatever I wanted. The ideas came flooding in. Do I talk about pets? Do I talk about my marketing experience? What about my life coaching skills? How can I combine all these ideas into one cohesive show?

Stay tuned to learn what transpires and find out what my next steps will be....