Archive for May, 2008

Camera casualty

Earlier this month while on assignment, strong winds blew over a video camera and tripod on a mountaintop in Cherokee, NC. To my horror, the view finder completely broke off from the base of the camera. The camera was rolling while this all happened, and you can see the footage in the video below.

Since I was almost two hours from work, I needed to continue to use the broken camera. I employed the “hail Mary” approach and prayed whatever I was taping included my interview subject in some part of the frame. His head was actually square in the middle of the shot. Not ideal, but at least he was there.

The assignment was a video profile of John Grant Jr. in the Songs of Appalachia video series I produce each month with reporter Morgan Simmons.

Closing an Interstate


On Thursday morning at midnight, a one-mile portion of Interstate-40 through downtown Knoxville shutdown for a 14-month construction project.

I shot and edited this video of the closure. It was really awesome to watch up close and happened surprisingly quick and without noticeable problems.

Find extensive coverage of the SmartFIX40 closure by News Sentinel traffic reporter Don Jacobs.