Why It's So Hard to do Television

THE CARLTON ZONE IS COMING BACK! BUT IT'S LIKE PULLING TEETH...

It's going on 2 years now since we have been on the air with The Carlton Zone via the Jefferson City Local Access television service. I made the decision this summer to bring back the show. But getting back into "camera mode" isn't such an easy task, I'm finding.

September was my original goal for airing the comeback. Then I changed it to October. "Yeah, definitely October", I said to many people. Well, October blew by, and it was the same reason why I didn't get the show started the previous month. I'm camera rusty.

Even though my show is very "natural", as-in unscripted, it is so hard to get back into the mode of shooting. Nothing about my show is fake or "showy". But when you are shooting for television, you have to be in the right frame of mind, or your footage will be sloppy, ameteur, and most of all, un-watchable. You have to have the magical sticky formula to make a successful show. Otherwise, no matter how well-rehearsed it may be, it won't fly. You can take a 100% scripted and rehearsed show and put it up against a home-made documentary, and the low-tech home-made product may do leagues better than the high-production counterpart if it has the magic formula.

The good thing is, I remember my own magic formula, what made my show so watchable before. I know what mode I need to be in, what frame of mind. I know what tone of voice to use. I understand which angles are best for viewing purposes, which colors I should wear, and how the audio and lighting should be strategized. Not that any of these technical things ever work out like they are supposed to, because they don't, but I am at least aware of all the aspects that make the show better.

The hardest part of shooting is that you have to be natural, and in an up-beat frame of mind. Each time I have sat down to try to think about possible subject matter, and shooting practice footage, I'm faced with not having the right "feeling", not being in the mood to be "on". I've used that as an excuse to put off shooting that first show.

But what I've come to realize is that it isn't about waiting and waiting to be in the right mood... you have to get up and make yourself get in the right frame of mind. There isn't any room for excuses in successful television production. When it is time to shoot, it doesn't matter if I'm having a bummer of a day. To make this work, I have to get up off my duff and make the decision that I am going to be in a good mood, and in the right frame of mind to broadcast happiness, joy, and laughter to others.

Once you put your "self" aside and dedicate yourself to doing the work necessary to make the show go on, it will continue to be a success!

Now all I have to do is read this article and take my own advice... haha.