Wildcat Weekly - ID# 409

Neuqua Valley
News Program
Entry Description

Wildcat Weekly is produced by Broadcast Journalism 2, 3, and 4 students at Neuqua Valley High School. The staff creates episodes that air every Friday to share Neuqua Valley’s stories and events with students and teachers.

Copyright Info

Recent Teacher Comments

  • 4/19 8:07 am - A solid show. Host does a nice job leading the show. Lots of b-roll which is good, and your audio sounds very professional. A big no-no is spelling words wrong in graphics and you do that with the word varsity. Check and double check! Sienna is a solid sports host- reads very well without making it sound like she's reading! Cupcakes story is a nice segment, as is the breast cancer segment. It's a good show!
  • 3/3 7:15 am - Natalie does a nice job. If you are going to hold the mic, just use one hand. Is there a reason the camera is shooting up at Joe and not level with him? Good composition and audio throughout. Good use of b-roll/. Make sure someone double checks the spelling in your graphics - “Varisty.”
  • 3/1 10:32 pm - The audio is a bit high. The hissing that you hear throughout, especially with Ms. Tufo, is probably being caused by the level on the camera is up too high and the gain on the mic is too low. It would help if you did the opposite, increase the gain on the audio source so your destination does not have to be so high which would lower your noise floor. I like the name "Neuqua Replay"
Judge 1

Positives: This was a well rounded newscast featuring news packages with field reporters, a sports report with over-the-shoulder graphics and a creative announcements feature. Additionally, they were well produced. Excellent work showing a range of reporting techniques. Three news packages in particular excelled at storytelling because they focused on one or two people. The baking segment told a student’s journey to create a business, the student golfers told the story of Coach Keller’s impact and most powerful was the breast cancer piece. Instead of a broad-brush overview of the disease, telling the story of two women was more impactful.

Improvements: The baking package would’ve benefited from the use of a reporter and the breast cancer piece from more voiceover. Seldom in a news program will you see news packages with just interview clips strung together because the reporter’s voiceover helps deliver information clearly while driving the storytelling. Again, this was a solid newscast with the students showing a strong knowledge of the fundamentals. Now, take the production value to the next level. Create a dynamic graphics package and use video and audio segues between segments. A little more polish will create a more cohesive and professional newscast.

Judge 2

Positives: Very good show. Incredible energy from the anchors - they'e very polished. Voting package was a good example of taking a national story and localizing it - it was full of info. The open to the show is excellent. Sports was very good.

Improvements: The only thing I would have done differently is have some student voices in the the voting package.

Judge 3

Positives: Hosting w/ Natalie Good feedback on being relaxed on camera 1st Package Nice crisp focus on the interview with Ms. Tufo. Standup is well-lit and composed. Sienna McEneaney — Neuqua RePlay Good composition of Sienna’s position at the desk, and lighting against the back curtain to create additional depth Shine a Spotlight — Baking Business Creative use of natural audio, which was well-appreciated for its storytelling. Sarah — Impacts of Breast Cancer The stories were touching. Zooms on the photos was beneficial.

Improvements: Hosting w/ Natalie Loosen up and avoid holding the microphone with two hands, as it's uncommon in the field. Smile and encourage movement in the shots. Maybe a slow zoom-in or walk-and-talk would add more energy. 1st Package Hide the lav mic cord to avoid distractions. More voice inflection in the VO would benefit the package. Consider more creative b-roll (e.g., a quick trip to city hall or polling places) for additional context. Sienna McEneaney — Neuqua RePlay Encouragement to have more inflection and excitement about classmates. Gold Rush Leaders (Joe) The lighting could be improved by adding a light pointing up on the curtains or brightening the background to avoid the shot being too dark. This could mimic the lighting in Sienna's package. Luke — Coach Keller The color in interviews is slightly off. Ensure proper white balance. For the interviews with current members of the golf team, think beyond the current school year. Reach out to former athletes like Jessica or Coach Keller himself for additional perspectives or personal anecdotes. Shine a Spotlight — Baking Business The interview may be slightly out of focus. To challenge yourself, consider adding audio from the parents or friends of the subject to deepen the story and highlight her journey. Sarah — Impacts of Breast Cancer Change the interview location with Mrs. Urbanowicz to avoid a bland background (whiteboard). The standup felt like a strange pivot. Consider interweaving stories and your voice throughout the package for a smoother narrative flow. Clarify the source of the "1 in 8" statistic, and consider interviewing a doctor for expert insight. Instead of relying too much on static images, look for video content or follow the teachers around to add more dynamic visuals.

Judge 4

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Judge 5

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