So it has been a week since the official Launch of AC-TV and
I am very excited with the response that we have been getting. When I checked
today there were 450 views and to me that is fantastic. We have started a new
initiative that is very different than what everyone else is doing to
communicate with their members. For that reason alone I am excited about
producing AC-TV. Not to mention all the opportunities it will create for our
members and industry partners.
When I first started brainstorming about this broadcast
idea, I had no idea where to start. I graduated with a communications degree
for Mount Royal University and in school we only scratched the surface of video
communication. I knew the basis of videoing, but let me tell you this project
has been a learning experience for me as well. Thinking about the storyboard of
the first episode and future ones I knew that I would need footage of nice
Angus cows, both red and black, out in the their natural habitat. I come from a
commercial red Angus farm so I tested the cameras and my video editing skills
out at my farm when I went home for a weekend. Of course when you want those
good shots of the cows all running over the hill to greet you, all you get is
the herd staring at you. Cows are a bit
tricky to film when you want them to do something specific! Then I visited Jim
Hern in southern Alberta to get some footage of his black herd. I had never
been down in the Bindloss area where Hern Ranch is located but I soon learned
that it is a very pretty area of Alberta with rolling hills and lovely rivers.
Jim has a lot of land so I got to see some very spectacular scenery when I was
down riding the pastures with him. Jim runs over 700 head of commercial Black
Angus cows. With videoing both my family farm and the Hern ranch I had a pretty
good database of stock cattle footage in the summer months.
Next I worked on collecting interviews and reports to
include in the first episode. Considering this was a year in review I worked
from the beginning of the year and noted all the Angus events. I found that
when I asked individuals if they wanted to be interviewed most people were more
than willing. That is a nice thing about the beef industry; everyone loves to
talk! Over a few months I was able to collect all the interviews that I need.
One even over the phone with Don Raffin from Armstrong, B.C. Don is the owner
of Valley Auction and he gave an update on how the markets are going. As we all
know the markets are very strong and all producers are clicking their
heels when leaving the auction markets! So I thought it was very important to
have Don’s perspective included in the first episode.
Agribition was the main hub that I collected all of my
interviews. It was my first time out at Agribition so I was very excited to be
out there. I have always gone to FarmFair in Edmonton so it was nice to finally
see what Agribition is like in comparison to FarmFair. At Agribition was where I learned how to use
the microphones that I bought for the camera. I am a strong believer that video
is nothing without good sound. I have learned that when the mics die they cut
out all sound. This messed up one of my interviews and I didn’t notice until I
got home from Agribition. It was a good lesson to learn and I will not let that
happen again!
After returning from Agribition, myself and editor- Ben
Wilson from Benjo Productions only had 13 days to put things together and we
were waiting on official pictures from Agribition of our award winners. Talk
about a stressful 13 days of my life! I have a great respect for video editor
as you need so much raw footage to actually get a minute of useable video.
Editors spend so much time trying to decide what is the best thing to include
and how do I edit it all together to make it sound good. I am fortunate to be
working with a great editor that has a good grasp on the beef industry. He
understands what needs and should be included so that is very nice to work with.
I look forward to continuing my working relationship with Ben and seeing what
we can accomplish together!
I must also mention the great staff members that I work with
and all their cooperation. Brian Good our Field Staff Director was a great help to me on this project! His voice is the narration in the episode even. It is nice having a staff that believes in the
project and will do anything to help make the project the best it can be. I
think that our holiday greeting was a good laugh for many and I am happy that
it brought a smile to their faces at the end of the episode. You will have to
stay tuned to the next episodes to see what the fun CAA staff comes up with
next!
I hope that you enjoyed the first episode of AC-TV as much
as I did creating it! If you haven’t watched it check it out here: http://youtu.be/1X5hYEw9DHY?list=UUuxo6S4SLVxCypFW_3tPhwQ
I want to hear your comments so please share them with me. If
you want to know about advertising opportunities please feel free to contact me
as well. Be watching for the next AC-TV episode coming your way in March 2015!
The main focus of this episode will be Bull Sale Season!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Until next time,
Karla
Posted by Karla Ness Feedback: cdnangus@cdnangus.ca
