Where To Draw The Line?

How much of a screw-up is enough? If I set the bar too low do I remove some of the spontaneity? I don’t want my performance to be sterile.

IMAG3185

Doing the weather for Nebraska is different. I’m never shown live. What I record gets played back in a variety of forms for a few hours.

Then, I do it again.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Recording has added a variable I didn’t plan for. I can stop at a mistake and start over. It’s a blessing and a curse.

Here’s the problem: No weathercast is ever one hundred percent smooth. I have to decide how much is enough to stop the take. But where is that line?

How much of a screw-up is enough? If I set the bar too low do I remove some of the spontaneity? I don’t want my performance to be sterile.

It’s a decision made while I’m in front of the camera speaking; another plate to juggle.

I have to QC each take, so I see my work often. What seems like a large error to me often doesn’t look as bad on playback. Only I know what I wanted to do. Everyone else only sees the result.

There is a goal. Even if it’s recorded you want to leave the impression it’s take one.

3 thoughts on “Where To Draw The Line?”

  1. Unless it were something like miss pronouncing a word and it doesn’t alter the actual forecast, I think small bumps in a newscast (or weather cast in your case) allows the viewers to see you as another regular person. That person is one people will warm up to more versus one who is stiff, rigid and perfected. Keep some of the blimps in or bloops whatever you want to call it.

  2. There is a fine line between constructive self-criticism and OCD. I help the musician I manage deal with this on a daily basis. :} Just today we were doing a radio taping in Germany and she wanted to do every song again, but no one else in the room was hearing the supposed mistakes/off pitch moments she was hearing, so fortunately she let it go.

    Years ago a wise friend said to me, “the artist is the least qualified to judge their own work.” Do you have anyone (Helaine?) who can help you figure out if you need to do a re-take, if you genuinely aren’t sure?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *