Making It My Own: From Static Shots to Showtime

In the world of news directing, there’s a natural climb. You start with the smaller blocks and work your way up to the heavy hitters: the 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00 PM shows. Eventually, I reached that peak, but in Richmond, Virginia, Friday nights meant something even bigger: Final Score Friday.

This wasn’t just a 30-minute newscast; it was 20 minutes of high-octane high school football highlights led by the best sports duo in the region, Lane Casadonte and Sean Robertson.

When my mentor, Brandon, transitioned to daytime to start his family, he passed the torch to me. But I didn’t want to just run the show; I wanted to make it shine. We had just moved into a swanky new studio with customizable elements, and my creative brain started churning.

Reimagining the Playbook

The original version of the show was classic and reliable: a static shot of helmets on a news desk. But with a new studio and Lane’s idea to bring in local cheerleaders, I saw an opportunity to turn a longer sports segment into a branded experience.

Working alongside Brandon and creative services, I stepped into the role of Creative Director for the floor:

• The Energy: Instead of our typical intro, we had cheerleaders bringing us into the show with pom-poms and energy.
• The Visuals: We moved away from static helmet shots. I worked with our incredible jib (a camera with a long arm and joystick controls) operator, Dave, to create sweeping, “head-to-head” creative shots of the helmets before wiping to the game highlights or our anchors.
• The “Silent” Conductor: Even when I eventually moved from the floor to the control room, my enthusiasm never dimmed. My producer still laughs about me standing up at the console, directing with high intensity and silently shaking my hands at the monitors to signal the cheerleaders to shake their pom-poms.

The Legacy of the Team

We didn’t just report the news; we built a Friday night tradition. While I took pride in revamping the show, it was the people who made it. This year, we lost our beloved jib operator, Dave, but the torch has been passed again to a new generation of directors who are carrying that legacy forward.

My Consulting Superpower: Creative Revitalization

This is what I love to do for my clients at Jennuine Raydiance. I take your static and outdated processes—the things you’ve been doing the same way for years—and I look at them through a creative and operational lens.

1. Audit the “Studio”: What new tools, staff, or technologies do you have that you aren’t fully utilizing?
2. Revamp the Experience: How can we turn a standard service into something that shines for your customers or community?
3. Direct the Energy: I don’t just give you a plan; I bring the enthusiasm and focus needed to lead the team through the transition.

I don’t just run a project; I own it, elevate it, and make sure it leaves an impact. If your current operations feel like a static shot, let’s work together to give them some “Final Score Friday” energy.

Have you ever inherited a project and felt the itch to completely tear down the old way of doing things? How did you make it your own?

#CreativeDirection #NewsDirecting #ProcessImprovement #Leadership #WTVR #FinalScoreFriday #JennuineRaydiance