A Look Behind the Green Screen: An in-depth scoop of the people behind Wabash Valley College’s Radio/TV Program

The day was as simple as any other. The sun was shining, the wind was refreshing, and the skies were as clear as crystal. However, the students of Wabash Valley College weren’t free to enjoy it just yet. While for some, the classes were the end of the day, for others, it was just the beginning.

Behind The TV Board

Eli Grimes was an average young man, with messy brown hair styled into a giant singular bang. Wearing a casual Nike shirt and Blue Jeans, It would be hard to tell from a distance whether he was just a student or the employee of Wabash Valley College that he was.

Like the name entails, Audio Recording and Video Recording are 2 distinct sections of the Radio/TV program.

Nevertheless, his appearance had little to do with his position. He was the Broadcast Service Specialist for Wabash Valley College’s in-house broadcasting station. He described his role as “The assistant director of the program,” helping to set up and operate equipment and helping students with any problem he could assist with.

Essentially, he was the “behind-the-scenes” guy for 89.1 The BASH. If there was a technical problem concerning the stations, he would be one of the first people students would ask for help.

Around this time, Setting up the recorded newscast for News Channel 15 was a daily chore for him. One that he took great pride in doing right.

Putting the camera in the right position, making sure the recording software was perfectly functioning, and making sure the scene had the correct lighting were simple parts of the Newscast, but ones that could make or break the entire production.

Production setup requires someone, and that someone is most likely Eli.

However, this was never a one-man show. Eli was closer to the director, not usually the one in front of the camera. That honor would go to Kyle Peach.

The Guy in-front of the camera

Kyle was a taller man, wearing a collared shirt and brown khakis for a style fit for a great presentation. When compared to Eli, he had darker brown hair and adorned an Ivy League haircut.

Included with the role of teacher, Kyle was the face of News Channel 15. Due to his acting skills, his role as news anchor sounded as natural as if he went through the stories himself.

His years of experience both on-air and on-the-field made him the perfect fit for the program designed to teach these skills. Together, they run the program like a well-worn machine.

The crew sees the color green. The audience sees the weather forecast.

However, work is never just a simple task. Constant worries plagued the students in the TV program. “There’s a lotta fear surrounding being on-camera or being in this program.” Eli looked down, seeming to be lost in thought.

However, while messing up can (and will) happen, that’s the reason they are here: To help the students prepare for these struggles. “Knowing certain situations come up during the broadcast helps determine the issue…” Eli took a brief but noticeable pause. “I can look back on a instance where that same thing happened to me, and I can be like, ‘Oh, the squiggly cord isn’t plugged into the right thing.’”

As they prepare for the daily recording, one final check is done. The microphones are prepared, the software is still functioning, the footage is coming through clear, and the icons needed are up and loaded.

All that’s left is the countdown.

30 seconds, 15 Seconds, 10 seconds,

5

4

3

2

1

“Mic up!”

Any stress that was in the room vanished, as all there was now was the news.

Once they hit record, It’s just the local events that are being reported.

That's a Wrap!

Once the recording wraps and editing is finished, Their day comes to an end, and they prepare for the next. Even when looking at a successful day, They still try ways to improve. “We’re still doing several things that we were doing when I was in the program, but we’ve also improved a lot. Being able to have that experience of old and new instances allows me to grow with these new students that come in.” Eli's face lit up, beaming with excitement.

When concerning any fear surrounding the program, the hope that people are watching and the knowledge that people are there is what keeps everyone, students and teachers alike, going. The friendly nature of everyone at Wabash Valley College has made sure that the TV Program is less of a job and more of a family.

Even when they leave WVC, they are still remembered as a Warrior.