WFSB Visit

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to tour Connecticut's local CBS affiliate; WFSB also known as Channel 3, as well as be a part of the live audience of a taping of the popular local show, "Better Connecticut."

The trip was organized by the Rockville High School Career Center, and was something like a job shadow except with nine students and a teacher. I've toured news stations before including CNN in Atlanta and WCVB in Boston, however it was still very interesting to me! The tour covered several aspects of what goes on in a news stations including the technical aspects such as video and audio editing (which I'm more interested in) as well as the actual reporting of the news including the process and steps behind it!

Just in case we forgot where we were...

The main room!

The control room, where all the magic happens.

Control room again

Preparation for the Better CT taping...Scot Haney is an interesting person. I got to meet both him and Kara afterwards.

More of the Better CT set. It was fascinating to see how the program was put together. 

The taping itself

 

You new co-hosts of Better CT!

Or should we have three?

 

Something's cracking me up.

Moderately Funny, Episode 2

The second episode of Moderately Funny is now available on YouTube! On this episode, I discuss the Australian Open with Brian Le. Listen to the show to find out:

• Who do we think the favorites are?
• Are there any underdogs to watch out for?
• How big of a factor is the heat wave in Australia?
• Which Americans should you be keeping an eye out for in the professional tennis world?

Find out the answers to all of these questions and more on the latest episode of Moderately Funny!

Letter to the Class of 2014

Like every year, the Class President writes a letter to the senior class. Here's a sneak peak at what will be in the yearbook later this year! Don't forget to order your yearbook ASAP so you can do your senior captions. You can order them online at http://www.jostens.com/yearbooks/ybk_lp_main.html.

Dear Class of 2014:

Wow. It’s hard to believe that our public school career is almost over. That is, assuming you pass all of your classes. Anyway, our class was certainly dynamic. We had a heavy presence in all of the clubs and sports teams at school and definitely made our mark on Rockville.

It seems like it was just yesterday that we first stepped into Rockville High School as innocent freshmen. Just kidding. It was a long time ago. Anybody who says it feels like yesterday is crazy. Or they just have a different perspective than I do, which I guess is possible. Anyway, freshman year was fine, I guess. We got our first taste of the football games, homecoming, Band-aid, and the Volleyball Lock-in. I believe we were also the last class entering Rockville to only be required to take 22 credits! The freshman class this year has to take 25 credits plus 40 hours of community service. Sucks to suck!

You'll have to order the yearbook to read the rest of the letter! Don't forget to buy yours at http://www.jostens.com/yearbooks/ybk_lp_main.html!

What is Moderately Funny?

Alright. If you know me, you're probably laughing at me right now. And if you don't know me, well, you're probably laughing at me. 

Yup, I've decided to try to start a podcast. For those of you who don't know what a podcast is, Dictionary.com defines it as "a digital audio or video file or recording, usually part of a themed series, that can be downloaded from a website to a media player or computer." So it's basically a radio show you can take on the go and listen to at your leisure.

I've loved listening to podcasts for a long time. It's fascinating to me that people can make an online radio show into a commercial success. Examples of some of these successful podcasters include Chris Hardwick with "Nerdist," Bill Simmons with "The B.S. Report," and, my personal favorite, Adam Carolla with "The Adam Carolla Show." Now, don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no expectation that "Moderately Funny" will come close to the level of success that these men have had. But hey, a guy can dream.

So now, I've decided to venture out on my own in the crazy world of podcasting for a few reasons:

1. It's a great way to get my voice out there. While there are millions of blogs on the internet, there are *only* thousands of podcasts! So my odds of being successful via independent work on the internet have just increased...somewhat.
2. If I haven't already made it clear, I love podcasts.
3. I love to talk.
4. It's fun!

Which brings me to the question at hand. What is "Moderately Funny?" 

The truth is, I don't know yet. This show is entirely a work in progress. Ideally, I'd like to post one show every week, but that could increase or decrease depending on my schedule and the amount of listeners I get. Also, I'd rather not confine myself to a specific topic as most podcasts do, so the topic of the show will most likely change from week to week. That way if there's something I really want to talk about, I can easily address it. Ironically (or perhaps not) this goes against all the advice I've read on how to start a successful podcast. Most "experts" claim that you should start your show off talking about a certain topic in order to attract the same listeners each week. Once your audience grows large enough, then they encourage branching out and talking about other subjects. So I'm definitely going against the grain here. 

If by some miracle, I get people to listen, there is no doubt that I will partially shape the show according to their feedback. In fact, I believe feedback is the most important part of any creative endeavor. If you don't adapt or alter what you're doing in order to fit the audience's demand, you won't get very far. That's why I'd really appreciate it if anyone who took their time to listen to Episode 1 could let me know what they thought, be it positive or negative. Like I said, feedback is important. 

There are several ways for you to leave feedback. You could leave a comment right here on my blog or you could leave a comment on the show's blog. This blog has also been posted on YouTube so feel free to leave your feedback in the comment section there. Tweeting your feedback is also an option! You could tweet my personal account (@mattbilmes) or the show's account (@themfpodcast). Unfortunately, as of right now, the show is not available in iTunes. However I hope to change that in the near future.  

And hey, if you really loved the show why not tell a friend about it!

I have here the very first episode of Moderately Funny! I discuss the first episode of The Bachelor's eighteenth season with Patrick Purcell, Logan Blaisdell, and Brian Le. On today's episode we'll these questions:

• Has anyone watched The Bachelor before this episode?
• What does everyone think of Juan Pablo?
• Which girl is the most attractive?
• What did Juan Pablo get right at the rose ceremony? What did he get wrong?
• Why is Sharleen on The Bachelor?
• Which woman do we think will take home the victory and Juan Pablo's heart?

Find out the answers to these questions and more on the very first episode of Moderately Funny!