Too much fun! I was recently interviewed by Fox 35 in Orlando / WOFL-TV. My interviewer
was the affable and charming Chase Cain.
The experience was
nothing like I thought, and more fun than I imagined.
I spent a crazy day
at the mall beforehand, buying a new outfit (I could hardly show up in the
clothes I wear for writing!) and getting a makeover. (Fox didn’t provide makeup,
so I found an artist at MAC who gave me tips for television.)
I did the interview
remotely, from the Fox studios in Denver, Colorado. I was concerned about the
downtown parking situation, especially in what I have now dubbed as my “Sierra”
pumps. They’re black and taller than most skyscrapers. But I needn’t have
worried. The station has a parking garage for guests and employees. It was fun
seeing news trucks! Before being admitted to the garage, you have to talk to a
security guard through a metal speaker.
Once parked, I took an
elevator to the spacious lobby and signed in. The lobby had lots of glass,
couches, and, the coffee table book was a guide to hiking all of Colorado’s
Fourteeners (mountains that are over 14,000 feet tall, and some of which I have
climbed!).
It was an interesting
wait in the lobby for Linda Kicak, the energetic woman who was my Denver contact.
Linda was extremely efficient, professional, and, as I’m sure she is every day
in the new business, busy. The Denver station was preparing to hire some
interns, so there were several young, energetic journalism students there with
me, dressed in their best and sizing each other up.
Coordinating a remote
is complicated and time-consuming. Sarita Kichok at Fox in Orlando set the whole thing up, arranging schedules for me in Denver, Linda in Denver, the cameraman, Total-E-Bound in England, and Chase Cain in Florida. (I can't imagine being that efficient!) She had to be flexible, constantly checking in with everyone's schedules.
My lovely assistant, Whitney, went with me,
and I was glad to have her along! Nerves started to assail me, and as the time
dragged on, I was ready to offer to come back another day. Whitney kept me calm
and focused.
Finally, Linda came
down to the lobby for us and escorted us to the Green Room. They were trying to
find a cameraman and get things ready on the Orlando side. Technology is
wonderful, but I can’t imagine the logistics of having people coordinating
schedules in two different states!
There room itself was
cozy with a small couch and a couple of arm chairs. There were also a couple of
salon-type of chairs, a couple of large mirrors with lighting around them, a
curling iron. We watched television, I re-read the notes I’d prepared in
advance, and my nervousness grew.
Finally, Linda
collected us from the Green Room, and we followed her through the news studio. Two
things struck me. First the room is enormous. Second was the stunning number of
desks. It was much grander than I imagined. But I didn’t get interviewed in the
big studio. Whit and I were escorted to a room that could more accurately be
described as an office, with padded chairs.
Once we moved from
the Green Room, my nerves settled down. (Well, really, I had a lot to do
concentrating on not falling off my heels on the wooden studio floor,
especially with all the wires around!)
I knew in advance
that Chase would be on the phone, but it was a bit of a surreal experience to
realize it was a speakerphone on the table to my left. I faced straight ahead,
toward the camera. Whitney fixed my hair and continually reassured me that the
mascara was still on my eyes! The cameraman placed a mic on the lapel of my
brand new blazer, we did a sound check, Whitney took a place near the
cameraman, and finally, finally, we were ready…And Orlando had some trouble at
their end.
Now my nerves
increased tenfold. I was again tempted to send Whitney to find Linda with my offer
to come back another day!
Finally, we got
started. There was no chit-chat. I’d watched videos of Chase beforehand and
followed him on Twitter, and I knew he was fun and professional, and that’s exactly
what I found. (I think he’ll go far!)
It was bizarre,
though, facing a black camera. I’m sure it takes some getting used to! Chase
Cain’s voice was beside me, and the most difficult part of the interview for me
was looking straight ahead and not turning my head to look at the phone.
The interview lasted
somewhere between five and ten minutes, and I think I ended up with five
seconds of air time. Of COURSE I wish I had sounded better. Whitney had a good
laugh that I was trying to be euphemistic and kept saying “behind closed doors.”
And in the Clandestine Classics we are opening doors. Later she teased me, “Open
door, closed door, open door, closed door.” Thank goodness my doors ended up on
the cutting room floor!
Anyway I had so much
fun with the interview. The final video
is lighthearted, and entertaining.Claire Siemaskiewicz is the CEO of
Total-E-Bound Publishing, and Clandestine Classics was her idea. (This woman is
one of the smartest people II have ever had the fortune to meet.) She also participated
via phone, from England. She sounded quite polished and intelligent. I’d do
this again in a heartbeat—minus the nerves.
Here’s a link to the
video. I hope you think it’s as charming as I do! (With thanks, again, to Fox 35 in Orlando / WOFL-TV)