By Hesper Anak Buckland
RECENTLY, I I was given the opportunity to go on an assignment with a TVS reporter, Connie Grace.
The assignment was for a recording session set in pepper farm owned by Awaeang Kwasin, the first Dayak woman to obtain a license to sell and export Sarawak pepper.
The journey took an hour due to heavy traffic spanning across Semarahan to Kampung Bratan in the Siburan area. When we arrived, we had to briefly update
Madam Awaeng on what content was needed within the recording along with a series of questions given to her prior to the date.
Madam Awaeng gave us a tour the pepper crops she has within her home’s vicinity while showing us some of her top products.
After the camera was finally set up, the recording started with both Connie and Madam Awaeng greeting each other.
I was asked to help film the set up and record some short snippets of the interview for future reference. Due to my ability to speak in Bidayuh, I communicated with Madam Awaeng’s parents in hopes of relieving their nervousness upon appearing in a short segment of the recording. I doubt my proficiency in my native language would have helped during the interview but I did believe it eliminated the sense of awkwardness between both parties.
Upon observing the interview, I understand that bloopers are bound to happen but Connie did a great job in making Mdm. Awaeng feel comfortable in front of the camera. We proceeded with a continued recording in the pepper crops itself with Mr. Kwasin himself being opened enough to say a few words to Connie. The recording lasted for an hour and I followed the cameraman to take a few extra shots of the scenery before we concluded the session with a few takes of Connie’s outro due to audio inconsistencies.
Overall, it was an educational experience as I was able to see the process of a television segment to be recorded along with the responsibilities of a reporter in conducting an interview. Connie in general showed that confidence is a key to a perfect a recording due to her ability to recuperate after a small blundere. From a personal point of view, it was just fun to be back in a “kampong” after 3 years of studying in Perak.
Hester in interning at TVS from Kolej Profesional Mara Seri Iskandar, Perak where he is pursuing a Diploma in English Communication (DEC).
