HawkTV began production in September with new setups for their programming that include Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) and Discord. Show producers and HawkTV e-board members are learning new ways of ensuring that general members can still crew shows and participate in production, despite not being able to be in the studio.
Billy O’Neill, a junior communication student and HawkTV Station Manager, explains that the club’s priority is to keep people safe while keeping the creativity flowing. Therefore, they have switched to an online format that requires members to use specific softwares to produce their shows. The programs are free to download and available to all members.
“A lot of what we are doing for the year is based on trying to keep people safe and look at new ways to explore production. A lot of that means opening ourselves up to doing things in an online format. We are using online technology called OBS and Discord. They work together as broadcasting partners to send video footage directly to a program and we are able to build a show entirely from scratch. It gives us a lot of creative freedom and opens people up to a lot of new ideas and that is one of the reasons we are excited about using it,” O’Neill said.
HawkTV News will soon be developing into an online discussion format, similar to The Daily Show, according to producers Josh Miller and Josh Chanley. The news show is the most professional show on HawkTV, Chanley said. The production of this show mimics the real-life production process of a live-news show, with the difference being that HawkTV News is prerecorded and shot on a weekly basis, rather than daily. The production process requires a team of ten or more people to build the readers for the script, the commentaries, and run the production in the studio, Chanley explained.
“Basically, we are thinking of completely changing the format so we can still have an opportunity to have as many people as possible take part in the show. Instead of doing our typical readers, we want to have an educated discussion about what’s going on in the world around us,” Miller said. This new online format is what professional shows are doing and it still allows members to get the hands-on experience for producing a news show.
OBS and Discord have been working well with the other shows on HawkTV, Miller explained, and he is sure that news can be shot perfectly on these softwares. OBS allows creators to create layers so that the show logo, animations, videos, and other graphics can appear all at once on one scene. The software allows for users to map their keyboard to resemble the switcher in a control room to allow the technical director to switch between camera feeds, scenes, and other assets. This is a key skill for anyone wanting to get into television production, said Miller.
Although HawkTV does not plan on creating new programming this semester, G.O.A.T Talk, a sports show produced by senior communication student Sean Gerhard, will still be broadcasting live on HawkTV’s YouTube channel every Thursday at 8 p.m., O’Neill said. Other fan favorites, such as Triple Scoop and The Extra Point will be uploading hour long episodes onto YouTube within the next few weeks. HawkTV is looking to keep the community involved with upcoming engagement events that will be broadcasted live on the station’s YouTube channel, he explained. These events include a Trivia Night hosted by e-board members of HawkTV.
“We will try to go live with different professors, faculty members, and alumni across the Monmouth community to try to get people engaged and involved. We will be going live on YoutTube so viewers can play along live inchat. This is something I have been looking forward to,” O’Neill said.
Specialist Professor Robert Scott, Media Studies & Production Program Director and HawkTV Faculty Advisor, explains that the pandemic has provided students with the ability to gain new skill sets and experiences that can benefit students in their future careers. Working at a university student-run television station allows members to experiment with new technology and make mistakes that they would not be able to make in a professional setting, he feels.
“While we miss our face-toface time with students, and we’re contending with many of the same challenges and frustrations of others, the production model developed and executed by HawkTV is actually a reflection of what’s currently taking place across professional broadcast and cable television,” Scott said.
You can follow the station on Instagram @hawktv12 and find them on YouTube at HawkTV MU for future events and new episodes every week.
IMAGE TAKEN from HawkTV YouTube
