Posted on November 13, 2017
Henry Horlbeck, a Richland Northeast HS senior, is a technical director for RNE-TV Live, a daily live broadcast program. Also, he serves as a broadcast representative on the SCSPA executive board.
Describe your position within your publication and your responsibilities.
As a technical director I help maintain and keep track of our equipment and I help
people solve problems with software or hardware. I also create all of the motion graphics
for our program.
What is your favorite part of your position?
My favorite part of my position is leading people. Not necessarily telling them what
to do but guiding them and giving them reassurance. We have a live news show every
morning and every once in awhile a problem comes up. Since we have a limited amount
of time to solve issues that arise, we have to act quickly. These situations require
someone to spur people into action. As the technical director I have to step up and
tell people what to do and exactly how to do it. After the show I’ll usually talk
to the person who messed up or the person I told to fix the problem. I’ll reassure
them that they did a good job and how they can do even better next time. I really
enjoy doing this because I feel like it helps our show become better every day.
Explain the most challenging part of your position.
The most challenging part of my position is time management. I’m involved in other
things outside of RNE-TV live so I’m constantly in a balancing act to keep everything
organized. Often times I’ll find myself working on 4 different graphics projects,
a news package, and all of my other classwork. I keep an agenda and I write everything
down so I can keep track of what I’m supposed to be doing and where I’m supposed to
be.
Tell us about a project you've worked on recently that you are especially proud of.
My friends and I have been working on a music video outside of school. I’m proud of
it because it was the first time I created something outside the realm of my broadcast
program. Over the summer, my friends and I decided that we wanted to make a film.
Since it was our first film we decided that we should make something simple like a
music video. We wrote a script, story boarded it, and borrowed equipment from the
film teacher at our school. Throughout the summer we met up several times and filmed.
Now, we just have to edit all of our footage together. I learned that communication
is a large part of any project. We all had to communicate what time to get together
and how long we would film. It was quite the challenge.
How has SCSPA helped you become a better journalist?
SCSPA has taught me that being a journalist isn’t just about pretty shots or nice
graphics. It’s about telling someone’s story. Awards and ribbons don’t matter as long
as you work as hard as you can to create the best content you can.
What have you learned from serving on the SCSPA board, and what have you liked about
it?
I’ve learned that communication is key when you’e working with new people. I like
being able to make decisions that will help young journalists become even better at
their craft.
What are some of your favorite memories from SCSPA events?
I’ve taught two sessions as SCSPA and I loved teaching both of them. Everyone who
attended was attentive and they asked a ton of questions. I enjoyed sharing my knowledge
with other journalists.
Share a fun fact about yourself!
I play the guitar and banjo!
How have you seen SCSPA help your school's publication?
My peers who attend the SCSPA conferences always show improvement in their work after
they attend. They work harder and they always bring back bits of knowledge to share.
What do you plan on doing after high school, and what is your dream job?
I plan on attending either Auburn or University of Alabama at Huntsville and pursuing
a career in aerospace engineering. My dream job is to be an aerospace engineer at
NASA.
What's your favorite thing about being in journalism?
My favorite thing is creating something that gives someone chills when they watch
it. Wether it be an emotional interview, a great shot, or just a great story, I enjoy
seeing people enjoy the content I create.