Date: Fri 26-Mar-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

schoold-Tom-Lewis-video-club

Full Text:

Learning About A Career In Television News

(with photo)

BY ANN MARIE COHEN

Channel 8 News reporter Tom Lewis conducted a question and answer session at

Newtown High School on Thursday, March 18. Kerry Hrabstock, video production

instructor, invited Mr Lewis to speak at the high school.

Ms Hrabstock believed the students needed reassurance that their story ideas

were worthy. She knew students would be able to relate to Tom Lewis and that

he would inspire them.

Tom Lewis began his career at Channel 8 by filling in for weather spots. This

led to future stories, and eventually to his well-known segment, Lewis on the

Loose.

"This segment is mainly unrehearsed," explained Mr Lewis. "We cover ordinary

things in a spontaneous way. Before taping, I start talking with someone

casually. This helps them to relax and feel comfortable in front of the

camera. They're not sure if it's rolling or not. It takes the `edge' off."

Students asked Mr Lewis what first sparked his interest in communications?

He said it was watching Johnny Carson as a kid that first motivated him. He

was in awe of a person being able to take something he enjoyed, like comedy,

and make a career out of it.

Tom Lewis has an off-beat sense of humor and impeccable timing that helps him

to stand out when he is covering an ordinary event. He remarked, "I want to go

in another direction, for the good or bad; whether the audience likes what I

have done or not, as long as it is remembered and watched the next night. It

is a ratings business and the viewing audience is presented with many

choices."

Mr Lewis took an alternate route to launch his television career as well. He

told students that while he felt it was desirable to have a degree in a chosen

profession, he took the "lazy" way out.

He began his broadcasting career in radio at high school and later held jobs

at radio stations. He told students that it was hard to make the transition

from radio to television. There was no videotape to produce; and with no tape,

there was no job!

He felt he needed to get creative, and so in the 1990s, he rented a Fox studio

in Rockford, Illinois. There he hired a crew that included a makeup artist and

produced an infomercial selling baseball cards. It was taped and aired on

local stations for one-half hour. Tom recalls," The phone rang off the hook.

We sold more baseball cards than we had!"

His first job in television was in a small city in Illinois, working a

graveyard shift.

A Connecticut First

Ms Hrabstock recounted her first real experience in television. Her ten-year

career began as an intern at Channel 8 News where she worked a 40-hour shift.

There, she learned to shoot and edit, although she did not receive a paycheck.

Later, she worked as a sportscaster at Channel 30.

Ms Hrabstock has the distinction of being the first female sportscaster in

Connecticut.

She loves teaching and feels she has the best of both worlds now. She and Greg

O'Losky teach video production by providing students with a hands-on overview

of the process. They learn about photography, directing, camera techniques,

lighting, sound editing, and basic television news reporting.

This session on video production was the seventh in a series of Career

Education programs offered to all high school students during school hours.

The Career Education Program, directed by Jane McEvoy, is in its second year.

The next Career Speakers Program is scheduled in April. It will feature an

overview of health careers at Danbury Hospital.