People are always asking me why they can't find me on the Broadcast. "Why don't you bribe the cameramen to do a long close up on you or something?" Well, of course, I would never do anything like that! Since there are so many people in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, I am sure they try their best every week to pan as many singers as possible with the cameras. But they cannot linger for more than a few seconds on a single person. Yet, I am told that occasionally, the cameras do give me some face time.
In choir school, new members of the choir are given lessons in proper broadcast deportment. We were taught never to look directly into the camera or even act aware of the camera. We must hold our folders at a certain height so that we don't block the camera views of any faces. We should not sway our bodies or jolt our heads around. (That looks unnatural and unprofessional!) And we must look alive with smiling, open eyes, but not smiling lips -- that would not allow formation of proper vowels. And we must always maintain focus on the conductor!
All this being said, there are times when the roving camera man comes close enough to make us really nervous. Case in point -- Yesterday, during the run-through, the roaming camera man was coming up the aisle shooting close-up shots of the ladies along the lowest rows. I thought this was normal and appropriate for Mother's Day. (Besides, those ladies are used to that treatment. It happens every week.) Then for the next song, he walked up a few more steps and then pointed his camera right at my nose. He spent a lot of time adjusting the lens during the opening measures of the song.
I wanted to tell him that the first verse of the song was sung by the men followed by a long orchestral interlude, but he just stayed there, stuck, focusing on my nose for a full minute and a half -- that is an eternity in broadcast moments! Talk about awkward! I couldn't help looking in the camera! I had no other options!
When we ladies finally started singing, he took his shot and moved on. I wondered if he would actually do that same thing in the broadcast. When the time came for that song in the broadcast, the camera guy started the same route, but fortunately sat down on the step and rested during the first two verses of "I Often Go Walking." But, right on schedule, he got up and pointed his camera NOT at me but the row behind me, only not directly up someone's nose. He then swung down and panned my row briefly. So I may have gotten some face time. I don't actually know since I haven't watched the broadcast yet. So, there, it is possible that I got some camera time after all.
But, let it be known -- I DID NOT BRIBE THE CAMERA GUY!!!!!
RSS Feed