Interview with a Pro: Jeffrey Blount, Veteran NBC News Director & Author
Oprah, Cats, & Camera Angles Debrief
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Interview with a Pro: Jeffrey Blount | The (Possible) Story Behind the DNC's Viral Cat Lady Moment
Before We Go …
Photo Credit: Teresa Woorman via The Washington Post
1. The (Possible) Story Behind the DNC's Viral 'Cat Lady' Moment: Insights from a Veteran News Director
At the Democratic National Convention last week, an unexpected moment went viral during a speech when Oprah Winfrey mentioned a "childless cat lady," and the camera panned to a woman in the audience. Some felt the shot was awkward. However, the woman, Teresa Woorman, later shared with The Washington Post that she is indeed childless (for now) and owns two cats, embracing the label with a sense of humor. Here is the background:
When Oprah says ‘childless cat lady,’ and the camera’s on you
This seemingly spontaneous choice by the broadcast director sparked a discussion about live event coverage and the complexities of directing on-the-fly. To delve deeper into this topic, we interviewed a veteran NBC News Director with over three decades of experience to explore what might have happened behind the scenes, the thought process during live broadcasts, and the impact such decisions can have on public perception and media narratives.
Interview with a Pro: Jeffrey Blount
Quick Bio: With over three decades of experience at NBC News as a television news director, Jeffrey Blount has directed major broadcasts, including Meet The Press, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show in DC and NY, The Chris Matthews Show, and The Sunday Today Show. He was director of Meet The Press when it extended from a half hour show to an hour and reaching number one in the ratings. Blount also managed large-scale broadcast projects, provided media training for NBC executives and talent, and directed numerous presidential speeches, White House press conferences, and breaking news events. He is the author of four books including The Emancipation of Evan Walls and Mr. Jimmy From Around the Way.
Photo credit: Tina Krohn
As a director, what are the standard practices about choosing shots to illustrate the words of a speaker?
There is no handbook or standard practices for handling a moment like the "cat lady" shot during Ms. Winfrey's speech. This moment, like most in a live event, is about the director "feeling" the situation. What shot feels natural in the flow of the moment. The director is looking for reactions to accent the speaker's words or to show disagreement with the speaker. Each shot is supposed to add to the context in the arena for a fuller understanding on the part of the viewing audience.
Do you think this was a mistake or an intentional decision?
I think the shot was intentional. The director would have had a copy of the speech and would have been looking specifically for the reaction of a woman. It looked as if the director stayed on the shot, hoping for that reaction, but got off the shot when she turned away. I have no way of knowing, but I really don't think it was done with malice. I have had situations where a person is doing something interesting and by the time I took the shot, they had stopped which resulted in a questionable shot. That may have happened here. Or the director took the shot, thinking she's being very thoughtful about this and it never occurred in the instant the shot was taken, that it could carry a negative connotation. It would seem mean spirited to take a shot to embarrass her as a "cat lady." In my 34 years of network television, I have never seen a director do something like that. But that doesn't mean it hasn't happened.
Anything else to add that helps a strategic communicator understand a director's point of view during a live broadcast?
The director's point of view during a live broadcast is to offer a technically clean and artistically appealing product. In a news situation, you are also a journalist. When Tim Russert took over Meet the Press, one of the first things he asked me was "does the director think editorially while cutting the show?" Absolutely. But what people don't often understand is that in a live broadcast, the director calls for thousands of shots. Sometimes, they don't work they way you envisioned them.
I thought I'd mention that The Washington Post put the responsibility on the producer. A producer can yell out and request a shot, but it's most often the director. People never really understood what I did!
Thank you, Jeffrey!
2. Before We Go …
The Daily Show: Jon Stewart had fun poking at the DNC Convention proceedings with bonus commentary about the ‘childless cat lady’ shot choice.
Note: Stewart blames the shot choice on the '“camera man.” As confirmed by Blount, a director calls the shots.