Crazy media guys - Updated!

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Trent

Trent

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So a friend of mine hit me up on Facebook today .. he works in broadcasting.

Him: "You busy today?"

Me: "Uhh... working but what's up?

Him: "You got time to do a quick interview for Adventure Sports Outdoors? They're doing a spot on concealed carry in IL and I thought you'd be the right go to guy."

..... Fast forward 15 minutes.... talk to producer of show, etc.

Turns out in a little under 5 hours I'll be at the shooting range with a camera crew going over the basics of IL concealed carry, where you can carry, where you can't, how to carry safely, etc.

Wish they'd given me more time to frigging prepare; distilling the "important points" of 16 hours of training material down to 10 or 15 minutes is not going to be a simple task.

Oh, and they want a live fire component / demonstration (hence meeting the camera crew at the shooting range).

I've spoken in front of smaller groups / rallies / etc before but never had a TV spot before.

Guess I add "Get a trim & shave" to my list of stuff to do this afternoon.

I'll try to remember to toss a shout out to THR if I have any spare seconds. :)
 
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The host/producer was a very assertive guy on the phone.

I have a feeling this is going to be "Trent responds on the fly to 10-15 minutes of disjointed random questions" instead of being able to present a proper how-to piece that flows information out naturally and in a sequence that makes sense.
 
If you have a State Org for concealed carry, try to get their contact info into the mix.

For the demo, I'd say belt-fed Rambo style is the way to go. :D
 
MtnCreek said:
For the demo, I'd say belt-fed Rambo style is the way to go. :D
Click to expand...

LMAO! Thanks for the laugh. I needed that to take some of the jitters away.

I'm going to treat this just like any other range trip where I'm introducing someone to shooting and self-defense. They didn't send a list of questions in advance for the interview so I'm assuming it's all off-the-cuff, (hopefully) stuff I've answered a hundred times in class or in conversations.

I keep a box of B-27's in the trunk of my car. Plan on explaining and demonstrating the 'official course of fire' for concealed carry qualification. Keep it simple.

I'll volunteer to do some basic drills on film so they have a minute or two of "filler action video clips" (retention shooting, shooting on the move), but I want to keep the "talking" part on the fundamentals of what it takes to get a concealed carry license.
 
I'd probably panic over this because I have no training for this kind of thing. I hope you'll post a brief update after your "show and tell". We'd like to hear how it went!

We're with you in spirit. Go get 'em!

Mark
 
J-Bar said:
Be sure to let the interviewer and camera crew shoot too; might get some converts!
Click to expand...
If I had an evil nature I would suggest letting the interviewer fire the rounds on camera to demonstrate the training. It might be a chance to teach a talking head humility as well as demonstrate the practice and training required to make a handgun do what you want it to.
 
I think human shaped targets may be a problem for those people:what:. Maybe a paper plate with a little tiny X on it......
 
When it's available to view, please post a link. My brother stays in IL and I'm sure he'd be interested in watching the segment.
 
Officers'Wife said:
If I had an evil nature I would suggest letting the interviewer fire the rounds on camera to demonstrate the training. It might be a chance to teach a talking head humility as well as demonstrate the practice and training required to make a handgun do what you want it to.
Click to expand...
I love evil women!!
 
be ready

If you have time to prepare for eventualities, I invite you to do so.

You know how media stories are put together. Sometimes they're edited less to inform the audience than to sensationalize a pre-conceived notion that the editor or TV station owner might have, or to play to their audience's biases.

If you have a quick short answer ready for awkward questions and/or have the skill to deflect or re-direct back to what your message(s) are, you will do as good as can be expected.

What are the 3 key points that you want to leave the audience with?

edit: look at that exact producer's or station's format. How long do their public interest segments normally run? That right there is how much actual broadcast time you can expect. Everything else will end up on the cutting room floor.
 
zxcvbob said:
Expect 5 hours of interview to result in a 5-second soundbite taken out of context to make you look bad.
Click to expand...
That sounds about right.

I would suggest having a friend sit in on the interview and video the entire thing with an iPhone and put it up on Youtube.

.
 
I've had enough contact with the mass media to understand that most "events" they do is to push their (not your) agenda forward. Some are not above clipping out pieces of video to entirely change what you say. If possible have someone on your side who can observe and remember.

Otherwise it doesn't matter how many see your performance, just do like you'd do with a new class of students. Explain that they come from all walks of life, and represent both genders and most age groups. If you can get a lady shooter to show how it's done all the better. Rather then try to explain everything go on record as to where more information can be obtained.

If you open some doors at least a few viewers will come and walk through it.
 
OK turns out it's going to be a 30-minute spot on Adventure Sports Outdoors on PBS. :)

Consisted of an interview section and practical "how to" stuff (drawing fundamentals, etc).

Some pics my wife took this evening.

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cThnVUz.jpg

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kPx0jDG.jpg

Airs on PBS (broadcast TV, channel 47 in the Peoria area) next Saturday June 28th. Not sure on time yet.
 
Also pretty sure this is just a local broadcast in the Peoria IL area, but there should be a youtube video up at some point I can link.

Here's the outfit that we did the filming for today. (Figure I'd give them a plug!)

http://www.asomagazine.com/
 
Glad to see you didn't dress like the people on the shooting TV shows! :)

Hopefully it will do some good for your community.
 
ClickClickD'oh said:
Just saying, you might want to check with the NRA before doing media appearances wearing an instructor shirt.
Click to expand...

I don't think it'll be an issue. When the host introduced me, he went through my credentials - "He's an NRA certified rifle, pistol, and shotgun instructor; NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer of Tremont Sportsmans Club (where we were filming), and Illinois state police approved concealed carry instructor."

When I teach concealed carry courses I split it in to two classes; I run NRA Basic pistol as the first 8 hour segment of my 16 hour concealed carry course. Then the IL state police approved lethal force / live fire curriculum for the 2nd day. I'm very specific about separating the two and making sure people know the first course is NRA, and the second course is not.

I'm allowed as an instructor to use the NRA certified instructor logos to promote NRA shooting classes, and those NRA classes are a big component and the foundation off what I teach.
 
Seems like the media were on the up and up
and the broadcast will be positive.

edit: invite them back in 8 months to one of your snowbound matches. ;)
 
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