Casey's Site

This video shows drivers doing warm up laps before the race, doing a tire-warming technique called swerving. Video Shot in 60 frames per second. When edited and played back at 24 frames per second, it will be in slow motion. Adding to the length of the shot and also the intensity. I plan to use this shot when drivers are talking about the nerves before a race. Or the intensity that comes in the final moments before the race. I plan to also use a heart-pumping sound effect to add to the drama.

Paul Varriccio in the back and orange #39 settles into third place, which is the final finishing position that rewards money. However, he has his sights set on passing the second and first place cars, as his passion is fueled by glory, not money. Paul is one of the drivers who I reached out to in hopes of interviewing. He is also a driver that I have the most b-roll of. I’m hopeful that he can be a big part of my story because of his lovable character.

The drivers take the checkered flag, with Varriccio in third place. Its a solid run, but not what a past champion is looking for. Greatness isnt made by settling for mediocre finishes. With Varriccio being buried back in 8th place in the points standings, he knows he has to kick it up a notch and start winning some races. There is a couple ways I can use this clip if I don’t decide to show the whole clip to showcase Varriccio. I can also just show the flag man and use slow motion, I also think zooming in would do this clip some good.

This Team is preparing their car right before the race starts. One man is scraping built up rubber from practice off the tires, and the other is about to top it off with fuel while the driver rests in the background. I want shots like these to show how much of a team sport racing is. And when it’s just local racing like Stafford, everyone here is likely friends or family. They know it’s likely they will lose more money than they earn from racing. But they all do it because they love it and support eachothers passions.

This shot of a crashed racecar leaving the track is going to be used to show the hardships that come with the sport. At the end of the day, these drivers and families build the cars with their own time and money. However, they know the risk involved every race day. This unlucky driver knows he is about to spend lots of money, and waste lots of time repairing this car, and it must be done by next week so he can race again. All to chase glory, or repeat the same grueling process, its a gamble each Friday, and sometimes an expensive or heartbreaking loss.

I want some B-roll that will make people who have never been exposed to Racing say “wow that is pretty awesome”. I tried to get some really action packed shots of the cars on the track, and this is just one of many. I got a few shots of the cars crashing as well, which will definitely be used to show conflict. I used techniques like “dirtying the frame” to make this shot a little more interesting by shooting it through the fence and having the large post on the left side.

Journalism Students Discuss the Ins and Outs of good Journalism

Students of Jesse Miller’s CMM 211 Journalism class construct thoughts and ideas about the nuances of journalism that can elevate their writing.

February 4, 2025
Casey Jordan
UNE Student

During class on Friday January 31’st students broke the ice on areas to focus on in their future writings, flipping what some previously knew about journalism on its head.

Students met in room 217 in Marcil hall to attend Professor Millers class on journalism. Miller, a former leader of UNE’s school newspaper “The Bolt” was adamant about the importance of the nut graph in journalism. Stating to his students during class, “If you are reading to learn the brain asks questions, the nut graph is there to answer those questions”. Further going into the substance of the nut graph. That being the who, what, when, where and the “deeper why” of the story. Being three to five paragraphs in and full of the answers the readers are looking for, the nut graph is hugely important to the reader.

Another powerful element of journalism that reaches a deeper level then the nut graph is the watchdog element.

Students shared their thoughts on this during another discussion lead by Professor Miller. The discussion covered the basis that journalism is the ability to critique power. Student Anthony Lacaprucia stated, “The watchdog element in journalism keeps an accurate record of those in power”. If we we are not able to report on powerful people, we would face tyranny. Thankfully, there is plenty of critique in journalism today as journalists job is to report on what they find, like it or not. Without the watchdog element in journalism, we would find ourselves in a less free society.

This class period brought lots of information to the table on how students can be better journalists. The discussion lead by Professor Miller engaged students to share their ideas and findings with one another. The melting pot of journalistic knowledge had something that every student could benefit from learning.