76 Video Production Handbook director does not have photographs or drawings of a composer, he or she might be able to show shots of the composer's native country or hometown. Another possibility is to use shots that illustrate the composer's music, such as images of sunlight rippling on water, wind in trees, waves breaking on the shore, reflections, children at play, or any other associated image that would serve as a visual accompaniment. "Visual padding" of this kind is widely used in broadcast programs, in the form of general views of a town or countryside or shots of traf- fic or people moving around. these shots can be used as cutaways or wherever suitable visual material does not exist for one reason or another. Interview with a Pro Scott Rogers, Sports Producer they good at what you need, do you need to get all your own crew or truck, what is on the truck and what extra do you need to get?). Next I make a format with the open, breaks, and end and then build around that. At the same time I am reading everything I can get my hands on regarding the teams/players to select inter- esting stories that can be supported by tape and/or graphic elements. I also make sure I develop strong relationships with the people I will have to interact with, mostly because they control the timing of the event. Ideally, you need to get who is controlling the timing (which also includes refs/officials) to give you a little leeway about when to restart the event after commercial breaks. But, it is important you do not ask for extra time in every break. After you get your ideal scenario set up, you then have to make a mental "Plan B" if you have technical issues and know what elements are "must haves." The fact is, there is no substitute for experience when it comes to planning, but there are some things you have to (and will!!) learn the hard way. What challenges do you have to deal with as a producer? You have to be able to go "off plan" at any moment. You create a lot of plans/timelines of how you're going to accomplish things, and then something technical, etc. delays you, so you have to reaccess what needs to get done now and what can wait until later or not at all. Also, you need to know what areas you need help in and delegate someone to help you with that area. Scott has been involved in productions for the NBA and multiple Olympics, as well as local television. Scott Rogers, Sports Producer What do you like about being a producer? First and foremost I like being able to tell the "story" of a game my way. My guiding principle when I'm producing a game is "What do I want to know about?" Also, I like being the place where the buck stops. As the producer, the format is organized your way--how you think--so you can provide complete answers quickly. And, last but not least, the challenge of getting 25 people working toward the same goal without a script (most of the time). How do you prepare for a specific assignment as a producer? First you have to assess what is already in place so you can decide what needs more attention (i.e., crew--are