Just as 20,000 members of the pharmacy community gather once a year for the Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition, so too do the talented people who form the ASHP TV crew. Have you ever wondered who is behind the lights and the cameras? Let's meet them.
Scott Long, president of The Segment Factory
How many times have you been to an ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting?
I am happy to say that I have been to 11 Midyear meetings.
What do you pack for the Midyear?
I pack a great crew and lots of enthusiasm.
We know that ASHP TV is your favorite but tell us about one of the most exciting projects you have worked on.
I created and executive produced a television show on the PBS network called BREAKTHROUGH: Television’s Journal of Science and Medicine for two years. We were able to explore the latest advancements with medical procedures, as well as interviewing some of the top physicians and researchers in the world. One of the greatest benefits was giving people awareness and options when they were faced with health decisions. This powerful medium allowed us to find and share the information to and from health professionals in the exciting field of medicine.
What is your best piece of advice for us amateur photographers/videographers?
- Light is your friend, use it wisely.
- Pay attention to your surroundings for sound quality.
- The script is the key to a good product. From blocking your shots to completion of the desired product.
- When you are interviewing a person, make sure to ask them to continue looking at the person or the camera they are looking into for 5 seconds after they have finished speaking. This is a tremendous tip helping the editor for basic use of the recording. The worst thing that can happen is when they break eye contact and look away or "say how was that.”
Matt Durning, director, cinematographer, and founder of Interlocking Pictures
How many times have you been to an ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting?
Three times.
What do you pack for the Midyear?
Comfy shoes, extra socks, a Bluetooth speaker, and so much camera gear.
We know that ASHP TV is your favorite but tell us about one of the most exciting projects you have worked on.
My first feature documentary, Stay Prayed Up, premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2021, toured with Southern Circuit in 2022, and broadcast nationally on PBS's Reel South series in 2023.
What is your best piece of advice for us amateur photographers/videographers?
- Think about how you're going to use whatever you're filming. Unless it's specifically for social media, don't hold your phone vertically! Turn your phone sideways so it's the same shape as a TV/movie image.
- Portrait mode is your friend.
Lauren Long, visual analytics specialist at bioMerieux
How many times have you been to an ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting?
This will be my 8th Midyear!
What do you pack for the Midyear?
I used to pack my black ASHP TV polo shirts, but now that I’m hosting, I try to pack clothes that aren’t chroma key green … and also my lucky banana socks I got at my first Midyear. They’re ‘a-peeling’.
We know that ASHP TV is your favorite but tell us about one of the most exciting projects you have worked on.
I hosted a Chinese variety show a few years ago and got to meet “the Clay Aiken of China.” He won a talent competition in China and we became email buddies, which was the coolest thing to ever happen to my AOL account.
What is your best piece of advice for us amateur photographers/videographers?
Deliver the lines you’re speaking with as much confidence and excitement as you can muster. Energy is contagious, and if you’re lively and emphatic about whatever you are speaking about, it will make your audience engaged in your presentation.
Ismail Abdelkhalek, producer and director of photography at Indybrain Inc.
How many times have you been to an ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting?
I honestly have lost count.
What do you pack for the Midyear?
Some bourbon for after the late-night edits and extra socks!
We know that ASHP TV is your favorite but tell us about one of the most exciting projects you have worked on.
The most rewarding aspect of what I do is the diversity of my job. Any time I pick up a camera is my most exciting project.
What is your best piece of advice for us amateur photographers/videographers?
- Always challenge yourself to leave your comfort zone.
- In times of stress, you will fall to the level of your training instead of rising to the level of your expectation, so keep filming.
Darren Koons, producer
How many times have you been to an ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting?
Five times.
What do you pack for the Midyear?
Typical business casual clothes with some exercise gear at the bottom of my suitcase, which usually never sees the light of day.
We know that ASHP TV is your favorite but tell us about one of the most exciting projects you have worked on.
Working on independent projects with friends in North Carolina.
What is your best piece of advice for us amateur photographers/videographers?
Enjoy the work and work with good people.
