levels vary wildly from the conversational approach favored by most orators, to the often deafening dramatics found in many Interp pieces. Posing a real concern is the physicality of some of the performances—I’ve seen Interp finalists do handstands, cartwheels, and engage in knockdown, drag-out fight simulations. Undaunted by all of this is our stage manager, currently Matt Huber, who secures and triple-checks each body microphone to ensure they will not fly off during a performance! After two hours of checking levels and giving each finalist a moment onstage, the sound check ends and, shortly thereafter, the finals begin. It’s showtime.
VIDEO PRODUCTION The many videos produced at Nationals are screened at the awards assembly and other tournament venues. Much is of the “talking head” variety. We set up an interview area at a tournament site and find contestants and coaches willing to speak on camera (very easy to do at a National Tournament). Because our subjects are naturally articulate, we capture
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most interviews in one take, although sometimes we’ll ask subjects to shorten an answer, or approach a response from a different perspective. Three overarching goals have dictated the focus of our work during my tenure as awards producer. First, the videos must be pleasing to watch: the production values must be high, the camera compositions unshakable, the editing precise. Each video should exude confidence in its content and eloquence in its production design. Second, the content of the video must be inspirational. Thousands of qualifiers and coaches attend the National Tournament, but only a few are featured in the videos we produce. The young people we tape are impassioned about using, for the greater good, the critical thinking skills and confidence they’ve developed in speech and debate. For many in the audience, these future leaders are models to exemplify. Finally, the videos should have a shelf life that continues long after the conclusion of the National Tournament. They should be useful in promoting our organization and encouraging individuals
and businesses alike to offer financial support. The quality of our work has been a testament to the talent and resourcefulness of the production staff, many of whom were former television/film students of mine from Glenbrook South. I am very proud of the fine work they’ve produced on the national level over the years. As an educator in a creative field, I apply the simple but potent philosophy of “learning by doing.” Certain skills, especially creative ones, need to be nurtured and developed through practical, relevant experiences which, in the classroom, I supplied on a regular basis. When my students move on from high school, I want them to feel confident they can successfully take on any video task in any genre be it news reporting, documentary work, or musical production. Such skills and disciplines are essential when producing video work at the highest level at the National Tournament.
CONCLUSION Twenty-one years ago, Jim Copeland brought me on as “awards producer” for the 1998 St. Louis Nationals. I am grateful to
him for that opportunity. Over subsequent years it has been a pleasure to help Jim realize his vision of producing a “show not to be missed.” My gratitude also extends to Scott Wunn who continued to bring me back year after year. I’ve always enjoyed the ease and economy of my working relationship with Scott: he would present an idea to me, sometimes off-handedly, and my job, simply, was to “make it so.” And so it is. I have no doubt that the NSDA awards assembly will continue to be the National Tournament’s culminating “must see” event. The assembly’s missions are clear: it celebrates achievement, honors those who have contributed mightily to speech and debate, and inspires our young people—our future leaders—to be thoughtful, expressive, and fearless citizens primed to make the world a better place. That’s what participation in speech and debate does, and I am grateful to have been a part of it.
Mark Ferguson is a one-diamond coach and member of the NSDA Hall of Fame. He is the 1973 national champion in Dramatic Interp. For more than a decade, he served as speech coach at Glenbrook South High School (IL), where he coached his own national champion, future screen star Emily Bergl, in Poetry in 1993.