What Are Queens Students Doing in Rio?

Students from Queens University of Charlotte at Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, 7 Aug. 2016

 

 

 

Ten thousand athletes are competing in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Four times that many – more than 40,000 people – are serving as journalists, producers, editors, reporters, photographers, videographers, writers, researchers, audio and lighting technicians, video archivists, animators, and coders. Like the athletes, they, too, are at the top of their game.
 
During the 2016 spring semester, 19 juniors and seniors at Queens University of Charlotte studied and prepared to join the ranks of these Olympic storytellers. They are in Rio de Janeiro for two weeks, between Aug. 5 and 21. More than a year ago they competed in a rigorous selection process to join the team, made possible by the John Belk International Program. The program enables almost 80 percent of Queens undergraduates to study abroad, with most expenses covered in standard tuition and fees.
 
Students examined the Olympic movement, its history, goals, motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. They pored over details of sports federations and national committees. They confronted the intricacies of the Olympic Charter and an arcane section called “Rule 40,” including its impact on the way athletes tell their own stories. They studied broadcasting contracts, the city bidding process, sponsorship revenues, and decades of technological developments in media coverage of the Games.
 
Beyond Olympic study, the students continued their work in the creation of digital media, developing skills in videography, still photography, reporting, writing, interviewing, and editing. The stories and photography of this site are the result of their practice and preparation for Rio.
 
Top photo: Students from Queens University of Charlotte at Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. Photo below: Jamie Doolittle, Tyler Greene, and Becca Chen of the JBT Production team write copy and edit video in their Rio hostel for a multimedia story on Sugarloaf Mountain.

TEAM COMPOSITION

The 19 students are divided into six teams: Sparta, Quarteto Fantástico, JBT, Blue Squad, 3BC, and Flamengo. Each team contains a producer, videographer, and creative director.

  • The producer is responsible for overall logistics, scheduling, coordination, and team management. The producer makes things happen.
  • The videographer is responsible for the acquisition and composition of visual images, including video and still photography. The videographer tells a story with images.
  • The creative director is responsible for conceiving, researching, writing, and telling the story. The creative director owns the story concept.

Most Queens students are in Brazil for their first time and do not speak Portuguese. This makes a fourth team member extremely important — the Rio field producer. Six journalism/communication students from Mackenzie Presbyterian University in São Paulo are serving in this role.

  • The Rio field producer is responsible for understanding and translating Brazilian culture. The field producer advises on environment, context, and safety.
Jamie Doolittle, Tyler Greene, and Becca Chen of the JBT Production team write copy and edit video in their Rio de Janeiro hostel for a multimedia story on Sugarloaf Mountain. The team is covering the impact of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on the city.