'Roll!' by Rich Underwood

While I've been feeling sorry for myself, another TV news photojournalist has kept his eye on the prize. Rich Underwood, veteran television director, cameraman and part-time educator has penned a hefty tome on the state of Electronic News Gathering. Roll! features interviews with TV news vets, practical shooting advice and hopefully a war story or two. Cover to cover, its 416 pages of words about the pictures and sound we harvest every night. A respectful dip of the lens is in order. With so many on-line video 'experts' rushing their own manifestos into print, it's heartening to see a broadcast journalist assert his mastery of the craft. I only wish it were me. Actually, several folk have suggested I attempt to assemble a manual of sorts, but I've always dismissed it for fear of the arduous research it would take. I guess now I can scratch it off my list altogether. Still, if I ever did write a textbook, I hope it would be the TV news equivalent of this.