THE “PULSE” OF THE DNC

For the Week of the Democratic Convention Pulse Media in Watertown provided crews for several of the biggest names in broadcasting including ABC News, NBC/MSNBC, MTV, The History Channel, and E! News Live.

What follows is a sample of highlights, challenges, and random moments of absurdity from Pulse Media’s busiest week ever.

10:00 AM
The big Friday morning pre-convention prep meeting at Pulse Media’s Watertown office is interrupted when several crews are pulled away on last minute assignments for the networks. NBC sends Cameraman and Pulse Media president Rob Massey with soundman Dan Izen to shoot stories about local history at Harvard, while Cameraman Jay Maurer and Soundman Jason O’Neill, cover a press conference held by Ralph Nader at the Park Plaza Hotel.

6:30 PM
Soundman Shane Bronson is bitterly disappointed when ABC News decides to interview only the proprietors of Coyote Ugly but not a single sexy dancing bartender. Insult is added to injury when the producers ask Bronson and cameraman Rafi Landau to tape only the “exteriors” of the Centerfolds Strip Club for the story about local businesses preparing for the DNC.

Who is this celebrity that MSNBC wants to Rob and Jason to interview about the importance of young people voting in November? Is it Ben Affleck? Alec Baldwin? No chance: It’s professional wrestler Chris “Harvard.”

8:00 PM
Rob and Jason go bar hopping with Ron Regan, Jr. to shoot a segment on the “pulse” of the electorate.

2:00 PM
Robert Massey and Jason O’Neill are first camera for a large 3 camera interview with Theresa Heinz Kerry. Heinz Kerry is friendly and refrains from telling anyone on the Chris Matthews crew to “Shove It.”

3:00 PM
One hour after he is asked to set up his Media 100 editing system for The History Channel in the Abigail Adams suite of the Quincy Marriot, editor John O’Brien is told that he and the post-production team will actually be working down the hall in Salon A.

11:00 PM
Former Democratic frontrunner Howard Dean is spotted alone, in an alley, after leaving a Creative Coalition event at the Avalon nightclub through the backdoor.

12:00 AM
The E! News Live crew calls it a night when it becomes clear that Bill Clinton is not going to grab a saxophone and jump onstage at the Avalon.

6:00 PM
John Kerry attends Red Sox game. Rob Massey and Jason O’Neil brave throngs of drunken baseball fans to capture the first glimpse of the candidate for NBC.

10:00 AM
When the History Channel comes up a few floor passes short, cameraman Jay Maurer must operate without soundman Dan Izen as the History Center team hits the Convention floor.

11:00 AM
Shane Bronson does not recognize cable pundit Chris Mathews during an interview with E! News Live. It is only upon completion of the interview, when Matthews resumes his trademark shouting tone that Shane realizes who he is.

11:30 AM
MSNBC Soundman Jason O’Neill battles the poor acoustics of a gymnasium at Roxbury Community College to give a proper mic-check to legendary mic-checker Reverend Run of RUN DMC, who is attending Russell Simmons “Hip-Hop Summit” Event.

12:00 PM
After 3 false starts-- first driving to Marblehead, then to Canton and finally back to the Long Wharf, cameraman Thomas Danielczik finally gets an ABC assignment that pans out-- taping B-Roll of bag searches at the Haymarket T-Stop.

12:30 PM
Tipped off that Michael Moore is somewhere in the North End speaking with a group of soldiers’ families, E! News Live team Shane Bronson and Rafi Landau schlep their gear (on foot) from the Fleet Center to find Moore already surrounded by camera crews.

1:30 AM
John O’Brien realizes he has yet to see one minute of actual convention footage, as he finishes up his first day editing footage of Sunday’s parties for the History Channel.

12:00 PM:
Shooting for ABC, cameraman Thomas Danielczik does not recognize the person that he and a flock of other crews are each jockeying to be in position to tape. Thomas asks, “Who is this person? … Is it a politician? …A celebrity activist?” The answer: “It’s Amarosa from The Apprentice.”
6:00 PM
On assignment for E! Erik Zifcak spies Triumph the Insult Comic Dog ambushing irritated TV Pundit John McGlaughlin, who is trying to get in a cab outside the Ritz Carlton hotel.

7:00 PM
The History Channel Crew is pulled aside by Security for using unapproved wireless mic frequencies on the convention floor.

8:30 PM
In an interview with the History Channel George McGovern reflects upon the blunder of giving his 1972 acceptance speech at 2:30 am.

9:30 PM
As Illinois Senate candidate Barack Obama delivers an electrifying keynote speech, History Channel editor John O’Brien’s wife calls to see if he is watching. O’Brien confesses he has seen very little of the actual convention.

12:30 AM
Outside Symphony Hall, Rob Massey and Jason O’Neill rush to get their gear under cover as the sky erupts with a downpour. The MSNBC reporter is comfortably dry in the satellite truck.

3:30 AM
Scheduled to interview a member of Kerry’s campaign staff at 7:30 AM, ABC cameraman Alex Aurichio and soundman Erik Zifcak arrive 4 hours early at the Park Plaza to allow for a Secret Service sweep.

9:00 AM
The Quincy Marriott gives the History Channel post-production team a momentary scare by telling them that they have to switch back to the Abigail Adams Suite and edit there for the rest of the week. Producer Anthony Giaccino talks the hotel out of the decision that would have cost them crucial editing hours.

10:00 AM
Former Cincinnati Mayor and Tabloid icon Jerry Springer interrupts an interview with E! News Live to help an old lady who has collapsed on the floor of the Convention.

11:30 AM
Pulse Media’s Pat Burke sends footage of rappers Black-Eyed Peas to E! News Live’s Los Angeles office, in the third fiber feed for the network that week.

1:45 PM
Producers from both MSNBC and CNN are in Rob Massey’s intercom, while the cable news rivals pool his live-shot of John Kerry’s boat arrival in Charlestown.

3:00 PM
The History Channel captures Howard Dean giving an impromptu address to an overflow crowd outside the Royal Sonesta hotel in Cambridge at a forum where he and Michael Moore are speaking.

8:00 PM
Jason O’Neill witnesses the most severe police tension and crowd control issues he has seen all week-- not at a protest event but outside the Red Hot Chili Peppers performance in the Back Bay.

9:00 PM
A bunch of decorative hanging oranges fall loose, raining down on Shane Bronson and Rafi Landau and the crews shooting the Red Carpet at the Red Hot Chili Peppers event.

10:00 PM
Rob and Jason get wet again as MSNBC continues to delay live-shots until just after the rain starts.

11:00 AM
Sean “P.Diddy” Combs holds court at the Divine Styler Barber shop in Roxbury. Alex Aurichio and Erik Zifcak, working for MTV enjoy the relative calm that comes from being the only crew at the event. As the day proceeds the MTV team will fight to keep their positions when Combs gets swarmed by media at the Fleet Center (making him Thursday’s Michael Moore).

7:00 PM
After a taping of The Daily Show at Boston University, Shane Bronson wires Jon Stewart for an E! News Live interview. When Shane tells the fake news anchor that the Pulse office loves his show, Stewart confesses the secret to his success is that he and the staff, “get stoned a lot and watch Led Zeppelin videos.”

8:00 PM
MTV soundman Erik Zifcak witnesses a surprising off-camera moment, during which FOX personality Bill O’Reilly drops his long standing antagonism towards Sean “P.Diddy” Combs to pay the Hip-Hop star and MTV correspondent a compliment regarding his "Project Change” campaign.

10:10 PM
John Kerry “reports for duty” and accepts his party’s nomination.

10:30 PM
Shane Bronson and Rafi Landau are part of a large group of media pros locked out of the Fleet Center by fire marshals. They wind-up being entertained by Triumph The Insult Comic Dog who, working off the text provided by the Democratic Party, gives his own performance of John Kerry’s speech.

7:30 AM
Rob Massey and Jason O’Neill shoot the farewell event and departure of the Kerry/Edwards bus for NBC’s Today Show.

11:30 AM
Pat Burke feeds the History Channel’s History Center program to their New York offices. The program is scheduled to air at 7:00 pm that night.

1:00 PM
After a 26 hour marathon of sleepless editing John O’Brien is told he cannot pack up his edit suite until History Channel brass in New York review the History Center tape. An hour later he is told the job is finally over and he can take the system back home to Pulse.

Evan O'Sullivan is Pulse Media's Producer/Production Manager. In the past he has produced for such diverse clientele as CNN, VH1, Avid Technologies and Candela Lasers. He is also well known for his comedy alter ego "Evan O'Television."