News
Students’ film on ultrarunners to air on MetroFocus
July 20, 2012 00:00
A short film about two ultrarunners in New York City that was produced by Columbia Journalism School students Milos Balac and Ben Teitelbaum will air as part of the upcoming MetroFocus broadcast “Transforming Transportation.”
Balac and Teitelbaum’s piece, which follows two runners training on city streets for a 100-mile race, was originally produced as part of Prof. Betsy West’s Video Storytelling course this spring. It premieres on MetroFocus:
Tuesday, July 24, 10:30 p.m. on WLIW21
Wednesday, July 25, 10:30 p.m. on NJTV
Thursday, July 26, 8:30 p.m. on THIRTEEN
In addition to airing the piece, MetroFocus published an essay by Balac and Teitelbaum about how they shot and created the film: tactics they used to capture two runners constantly in motion.
J-School student Ben Tietelbaum shoots—carefully—for a film on ultrarunners. Photo/Courtesy of Milos Balac.
Other highlights of “Transforming Transportation” include a report on the East Side Access project that will connect Long Island commuters directly to Grand Central, new GPS tracking systems for city buses, an interview with legendary transit columnist “Gridlock Sam,” and a visit to the streets of one Brooklyn neighborhood where a group of seniors is making the streets safer for walking. MetroFocus is a multi-platform magazine covering news, culture and life in and around New York.
Rebroadcasts are scheduled throughout August and the full program will be available online, along with additional reporting and extras.
Balac is currently pursuing a master’s degree in broadcast journalism at the J-School. He received a B.A. in American Studies from Cornell University, where he was vice president of Slope Media Group, a student-run radio, TV and magazine organization. He co-hosted “The 12 Steps,” Slope’s most popular radio music program, and wrote a weekly opinion column in the Cornell Daily Sun, “The Quarterlife Crisis.” Prior to Columbia, Balac worked as a photography intern at the Washington Post. He has also produced several short films and music videos. @losh_me
Teitelbaum is also pursuing an M.S. in broadcast journalism at the J-School. After graduating from Columbia with a B.A. in English, he interned at Haaretz.com in Tel Aviv, wrote as an NBA featured columnist for Bleacher Report, and taught English in Barcelona. In college, he worked in sports radio for WKCR, Columbia’s student-run radio station, and the Columbia Lions. @benteitelbaum
“MetroFocus: Transforming Transportation” preview