Reflections from the Students Who Jumped Aboard GMA’s Train

"ABC News On Campus" Syracuse University Bureau Chief Jason Tarr blogs: Central New York isn’t normally the recipient of well-known news anchors, live shows or movie stars.  But in the last two weeks the Syracuse Bureau has had the opportunity to experience all of these things.  We are just finally catching our breaths from a week that included the Hollywood-Style premiere in Syracuse of the movie “The Express” featuring Dennis Quaid.  The three days of premiere activities were quickly followed by our traveling to visit with the "Good Morning America" team for two days in Rome, N.Y. and in Niagara Falls. Preparation for the shoot had begun two weeks earlier — I was helping "GMA" producer Liz Sintay gear up for the ABC Whistle-Stop Tour visit to Rome. I took a walk-through of the train station, worked with the mayor’s office to coordinate how the day of the shoot would go and drafted up several production memos, all as Liz worked her creative magic to bring everything together. When all five of us from the Syracuse bureau arrived in Rome on the day of the actual shoot, however, we received a quick reminder that we should expect the unexpected. With the five of us huddled around her, Liz Sintay told us: “The storms overnight knocked out all the power here in Rome. We have no lights inside. School has been canceled for the day, which means we may not have the school band and the cheerleaders.” And as worrisome as that sounded, the Rome Mayor’s Office had some news that was of possibly bigger concern. “The bathrooms are power-operated; the toilets, the sinks, the hand dryers are all automatic. So there may be no way to flush the toilets!” Liz, of course, took all these crises in stride, and by the time the train pulled into the station just hours later with the "GMA" team, everything was running quite smoothly. But perhaps no experience could have prepared me for what I found inside the train for the ABC Whistle Stop Tour.  Following our shoot in Rome, two of the Syracuse bureau staffers and I ran up to the train station platform, where we were greeted by executive producer John Green (conductor’s hat and all!).  To our right, I saw three broadcast photographers stretched out in the luggage car, using the suitcases as their couches and arm rests, relaxing before the next shoot. But the real introduction to the train came as we ascended the stairs. With John Green in the lead, we carefully made our way up a narrow stairwell before coming to an even narrower hallway in the sleeping car.  There was just enough space for the four of us to walk single file.  But after making our way through this dark passageway we found the heart of the train.  We entered the studio car and the control room car as we continued the grand tour.  In place of the seats there were cameras, lighting, wires and microphones.  Large lights hung from the “ceilings” and people were strewn throughout the car diligently working away.  As the train swayed back and forth we all had to steady ourselves with one hand on the ceiling and one hand prepared to brace against the next bump in the tracks. Click HERE to see what life was like on the GMA train. In the control room, monitors lined the wall, each providing its own window into that part of the country, or that certain camera on the broadcast. Behind all of these monitors was the real window through which my bureau staffers and I watched the countryside of central and, later, western New York whiz by.  It was incredible to see a mobile newsroom (that was constantly moving!) and the number of people on the train working on this project.  I couldn’t help but take a step back and have a greater appreciation for television news.  What many people don’t realize is how much work goes into a 2-3 minute story, let alone a live, three-hour broadcast. During our ride on the train, we had the opportunity to speak with many people who work on "GMA" and even had the chance to sit down with Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts and Chris Cuomo, all three of  whom agreed there was something surreal about broadcasting from a moving train. After getting in late on Monday night, we got just a couple hours of sleep before we made our way in the dark of early morning to the Niagara Falls overlook.  We helped with whatever was needed as GMA and its fans took over the Niagara Falls landscape. The show featured our video from Rome, in addition to a chance for the anchors to talk with the people of Niagara, and even came complete with a beautifully orchestrated wedding. To see what goes into a production like this and to see all of the challenges "GMA" overcame was a hands-on learning experience in broadcasting, and in problem-solving.  Seeing how everyone worked together and handled such an interesting “newsroom” educated all of us on how to pull off something of such magnitude and of such a creative nature.