TV News | PTCs, Reporting, Newscasting & Autoprompt (28th September 2017)

In today's session, we were tasked with shooting a short, 'live' package from a press release by the RSPCA about transporting animals across Europe for slaughter.  In order to shoot this piece, we carried out some more research on top of what we had available in the press release to create a basic list of what we needed to include in the story, which would be strictly limited to a duration of 1 minute and 45 seconds:

• The RSPCA has been campaigning for this for 20 years, with the #StopTheTrucks campaign starting about 18 months ago.
• The petition has now reached 1 million signatures
• According to a survey carried out by the RSPCA, 66 percent of the British public are appalled by live animals being transported long distances for slaughter and almost 7 out of 10 believe that animals should only be slaughtered in the country they have been reared.
• Animals are kept in cramped, overcrowded conditions.
• Transported hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles as far as the middle east
• The European Commission is responsible for proposing legislation and making decisions across the EU and so their input is vital to ensure animals are being treated humanely.
• The RSPCA wants to raise public awareness that will push the EC to change the law and put an end to the treatment of animals in this way.

For this, we also shot a short studio segment, where the anchor (me) introduced the story with the topline:

"The European Commision is under pressure today as one million people sign a petition to put an end to long transport of livestock overseas"

I feel this topline worked as we saw a glimpse of what the story was about with a hint of tension through the phrase "under pressure".  This gave the line a sense of something needing to be done, thus generating intrigue for the story to come.

I also wrote a basic shooting script to use for the shoot:

My studio segment was shot in front of a green screen so we could alter the background of the shot - Katie edited a generic newsroom graphic into the background in post.  We were also able to use an autoprompt to read our lines from.  I felt that this made it much easier to read the story, although we did not leave ourselves with enough time once we had set up the equipment.  This meant that the studio piece was a little rushed, but it worked nonetheless.  I enjoyed using the autoprompt setup, and I enjoyed speaking to the camera as an anchor as I felt more comfortable delivering the lines to text rather than to a camera, which can be daunting at times.

The reporting segment did not go entirely to plan, however I am pleased that we managed to get several usable shots in only a couple of takes - of course, in a live situation, one take is ideal but for us, this was okay.  Katie also did a very good job of remembering her lines after several rehearsals, despite the slip up at the end.  This has taught me that rehearsing is incredibly useful and important when shooting live, as it gives the people in front of the camera time to familiarise themselves with the story.

Here is the end product of the shoot:



Despite running out of time to shoot the anchor PTC, I am happy with how it turned out.  I think my lines worked to quickly and concisely show what the story was about, but the lighting and rushed shoot meant that it did not look as good as it could have, which also made my delivery a little dry.  I am more happy with the live report, as there are no awkward breaks of silence, and we get a clear view of the story.  There are bound to be little hiccups in live reports every now and then, so I do not mind that we made a couple in this instance, but it is something to bare in mind moving forward.

TV News | Writing and Storytelling for News (26th September 2017)

Good writing is subjective, but journalism requires quick and concise writing.

• Principles of good writing
• Have something to say
• Read books
• Manipulate language
• Use adjectives sparingly
• Plain / simplified / conversational English
• Simple syllables
• Know your medium
• Know the aim of the story is and why it is being told the way it is
• Short sentences (no more than 16 words per sentence)
• Be clear and precise
• Be direct
• PAGEF Test
• Precise
• Use language correctly
• Ensure there is clarity and concision in your words
• Accurate

• Verifiable and impartial sources
• Check your facts
• Ensure information is up-to-date
• Sally Bercow and BBC case study
• Linked Lord McAlpine to child sex scandal
• Ordered to pay £15,000 in damages
• BBC also paid £185,000 in damages
• Germane
• Relevant
• Does not waste time on unwanted elements
• Clarify your thoughts on the story by distilling it to a single topline - the headline which would effectively sell your story
• Equitable
• Balance is key in journalism
• View your story objectively
• Ensure you represent people and subjects with sensitivity and fairness
• Flow
• Walk the viewer through the story
• Tie-writing - use the script to naturally link the story together

• Techniques that can help the 'reading' of your story
• Alliteration
• Avoid repetition
• Word play
• Rule of three
• Similes and metaphors
• Personification
• Exaggeration / emphasis
• Relatable comparisons
• Write in the correct order
• Write the lead-in first, then your package, then your TAG
• Don't repeat the lead-in within your package
• Beware of wordy writing
• Avoid overkill of facts and figures
• 'Leads' and 'tags' brief and to-the-point
• Facts and figures - simple
• How to write a good 'lead' and/or 'tag'
• Attention grabbing
• Clarifies the story and purpose
• Decide whether the topline is relevant and whether they would want to watch the item
• Tease the viewer
• Concise and not overloaded with facts
• Don't weigh down your leads with facts, remember to keep the salient points in terms of their impact
• The best leads are fact-free
• Facts belong in the main body of the piece
• Rule of thumb - one sentence, one thought
• Tell the audience key elements that they want to hear
• Should sound fresh and new
• Be written in an active voice
• SVO
• Subject
• Verb
• Object
• Write about a person's doing, then what they do, then who it would affect
• Be creative
• Conversational in tone
• Use narrative to tell the story
• Don't use 'journalese' - exaggerated or embellished writing which sound uncomfortable and unreal - overly clinical references
• Write to pictures
• Look at the pictures
• Listen to the sounds
• Talk to the picture editor
• 
  
• Deliver what you have written
• Polish
• Don't be too literal
• Writing for live news / studio content
• News anchor
• Script using segue words
• Don't forget the viewer - 'you'
• Headlines and 'coming up's / topline
• Top story - heavy/impactful news
• Know your audience
• Sell your story to the audience - WIIFM?
• Match the headline
• Read out loud
• Tempt the viewer - don't tell the whole story
• Make it easy to read
• The producer is responsible - check with them throughout
• Scripting OOV/SOT
• The studio script must indicate when and where the video is supposed to start and its duration so the director is aware
• Ensure the presenter knows when to stop reading the VO and allow the SOT to take over
• Put the SOT on a separate source to play out so the sound can be mixed separately in the gallery
• When the piece is finished, the presenter should be in vision as they finish the final PTC
• Scripting a news package
• Work out key elements of your film before filming
• Work out a shot list and scripted elements such as the PTC
• Give the reporter a purpose - make them active in the film; doing something relevant, getting them involved, so that the audience is more connected to the piece
• Consider:
• Who is involved in the story?
• What are they doing now?
• What happens next?
• Deciding how to tell your story
• Make considerations for:
• Access
• Time
• Duration
• Angle
• Essentials
• Narrative development
• Typical narrative structures
• Chronologically
• Most up-to-date info and pics first
• Story told through central character
• Answer the 5 Ws - What, when...
• Prepare for the edit

TV News | Research: Viper's View

Viper's View is an online news comedy series on the Russia Today channel, featuring Irish comic, Francis "The Viper" Higgins giving his insight into world events and current affairs.  Whilst this series is more of a comedy series than a news show, I feel it takes an interesting and very entertaining take on news - since we are leaning toward a fun/sillier channel than typical news brands, this seemed like a good choice to seek inspiration.




The series is almost exclusively based on voice over video clips, with graphical elements accompanying the visuals, which gives the feeling that we are watching the news and interpreting it as Higgins does in his videos.  As we cannot see his face (although he does make some appearances in some videos), the voice takes over and his words shape the meaning of the clips.

The journalistic nature of Viper's View is virtually non-existent, his views are almost purely opinion and almost off-the-cuff, sometimes with no context to the topic he is discussing.  This is where the comedy element shines through, so here, Higgins is prioritising entertainment over informativeness.  I think that our news piece will aim to focus more on the informativeness, but I would also like to add to the comedic elements as Higgins does in Viper's View.

Each video has a good pace and rhythm to it, despite his somewhat monotone delivery - I think the delivery compliments his character and again, adds to the comedic tone of the series.  The editing plays into part with this with use of graphics to put emphasis on what is being said to enforce these words onto the audience.  There is also good use of stings and transitions to bridge the gaps between news stories.

Whilst Viper's View may not be the best news channel, I feel that it works well to incorporate news into comedy, which is something I would aim to do in our news piece.  I would also like to draw some inspiration from his editing style to our piece, as I feel it fits with the online market and adds its own energy to the storytelling.

Camera Workshop | 4K Cameras (22nd September 2017)

This year, we're lucky enough to have access to a plethora of new filming equipment, including some very cool new 4K cameras.  The new Panasonic DVX cameras have a range of more up-to-date features compared to the Sony EX cameras we are used to, including:

• VFR (Variable Frame Rate), maxing out at 120 fps, allowing for slow-motion recording
• V-log capabilities
• More advanced image-stabilisation 
• Dual codec recording
• And a many more complicated things that I am yet to get my head around

We spent a lot of time working out the settings and so we did not capture that much footage unfortunately, however we did shoot some slow-motion footage using the VFR setting.  Here is something I shot at 120 FPS/1080p:




I found it interesting to see how many factors come into play when shooting in a different frame rate.  For example, the florescent lights in the studio have a much more noticeable flicker, which I would not have seen normally with my own eyes.  The speed at which the camera was shooting also meant that there was not as much light hitting the sensor, and so the finished shot looks a lot darker than it appeared before shooting.  Therefore, I must remember that when I am shooting at higher frame rates, I am well aware of how I want the lighting to appear and that I need to compensate for lower light levels if I am to see what is happening.

Next time I get to test out one of these cameras, I would like to try out the stabilisation features.

TV News | Sourcing Stories and Types of Story (21st September 2017)

In today's lecture we looked at how we can source our stories by looking at how it is done in the industry.

• A broadcast journalist relies on a range of sources and contacts
• The best journalists are proactive rather than reactive

• Some sources for inspiration:
• News outlets
• Social media / viral
• Word of mouth
• Whistleblower
• Anecdotal
• News agency - sources such as Reuters source news for other outlets to utilise
• Pressure groups
• Public domain
• Must all be verifiable

• Working what Fishman (1997) called 'beats' - 'patrolling' recognised sources of information to supply potential news value - what 'beats' form part of this chain of information?
• Many of these 'beats' are exclusively accessed by news journalists, e.g. calling police stations etc.
• What stories may be ignored?  Is it right to give priority to those particular stories?

• Primary sources
• Direct contacts
• Direct source material, e.g. library and archive data
• Public appeals
• Press releases / statistics / official statements
• These are all points of view
• Secondary sources
• Stringers (freelancers) - supply news outlets with information
• Other platforms / media

• Wires
• Newsrooms frequently trawl the 'wires' for up to the minute tip offs on news stories
• P.A. (Press Association)
• Reuters
• Material on news wires is provided by in-house and freelance journalists
• Correspondents
• Specialists within the newsroom prized for their in-depth knowledge and well honed contacts within a specific area, such as politics
• Often invited to confidential 'lobby' briefings with politicians and on the mailing lists of important bodies
• 'Lobby' politics - influential groups lobby the government in such meetings to get their views across and attempt to influence policy
• Foreign news sources
• Journalists, editors and correspondents based permanently abroad for news networks
• Sometimes pooled from foreign news 'bureau' with other broadcasters
• Also valued for their local contacts and on-the-ground access and knowledge
• Often long hours with lots of travelling through potentially dangerous or politically unstable areas
• International news agencies and large-scale news organisations have deals
• Eurovision News Exchange - facilitates the exchange of stories between EU countries
• Archives
• Many broadcasters have their own archives which serves as a source of pictures etc, as well as independent archives which sell on their material under license

• Fake News
  
• They look and sound like news packages but are very often propaganda
• Blurred lines between marketing and news

• UGC (User Generated Content)
• Footage/material provided by members of the public used by news outlets
• UGC adds value to give a human, realistic view of a story
• UGC can capture the unexpected that news outlets cannot prepare for
• This content can be cheap for the news outlet
• This could become dangerous, as members of the public may put themselves at risk to film events
• Example of user-generated content aiding in a news report:

• Communication
• Whichever source of information and stories, you must be able to be a consummate communicator in order to access these
• Research is vital and you must know what questions you want to ask
• Emails and phone calls are useful for exchanging information, but conversation is important to build a rapport
• Sometimes you have to be prepared to be creative in order to get the information you need providing you are being ethical, find ways of negotiating obstacles to gain the access you need
• When people are reluctant to take part, sometimes with good reason, it is useful to explain that this is their chance to hear their side of the story
• The art of tracking down people is something you must master - do your research to identify key contacts and build from there
• Find people who will talk might mean looking for someone outside of your direct arena of your story
• Finding your angle
• The main significance of the story to your particular audience
• There are inevitably be several angles on any story, your job is to decide the angle which best suits and sells your story to engage the audience

• What makes a story 'news-worthy'?
• Choosing the lead story is key in determining the most newsworthy story of that bulletin
• The lead story might vary at different times of the day - what is most engaging for the audience at different times
• Relevance / Resonance
• Controversy
• Peg - Timing a story to hit when it will intersect with a particular event
• Subjectivity
• Typically you will see 15-20 stories per 30' news programme
• The order in which these stories are broadcast affect whether they are presented as difficult and influential
• We must balance the tone of the range of stories offered - from hard news, breaking stories and softer human interest stories
• Key areas to determine this are:
• Location
• Timeliness
• Impact
• Prominence / Importance
• Conflict
• Simplicity
• Broadcasters' values

• Developing your story
• Takes detailed and accurate notes
• Be organised and ensure you keep your contacts and relevant information somewhere you can easily access it
• Attribute information to the reliable source
• Saying 'allegedly / apparently' is not enough
• Sources must be reliable
• You should be clear about:
• WHAT the story is about
• WHO is in the story
• WHERE the story is
• WHEN the story will be shot
• HOW will it be told
• WHY the story is being made
• The contacts made in the early stages of research should lead to the final elements that are included in the news story
• Inevitably there will be decisions made on the basis of availability, location, cost etc, but bare in mind these decisions frame your story for the audience
• Ensure these elements are fair and reasonable
• Stay objective
• Don't burn bridges with contacts
• You may need them again in the future
• Make sure you are respectful
• Open and fair
• Honest and direct
• Aware of the intrusion you are making - respect their time
• Thank your contributors and let them know when and where the piece will feature

• Forms of TV news stories
• Basic types
• Readers
• A short story told by the presenter with no visuals to accompany it
• OOVs / VOs
• The presenter tells the story but includes video and/or graphical material
• Useful when covering an event
• Also used for late breaking stories
• Boil down the essentials of the story and find an angle
• Graphics are useful but beware of copyright
• Sound is also vital to ensure the report does not come across as flat
• OOV / SOT (sound on tape)
• Combination of OOV and sound from interview clips
• Good for varying pace, but not as much depth as a full news package
• Reporter/news packages
• Fully formed self contained news piece
• The presenter does not tell the story, but instead they introduce and wrap up the story
• There are a variety of elements
• Interviews
• PTCs
• Sequences and actuality
• GVs / cutaways
• Set up sequences
• Graphics

TV News | An Overview + The Young Turks Research (19th September 2017)

Over the last 100 years, television has emerged as the dominant source for news in the modern world.  Even with the emergence of social media, TV remains the most important source of news for 78% of adults.  Advances in technology mean that news is now a 24-hour rolling provision available across many formats and devices.

• OBs (Outside Broadcasts)
• OBs allow for a reporter to truly experience the news as it is happening, with a sense of immediacy drawn from stories that they are covering
• Whilst OBs require vast amounts of organisation, they feature as a dominant part of news broadcasts to allow the audience to connect with the reporter and their story
• Two ways / Q&A
• These take place between the anchor and the reporter in the field live during the course of the programme
• Usually the presenter and reporter discuss what they will talk about prior to the programme airing, and are usually loosely scripted and do not rely on a full script, making it feel more natural and conversational
• Logistics and technical challenges
• Technical experts such as ENG Coordinators are on hand to ensure that all technical challenges are well managed - they liaise with the team in the newsroom and the producer to keep everyone up to date
• Essential checks are carried out to ensure the signal quality, video, audio, talkback and cueing are all in working order
• Therefore it is important to have a backup plan before going into any live broadcast
• Legality of live broadcast
• Facts must be presented in a fair and accurate way
• Reporting or interviewing others can potentially open up potential difficulties leading to defamation, sub judice and inappropriate language
• Challenges of live broadcast
• People walking through shots, background noises, and other interruptions are all a potential risk of being live on location
• The digital age
• With advancements in technology, people may look to other sources, such as apps and webpages for their news intake
• Young people (16-24 year olds) in particular are more likely to access news online than older age groups
• TV news hierarchy
• TV newsroom is a well-oiled machine with a number of people involved:

• Planning
• The forward planning desk works alongside the programme editor to pre-plan the day's news coverage over the coming days, weeks, months and years
• Planning meetings are held daily allowing the programme to organise how they will cover stories
• Despite this, the process is constantly dealing with updates, amendments and cancellations
• Gathering news
• The assignments desk is under the control of the news editor/organiser - this department assigns journalists and news crews to planned and emerging stories to send correspondents out in the field
• Reporters and correspondents are at the front line in this process, assisted by a team of broadcast journalists who help to research and set up stories for reporters
• Increasingly, reporters and correspondents are shooting their own material (video journalists)
• Technology
• ENPS is a computerised system used in most modern newsrooms to allow staff access to newswires, write scripts and running orders and check out the diaries an planning options for the future

We watched a behind-the-scenes livestream from the BBC, showing exactly what goes into the daily 6 o'clock news broadcast.  I was impressed and little bit intimidated by the sheer scale of the entire operation, with each member of the team playing a vital role in the running of the broadcast.  I was surprised that the BBC uses automated cameras in the news studio, although in hindsight, I realise that this allows the director and people in the control room to operate them with more precision and reliability.  I was also surprised at the amount of responsibilities that lie on the anchor's shoulders.  Of course they are the 'star of the show', but I did not realise that they had as much of an input into the running order and what is planned before the broadcast itself.

Homework Task / The Young Turks Research:

I decided to look at The Young Turks, as a well-established example of an online news platform.  The Young Turks began as a radio programme in 2002, which launched as a web-based channel on YouTube in 2005.  I focused on one video (above) which focused on a story about Donald Trump's comments at the UN earlier today.  This topic focuses on politics and current affairs.  The video begins with their politics correspondent explaining in a PTC what has happened before showing the VT of the comments made by the President.  Afterwards, the three hosts discuss what was said, the context behind it and the potential implications of what they are reporting.

They take a very laid back, yet somewhat serious tone in their delivery is interesting and allows them to take a very conversational tone to the way they deliver their news.  This works to entice the audience into the conversation, almost feeling they are a part of it through the conversational and informal nature of the report.  They also use fairly colloquial language and light-hearted moments, such as a brief impression of Trump, which is juxtaposed by more serious comments regarding the story.

The lightheartedness is complimented by the host in the middle who seems a lot more laid back than the other two, wearing a T-shirt rather than a suit as we see in most traditional news broadcasts.  We are also exposed to a lot of opinion and speculation over the story with "I think" being repeated quite often.  This means that this news source may be biased but also allows the audience to build a better picture for themselves of the story rather than just black and white facts.

From this I feel I have learned that it is important to establish what the angle of our story is, so we know exactly how much opinion and speculation to give on balance with the hard facts of what we are reporting.

A good story needs a balance of being informative, impartial and interesting in order to inform the audience of the story in a fair and enticing manner.  The Young Turks story on Trump works as we are enticed by the shocking comments made by Trump, we are made aware of the potential implications of what he said, backed up with context, and we are kept entertained by the differing viewpoints and invitation to join the conversation.

The news is rarely dominated by just one story, but at the moment, the news is dominated by Donald Trump, North Korea, and Brexit.  These stories tend to come first in the running order, as they affect a large number of people and there is a lot of interest and debate to be had through the discussion of these topics.

Notable celebrity deaths, terrorist incidents and important political decisions can also seem to take the lead in news broadcasts.  Other stories that follow tend to affect fewer people in the target audience.  I feel that this is because the broadcasters want to keep their audience informed, but also enticed to tune in, so by offering the stories that affect a lot of people, or cause controversy and shock, their news service becomes a more appealing source.

TV News | The Brief and Ideas Lab (19th September 2017)

After a long summer, it's time to get back into the swing of things with the first unit of the year: TV News.  Our task is to:

• Develop an original online news channel
• Find a brand which will fit a particular audience
• Design our own branded online digital news channel, including:
• Title sequence / GFX / branded strapline
• Promotional package / presenter-led teaser trailer
• Create a 2'00''-2'30'' news package
• Create a 2'00'' live OB report with a reporter
• Written material on the webpage to support and explain the channel
• All this, including the research and development journal to be completed by 26th October

This unit will draw from the previous work, particularly the documentary unit, including:

• Sourcing stories and telling them
• Sourcing contributors
• Sourcing locations
• Writing to pictures / 'tie-writing'
• Interviewing
• Sequencing and actuality
• SWEFF
• Good coverage
• Good sound
• Factual accuracy / fair dealing / impartiality and balance
• Teamwork and communication
• Time management and organisation
• Interpreting information and finding the angle

As well as this, we would be bringing in new skills for this format of television:

• Reporting
• Fast turn-arounds
• Developing online platform, branding and concepts
• Studio presentation / news anchoring
• Sourcing talent (reporters, presenters as opposed to actors)

We looked at some work from last year to see the sort of piece we would be creating and what we need to do/avoid doing when it came to creating our own work:

• Ensure that audience interest is sustained
• Avoid repetition in the writing and ensure the tone of the script fits the tone of the target audience, branding and subject matter
• PTCs (pieces-to-camera)
• Action / reaction - capture the context behind what is said and done
• MCUs (medium close-ups) for interviews
• Sign-posting - ensure the story is told concisely so a Layman could watch the piece and still understand what is happening
• 'WIIFM' (what's in it for me?) - keep contributors and viewers on board by making them want to be a part of the film

We will be working in groups of 3-4 to produce our news piece - I will be working with Katie, Jason and Melissa.  I am glad that I am working with Katie and Jason again as I know their strengths and weaknesses from the documentary unit, and Melissa as I know she worked hard and contributed a lot to her group project last year - I get on with the three of them as friends too, which is a bonus.  Unlike the last unit, I feel we have quickly established our idea and I feel a lot more excited and motivated to go ahead with it.

We toyed around with several potential ideas before settling on what we feel we will go ahead with.  We initially struggled with whether to approach the piece from a story or brand perspective, i.e. whether to find a good story and build the brand around that, or to find the brand and look for stories to cover relating to it.  We decided that we wanted to take a comedic angle, aimed at young people around 16-25.  We also brain-stormed some initial and basic potential branding and story ideas: 

• Branding / Angle
• Television / film / Netflix

• Focusing on TV shows and films that are popular at the moment and talking to people in the industry and fanatics for their insight and opinions
• Politics
• A young person's perspective on the world of politics to entice the younger generation to take more of an interest in how parliament and the government work
• Student life
• Looking at the lives of students and things that may interest people of our own age group, such as music, tips for university etc.
• Potential stories
• The rapid growth of Netflix and online subscription services
• Stoptober / Stay Sober - encouraging sobriety in the name of good health
• Disproving/debunking urban myths and social misconceptions

We discussed our ideas with Helen and came up with the basis for our digital news platform.  We will produce a comedic channel based on urban myths and debunking them, such as exploring supposed cures for hangovers, and more absurd ideas/old wives' tales, for example, sneezing with your eyes open.  The issue here falls with how we can make this relevant to current affairs and maintain the journalism for the piece to be a news channel and not just comedy or entertainment.  This is where the Stoptober and Stay Sober story ideas come in as we could look at the more light-hearted side of alcohol by looking at social misconceptions around 'curing' hangovers, and then switch to a more serious note regarding the Stoptober and Stay Sober campaigns, potentially allowing us to attend a charity event for the live segment and to speak to experts in the field.

We divided up areas to research into to build a better idea of our brand, our story and the way in which we can present the platform.

• I am going to research the effects of alcohol, including hangovers and the urban myths surrounding the 'cures' for hangovers
• Jason is going to look into e-cigarettes and vaping, looking at research into whether vaping is safer than traditional smoking or just as bad
• Melissa is researching the funnier and more absurd urban myths we can explore to add to the comedic element of the channel
• Katie is going to research mythbusting in general, looking at the definitions and other examples in the media that focus on debunking myths (one show in particular comes to mind)

With our idea sorted, the Google Docs folder ready to go and research already underway, I am eager to get back to work and begin making our news channel.