Field Reporting Types of field reports Hard news Soft news/Feature Investigative Documentary

Where do I start from ? What is a field report? A field report is a story covered by a reporter, who attended an event or witnessed a story, and he is retelling it using images and narration. So you start by going on the field to shoot the story. That is how you will collect your information on the story. Have a story line ready in your mind before you go, but be ready to change it if you encounter a more interesting one or the events take a new curve. Why a report is special? A report is special as it tells a whole story in a very short time using video that tells more details. How long is a report? A report is about 40 seconds -2 minutes maximum depending on the type of story.

How do I structure my story? Lead-In: It is the first paragraph in a report read by the anchor from the studio to hook up the audience to watch the story. A lead-in is written by the reporter himself and submitted to the anchor. A lead-in tells some interesting information about the story but it does not blow the whole thing or people will not keep on watching. It has to be written in a colorful attractive language( sometimes you can play with words to hook up the audience watch more.) Video Here you write description of the video shots used with the narration. It has to be precise and it has to be written with the time code. e.g.. Tape 1/3 TC:00:00:56:23 A close up on an unarmed man shot in the head by the Israelis. Audio Here you write the narration or voice over after watching the video that you taped and after logging them. The narration and video shot has to be integrated. e.g. It seems that the bullet shot on the forty year old Palestinian father was meant to kill and not in self defense as claimed by Israelis.

SOT is sound on tape or sound bite. It is the statement that you choose for a person you had an interview with. It has to be short, precise, adds to the narration or confirms it. e.g. An Eye witness Tape 2/3 IN-TC 00:01:45:20 SOT: They shot him in the head and he was just going home and unarmed he was carrying fruits for his family. Out-TC:00:02:00:00 Video When choosing your shots make sure that they complement the audio. Make sure that you do not put same size of shot for the same subject twice in a row to avoid a jump cut Audio Make sure that the paragraphs in your story flow smoothly in a logical order. Don’t jump from one point to the other back and forth.

Stand-upper: It is the last paragraph of your story. You write it in the field and you say it in front of the camera before you leave. It has to be a conclusion but does not repeat the story. It has to make the audience think. It has to be objective. e.g. Tape3/3 In-TC: 00:01:24:00 Stand-upper: This incident was not the first and might not be the last of it’s kind, but the question is with the Israeli army in control and the Israeli government in denial of responsibility Who can protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza, Nessreen Bahaa reporting for MSA TV, Gaza. Out-TC:01:55:00 Things you have to put in mind while writing the story. You can not use the words I or you, because you are telling the audience a story. Neither you or the audience are part of it or should be involved. Instead use neutral words like one or some people.

WRONG: At the beginning I though the man was armed and dangerous. CORRECT: At the beginning one might think that the man was armed and dangerous. Avoid being biased by telling one part of the story. you have to show all points of views. when picking the sound bites (SOT) you have to be fare in the number of people picked, the words they say and why and in what context they said it. ( do not play with people’s words and bend them to fit your story) Make sure that the statements used are put properly to be credible. E.g. A police officer can tell you the number of people dead in an accident, who is the suspect and so on. But an eyewitness can tell you how, where and when it happened. Numbers, statistics and facts must come from officials or official sources and documents. You can not write something that you do not have video for, that is why you have to plan your shooting properly and log the tapes before writing your script.

Things you have to put in mind on the field Shoot all items in a sequence Do not record your questions and make sure that you have the guest speaking to you and not facing the camera. Be aware that you will not use all the interview, but the guest must not know that. Start the camera movement from still and end it in still Make sure you time your camera movements properly Make sure that you record your Piece to Camera (Stand- upper/opener/bridge) before you leave in a location that tells the audience that you were really there Avoid using a wall as a background in an interview or a stand- upper because it makes your shot flat. Use locations that gives depth to your shot.

Check your batteries, tapes and sound before you start. Be there on Time. Do not frame your shots at joints Do not cut the chin of a person while framing always cut from the forehead. Make sure you have reverse shots (shots of you nodding while interviewing someone) and cut-aways. Make sure that you shoot the establisher shot as soon as you arrive.

Things you have to put in mind while editing A report is audio based. That means you have to record the narration and then start editing the video that matches your words. The audience must see exactly what you are saying. Avoid using similar size shots for the same subject consecutively. Avoid cutting in movement. That means if you have a pan, a zoom or a tilt you have to use I from start to end. That’s why you have to time your camera movements properly. Avoid using effects or fades ( most famous is fade to black) to move from one shot to the other or between interviews (SOT). Remember that any camera movement or editing effect has to have a reason. It tells the audience a specific visual message that complements your narration or make it stronger.

Avoid two shots of the same size it looks like magic