STAND BY FOR NEWS… CELL PHONES OFF. No technology use during class. Take notes during class discussions. Handwritten notes only. Be prepared for quizzes and discussion over class reading—keep up with reading as listed on course outline.

STAND BY FOR NEWS… Be in class on time Have reading done by each class time Chapters 1 and 9 first Random textbook order Know when and plan for each Section Exam Read news every day Check University Master Calendar, other media ‘Enterprise Reporting’ / East Texan Budget Meetings Pay attention to what’s going on

Getting Started Read the syllabus and review the outline Start on training / proficiency immediately See production requirements Spend first weeks assuring skills Attend Practicum meeting this week

Grading Section & Mid Term Exams points each News Story Production Grade…… 400 Quizzes, Daily Grade, Attendance, Participation…………………… Final (production & written) GRADE REQUIREMENTS: "A"—900+ “B”— “C”— “D”— (90 / 80 / 70 / 60)

Story shooting requirements 1. You must shoot and edit sequences. If you are not certain you understand the concept, come get training. If your project does not show clear indication of frequent sequencing, and/or has pop cuts and/or jump cuts, and/or has fewer than 3-4 shots per ten seconds of story content, or does not have pad shot(s) as assigned, it will be rejected and you will have to start over.

#2 ‘must do’ You may not use a zoom or pan shot, except in rare occasions for follow shots. In this case the zoom or pan must be ‘invisible.’ You must fade in and out, but have only cuts inside the story as transitions. If you do not follow any of these requirements, the submission will be rejected and you will have to start over.

#3 ‘must do’ You may not have any ‘hand-held’ / shaky camera shots. If you submit a story with any ‘non broadcast quality’ shots, the submission will be rejected and you will have to start over.

#4 ‘must do’ You must take and use a camera-mounted light each time. B-roll may be lit with available light; an interview must have the camera-mounted light turned on, or other clear indication of an acceptable key light on the subject. If you submit a story with any ‘non broadcast quality’ lighting situations, the submission will be rejected and you will have to start over.

#5 ‘must do’ You must take and use a lavaliere mic for every interview. To start the interview, you must start the camera recording, then have the subject say and spell his / her name. You must ask each interview subject a minimum of five questions and must end with a question that says essentially ‘what else about this should the audience know?’ If not, the project will be rejected and you will have to start over. (cont)

#5 continued… Your produced foreground audio must be throughout at -12 and your audio mix must be broadcast quality. If you submit a story with any ‘non broadcast quality’ audio situations and/or without all required raw footage content, the submission will be rejected and you will have to start over.

#6 ‘must do’ You are required to make advance arrangements with someone in charge of the event for every event you shoot. If you do not, then you arrive and cannot shoot the event, your project will be graded as not meeting the deadline and have grade reduction accordingly. This will apply to the second half of the semester.

#6 continued Likewise, when you have an event planned to shoot, always also have a back-up event planned in case your event is canceled, so you can still meet deadline. In news, deadline is deadline—there are no extensions. No back-up will be necessary for practice work, but deadline is still deadline.

#7 ‘must do’ You must learn and use FCP X. If we have to go to FCP 7 as back-up, you must set up your scratch discs settings and file location only as demonstrated in class. If you are not certain you understand the concept, come get training before it’s time to edit. If you do not follow this requirement, the project will be rejected and you will have to start over.

#8 ‘must do’ You ‘submit’ your project by exporting it into your Project Folder and then making a duplicate copy to put on the desktop of your log-in. You will upload the project, verify it, then send me the URL. Not done like this or by the deadline, the project will be rejected and you will have to start over.

Basic idea… Make sure you understand the content and production expectations and get them right the first time Start with a practice story in steps Use the next few weeks to make sure you have the right shooting and editing skills

STAND BY FOR NEWS… CELL PHONES OFF. No technology use during class. Want to use technology? Schedule and appointment and talk to me. Take notes during class discussions. Handwritten notes only. Be prepared for quizzes and discussion over class reading—keep up with reading as listed on course outline.

Basics of News Timeliness, Proximity, Conflict, Prominence, Consequence, Human Interest (and others -- ‘what makes it news?’) Spot News, hard news, routine news (note news releases and VNRs), soft news, features, investigative Types of TV stories Package, Vo-Sot/VSV/VOB/AB, VO, reader Live shot variations Production terms B-roll, sound bites, nat sound, seamless editing (steady shots, sequences, matched action shots), voice over (‘track’), stand up, BOPSA, Rambo video, shoot to edit, in-camera editing, shooting ratio, focus/commitment, lead, lead-in, write to pictures, photography is... (lighting issues), close miking, handheld mic

Basics of News (cont.) Stages of production Points of view Objective, subjective, reportorial Shot composition XCU, CU, MS, LS, 2-shot, OTS, etc. Camera angles Eye level, low/high level, low/high angle Target audience (Who’s watching? Who cares?) Information for whom? Done how?

Field Shooting In camera editing / shooting ratio Use a tripod (steady bag option) Zooming and panning before shooting ‘make the zoom invisible’ Story focus and rough script before shooting The focus may change Rambo video (editing chapter)

Shooting sequences WS, MS, CU, XCU and vary angles Mostly CU and MS Fleeting / perishable video Example: Bus arrives to pick up child Child waiting on corner LS/MS/CU/XCU Bus LS, child, then CU OTS bus into frame MS child moving to get onto bus CU bus driver smiling, LS bus CU doors close, MS bus starts to pull away Bus exits shot

Other shooting notes Static shots vs. shots with movement Anticipate action Shoot subjects in-frame/out of frame Plan for jump cuts / false reverse Staging versus motivating Issues in one-person band Shooting interview and cover shots B-roll & interviews on two different tapes Shooting the stand-up Flip viewfinder, wireless mic, sequence shot

Safety & Legal Issues Where can you shoot? Public/private, permission, libel & privacy Informing people you are coming Making interview arrangements Tell them you’re with KETV News Distancing while shooting See the mistakes checklist in Chapter 4 No opinions in stories / clear attribution of facts Putting people in stories

Chapter 1 Why do we tell stories to people? Share human experience and understanding Think about TV shows, movies, etc. Difference in visual stories and reporting: Visual stories reveal someone’s goals and actions as they unfold sequentially, along a timeline. Reports commonly emphasize just the facts.

Storytelling basics Just as audio serves to draw audiences into the environment of a real-life event, listeners and viewers become more deeply and more tangibly involved if you allow them to see, and feel, and smell, and touch, and taste that moment.

Storytelling basics What is a ‘story’? Who, what, when, where, why and how. Entertain, inform, persuade. In video media you can only communicate in two ways; one way is with images, the other is with sound.

Storytelling issues Culture impacts perception Plan the visual story ‘theme’ / focus statement / structure The best stories convey a sense of progression Find images that convey a clear story focus

Storytelling issues Write the pictures first Do Reportorial Editing: the process of previsualizing the story, including the pictures, the sounds, the words, and even the visual and audio transitions Like a movie director

More Chapter 1 PROVE THE STORY’S FOCUS VISUALLY If your subject is a routine warehouse fire, you may identify the focus by the statement as, “This is a big fire.” Your “visual proof,” just as your words, will then follow naturally. Visual proof is one or more shots that illustrate a main point or help convey the overall story focus.

Chapter 1 You select a focus based on available information The focus may change – be prepared to adjust the story you are telling. TELL YOUR STORY THROUGH PEOPLE STRONG NATURAL SOUND HELPS TELL THE STORY

Chapter 1 BUILD IN SURPRISES KEEP SOUND BITES SHORT ADDRESS THE LARGER ISSUE CHALLENGE YOUR FOCUS STATEMENT “so what?” PACKAGES ARE FACTUAL MINI- MOVIES

The story structure The lead Types of leads Visual lead The main points Prove points visually The close Nothing else can top it  ###