tv production for journalists
DESCRIPTION
The basic elements in TV production, journalism students,TRANSCRIPT
TV-journalism, function of building blocks, angle and focus
International TV-class
2. Today’s lecture
• Role of the narrative elements• Content of the narrative elements• Angle and focus
• Ordinary news story
Narrative role of the TV-elements
• Intro: Gives the angle (problem + consequences) Visual proof
• Development: Gives perspective (why)Geographical orientation (where)
• Actuality (when) • Present consequences (cases)• More visual proof (show don’t tell)• Wrap: what will happen next?
Three act structure
• Beginning• Middle• End
Visuals• Video:
• Scenes and sequencesVisual proofsIllustrations/graphicsPresentations (establishing shoots)
Piece to camera (stand up)Cutaways and noddies.Actions and re-actionsSyncs/grabs (interview bites)
• Dramatized scenes, reconstructions• Archive
Sound
• Voice over: (didactic)perspectiveback groundfactsexplanationsanalysis
• Voice over: (epic)gives the story chronology (time and place)describes actions and feelings
• Stand up: authenticity, eye witness report
Narrative role of the TV-elements
• Syncs: OpinionsEvaluationsExplanationsExperiencesFeelingsReactionsConsequencesFacts
Sound
• Soundbites: FascinationIdentificationFeelingsReactionsCo-operationCollaboration
• Real sound: 3rd dimension of picture, authenticity
• Silence
How to structure?
• Example: Skilled migrants seek work in Germany
structure• Hook: plane• VO: coming from Spain• Sync: Nurse female• VO• Sync: Nurse male• St. up• VO: general footage - leading us to classroom• VO: classroom• Sync: engineer 1• VO: bakery• Sync: engineer 2• Wrap: they will keep on searching for jobs …
Visuals?
• Example: Skilled migrants seek work in Germany
Visuals
• Airport• General (boat with German flag, old people)• Classroom• Bakery, driver in car
Analytical tool
Simplified Actantial Model
Goal/ Object/ Desire
Helper/
tools/
skills
Challenges/hindrances/obstacles
The profile
person
Goal:
Job, money, good life
Helper:
Germany
need workers
Obstacles:
Leave family
Learn German
subject: Migrants
Example: Skilled migrants seek work in Germany
Goal:
IT Job
Helper:
Germany
Bakery job
Obstacles:
spanish crisis
no IT job
subject: Samuel
Angle
The angle is the sum of 3 factors:1. Extract of subject/theme FOCUSWhich part of the reality 2. Focus: Sharp, tuned, 3. Place of view (fixed place) To be able to find an angle: ResearchTo be able to do the story: Oral sources, visuals
What is the story?
• NOT something about……….• Before shooting you must know: the 5 Ws• What is happening? Where? When?• Who is participating?• Why?
- What is the problem- Who has a problem? How big is it? (facts)
- What oral sources? Where? - Who made a decision? What consequences? - Why? HOW?
Focus• On what am I going to concentrate• it helps to eliminate distracts• it helps to develop the story and find
the right sources• it helps you plan/search for visuals.
• Focus sentence: Spanish migrants seeking jobs in Germany
(pitching)
Storytelling formula• Hook: first 10 sec, . Grap the audience – visuals, sound
• Context (looking back) what background information do we need to tell?
• DevelopmentPoint 1Point 2
• Point .....
Keep your focus, don’t get carried away
• Wrapsum up and look forward
Voice of reporter
• Reporters voice must bridge and glue together the syncs and visuals
• Example: Skilled migrants seek work in Germany
Sources
• Spanish skilled workers
• Other sources he could have used?
The building blocs• The piece should be able to answer the five 5 W’s-questions: •• Level 1: Reactive reporting• - who, what, where, when
• Level 2: Analytic reporting- why and how
• Level 3: Reflective reportingsocial, economical, political level
• - who, what, where, when, why and how
•Level 1
•Level 2
•Level 3
• The reporter is the storyteller• The story is a narrative• Organising and structuring the material
• EXAMPLE: South Africa
Introduction– Answers: What, who where?
• The South African government plans to nationalise failing hospitals.It's part of an effort to improve healthcare and train medical staff.
Al Jazeera's Tania Page reports from the rural Eastern Cape, where officials struggle to attract enough doctors and nurses
FOCUS
• Lack of doctors and nurses at the Eastern Cape
Hook• Visuals (at a clinic with women)
• VO:In the Eastern Cape women are more likely to die during childbirth than anywhere else in South Africa.
• Norondani Mxesana called an ambulance when she went into labour on a Friday.
• It arrived twelve hours later:
• Sync:Norondani Mxesana (case)
Narrative role of the TV-elements
VO: “She called an ambulance, it arrived 12 hours later” … sync with case
Fascination ?Identification – womenFeelings - waiting 12 hours for an ambulance!Reactions –we sympathise with her
Context• : Background information and facts: Answers: MORE
WHAT, and WHY-questions
• VO:health care personal we talked to … confirm the problems ….
• Sync:
• VO:
Development of the focusConsequences: Point 1. wait 12 hours for ambulance, 2. lack of material, 3. They have half of the nurses they need, St.up: the political organisation is the problem3. A teacher can run a hospital, 4. dentist learn people to buy toothbrush
Solution: The South African government plans to nationalise failing hospitals.
WRAP
• Back to Hook – look forward (or conclude or summarise)
• VO: The challenge of the South African government is to create sufficient improvements to a fraud system, so that, when people need treatment it can be given ...
Other formats examples
• Example: TV traditions
1st assignment
• Produce a portrait/profile of a person, a group or a place of 2.30 – 3 minutes.
• The story should have a clear angle and communicate a sense of human experience and your interpretation of the person/group/place portrayed.
• It shall contain interview bites, voice over, sound bites and visual sequences with progress.
• One English version – for screening in class• One in you native language – for individual feedback
Team work • Respect• Difference is an advantage• Cooperation – participate/compromise• Work plan – who does what when• Constantly consider your own effectiveness• Describe and solve problems and conflicts in
your group
Make a contract• Goal• Ambitions• Roles: cameraman, sound, editing, scriptwriter• Working methods:• Meetings (agenda, meet prepared, talking, schedule,
production plan)• Agreements in written?• Research sheets• Being late, how do we react?
Take a time out
Start• With ideas – brain storm alone and together
• Research: talk to people, search information, visit your cases, talk more, search more, think …. talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more,
think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think
• Find a focus for the story