10 Steps to Writing a Story

Friday, February 7, 2014

10 Steps to Writing a Story 

1. Find a topic.
-Relevant to audience
-Newsworthy

2. Find an angle.
-Specific way to look at topic

3. Collect information.
-Research topic
-Background info
-Who,what, where, when, why, how

4. Conduct the interviews.
-3 interviews: experts on the angle
-3 questions: could be same or different for each person

-Open ended question

5. Shoot your reporter stand-up.
-Reporter on camera
-One time on story
-Middle of story

-Should transition into next part of story

-On location after interviews

6. Organize your sound bites.
-Piece of audio that can stand by itself
-Pick and choose which bites are being used
-Order to your liking

7. Write segues in your story.
-Talking between interviews
-Use as transitions

8. Write the opening and closing of your story.
-Attention-getter
-Good conclusion

9. Write the anchor ins and outs (if necessary).
-Help anchors have good intros and exits from the story
-Include all wanted info

10. Collect B-Roll to add to your story (throughout steps 4-9)
-Footage of topic
-Cutaways
-Matching B-roll with interview information
-Natural sound

*Steps 4-8 in your story are called the A-Roll (audio, interviews, actual story)

Camera Notes 2-4-14

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

INTERVIEWING:

• What seven items should you bring with you when you are shooting an interview? 

(Clocks Tick Tock Making Heads Pound Loudly)

-Camera

-Tape

-Tripod

-Microphone

-Headphones

-Power

-Light source

LIGHT LOCATION

•Shooting into a light source = Silhouette•Button to adjust = "Back light button"

•Where do you want your light source?

  Behind the camera

-On what object should you focus the camera?

  Their nose

-No tripod = BAD

-Date and Time = PERMANENT stamp; NEVER on camera for class

-SP/EP: Standard Play/Extended Pay

-Camera shoots in SP.

-Pre-Roll- 2-3 Seconds before you start your interview

-Post-Roll- 2-5 seconds after interview

               -Don't cut off what they say and room for editing
CAMERA SHOTS:

*BACKGROUND*:-Dynamic: some depth  -Interviewee is at least 6-8 feet from wall  

                           -Interviewee is the shot, not a poster behind them

• 1 Shot= Middle of the chest to a little above the head

• 1 Shot with graphic= 1 Shot panned to one side for a graphic on the other side

• 2 Shot= Not for interview; both anchors

• CU- Close-up= lots of detail

• MS- Medium shot=waist

• LS- Long shot

• ECU- Extreme close-up

• Rule of thirds- eyes stay on top third line; focus of nature shot on upper and mid 


CAMERA MOVEMENTS:

• Tilt- up and down

• Pan- left and right

• Zoom- button to change focal length (in and out)

• Dolly- moving entire camera

• Pedestal: moving entire camera up and down (eye-level)


LIGHTS

• Key- main, brightest, most important


• Fill- fills shadows


• Back- behind, separates subject from background


MICROPHONES:

• Unidirectional- only picks up sound from one direction

• Omnidirectional- picks up sound from all directions (camera mics)

• Cardiod-  picks up sound in a heart shape (more close to mic than away from mic)

• Lav/Lapel Microphone- clip-on; unidirectional (interviews)

• Boom Microphone- on a rod; unidirectional (movies)

What is Broadcast Journalism

Define “Broadcast Journalism” in 1-3 sentences: 

The definition of broadcast journalism is the displaying current newsworthy events through TV, Internet, or the radio. 

List and describe the six criteria of newsworthiness. 

(Title Description Example)

1. Significance: an event that impacts a lot of people. Ex: 9/11, major storms, elections

2. Proximity: local angle to news, things happen near us.  Ex: weather, traffic, local sports teams

3. Timeliness: current news, what's happening now.  Ex: weather, sports

4. Unusual: uncommon events. Ex: murder, fires

5. Prominence: famous people.

6. Human Interest Story: a "feel good" story.  Ex: zoo animals, donations


What are the differences between print journalism and broadcast journalism?

1. Broadcast Journalism is much faster.

2. Broadcast journalism has the ability to be more current.

3. Print journalism gives you the option to control what you read

4. Print journalism can go into greater detail.

How is the Internet impacting broadcast journalism?

The internet has the advantages of both broadcast and print journalism.