Bon Voyage!

As part of a news team you will have ample opportunities to travel abroad. Example, uprising in Egypt, sporting events, launch of automobiles and media junkets.

So when the opportunity knocks on your door, do not be caught on the wrong foot. Below are just a few things to keep in mind before you are on your way and once you reach your destination.

Before you go
Even before you think of going make sure that at any given point of time your passport has minimum three months of validity. Otherwise when your passport is presented for Visa, it will be declined.

Most of the times, you are asked to present your details at last moment, so make sure you have scanned copies of your passport and photographs in your inbox.

Groundwork
Now that you have the visa stamped and the tickets ready for the travel, the actual preparations for travel starts.

As you are going abroad to shoot and not for leisure make sure you put your hands on the camera you are going to use there and pack the equipment yourself to familiarize yourself with the location of the things in your kit.

Make a list of all the equipments you are carrying along with their serial numbers and price. Mention the above details in a declaration mentioning your personal details and the reason for your travel stating that you will be bringing back these equipments along with you on your return.

At the Airport
When you are the at the Check-In counter let the crew know that you are carrying equipments for shoot. The crew will then let you now the formalities for the same and take you to the Customs.

At the Customs you can present the declaration you had made earlier. The official will ask you to present all the articles for inspection. He will cross check the serial number of the equipment with the one mentioned on the declaration.

Now that all the checks have been done, get the declaration endorsed (stamped) by the customs. It is the most important part of your travel. If you fail to do so, you will be liable for import duty on the equipment you are carrying.

Carry it with you

• Two Xerox copies of your passport and visa and Four PP size photographs
• Address of the India Embassy in the country you are visiting
• Emergency contact numbers (Doctor, Travel agent etc.)

You are now ready to fly. Enjoy your trip!

Sound for Beginners

In an audio-visual, if the ‘Video’ is the King then ‘Audio’ is the Queen. And no King is complete without a Queen.

How to capture audio?
Most of the amateur cameras today have in-built mic and one can capture decent audio through this. Only criteria may be the subject should be not more than 4-5 feet from the camera.

If the subject stands beyond this range say 10 feet, then the mic may pick other sounds in the background and ambient noise.

Ambient sound
Ambient sound is good to create an environment but my ruin your audio if it overrides your subjects’ audio. So isolate your subjects’ audio from other ambient sound like that of the A/C and wind.

The best way to avoid ambient noise is to move away from it and if possible stop it. Eg:  To cut out the hiss created by the wind you can place a cardboard between the mic and wind or you can place a windshield on the mic.

Mic Input
Most of the cameras today have a separate mic input and so it is not necessary for the subject to stay close to the camera. You can move the subject further away from the camera till the length of the cable permits.

But make sure to place the mic close to the subject.

AGC
AGC or Automatic Gain Control runs gains on the sound that comes into the camera. It is a good option but not always. At times it may pick sound which are not required and gives variations in the sound levels which are difficult to correct in post production.

So the best way to control sound is to do it manually, where you have the option to control the sound levels as desired.

Use Headphones
It will help you hear the sound better than the ear. It will help you pick up little noises which you cannot hear, like A/C and little tones.

The key to good video is great audio. So always pay utmost attention to it.

Basic Lighting

You do not need to have an expensive lighting setup to create a professionally lit scene. You can work wonders with the available light indoor and the most powerful source of light the Sun, outdoor.
But to do anything impressive you need to be aware of the light around us and how to work around it. For that you need to be aware of the buttons on your camera and how they work.

On Camera Controls

Many cameras have manual controls which allow you to set the focus, gain, iris, and even shutter speed of your camera. Together these will serve to determine aspects of your image such as the ability to catch fast motion without blurring, or focus on an area not in the center of your frame.

Iris/ Aperture
Iris an adjustable aperture used to control the amount of light coming through the lens. The more the iris is opened, the more light it lets in and the brighter the scene will be.

Gain (db level)
In low light situations it can be used to amplify the weaker light signals in the camera to brighten the scene. But using it on the higher side (above 6db) can give noise in the picture due to which it may look grainy.

ND Filters
It simply cuts out the amount of light that enters the camera. It can be used when you are out door and are not able to control the exposure due to bright light.

Shutter Speed
The shutter speed and aperture together control the total amount of light reaching the sensor. Shutter speeds are expressed in seconds or fractions of a second. For example,1/20, 1/50, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000. Each speed increment halves the amount of light.

Use of available light

The best time to shoot in available light is early in the morning till sometime before noon and from few hours after noon to late in the evening. During this time the light is diffused and even and does not give harsh shadows. Whereas, at noon the sun is right above us and cast harsh shadows.
But we cannot limit ourselves to this little space of time to shoot. By been aware of how to manipulate the light, we can shoot any time of the day.

Indoors
When indoors, you may feel the need for more light. But where do we get it from? Open all the windows to let more light in and switch on all the available light in the room. This will give you more light to play with.
If even this is not enough, try and get the source of light closer to subject or simply move the subject near a window.

Likewise, there my be times when the light is abundant and you need to cut the available light. Something, as little as pilling the curtains together will do the trick.

Lighting, is all about controlling it.

Outdoor
When shooting outdoors always make sure that the sun is behind your back and facing the subject. But this can be tricky at times. It may cast harsh shadows and make your subject look weird.
You can solve this problem by moving your subject in shade or use can use a reflector (whiteboard) to reflect light and lighten shadows cast by the sun.

These are just a few means through which you can use the available light to create a professional looking scene. For more, keep reading!

http://www.videojournos.com/

Introduction to Television Reporting

10. Press Conferences

(This is the final article in the Ten part series on 'Introduction to Television Reporting', this series is part of an online course taken by CBA)

Not many journalists like press conferences. They often seem to be a necessary evil in our lives.

This is partly because so many press conferences (also called news conferences) are surprisingly boring and unimaginative in how they are presented.

Sometimes journalists are pressured by the organisers of the press conference to ask certain questions — whether they are launching a new mobile phone or a political campaign. Or journalists are discouraged from asking difficult or awkward questions. Or sometimes not even allowed to ask those questions at all!

This is why it is always important to remember when you go into a press conference your role as a journalist: to find the true information and report it to your audience!

Types of press conference

Press and news conferences can be on many topics — a government department announcing breaking news, a political candidate announcing her campaign platform, a visiting foreign minister answering questions to the local press, an international car company presenting a new car that they claim is environmentally friendly...the list of reasons for press conferences is very long.

Always understand the purpose behind any press conference and cover it accordingly.

How to prepare for the press conference

Arrive at the press conference with as much research and background information as possible about the subject matter and personalities that will be involved. Search engines such as Google allow you to prepare yourself thoroughly. Research the main people involved and research the topic of the press conference.

After you have done your research, prepare a list of concise questions that you and your audience want answered.

Top tip

Don't forget the simple trick of getting to a press conference early. You will have time to read any hand outs which are given to the journalists before the press conference. And it will allow you to find a good position for your camera crew — always important!

At the press conference

There are two types of reporters at a press conference; the ones who are taking notes and the ones who are not.

Journalists should not go anywhere without their notebooks! Ever, ever! You will need to take detailed notes with timings for efficient editing afterwards and to note down questions and answers that are worth using.

Sometimes you will be attending a press conference knowing it is unlikely that anything important will be discussed.

However, simply being there allows you the opportunity of approaching the person giving the press conference and requesting a short interview afterwards.

You will then have an exclusive interview and be able to ask the questions that you really want to hear answered. This is an old technique but it still works.

Working as a team with other journalists

Sometimes at press conferences, journalists are so keen to ask their own questions, they forget to listen to other journalists. Never be guilty of this!

Always be ready to follow up other journalists' questions especially when the answer they have gotten is vague or ambiguous or evasive. What is not said can often be the real story, so don't be afraid to ask for clarification if you suspect someone is hiding something important.

Think of a press conference as a football game. You and the other journalists are one team, and the people giving the press conference are the other team. In order to get the ball into the goal (which means getting a good answer) you have to pass it back and forth between the players.

Imagine a football team where each player was only thinking about themselves and not as a member of a team. They wouldn't score many goals!

Make it look interesting

Look for creative and unusual ways to shoot the press conference. Get your camera team to shoot a variety of shots; low shots in front of the podium, shots of journalists, reaction shots, top shots....

If possible move the camera around to collect shots from a variety of positions. (This is not always possible at busy press conferences.)

Remember that communication between the reporter and camera is essential for question and reaction shots.

A Few More Tips

·         The story in a press conference is usually the effect of the news rather than the news itself. So be clear who is affected!

·         Listen to what is being said – and to what is not being said

·         Think carefully about the reason this company, person or government is holding a press  conference

Introduction to Television Reporting

9. What is news?

(This is the Ninth article in the Ten part series on 'Introduction to Television Reporting', this series is part of an online course taken by CBA)

What is news?

Many people have tried to come up with a useful definition of news, but few have been successful. Even highly experienced journalists struggle to explain precisely what they do – and how.

But how do journalists learn to spot a news story amid everything that is happening in the world? How do editors decide, from all theevents and stories of the day, what to include in the bulletins and what to leave out?

Remarkably, even though the actual stories vary from place to place and from society to society, there's broad agreement on what makes a strong news story. The most important thing is that it has some meaning to your audience. Why else would you report it?

Generally speaking, we can say news has impact, and immediacy.

Impact

People are clearly more interested in events which affect them. The degree of impact relies on a few factors:

·         Significance:

v  How important is it?

v  Is it causing, or does it have the potential to cause, a great deal of harm (or good) to a number of people?

v  Or perhaps very great harm to a small number of people?

v  Or rather less impact on a larger number of people?

Clearly, a real impact (10,000 dead in an earthquake) is of greater significance than a potential threat (10,000 people are at risk after tremors were felt in an earthquake zone).

·         Proximity:

The impact of a story is greater if the events are happening close to home. The audience will want news from their own country

more than news from elsewhere. But events far away can be relevant if there is a social tie. The audience will be interested to hear

about their countrymen caught up in dramatic events in a far-off country.

·         Immediacy:

..because if it's not new, it isn't news. News is about telling people things they didn't already know.

Forward Planning Diaries

In addition to breaking news (which is by nature unplanned) news programmes benefit greatly from keeping a diary of events which can be planned.

A few examples of events that can be planned in advance are:

§  Scheduled elections

§  national or religious holidays

§  conferences

§  events like International Women's Day

§  sporting events

§  birthdays of national figures

§  ...and so on...

By keeping a diary where as many newsworthy dates as possible are recorded, some feature news can be planned.

Background filming, if useful, can be organised for slow news days and news teams assigned in advance to stories on the diary.

Other dates can be added to the diary which are significant. For example, think about anniversaries. If anew telecoms network or transport system has been launched in your country, try looking at that network one year later, on the anniversary of the launch.

Has it worked well or not? Has it benefited people? Many questions can be asked and explored.

Breaking News Stories

Breaking news is usually easy to recognise; a sudden resignation of a politician, a plane crash, a natural disaster, a coup, a refugee crisis, a sudden rise of petrol prices or a World Cup football victory.

Your skill as a journalist is to determine how to best cover these stories. If they are local stories, then the most appropriate news team must be deployed.

If they are foreign stories, then the news agency footage must be used well and supplemented with local material or interviews if appropriate.

Time is always the big challenge. The editor must assign a news team as soon as possible to give journalists maximum time to cover the story properly and have a well rounded package ready for the next news programme.

Working against a tight deadline is a big part of our jobs.

Qualities of Breaking News and Feature News stories

In many ways journalists look for stories with the same qualities that novelists or screenwriters would use to make an impact.

Ø  Drama – tension, power struggles, suspense, love and hate

Ø  Emotion – is it sad, funny, uplifting, moving?

Ø  Conflict – between individuals, groups or nations

Ø  Strong figures – leaders, heroes, villains, the powerful, rich and famous

Ø  Surprise – the unexpected.

A newspaper editor once said "When a dog bites a man, that's not news, but when a man bites a dog, that's news."

Where to find feature stories

A story typically develops in three stages: idea —> research —> production.

The idea for a story can come from anywhere. A curious and interested reporter will never run out of ideas. He or she will discover interesting issues to pursue while talking to neighbours, people in the market or on the bus, or while walking around with open eyes and ears.

Many ideas will come from discussing with or listening to your audience: valuable ideas can also be suggested by viewers. The closer you are to your audience and the more you understand their needs, the more successful you will be as a journalist.

The successful reporter or editor is constantly thinking about the audience. What do they want to know? What questions would they ask?

Apart from the ideas you get from your audience and your own inspiration, there are of course events such as news conferences, national celebrations, meetings, festivals, sports and cultural events.

There are also news agencies and the internet which will suggest ideas and provide background information. Other local and international media can be monitored too for interesting stories and developments that you may wish to follow up.

Sometimes news stories might come from press releases from governmental departments or other organisations. Examine these and follow up on what look promising. Remember, the real story might not be in the headline of a press release, but buried somewhere further down the page.

Planning and shooting news features

Pre-shooting on a news feature can add much to a package.

For example if you were planning a story about the 80th birthday of an elder statesmen, filming him in advance would give viewers a richer story.

In this case, you might request an interview with the statesman to be filmed some days in advance. Then on the day, after filming the birthday celebrations, you would be able to edit in the interview which you shot earlier.

A Few Tips

With each feature idea or news story you need to ask a number of questions:

·         Is it really a story?

·         What information is still needed to complete the story?

·         Are there other views I need to hear?

·         What is the best way to relate it to my audience?

Introduction to Television Reporting

8. Cue writing and your audience
(This is the Eight article in the Ten part series on 'Introduction to Television Reporting', this series is part of an online course taken by CBA)

What is a cue?

A cue is the script which the presenter reads before your news or feature story is broadcast. You might call a cue by a different name, such as an introduction to a story.

The cue can be written by the reporter, the programme editor or the presenter (anchor). But it is always best that whoever wrote the cue has actually seen the story which the cue introduces.

Because nothing will ruin your story quite like a cue that says everything in your story and gives you nothing to repeat!

Writing the cue

So as much as possible, always be involved in writing or suggesting the cue. However, sometimes this is taken out of your hands.

Usually the programme editor or presenter will be grateful that you have helped them by writing the cue yourself. They can always edit or change it. Remember to think of the cue as an extension of the script because that is how the viewer sees it!

The cue should "set up" the story and lead nicely into it. This means that a cue should never repeat the first line of a story. It should give the viewer additional information that will help them with background.

For example, here is a cue:

"Today the Agriculture Ministry announced a new policy for market liberalisation which will affect farmers throughout the country.

Mandar Phanse reports..."

First line of script:

"The crop is being harvested and Rajan Farmer is looking forward to better prices than last season. He's benefiting from the changes in how he can sell his wheat..."

You don't have to repeat that the new policy — or whatever was in the cue — has been announced. You just need to report on how it affects the story.

So the cue actually gives you more time to tell the story.

Your audience

As in all writing, the first rule is to think of your audience.

A cue is the signal to your audience about the content of the story. So imagine you are explaining your story to a friend who's not a journalist. What information would you tell them first?

Write the cue for them — not for your colleagues!

If you are writing a cue for an economic story being broadcast on your weekly business programme, you are addressing a very different audience than for a general news broadcast. You can assume they will have more background.

To put it another way: think of the cues that are often used to introduce a sports news item. If you don't follow cricket, for example, most of the cues for a cricket story are not user-friendly for a general audience.

Whether this is right or not is a matter for debate! But a cricket fan will understand the cue even if others in your audience do not.

Explaining a complicated story

There are some news stories where you must provide more context than usual. Sometimes these are stories in areas not familiar to most viewers, so you must think about your audience carefully.

So perhaps a map can be shown or some graphics can be used to provide further information. Again, using a cue like this allows you time in the script to deal with the human aspects of a story.

Cues as 'teasers'

For some stories that are not hard news, a cue can be used as a "tease". For example if you are covering the launching of the annual fashion show where designers are showing their new designs, you can have fun with the cue!

Cue:

"Have you thought about what you are going wear this weekend? If you are looking for some new ideas, Prerna Bandabe has been meeting some people who would love to offer some advice..."

First line:

"Short skirts, long dresses or jeans in a new high tech-fabric...the nation's young designers have put their new clothes on display at the annual fashion show..."

How long is a cue?

There is no single answer to the question of length. As in so many things, this can be set by the style of your broadcaster.

If a cue is a simple "read" with no diagrams or maps or graphic, 10 to 15 seconds would be average. But remember — a cue must be tailored to the news story.

If the cue is used for more information it will be longer. For example, if you are covering a hurricane or tropical storm in your country, the cue might also have information about the path of the storm. It might involve showing a map of the storm movements.

When the tsunami hit Thailand and other nations on the Indian Ocean, many cues would have the latest number of victims. They would often include a map showing the path of the tsunami as well.

A Few Tips

·         Always double check the cue before the news broadcast

·         Think about what additional information will make your story more effective to viewers

·         Never, ever repeat the opening line in the cue

·         Write the cue so the viewer wants to hear more!

Introduction to Television Reporting

Pieces to Camera (PTCs)

(This is the Seventh article in the Ten part series on 'Introduction to Television Reporting', this series is part of an online course taken by CBA)

What is a Piece to Camera?

A Piece to Camera (PTC) — sometimes known as a stand up is an important part of the television news package. By seeing the reporter in a news situation, the viewers will build up a relationship with the journalist.

This helps to enhance your authority and build up credibility with the audience.

A PTC can come at the end of a news story or during the middle — which is useful if you want to use it as a bridge. There are even times when a PTC can be used at the start of a news story, though these are less common.

And remember that there are times when a story does not need a PTC. A good example would be a story that was made up of video from an agency and library/archive footage.

What is the purpose of a Piece to Camera?

There are many different reasons to use a PTC.

Sometimes a PTC is perfect when you can't get pictures. For example if there is a trial in a courtroom or government meetings where journalists are not allowed, you can stand outside the buildings and tell the viewer additional information.

Or you can use a PTC for background or abstract information. Perhaps you want to describe something that happened earlier. You can show the place but not action. Do a PTC there.

Use PTCs to change subjects or locations. This is often called a "bridge" and allows you to move from one part of the story to another. An end PTC allows you to sum up a story or provide a final thought.

Use PTCs as an eye-witness. If you are at the scene of a story you can tell viewers about things they cannot see. For example:

"the smell of the fire still hangs over this village"

or

"the very tense atmosphere of yesterday has now started to relax."

Use PTCs to demonstrate something. You can point out, or walk around, the scene of a news event. Or, for example, show how plastic bottles are being recycled by a new piece of machinery.

Finally, a PTC can establish a "sense of place" for viewers. For example, you may want to show them a different part of the world or show them the conditions that locals have to live with after an earthquake.

Before you start

Remember that you are the reporter — the messenger to the viewers. And decide what is needed to make the story stand out rather than simply making yourself stand out in the story! If the PTC doesn't say or show something which adds to the story, it's wasting the viewers' time.

Discuss your location with your producer and camera operator. Talking about the possibilities with your camera operator is very important—and often neglected. It's always best to be creative. And discuss what kind of framing that you want.

Perhaps your station has a style that they like, but there is no harm in trying something new and being bold. Remember you can shoot several PTCs if time permits and make a decision in the edit room. Always start with a "safety" PTC and then try out new ideas.

Always be appropriate and sensitive with appearance. If you are doing a story on a farm you will be dressed differently than if you are doing a story on National Day celebrations at the Parliament, for example. Be aware of cultural sensitivities. When I worked in Iran, for example, I had to wear a headscarf.

Shooting the PTC

After you have decided on a location and agreed on the framing, decide about any movement. Sometimes the camera will pull out or push in to you. But only if there is a reason. Or you can move — again if there is a reason.

If you are doing a walking PTC, start the PTC already walking. Suddenly starting to walk from a standstill can look very stilted.

It's usually best to avoid complicated set-ups and props. It only increases the number of things that can go wrong.

For example:

I once worked with a reporter who wanted to take a sip of tea in his PTC. We had to shoot it nine times. Once he spilt the tea, another time burned his mouth, another time he broke the cup.

Never again!

Shoot your PTC in different ways after a "safety take" if time permits. Once you have something you can use, go for that extra creative PTC. Why not?

And remember to keep your PTC delivery speed the same as your tracking speed. This means don't speak faster or slower in the PTC than you will do when you record your track.

How long is a Piece to Camera and should you do more than one?

There is no single answer to this. So you must decide partly on the style of your broadcasting organisation and the length of the story.

The average PTC in a 2-3 minute news story would usually be 10-15 seconds. However if there is reason to make it longer be bold! But only if it adds to the story rather than simply to the ego of the reporter.

Go for a longer length in a longer feature.

Usually in a news story one PTC is enough. But in a longer feature, it may work very well to use two longer ones. But remember to keep all PTCs simple. Don't load too much information onto the viewer.

A Few Tips

·         Less is more — minimal numbers & statistics in PTC

·         Memorise the ideas of your PTC, not the words

·         Ask your camera operator to check your appearance

·         If you don't have a producer as another set of eyes, check your PTC in the viewfinder after the best take

·         Remember to keep your PTC conversational!