RTV 440 Week 6 How do you tell a story? It’s about writing … and about the connection with the storyteller and audience.

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. See NPPA

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. Remember—a story needs to be a 2-way communication process: sender / receiver

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 You’re looking for what ‘tells the story’ you want to tell when you capture images and decide how to assemble them

Storytelling issues Write the pictures first ‘write to the pictures’ ‘visual lead’ 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

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.

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

ADDRESS THE LARGER ISSUE CHALLENGE YOUR FOCUS STATEMENT 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 The main points The close Types of leads Visual lead The main points Prove points visually The close Nothing else can top it

The Package 1. Focus (the story stated in a sentence) 2. Beginning (lead) a. Studio lead-in 3. Package lead a. Visual lead b. Voice over (VO) 4. Middle (three or four main points) a. Main point A b. Main point B c. Main point C d. Main point D 5. End (close) a. Final visual b. Final VO c. Strong closing sound

Student package examples (Links on drive)

PKG Studio lead-In: If you want to lose weight and become healthy for life, you’ll never need a fad diet again. In fact, you never did. You learned the secret in elementary school. (Reporter) has the story.

The Package Lead Plan the “visual lead,” or first video of your package (include a ‘nat pop’) Identify the central idea you wish to communicate before you worry about the words. In general, the thought process focuses first on (a) an idea to communicate; (b) images to prove the idea visually; and (c) words as necessary to interpret and explain the images. Summary lead, hard lead, soft lead, etc.

WRITE THE MIDDLE OR MAIN BODY After the package lead, begin the middle or main body of your report. In a 1:10- to 1:30-minute package, try to limit yourself to no more than three or four main points. Again, focus on the ideas to be communicated before you worry about the images or words. B-roll with VO, sound bites, stand up

Body Main Points Main Point 1 Main Point 2 Main Point 3 Supporting facts, prove visually, reaction / commentary from SB, transition Main Point 2 Supporting facts, prove visually, reaction / commentary from SB / transition Main Point 3 Supporting facts, prove visually, reaction / commentary from SB, transition into conclusion

WRITE THE CLOSE Next, write the close to your package. The close makes it obvious to your audience the story is ending. Without a strong close, the package will stop but it will not end. As soon as you arrive in the field, begin your search for a closing shot—a visual close you can build toward throughout the entire piece, something so strong it’s obvious the story is finished. Lazy reporters sometimes end stories on interviews or standups, but such endings resemble unsigned letters. ‘stand up bridge’ (samples)

But, beyond the package RDR VO (VO) (script) VO-SOT VSV (VSV1) (VSV2) (script) RDR-SOT ‘if you don’t have pictures you don’t have a story in TV news’ (packages)

Remember: Basics of News Timeliness, Proximity, Conflict, Prominence, Human Interest (and others -- ‘what makes it news?’) Spot News, hard news, routine news (note news releases and VNRs), soft news, features, investigative Target Audience – who’s watching? Who Cares about this? 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 Stages of production Points of view Objective, subjective, reportorial Shot composition XCU, CU, MS, LS, 2-shot, OTS, etc. Z axis –put main subject close to camera Camera angles Eye level, low/high level, low/high angle

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

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 ‘MMJ’ 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 No opinions in stories / clear attribution of facts Putting people in stories

Start getting sequencing Sequencing 3 – the 5 shot method

News Photography for Non-Photographers

Photography or journalism? What is the difference between: A photographer, and A photojournalist?

What makes a good news picture? Improves understanding – adds to story Helps readers know Tells a story without words Gives context Timely – not yesterday’s news Useful - Readers can use the information in the picture Unique and compelling Documents the life of the community People are visual Can the story be told with an image? You don’t always need words Shows surroundings, emotions, places the reader on the scene Adds to the story; is not just “eye candy”

Tips Close-ups vs. landscapes There is emotion in this photo above, and it gives context to the story. At left, if you snapped the whole troop, the story would be different Sometimes you need context, other times the story is in the close-up. But more often than not, close-ups work best. Or put the subject at the forefront.

Action, action, action Get people doing something Show the essence of their action and emotion What would the bridge photo have been like without the boda guy. Shows the difficulty the situation has created. (Note: It would have been better from the other side, showing the driver’s face rather than back.) When they are active, the aren’t thinking about YOU, the photographer Photo above about a bridge that flooded illustrates the point by showing action

Inaction, inaction, inaction Mug shots are boring! Unless they show emotion, tell a story Sometimes they ARE the story; e.g., candidate shots The same test as other photos: does it advance the story. If it is just to break up the text, it detracts from the story.

Check-passing photos … … or in this case, chick-passing! Does the photo give any information? Does it illustrate the main point of the story? Remember the reader! If the chicks had escaped, that would be a great picture! The story is about Woman’s Day in a district. The first lady talked about not airing dirty laundry (NRM laundry) in public – that’s the lead. And she lauded a poultry project for women, but does this photo show that? Do you think this is a staged photo? How can you tell?

Tips: It takes time Good pictures rarely just happen The photojournalist who took this picture waited hours for just the right moment … What are things in your communities that might involve patience to get just the right shot?

How could this have been better? The article was about why kids want to be leaders. The boy at left is Head Prefect at his school. He talked about why he campaigned and why he likes being a leader Does the picture help me understand the subject of the article: leadership? Does it add to the story? Does it tell a story by itself? Does it tell me more about the boy than what he looks like? How could it help me more? How could it add to the article, tell a story by itself? In reporting we talkedabout interviewing people while they are doing what they do. How could you do the same thing with this photo?

More tips Take your camera everywhere you go Shoot from the hip, literally Be spontaneous Put the subject in the front Make the subject comfortable Never take pictures of people’s backs, unless that’s the story Capture the essence of the task Take more pictures than you need Use a simple, clean background Use sequences It’s not about you: tell some jokes, ask them to talk to each other, tell them to pretend you aren’t there Sequence can work to report on chronological order

News shots that tell a story Ask yourself what the story is really about For example: Football fan when a goal is scored Storks and kids on garbage pile Wrinkles on an old farmer’s hands Talk about photos you’ve taken that told a story e.g., A picture of a field where baboons hid before attacking taxis. Is the field the story? Is it worth a picture? What story does this picture tell?

Issues: Dealing with the subjects Objections: who has the right to object In public places Asking permission Politicians, public figures Weighing news value vs embarrassment Is it fair? Context Your friend asks you to – or not to When the subject asks for money The picture might be dramatic, but is it necessary? If a politician does something embarrassing, is it fair to print it? How do you answer if your friend says he does not want his picture published? Ditto when someone asks to be paid to use their photo?

Issues: Accuracy - again Get the details and names right Captions and headlines are the first things people read – maybe the ONLY thing

The act of recording, with a camera, human beings in their natural (ie unposed) condition. With the purpose of bringing attention to a particular aspect of society in hopes of change. Garry Winograd

Street photography tends to be more of a private and individual practice of photographing in public places. Usually, though not always, the interest is connected to urban life, since that's where so much happens on the street. BY ALEXANDRA COPLEY

Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism (the collecting, editing, and presenting of news material for publication or broadcast) that creates images in order to tell a story. Notes taken from Alexandra Copley Peiter Ten Hoopen

Photo Journalism The timely reporting of events A representation of a person or scene recorded by a camera on light-sensitive material (digital censor) The timely reporting of events at the local, provincial, national and international levels.

The picture tells a complete story…

The images have meaning Timeliness The images have meaning in the context of a recently published record of events SOLDIERS AFGHANISTAN WAR

The situation implied by the images is a fair and accurate representation of the events they depict in both content and tone. objectivty A photojournalist uses pictures instead of words to tell a story. They can also accompany their images with some text to elaborate on the details or events.

The images combine with other news elements to make facts relatable to the viewer or reader on a cultural level. Narrative DHARAVI SLUM, MUMBAI

Anticipation Timing Composition The Decisive Moment… Henri Cartier-Bresson

WORLD PRESS PHOTO OF THE YEAR SHOUTING PROTESTS FROM ROOFTOPS, IRAN--what should be your next shot

What is the Farm Security Administration (FSA)? In 1935 as part of the New Deal in the United States, the Farm Security Administration (FSA) was an effort during the Depression to combat American rural poverty. The FSA adopted a goal of introducing America to Americans through photography and a group of talented photographers. Dorothea Lange