RTV 440 Week 1 Cell Phones Off and Put Away Chapters 1 & 9 Appendix 1

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

Chapter 9 – 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

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 – Supporting facts, prove visually, transition Main Point 2 – Supporting facts, prove visually, transition Main Point 3 – Supporting facts, prove visually, 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)

Some Types of Leads Later, a bit more discussion For now use this site to guide your practiceuse this site

Assignment Think of a “newsworthy” story from your own life: theme—the time I almost died -- (use the news elements to determine an event that could be newsworthy to you or your friends) and practice writing a hard news and soft news lead for it. Write three different kinds of leads (see next) and then the full story for a one-minute VSV news report. Details on the course outline. Submit to Google Drive folder by 10 am Wed.