1. Electronic News Gathering
ENG
Electronic News Gathering

2. ENG reporting is the corner stone of any news show
ENG reporting is the corner stone of any news show. Recording and reporting events and activities as they happen is what news is all about. The essence of electronic news gathering is “getting the story” and presenting this information to the viewer.
Vital to the success of the report, the reporter and videographer need to work together to capture the drama, actions, emotions, and in formation and convey them to the viewer in an interesting and in formative manner.

3. ENG LEAD-IN RULE of THREES
Electronic news gathering. Refers to the process of reporting events and activities that occur outside of the television studio.
LEAD-IN
The first few sentences of script that establish the setting and events of a news story. Introduces the ENG topic to the viewer.
RULE of THREES
During postproduction, the edited clips are grouped by audio and video into segments of three sentences per style or format.

4. SOUND BITE
A videotaped segment in which the audio and video portions of the tape must remain in sync. Sound bites are usually three to five seconds in length.
STAND UP
Refers to an on-camera shot of a reporter as he or she presents information about the topic.
TAG
A standard format for the final sentence of script ending an ENG report. Identifies the reporter (by name) and station affiliation.

5. To avoid potential problems and catastrophes at the scene, a few minutes of consideration and preparation are needed.
Always check the equipment before leaving the studio.
Microphones are essential for ENG reporting. You might need several types: handheld for interviews, lavaliere for reporter script, and even a shotgun for obtaining sound bites of distant activities.
Connect the microphone(s) and headphones and perform a quick sound test to ensure they are working.
Bring extra batteries for the cameras and microphones.
Don’t forget the essentials: camera, tripod, microphones and headphones.
What about lighting? If you think you might need it, bring it.
Bring something to record information with. It could be your cell phone or notepad. Reporter notes and script as well as information, names (spelled correctly), and titles need to be written down for postproduction.
Refer to your ENG checklist to ensure you have the necessary equipment AND that ALL of the equipment is returned AND in good working condition.

6. GETTING THE STORY

7. ENG news events are generated by events and activities in which students, teachers, parents, and school athletes or artists are involved.
Information about these events can be obtained by:
referring to the calendar on the school website
talking to club and event sponsors
looking at the announcements
creatively examining national and world events and how they relate to the student population
Find out the who, what, where, when, how, and why of the event. This can be done face-to-face, via or even a phone call.
Organizers can provide event background information (prior event history, attendance, purpose, schedule) and important info regarding the event itself (location, ticket prices, results).

8. EXAMPLES Below are some examples of stories found at the school itself or in the community.
IN SCHOOL
COMMUNITY
Sports teams – games or activities
Clubs
School events
Leadership events
New procedures or changes that are occurring at the school
Election
Community groups
Community events
Student extra curricular activities

9. RECORDING THE STORY (Cinematographer)

10. A good cinematographer will develop an eye for shots and angles that effectively capture the actions and emotions of an event. S/he must be concerned with recording the story rather than telling the story. This is done by:
capturing several minutes of each activity as it occurs to include as B Roll for Post-production
including a variety of camera shots and angles so the most effective angle can be edited into the report during postproduction

11. capture facial expressions and emotions to help reflect the atmosphere and mood of the event
bring the viewer closer to the action using close-ups and camera angles such as over-the-shoulder shots, point-of-view angles
including diegetic sound to help re-create the mood of the event by allowing the audience to “see” and “hear” the event as if they were there in person

12. In postproduction, sound bites can be used to separate the various components of the ENG report.
For example, maybe your report begins with the reporter doing a standup. Then you can edit a short, two- to three-second sound bite from your clips, then move on to an interview or another reporter narration.
Often an effective ENG report will begin with a good sound bite (audio lead-in), which captures the viewer’s attention and interest.
Comments from participants and guests are also an important aspect of recording the story. This will be done formally by the report as well as informally as B Roll.

13. Some important considerations for recording comments and interviews from the guests:
Start recording early and leave it rolling seconds after the interview is over.
Always wear headphones connected to the camcorder. This enables the videographer to hear the sound volume and quality while recording.
Choose a good location for your interviews and comments. The background for the interview can enhance, or distract, from the interview itself.
Beware of background lighting. The subject of the camera shot should be the brightest part of the picture. Avoid shooting into windows or sunlit objects, creating a backlighting scenario.
Record reporter’s stand-ups and narrations “at the scene” using the same microphone(s) used for the rest of the ENG report. Background noise will convey realism to the report that studio and postproduction narrations do not have.

14. TELLING THE STORY (Reporter)

15. It is the reporter’s task to tell the story that surrounds each event
It is the reporter’s task to tell the story that surrounds each event. The lead-ins and narratives should be informative, accurate, and brief.
Present the information in a professional and unbiased manner without including personal judgements or opinions.
Present both sides through the use interviews and “talking heads” of guests.

16. REPORTER LEAD-INS

17. The reporter’s lead-in is essential for informing the viewing audience about the topic.
Lead-ins should be limited to two or three sentences that enable the viewer to quickly grasp the content of the report.

18. (The reporter gives no information about the event.)
INCORRECT
“As you can see, everyone here is having a good time. We have students and teachers dancing and eating.”
(The reporter gives no information about the event.)
“The foreign language teachers and students are enjoying their Third Annual International Dinner and Dance. Local ethnic restaurants have donated their time and food to create an international menu fit for any five-star hotel. Funds from this event will be used to pay for field trips and guest speakers for foreign language classes this school year.”
(The reporter gives good information, including the number of years the event has taken place and details about who participated in it and how the proceeds will be used.)
CORRECT

19. Not all ENG reports begin with a shot of the reporter, standing with mic in hand doing a lead-in. Although this is a common practice, there are several creative ways to begin your ENG report:
Use a sound bite to begin your report. In this case, maybe a two- to three-second shot of someone serving a delicious plate of food and offering a “Bon Appetite” to a guest seated at a table.
Start your ENG report with a POV (point of view) shot, such as a guest walking into a ball- room filled with music, dancing, and dining.
Begin the report with a sequence of shots and use the reporter’s lead-in as a narration.

20. INTERVIEWS AND COMMENTS

21. Limit yourself to two or three questions.
One of the best ways to get and convey information is from the actual people involved in the event.
Viewers, especially in a school setting, also like to see and hear about events from the people involved because they know them. It creates more interest in your report and gives credible information as well.
During an interview, the reporter may ask several questions of the guest.
The questions should be open-ended (that is, questions that cannot be answered in just one or two words).
Limit yourself to two or three questions.

22. (Answer: Yes – only one word)
INCORRECT
“Did you help with the decorations?”
(Answer: Yes – only one word)
CORRECT
“What were some of the items you and other students had to prepare for the Dinner and Dance?”
(The answer will be much longer and depend on the person being interviewed)

23. Be sure to go over the questions with your guests before recording them on camera.
This solves two problems:
it eliminates taking the time to record people on camera who have little or nothing to say.
it also eliminates the problem of the guest suddenly being “stumped” and not having an answer to one of the questions.
Although the reporter may ask several questions of each guest, during the editing phase the interview will probably be narrowed down to one question.
Make sure you write down (and correctly spell!) everyone’s name and title for later use in postproduction (lower third titles)

24. POST-PRODUCTION TIPS

25. Edit camera angles and shots that portray the drama associated with the event. Avoid long camera pans and long, wide-angle shots that leave out detail. A series of two- to three-second shots is much more effective and informative.
Use lower third titles to identify the reporter, students, teachers, or other guests that appear on camera for the first five to seven seconds of the shot.
If this person is referred to constantly, the title only needs to appear on the first shot.

26. Lower Third Title Slide Examples

27. Use as much as the live sound as possible for background narration and sound bites. Inserting a piece of music usually changes the character and mood of the video.
Critically watch the completed video in its entirety. Don’t be afraid to make changes to sections of the video that do not meet your expectations.
ENG reports are not documentaries, and their length should be approximately 120 seconds in total time. Avoiding longer segments and running times will help to keep your viewer interested.

28. assignment
Check the Assignment Tab in the TSN DMB class site for the assignment.