TV production for journalists

TV-journalism, function of building blocks, angle and focus

International TV-class

2. Today’s lecture

• Role of the narrative elements• Content of the narrative elements• Angle and focus

• Ordinary news story

Narrative role of the TV-elements

• Intro: Gives the angle (problem + consequences) Visual proof

• Development: Gives perspective (why)Geographical orientation (where)

• Actuality (when) • Present consequences (cases)• More visual proof (show don’t tell)• Wrap: what will happen next?

Three act structure

• Beginning• Middle• End

Visuals• Video:

• Scenes and sequencesVisual proofsIllustrations/graphicsPresentations (establishing shoots)

Piece to camera (stand up)Cutaways and noddies.Actions and re-actionsSyncs/grabs (interview bites)

• Dramatized scenes, reconstructions• Archive

Sound

• Voice over: (didactic)perspectiveback groundfactsexplanationsanalysis

• Voice over: (epic)gives the story chronology (time and place)describes actions and feelings

• Stand up: authenticity, eye witness report

Narrative role of the TV-elements

• Syncs: OpinionsEvaluationsExplanationsExperiencesFeelingsReactionsConsequencesFacts

Sound

• Soundbites: FascinationIdentificationFeelingsReactionsCo-operationCollaboration

• Real sound: 3rd dimension of picture, authenticity

• Silence

How to structure?

• Example: Skilled migrants seek work in Germany

structure• Hook: plane• VO: coming from Spain• Sync: Nurse female• VO• Sync: Nurse male• St. up• VO: general footage - leading us to classroom• VO: classroom• Sync: engineer 1• VO: bakery• Sync: engineer 2• Wrap: they will keep on searching for jobs …

Visuals?

• Example: Skilled migrants seek work in Germany

Visuals

• Airport• General (boat with German flag, old people)• Classroom• Bakery, driver in car

Analytical tool

Simplified Actantial Model

Goal/ Object/ Desire

Helper/

tools/

skills

Challenges/hindrances/obstacles

The profile

person

Goal:

Job, money, good life

Helper:

Germany

need workers

Obstacles:

Leave family

Learn German

subject: Migrants

Example: Skilled migrants seek work in Germany

Goal:

IT Job

Helper:

Germany

Bakery job

Obstacles:

spanish crisis

no IT job

subject: Samuel

Angle

The angle is the sum of 3 factors:1. Extract of subject/theme FOCUSWhich part of the reality 2. Focus: Sharp, tuned, 3. Place of view (fixed place) To be able to find an angle: ResearchTo be able to do the story: Oral sources, visuals

What is the story?

• NOT something about……….• Before shooting you must know: the 5 Ws• What is happening? Where? When?• Who is participating?• Why?

- What is the problem- Who has a problem? How big is it? (facts)

- What oral sources? Where? - Who made a decision? What consequences? - Why? HOW?

Focus• On what am I going to concentrate• it helps to eliminate distracts• it helps to develop the story and find

the right sources• it helps you plan/search for visuals.

• Focus sentence: Spanish migrants seeking jobs in Germany

(pitching)

Storytelling formula• Hook: first 10 sec, . Grap the audience – visuals, sound

• Context (looking back) what background information do we need to tell?

• DevelopmentPoint 1Point 2

• Point .....

Keep your focus, don’t get carried away

• Wrapsum up and look forward

Voice of reporter

• Reporters voice must bridge and glue together the syncs and visuals

• Example: Skilled migrants seek work in Germany

Sources

• Spanish skilled workers

• Other sources he could have used?

The building blocs• The piece should be able to answer the five 5 W’s-questions: •• Level 1: Reactive reporting• - who, what, where, when

• Level 2: Analytic reporting- why and how

• Level 3: Reflective reportingsocial, economical, political level

• - who, what, where, when, why and how

•Level 1

•Level 2

•Level 3

• The reporter is the storyteller• The story is a narrative• Organising and structuring the material

• EXAMPLE: South Africa

Introduction– Answers: What, who where?

• The South African government plans to nationalise failing hospitals.It's part of an effort to improve healthcare and train medical staff.

Al Jazeera's Tania Page reports from the rural Eastern Cape, where officials struggle to attract enough doctors and nurses

FOCUS

• Lack of doctors and nurses at the Eastern Cape

Hook• Visuals (at a clinic with women)

• VO:In the Eastern Cape women are more likely to die during childbirth than anywhere else in South Africa.

• Norondani Mxesana called an ambulance when she went into labour on a Friday.

• It arrived twelve hours later:

• Sync:Norondani Mxesana (case)

Narrative role of the TV-elements

VO: “She called an ambulance, it arrived 12 hours later” … sync with case

Fascination ?Identification – womenFeelings - waiting 12 hours for an ambulance!Reactions –we sympathise with her

Context• : Background information and facts: Answers: MORE

WHAT, and WHY-questions

• VO:health care personal we talked to … confirm the problems ….

• Sync:

• VO:

Development of the focusConsequences: Point 1. wait 12 hours for ambulance, 2. lack of material, 3. They have half of the nurses they need, St.up: the political organisation is the problem3. A teacher can run a hospital, 4. dentist learn people to buy toothbrush

Solution: The South African government plans to nationalise failing hospitals.

WRAP

• Back to Hook – look forward (or conclude or summarise)

• VO: The challenge of the South African government is to create sufficient improvements to a fraud system, so that, when people need treatment it can be given ...

Other formats examples

• Example: TV traditions

1st assignment

• Produce a portrait/profile of a person, a group or a place of 2.30 – 3 minutes.

• The story should have a clear angle and communicate a sense of human experience and your interpretation of the person/group/place portrayed.

• It shall contain interview bites, voice over, sound bites and visual sequences with progress.

• One English version – for screening in class• One in you native language – for individual feedback

Team work • Respect• Difference is an advantage• Cooperation – participate/compromise• Work plan – who does what when• Constantly consider your own effectiveness• Describe and solve problems and conflicts in

your group

Make a contract• Goal• Ambitions• Roles: cameraman, sound, editing, scriptwriter• Working methods:• Meetings (agenda, meet prepared, talking, schedule,

production plan)• Agreements in written?• Research sheets• Being late, how do we react?

Take a time out

Start• With ideas – brain storm alone and together

• Research: talk to people, search information, visit your cases, talk more, search more, think …. talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more,

think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think, talk more, search more, think

• Find a focus for the story