Creating an effective news story

Three principal themes to News stories:

· Give viewers a reason to remember the story

· When interviewing try not to ask questions

o Make observations

§ Puts people at ease to reveal the emotional and human side

· Get a closing shot

§ Viewers more likely to remember

Video shooting tips

§ Create a strong close

o Something build toward throughout the store

o Should be visual

§ Build your report around sequences:

o Two or three shots of the same story vs. one full shot playing for 30 seconds

§ Use strong natural sound to heighten realism, authenticity, and believability

o Make it possible to experience what happened

§ Short sound bites prove the story you are showing

o They are not substitutes for storytelling

o Present the face- let your interviewees present the feelings

Writing the script

§ Always remember: the reporter/narrator is not the story

§ Do you know what you want the audience to take away from the story?

§ Write to the pictures first. A strong lead will instantly telegraph the story to come

§ Keep the Main body of the script to three to five main points

§ Say nothing your viewers would already know, or that visuals could “say” better

§ Allow for moments of silence

§ Build in surprises to sustain viewer involvement

§ Visuals, wild sounds, short bites, poetic script

Address the larger issue

§ Make sure it meets the “so what” test

o “A trailer home burned down” fails to meet

o “A trailer home burned down because the walls are full of flammable insulation” meets

§ Make your story memorable

o Can your viewers feel something about the story and its subjects?

o With felling, the story will stick in the viewers’ minds

Practice

Stolen painting found behind tree

95 year old grandma, makes a hole in one

Powdered milk is the new got milk

Nude beach ruled out by NJ judge

Shooting Defendant trialed in Juvenile Court

Head of Iraqi seeks illegal arms

Death brings feelings of loneliness and isolation to loved ones

Queen mary has scraped bottom

Police begin campaign to stop jay walkers

other blog

Other blog is my single one. Follow at http://www.KatherineWellen.blogger.com

Dandy background

So I made a new background for my blog! I think it's pretty cool showing some of the skills I have in photoshop. I still need to fix the width of it so it fits the whole screen, but I think it's pretty sweet overall for the time I spent on it.

Save a Life

Yesterday our backdraft went and saw "To Save a Life". I liked the movie and it really opened up my eyes to what I do at school and how i reach out to the kids who don't have friends. I don't really realize how much of an impact just saying hello somone can mean. I am going to reach out to new people this week so hopefully it goes well!



this picture isn't the prettiest but I like it in it's uniqueness. It's a blurry vision from the top of canyon lakes which is beautiful at night!

Squad Babes

So my sisters, my friend Stephanie, and I decided we should make a "band" in rock band. We did this a couple weeks ago and played for five hours straight somehow. Anna is the singer, Sarah is Bass, Stephanie is drums, and I am the guitar! It's very fun and challenging but were pretty decent. We played yesterday for an hourish at Stephanie's house and rocked out! It was some good times. Oh and were called squad babes!

Fun pictures

Kat, Mady, Hill



If we were in a band this would be our photo haha



Hill's got hops.

Free breakfast

Today was the free pancake day at IHOP. So we jumped on the opportunity by getting up at six, leaving the house at 6:20 and arriving at IHOP ready to get our three free pancakes. It's a wonder what free things can do...normally I wake up at 6:30ish and get ready and we leave our house at 7:15 for school. But today for some free breakfast my sisters and I got ready and out of the house in twenty minutes. IHOP pancakes were delicous. When we got there Hans and Kelly had already gotten a booth & table for us so we sat down and joined them. Sarah decided to get a hot chocolate to drink while Anna and I leaned toward getting a chocolate milk. This milk was very good for coming from a restaurant because I have heard that I should never get milk from a restaurant. As we waited the parents arrived and we ordered some pancakes. They were quite delicious and fluffy. I went with the traditional syrup and sarah went with the blueberry. Suprisingly the three pancakes filled me up! I was ready for the school day and the three of us headed there at 7:05. Arriving to school at about 7:20, I was able to finish the last two problems on my homework and get the points for the day! The day went by swell. I said hello to some strangers and they said hello back! In my fiber arts class I am starting to make a pillow case for my pillow and helping my friend make a dog bed. My next progject will be a draw string bag which I am excited for! In my P.E class today we played volleyball. I have a pretty good serve and my team was very successfull winning about 6 of the 8 games we played, and we only had four players compared to the other teams having five. In multimedia we are making a video for discovery day video, which if all goes well and my group finishes ours, it should be pretty good! But idk kind of time consuming and things aren't quite working out as I am planning them to.
Anyways my quiet times have been very good. I feel god telling me that I need to be accepting towards others and building friendships with old and new people. And I am really wondering where I should be going next year maybe eastern, maybe staying here...I don't know just praying as it is.

Pictures

Beachboat place we stopped.



Gigantic fish this guy caught



Just a picture for my mom....haha



Place where people jumped off a cliffish thing into water

good times in good weekends

This past weekend was great. My church South Hills went to this place in Leavenworth and stayed in this big cabin.

It was very fun getting to know my small group girls better and having opportunities to get to know some of them better. The last night we were there we had a talent show, and surprisingly the "spice girls" came! My friends Emily A., Emily P., Hill G. and sister Anna performed the hit Spice Girls song "Wannabe". It went excellent and I had so much fun being Scary spice. Later in the night we went on a hike around sometime late. It was a relatively short hike from the past years at spiritual retreat but it was VERY fun! When we got to our destination we did some worship and between that someone lit off some fireworks. After that we had some smore's which were delicious and headed back. We got to bed pretty late, but it was well worth it for getting to see God's beauty at night. Sadly the weekend felt short but it was a great experience for my Senior year. I am ready for some blue skies though! Weather seems to be getting warmer and sunnier!

VIDEO SHOOTING

Guidelines for shooting quality videos

1. Avoid zooming in and out way to much

o Don’t use your zoom as a crutch!

o If you use it- use slowly

o Always restrict the usage of zoom in between screens

o Lean in or away instead

2. Steady Does it

o Too much vibration affections the video footage quality

o Use a tripod

o Brace yourself against an unmoving object

o Avoid using too many buttons

3. Where are you?

o Find a monument

o Establish your shot

§ Super wide aerial

§ Race from cockpit

§ Close up of scalpel with light

§ Paddles dipping in roaring white water

o Grab viewers attention and help set up the story

4. The end or the beginning

o Start at the end of the story

§ Wedding – interview happy couple then cut into photos of before

o Show the journey after the end

5. Keep them short and Simple

o NEVER shoot video clips of more than two minutes

§ Bores Audience

o Many short clips of five to ten seconds duration is more effective

o Video is cheap so shoot more footage than you’ll need

6. Lighting, Lighting, Lighting

o Shoot video with light source behind you

§ Shining on subject

o Sun should shine on subject not camera lens

o Use backlight if available

§ Compensates for overly bright light

7. Change your perspective

o Adhere to the rule of thirds

o Follow action

o Use trucking shots

o Find unusual angles

§ Get the camera off your shoulder

o Film the same scene multiple ways

8. Shoot cutaways

o Literally a shot that cuts away from the current shot

o Use sound and multiple angles to connect

9. Put it into practice

o Create a commercial for a gum, mint or mouthwash

o In groups of 3 or four only!

My mom wants to become famous

follow her on blogspot Afwingmom.....haha