Reporters Should Be Seen and Not Just Heard

In a perfect world, I'd have a reporter fronting their package live every time. But sometimes, that can't happen. Even if the reporter can't front their package live, they should have some sort of visual presence in the piece. Obviously, they can do a standup from the field. Have them record a ten second tease while they're at it. But even if they didn't get a standup in the field, have them record an intro and tag-- on set, at the chroma key, or in the newsroom. Find some way to get their face in the piece.

Your reporters are part of your brand. One way viewers can connect to their stories and your newscast is to see reporters night after night. Plus, it makes your newscast look large to have as many faces worked into it as possible. Get creative. Are you writing a VOSOT from a story earlier in the day and the reporter is still hanging around? Have them do a standup and track it. Are you writing a mini-package from a national story? Again, if there's some talent wrapping up their day, grab them and get their face in your show.

What about having a standup in the package when the reporter is fronting it live? This doesn't bug me a bit-- I'm all for it. I want to see talent as much as possible. But there are some stations that frown on it.

Dance Party Friday

A co-worker of mine found this on the web. Apparently, it's an ongoing morning segment. He found it horrifying. I find it hilarious. In the interest of full disclosure, this is the station where I worked in college, but I don't know the guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_nlLcC9e20

If the link doesn't work, you can go to www.youtube.com and search "Dance Party Friday."

Why I want a $700 phone...

I just saw this and it looks so cool:
http://www.comvu.com

It allows you to broadcast a live picture from your cell phone. But it only works with certain (expensive) phones.

Think of the possiblities!!! Before your live or sat truck is even set up... you could get something on the air.

Blowing the Tease

I know I've blogged about this but I keep seeing it and it drives me crazy.

Don't let video give away your tease! If there's a posiblity the video could give away the tease, write very specific instructions on the script you take back.

Don't take scripts back for teases? Just call back and tell the editor to cut thirty seconds from such-and-such tape? For shame! Teases are one of the most important parts of the show. They shouldn't be a throw away. And they shouldn't give away the story.

NBC Graphics

If you're at an NBC O&O and create some of your own graphics, you can make some full screens look like add-ons, even if they're not. Here's how.

Say you're making a full screen with three bullet points....

How to Become a Millionaire:
1. Spend Less than You Make
2. Pay off Your Credit Cards
3. Max out Your 401K

Instead of making just the final graphic with three bullet points, make three graphics, the first with one bullet point, like so...

How to Become a Millionaire:
1. Spend Less than You Make

The second one with two...

How to Become a Millionaire:
1. Spend Less than You Make
2. Pay off Your Credit Cards

And the third full screen with three...

How to Become a Millionaire:
1. Spend Less than You Make
2. Pay off Your Credit Cards
3. Max out Your 401K

That way, during the show, the director can just flip between full screens and it'll look like it's adding on. This is much more visually interesting, even for a short story. Twenty, even fifteen seconds is a long time to sit without anything happening in a show.

Doubt me? Tape a show and watch it the next day. Halfway through the story, you lose interest because you've already read what's on the screen but the anchor's script hasn't caught up yet.

As always, read graphics aloud BEFORE you finish creating them or submitting the request. Also, I think, if at all possible, the show producer should create or request the graphics so they have a consistent look. One final note-- words should match script EXACTLY and full screens shouldn't be too wordy-- keep it to two, three, four or five words, not long run-on sentences.

Picking Fresh Sound

When you are running a story that aired in a previous show, at least pick some new sound. Don't assume someone who watches the 6pm won't watch the 10pm. Reward loyal viewers by updating the story with new info (if there is any) and go back to the raw tape to pick a fresh soundbite.

Requeing sound from the earlier show or picking a bite from a reporter pkg that already aired is lame. It doesn't take a lot of time to run back to an edit bay and scroll through the tape. It takes even less time to pick a new bite if your station has gone tapeless and all the video is on your desktop.

If the sound is from a package, see if the reporter logged extra sound he or she didn't use. They might be able to shoot you a fresh bite or something you can use in an open or tease. Or how about the photog who shot it? Are they busy? Do they remember something they can cue up for you?

Happy New Year!

Sorry for not posting for a while. Hope you all had a good holiday and hopefully got some well deserved time off!