To start off this weeks lesson, we showed off the results of our video exploits from last week and how our editing skills were put to use on the projects. After some expected constructive feedback about both of the projects the class had put together, we moved on to study individual news reports and how they are constructed in comparison with our own. We studied a variety of different news packages in order to get a more well-rounded sense of what goes into making a news report.
Firstly, we looked at a Sky News report on Raoul Moat. This particular report used a lot of GVs, each of different landscapes and angles, giving the impression of Surveillance which is reflective of the main focus of the report. The images of the young children talking to the armed police create an incredibly strong image as well, since it is not very often that you will see armed police patrolling the streets of England, so this aspect in itself creates a very strong image. All of the images, being put together, tell a story which is the main aim of any televised news report. The images you use aren't just imformative, they have to create a narrative of your story as well.
The second clip we watched was an ITN report from Afghanistan. It used a lot of interesting shot angles in order to create more interesting views and shot compositions to draw the viewers into the story more. There were a lot of action shots, as you would expect from a news report from a war zone. Actions shots such as bombs being detonated, soldiers trudging through rivers and marshes and treading carefully through land-mine littered fields all create a much more tense tone to the piece. What also helps create a sense of imminent danger is the fact that the reporter is wearing protective clothing throughout the report, giving the impression that anything can happen at anytime. The last shot of the report carries a sense of irony with it when a routine arms search is juxtaposed against a beautiful sunset. The simple twists in the writing add a greater dynamic to how the piece itself is received. Such things as alliteration and an intelligent use of language make a difference to how the audience perceive the piece itself - so rather than just giving a description of what you are seeing, you're using the script you have wisely to create a better feeling of what is actually happening whilst the report was being made. Quick SOTs can also explain just as much as a longer one can - this report in particular had a couple of SOTs from soldiers that were only one sentence long or less, and they still explain just as much as a longer one would in the context of the report. This means that instead of taking up a lot of time using lots of long SOTs, using a couple of short ones means you have more time for other things in the piece. Often, less speech is more when the pictures do the talking for you!
The next news report we studied was the harrowing report from 1984 on the famine in Ethiopia. This particular report is very useful in showing just how powerful television can be, as it was mostly because of this that such things as Live Aid came into existance because it showed a side to tragedy that had never really been seen from news reports before. Whats interesting about this report in particular is that the person conducting the report itself isn't actually in the report at all, in the sense that there are no pieces to camera used throughout. This means that the entire focus of the report is on the subjects 100% of the time. The biblical references in the script make for some powerful referances to the scale of the situation, and the words that are used as part of the script are highly effective when accompanying the shots. But something that is different about this report in particular is the use of sound throughout the piece. Babies crying, religious chantings, screaming - all of these sounds are just as important and effective as any of the visuals are for a piece like this.
Lastly, the final news piece we looked at was a very recent one from a few days ago revolving around the student riots at Millbank. This news piece was a prime example of how putting the most interesting and recent news first in the report is most effective. Once again, the sounds of the riots happening are just as effective as the visuals in this news piece, so its useful to bear that in mind again. This news piece in particular lets the talking be done by the interviews and the footage that has been captured, as there are 4 important interviews as well as a piece to camera throughout the whole of the news piece. Once again, the footage of whats happening sometimes says a lot more about the atmosphere than words can!
Overall, the analysis of these pieces was very useful, as it showed a wide variety of techniques and variations on existing rules for TV Broadcasting that might not be obvious upon first viewing.
For more on this subject, and other Journalism subjects, head over to www.winchesterjournalism.co.uk
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