NPPA INFONewsVideo Workshop From: Les Rose, CBS I was lucky enough to spend 6 days (about 14 hours a day) in Norman, Oklahoma last March with 386 fellow photographers, reporters, editors, and producers from around the world and every state. We all gathered for the National Press Photographer Association's (NPPA) annual marathon called "The Workshop"... to learn from the very best of our profession...about 14 Photographers of the Year, Regional Photographers of the Year, Andrew Heyward, Bob Dotson and...you get the picture. The teachers are all volunteers. They devote this week of their lives nearly every year. The students come at their own expense (like Francisco Alferez and me...Carl Stein was there in 1997). A sort of TV Photographer Heaven is created...60 people shoot in hands-on workshops that the rest of us "act" in for a few hours a day...the other hours are devoted to demonstrations and discussions. Suffice to say it is absolutely worth your time and effort... but only if you are open to what they have to say.
Julie Jones KPNX-TV EDITOR'S NOTE: Julie gave us lots of good basics... like a sequence is two or more shots of the same action...granted, a lot of things at any one point from any one lecturer you may already know...but just to get that one nugget of useful information will make it worthwhile. So I'll include some stuff you know, and hopefully some things you don't. "Ignorance gives us a wide range of possibilities" Pans and Zooms...not how the eye works...the mind cuts...gets rid of information you don't need...mind works in sequences. Cooperation and Anticipation...foundation of a sequence.Look for Repetition... some things keep repeating...plan your sequences around that. No klutzy images... try to keep your images pure and cleanAction:Reaction... this is probably the number One thing they press into your head..for example...see someone run...see spouse in crowd react with joy...see Doctor operate...got to waiting room to see loved one sweat it out... Extreme Close Ups... in addition to being a great catch phrase from Wayne's World, it will get you out of a lot of jams in editing. This is basic but she's right...nothing gives you or the editor more freedom in cutting a story than a few extreme closeups...you may never need them, but they are Godsends when you do... Watch Noses... they help you find screen direction and "Action Axis."Entering Frame... is much more important than exiting frame...think about it...you can do more with it. Stories have to have commitment, focus, and direction...they need a purpose and a central person to tell it well. To get a commitment in your story, you have to know what one is...a COMMITMENT is a statement that expresses that the story you show must have a person and a direction. You are not the victim of anything unless you want to be..no excuses! Don't let the assignment desk, producers, or equipment get you down...it's your career and your life...we have the best jobs on earth...be professional! The best jobs on earth are ours!
John DeTarsio, Freelance, San Diego EDITOR'S NOTE: he's won 43 Emmy awards...that's right Forty-three! At this point I have to tell you that these notes are never meant as a substitute for the real thing...just a small summary...I cannot show you in notes all the terrific video I saw, the camaraderie I felt or that distinct feeling you get when you know that new things are entering your brain, clearing out cobwebs, and improving yourself...which was just about every breathing moment... It's only composition if it is steady...let go of the camera...fewer terrific pictures work better than a number of so so shots. Story vs Style...Story always wins! This means: if you have the prettiest pictures in the world it just doesn't matter unless they are telling a story 70 to 75% of most stories is a talking head... make the stand ups and sound bites live...be more creative with live shots and interviews! Shoot tight shots with faces more often...give more emotion...look around frame just before you roll and take out the bad stuff...act like you are shooting through a donut...really helps you get rid of the stuff you don't need in the frame... Shoot faces every time, every story...try to find every angle of story.
Jerry Hattan, Texas Freelancer Composition...what do I want the picture to say? Composition is knowing more about what you say.... than how you say it... You have more than two eyes...consider the third eye...your heart. A picture should have great lines, color, and texture...clear and concise...no distractions. Don't forget to divide the picture into thirds...it's old, it's basic...but eternally true. Go for the feeling of depth...Jerry prefers compressed shots by getting the subject further away from the background and getting the camera further away from the subject...and so do I Always strive for a picture that has a lot of detail but with no distractions. Don't put technique ahead of expression...follow your heart...if it works best for you...it certainly works best for your viewers.
Bob Dotson, NBC News Correspondent Advent of Avid...in 1969 a film dissolve would take $2,000 and two weeks time...now, thanks to Avid and digital...it's instant...MASTER the computer...it's not going away... You are NOT a reporter...You are NOT a photographer, videographer, or even a photojournalist...you are a storyteller!!! Be a producer's friend...consistently being in a story 5-10 seconds UNDER what they gave you...that way...once when you have established you are on their side...you will get the extra time when you really want it! Be thinking about every shot...and the philosophy of the old man writing., "I'm sorry this letter took so long...I didn't have time to write a short one..." Quite simply, a great story has short and brief writing...great nat sound, lighting, and editing. This never changes! The ultimate goal in storytelling...to tell stories in such a way that even the people that were there learned something more.. How do you write the opening line? Let the subject write it for you...take out the best soundbite and use it "as is" in the story...the second best soundbite gets used as well...but the third bite should be a good summary of the story...and can be used as an opening line for the writer or on it's own...also, work on middle and end first...then the beginning Three tips for good sound bites... 1) When you ask your subject a question...they are going to give you the answer they think you want to hear...then they stare at you without you saying a word...then they give you the better answer. 2) In other words, people hate silence...let them fill it in. 3) Know about the non question question. In other words...get to know someone for about 10 minutes...the most interesting person at the scene...they may give you the juice if you just say, "Now that looks like a fine mobile home you used to live in." Remember: stories only happen to people that can tell them! All storytelling should be seamless...good introductions count! We have the only business in the world where we think work should be fun. Conflict: something has to be resolved...a resolution. Hold off any dramatic tension in the story and let it build. Every single good story should have some conflict. Write Silence! Don't try to cram too much into every story.... Silence is the most eloquent and the most difficult to write to......let it breathe...go for lots of layers in your story...yes, like an onion. Tell a story in such a way so that the Prime Minister is not insulted and the kitchen help is still interested... Surprise in a story is crucial. Try to avoid graphics where possible; instead use demonstrations and product examples to visualize a Try to make yourself a one-of-a-kind...it may never happen, but keep trying! A great way to improve is to play a bad hand well...over and over...if you can make a bad story sing you will have the skills intact for the good ones. What is creativity? Solving problems in an interesting way.
Steve Hooker, WDSU, NEW ORLEANS (Lighting Seminar) Fast lighting...simplicity and balancing your contrast. White paint on a barn door is good for bounce.. When using a reflector, the bottom of the reflector needs to be chin level with subject. With gold reflectors, white balance without reflectors on. Gold reflectors are good for African Americans and people of dark skin... With stand ups...have reporter do a Charles Kuralt...they look at the camera, look away, look at the camera, look away, look at camera...this does two things...avoids excessive eye burn with the reflector and gives a "thinking man's" look to the standup. Get rid of the lightkit...get a baseball bag for two lights. It contains fully assembled light with doors, gel frames, 3 extensions (25' cable and gels. This works for him...but didn't seem to work for the rest of us...but is a great way to go for the road...). Fold AC cord in half...mark it with a pen...then wrap it up. Interviews...Always have reporter between camera and key light...backlight diagonally across from the key on opposite side and behind subject. Get light far away from subject in a big room...lots of versatility.. ..key becomes back light and vice versa... At night...light can come from lower levels..
Bob Dotson's Second Lecture avoid press releases...small town newspapers are usually far better than any possible press release...remember those tiny towns you race past on your way to a "bigger" story.. If the natural sound is good enough, then you write less copy. Knowledge of tape: better writing. All good writing comes from details in the picture... Photographers, overall, do a truly lousy job of talking to people in other departments...love a promo? Tell them! Big boss came through with some new equipment? Express gratitude! When dealing with people you work with directly (esp. the "pains in the butt")...approach them with the thought that you may be wrong...but could you just once try it "this way"...and plead your case...it's great for diplomacy... Attack the things you are most afraid of doing...the AVID system, computers, or producing...growth comes from what you fear. Best photographers are likable chameleons..blend in...going to cover the opera...wear a tux! Covering a funeral? Coat and tie couldn't hurt! The basics of the job quite often is taking someone else's vision (management) and running with it...if you can make their ideas fly...you are on the way for your own.
Mark Morache, Senior Photographer, KIRO-TV "Teamwork" Editor's note: John and Mark were partners in Seattle...and their talk together...like a select few other lectures...was worth the trip alone... If you just write the facts, you don't need a photographer. If you just want to make pretty pictures, you don't need a reporter. Don't be a photographer. Don't be a reporter. Be a STORYTELLER!!!
Grandness of Life equals the small moments. THE THREE GREAT "HORSES" OF STORYTELLING... 1) Surprise. You just have to have them to have a memorable story...don't tell the whole story right off the bat...lure the viewer into some comfortable environment (if the story lends itself to that) and then hit them with an element they didn't see coming (Steve Hartman does that daily). The more experience you can give the viewer (emotion, great moments, sadness, joy..) the better they are for it. Strive to get a consistent communication... 2) Juice. The essence of the story...what moves the people or person (and stirs their soul)..make extra efforts to build small moments. 3) Heart. If you don't love and care about people, it will show on the screen. If your story doesn't have heart...if there's no feeling...there's no great story. If you don't care about it or the subjects, why should the viewer??? Have a day where there are no great assignments? You have to make them that way!!! So you are on a story and you are having a bad day and you are just about to shoot and you just don't care...walk around until you DO care...it will be time well spent!!! Make a dull story live...find the emotion...make people be something (happy, sad) instead of saying something ("I'm happy." "I'm sad."). Listen long enough to find the humanity...don't be a "drive by shooter". Listen for the crack in the voices, the silence... Do not INTERVIEW about emotion...let emotion show naturally. Remember, don't do interviews, have conversations. Find the character people and mike them! If your story is about an empty factory...find someone...a janitor or the person who has to close it down...to tell you about the 'ghosts"...the people who were once there... Try to let one shot evolve and play out, to avoid cutaways...and "park" a short but sweet line in the middle at a natural pause... Music in a story? Let the player evolve...have the music, if it's right for the story, get better and better...not good-bad-ok-ok-good-great-ok-bad.... Somebody has to play in left field...be the one to come up with a creative idea...pitch it and run with it! Take chances...have fun...get messy. Sharon Levy, Senior Instructor, AVID Technologies A jump cut is anything that can't happen naturally...they don't happen in real life. "What you can't solve, dissolve..." is not the answer. Build anticipation into your stories...anticipate what happens next. ACTION REACTION! Great play? Crowd cheers! Accident? people look on in shock! It goes on and on...and every story has to have it to be decent... Editing pacing is crucial...the opening needs to say, "watch me" and the close needs to say, "the end". To be sure, this opening and closing technique is exactly like a great movie!
Darrell Barton, Two Time Photographer of the Year, Freelance Bob Brandon, Two Time Photographer of the Year, Freelance Editor's note...a major part of the Norman workshop is having the photographers who brought their own cameras...and there were 60 of them...work with three or four classmates and "direct" them. The photographers have two hours to shoot the assignments and can only use four minutes of tape for a one minute story...the idea here is to think out every shot and increase creativity. This happens three times in the week, between the lectures...and the pieces are critiqued by faculty. If you develop a "gag" within your piece, you're committed to it and have to deliver. A sequence is NOT a wide, medium, and tight of the same shot...it's a progression. A parade is not about the parade...it's about the people in and around the parade. Before shooting your story, think of what your commitment is. A commitment is a simple declarative sentence about what the story should be. "Mitch's trash is tom's treasure." Every picture shot has to contribute to the commitment! Don't let the viewer ever get the idea that they are watching TV...avoid microphone logos, other photogs in cutaways, and "panic zooms." Try to go for action/reaction in the same shot. Lighting? The best compliment you can get for lighting is someone thinks it wasn't lit. Everything has a logical order to it...that's what a sequence is all about!
Bell, Oliver Powers, John Premack..."Tech Talk" Editor's note: Mark's a pioneer in Satellite broadcasting and ENG safety...and a former photographer. More about safety and his teachings later in these notes and handouts... Oliver is the Director of Audio and Lighting for the US Senate Radio and Television Department...and an audio God.. Premack is the Workshop Director and has been a chief photographer for over 30 years...he's won a zillion awards and devotes his passions to teaching the NPPA way every chance he gets...
Try white balancing on a robin eggshell blue card...makes the camera tone down blue and gives more red...for warm glows. Always white balance with sharp focus...for example, if you white balance on a reporter's notebook with the red lines in it...and you are out of focus...you will get red "blending" in it..grey is white only darker, to a camera. A scope shows a visual representation of color. A Sennheiser microphone has three adjustments...they attenuate...(to minimize, turn down). Shotgun microphones tend to be overly sensitive to low, bassy noises. The #1 setting is normal...#2 the bass is beginning to roll off...#3 it's completely rolled off. Best to leave it in the #1 position...#2 tends to be muffled and #3 good only for a really noisy room or wind blowing...get a fuzzy zeppelin for the microphone. Microphones tend to be "deafest" from the side. Cardiod simply means "heart shaped". Every 3/10ths of neutral density takes the camera down one f-stop. Low light outdoors? Always see if it will balance on filter #1.. Why is there a piece of glass in filter one? for optical density...properly focused lens. To get rid of Moire' pattern...zoom in or out...image size changes... Lectronsonics microphone hits? 450 less susceptible to outside interference than 170. To fix, change antenna and put into shop for a frequency check. Lectrosonics has a fixed fee for repairs..call first! Foam windscreens of all type hold moisture. To protect a microphone in foul weather, try an unlubricated condom...be sure to tell your wife, first... Must black balance first, then white balance. The only reason to black balance is to compensate for changes in weather or aging camera...doing it in May and November is fine. DCC...dynamic contrast control...leave off basically not needed...gives compression in select areas. Head Cleaning Tapes...only useful for clog..they are sandpaper! If you have a clog..
Too much pause can damage brand new tapes...tell reporters not to let them sit in pause. Always keep tapes in box...keeps crud out of camera. To perfectly match cameras...both cameras must be set up by same person at the same time...white balance is the least of your problems when trying to match cameras. To adjust viewfinder... 1) Turn on color bars. 2) Adjust contrast control first...the eye likes it 3) Turn up brightness, then down again until edge of darkest bar merges with darkest non-color bar part of camera. Brightness changes depending on your eye. Exposure...How does a camera think? Start Caucasian faces with auto iris.... then go to manual. Zebra stripes should be adjusted at 100 units...most set at 67 units, which is the standard for white faces. Get zebras adjusted on bench...at 100......but 100 is good for African American people, too... zebras mean over exposed...but you knew that. Compared to Beta...DVC pros are not as good...
Lisa Berglund, KNSD-TV, Director of Photojournalism Former Photographer of the Year (First Female) Try to "bribe" people in the news room that are not quite seeing things your way...I always called this "donut diplomacy"...she uses cookies. Use VOs to practice skills..that way you can improve on the boring stories and have your skills ready to go when you get a better story! Go to the morning meetings! Try using a fish tank for seashore shots...swimming pool shots...but be VERY careful... Standups are important...people want to know who's talking to them...try shooting a standup in a store window, for example...with the reporters reflection in it...then rack to the merchandise...to do a story on main street woes. Don't "blow off" the stand ups...put more thought into them and the interviews because they are in almost every story...doing a story on potholes? find one big enough to stick the reporter in...if it works. Want to do a story on your own? Find out which day of the week has the most photographers working...makes the pitch that much easier... In the middle of the story, try to capture a moment for yourself...take your eye away from the lens...look around...enjoy the moment...chances are you'll be recharged and see something new...or the same thing in a new way... Always, always, always approach your subjects as people...not subjects...not talking heads...
Jeff Imperial...Jacksonville Jaguars John Gross...KSTP Minneapolis, NFL Films "Shooting Sports"...especially football. Editor's note: The story of John Gross has been in News Photographer magazine...and is an amazing one! Basically, from what I can recall he left some high paying gigs, slept in his van, worked in small markets to perfect his craft...all this in his 50s...when most are considering early retirement...he's becoming one of the finest news photographers...and people...I've yet to meet...his tip sheet is included...valuable advice from a NFL Films pro...did I mention that he's been with them for ages? Whether it's Jr. High or pros...lots to be learned from him...where the bulk of the lecture is from (he was also a motivational speaker...quite the combination!). Mr. Imperial contributed the first paragraph or two...the rest is from John... Get a digital radio from Radio Shack...and get an adapter to plug it into the camera..then tune into the radio station with the game.This gives you play by play right into one audio channel, while keeping the nat sound mic open on the other. It's like having a guide from up high telling you what is happening in the play...marking it for the editor...and telling you what is happening when the action is down the field. Stay 15-25 yards ahead line of scrimmage of team. As with much news photography, use your left eye as much as your right eye to follow sports action. Buy a Rubbermaid toolbox that you can sit on...to pivot or stand on top of...also stores batteries and tapes...that way you can sit on it and pivot with the movement...or get an extra foot above the other photographer's heads... The quarterback has his arm up? It's a long pass. A short pass? Generally, he will have his elbow near his ribs... Every team has styles and traits..studying the team is key. A right handed quarterback will throw to the right 90% of the time. High school QBs quite often will still throw to the right even if they are left handed... Be alone...avoid the herd of photographers...go where the other photographers are not. Warm up eyes before the game. This is crucial. It's more important than the game itself....to warm up your eyes...work each eye like you are looking through a camera...go wide to tight...practice your moves...pans, follows...and warm up your body...do stretches...all NFL Film Photographers are required to be at the game at least a couple of hours before the game. Learn how to juggle scarves to improve your hand/eye coordination. When one starts to come down, throw the other one up, then the next one up... Start with two scarves in the right hand, one in the left...one goes up, then the second...keep going... If you don't share the information that you learn , you are stealing it...get the word out! Have low energy on a shoot? Raise your energy level by flapping your hands up and down for fifteen seconds...it really works! Too stressed out? Relax...Psalms 27-1 says "...when you relax, you gain strength." Shoot your crowd reaction cutaways in the first half during an extra point...you get a great reaction and the sports department hardly ever uses it. Commitment...if you are willing to pay the price, nothing can stop you! To follow the ball...zoom in to see the ball...just the ball...see the feet? You lost the shot! Please see John's tipsheet attached...
Mark Anderson, Director of Photojournalism, KSTP-TV St. Paul "Hear and Now...Sound Advice" To get good sound, ya gotta get dirty! Is it O.K. to mike a dog? Why not! Expand your head for sound possibilities... Listen for 10 second sound bites...create the moment...prepare for luck...when good sound happens: you are ready and got it...not regretting... Get a fitted ear piece... To do our jobs all we have is two tools...pictures and sound. Great natural sound should be thought of like "natural music". Don't be too "big" in your pieces to record the "smallest" sounds...crickets, for example. On DVC PRO...watch the sound levels like a hawk! Do not max. out sound levels! Great sound...listening for great sound...will take you to great pictures. Make the talking heads creative...really think of ways for better sound bites and stand ups. UHF mics...distance is three times greater. Three times! Keep story environment natural...setting up lights can truly kill a mood or feeling and can make your subjects even more nervous. To keep the windscreen on your lav mic, try a tiny bit of velcro. Make your life's work heaven...some folks at 87 are just getting started! Don't interview...just talk. Get closer to the heart...and keep "casting" for better sound.
Darrell Barton's Second Lecture "Capturing the Story" Darrell, the basic inventor of the 48 Hours style...hates gear. He really hates tripods. He thinks a light kit is on every camera...it's called gain. He considers himself...and us all...picture takers and story tellers. Tell stories! If you don't know what you want in a story...shoot a beginning, a middle, and an end. Shooting TV News is an adrenaline based thing...viewers get THEIR energy by being close to people. Despite numerous dangerous situations...he doesn't wear body armor. Doesn't think you should follow his lead...he just doesn't wear it. Buy a Sony Hi-8 camera with a wide angle lens...this will increase your versatility and you can plug it right in to the DVC PRO camera for a dub... The Donut Hole is often your best shot. This was a very cool technique I remembered from Norman and use daily...act like you are shooting through a donut hole...it helps in your mind to get rid of things you just don't need in the picture...this really works! Watch fluorescent lights with shutter...it will make the picture change color. Get some spun-wrap...great for falling color...
Kevin Hartfield, KCNC-TV Denver "Finding your own style...taking it to the next level." Try to find your own style, but never let gimmicks or style take over your storytelling. STEP OUTSIDE THE BOX! Collect and save your swish pans, for editing effects. Have several other plans in your head (A,B,C,D...) in case your reporter doesn't like the original plan... Don't forget to try natural sound with stills or drawings...esp. historic ones...really helps with the mood. Do the Vaseline thing on an old clear filter...rubbing it all over...and buy some cheap candles to go with a cool look with the Vaseline lens...use just a little, perhaps in the middle. When a person is reading from a book, put some video to it...be a pack rat...collect natural sounds, too. Use special effects only if it adds to a story...don't need it? Don't use it! Really LOOK...don't just see...
Ray Farkas, Producer "Producing Network Specials" Editor's Note: After 24 years with NBC News on the Huntley-Brinkley Report, Today, and NBC Nightly...he has spent the past 11 years producing series and specials for almost everybody...and has a quickly identifiable look...long lenses, wireless microphones, and foreground composition. He believes in conversations...not interviews. No lights...and keeps the camera and crew far away from his subjects. He is devoted to time, place, and context...little things that television does better than any medium Try to get people to be who they really are. Do this by getting people involved in conversations with each other...not with you. Simply having the camera far away puts people at ease...if the camera is 30 feet away, people are 30' more relaxed than if it was right in their face Consider shooting more two shots...it's more conversational. For film look...white balance on a blue card...and go for the compressed look. Try panty hose over the lens...red, white, or tan for a "film" look. To get great sound...put people with people they know. The sound will come naturally. Go to the movies A LOT...so much you can learn about style, sound, lighting, and moods. Get your subject to speak lower...tell them it's a sensitive microphone...talking lower is a different feel...like a confessional...tends to spill more beans and give more "juice". Try "stacking" a two shot interview. Shoot them on the couch...side by side...but at an angle...forcing them to shift slightly your way...during the interview...roll focus slowly to get the other person's reaction...this beats the heck out of a dead-on couch interview. It's about better body position and camera position...and really isn't rocket science.
Darrell Barton "Hand Held and Steady" Keep the image steady...not necessarily the camera...let the camera float like you are holding a cup of coffee...let it float...train your body to move gracefully...
Mike Schuh, Reporter, WJZ, Baltimore "Thinking Visually...The Eyes Have It" Talk with your reporter on the way to the story about something other than last night's game or today's lunch...try to get a plan on the way to the story...have something in mind before you arrive...yeah, it can change...but just talking about it will make the story better. Look for rhythm in your sound...matching your action...like the ticking of a grandfather clock to go with an old man's slow walk. Try shooting interviews tight, and then replaying them through a monitor in various locations...like putting the monitor on top of a park bench, garbage can...and then shoot the bite with the disembodied location...great for true "street" reaction...esp. if it's camera related... Use props to explain numbers, instead of graphics...like his example of a beer tax...pouring the beer in a glass...with a graphic number produced next to it...to indicate what percentage of beer goes to taxes...a one fifth full glass would yield about 20 cents in taxes... Don't shoot wildly...think, and plan for success...
Charles Hadlock, Reporter, KHOU-TV Houston "Stand-Ups...Head and Shoulders Above the Rest." Good stand ups require thought, imagination, and teamwork. Kuralt did an entire story with a single standup...on the Louisiana Purchase...to perfection. Every story should have plot, character, and a journey...just like a good novel or film. Put a surprise in the standup...for goodness sakes avoid standing in front of a building...it's just too easy and boring...get the creative juices flowing with STAND UPS! Try having the reporter stand in the street...then rollup up to him or her in the car while shooting...best done with a driver...but effective! Try going from black and white to color in the same standup to show a time shift...like a story on Route 66's changes over the years... Don't hand a reporter a stick microphone...it's a thing from the past. Compose the shot, the have a person come through it. Weave the standup into the story in such a way so that the story doesn't come to a halt! Every good standup...like a story...should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. No standup closes...there has got to be a better image than the reporter's face! Use sound bites to get a major idea for a standup...usually the third best bite can be dropped (as mentioned) and can be used as the basis for the standup.
Dave Wertheimer, KSTP-TV Minneapolis "How to be a Story Machine...Surviving the Daily Grind." Editor's Note...Dave is the Assistant Director of Photojournalism at KTSP and has won more than his share of awards..but to him...and to me...awards are in the past and attitude is everything. Dave is quoted in the workbook as saying, "When I think I know it all and don't learn something new, that day is when I get a job at the 'quickie mart'." Dave has worked since 1979 at 14 different TV stations in 11 cities and is the original "video gypsy"...and a truly nice guy to boot. Dave says that as long as you have the attitude to keep learning...which is what The Workshop is all about. He is the NPPA National TV Critique Chair..no easy job! To get good sound...use a Sennheiser on a curly cord...it's ready to go for instant bites and barking dogs and crackling flames and... Use the Lowell light extender to get backlight directly above the head. When arriving...spend 10 minutes finding just the right person...THEN do the story. Use a mike everywhere...shovels, dogs, copy machines...whatever. "Write" visually with the camera...it's that simple, and that hard...
John Lansing VP and GM, WEWS-TV, Cleveland "In Your Face! News Ethics...the Public's Right to No." Everyday, on almost every story...we are faced with ethical decision making. You must never forget we are doing what we do for stakeholders. Stakeholders are those that are watching...but the major stakeholders are those that can potentially get hurt by you doing the story...the subject, the neighbors, the store owners, the family, and a potential jury, to name a few. You must understand your mission. Your mission? The truth. You must understand who your stakeholders are. You must try alternatives to minimize the harm to the stakeholder...but still absolutely telling the truth. Every time you run video of someone being arrested...run video of the results of their trial. It's the right thing to do no matter the results of the trial. Everyone has a "zone of privacy". We must try to always, always respect that.
Mark Bell "ENG Safety: You Never Know What's Going To Happen." Editor's note...Mark Bell is a broadcasting safety expert out of Boston...and speaks with as much concern, passion, and vigor about safety as the photographers did about their craft. He and the NPPA are currently working on a safety video called, "Look Up and Live", about ENG mast safety. He told the story of Kimberly Arms and David Bingham of WOI-TV (Des Moines, Iowa) who were both victims when the microwave truck they were working in hit a 13,200 volt powerline...they both survived...but Kimberly lost half of her face after her head burst into flames. She was outside the truck and saw David actually smoking...she stepped inside the electrified perimeter to help him and got the full brunt of the electricity. A few others have perished in other cities...some only lost a leg...like Dan Nelson, a photographer out of Fort Myers...who sat directly behind me during this lecture and brought the point home...to say the least. Mark believes WOI-TV abandoned Kim and David for training. The station's lawyer wanted OSHA to declare their injuries "other than serious" for lower insurance premiums. Mark truly believes OSHA doesn't care...that they must prove "site standard applied" and that the operator broke the law. OSHA doesn't have the manpower, time or knowledge to properly investigate ENG accidents...they simply must prove there was violated employee behavior..."no supervisor present.". Detector sensors are available for $3,000...but are rarely sold. When they detect AC current...they stop the mast movement...preventing tragedy. Park three truck lengths away from power lines...this is the standard because masts sway and wires move. At night, use a high beam light or a good flashlight. The bottom line is upon arrival...no matter what the story entails...spend a true 30 seconds walking around the van, looking up for wires and hazards. LOOK UP AND LIVE! Do not take a live shot for granted...the next one could be your last one...
Andrew Heyward, President, CBS NEWS "Inside Network News...A View From the Top." Editor's Note...If anything shows the stature this Workshop has in the broadcasting community...it would be Andrew Heyward's visit. Clearly he's busy...and Norman, Oklahoma is a long way from New York...but he took the time to give us two sessions with him in one evening. His lectures gave us a very valuable insight to the workings of a network news operation, from the President's perspective. A nice guy to boot! Andrew hates stories that are too crowded...a zillion elements from around the world for Evening News stories...the stories that are sliced and diced...with no breathing time. CNN...has actually improved local newscasts. Now affiliates get pictures much faster from their network feed services because if they don't...it's already on CNN. Combined share of evening news viewership is down immensely ...now, there is no dominant voice. During civil rights struggles, moon landings, etc...CBS News had a much bigger influence. Every program we do is influenced by the remote control. The real boom in news promos has happened just since the early 70s. "Imitation is the sincerest form of television." There is a real Dateline boom...it has broken new ground...correspondents good but not showcased...it's a promo machine. News magazines have almost replaced dramas...the last "new one" that survived was E.R. For immediacy...it's cable, local news, and the internet...for in-depth, it's prime time. The big changing forces in TV news are economics and technology. Live reporting is context free. Most fires and murders are boring to the local audience...covered because they are easier to do than an investigation. Local news is the only place for weather and sports...and it touches people...yet in New York...Seinfeld reruns beat all local 11pm newscasts... Dig harder..to much news is about too little...we are judged not by "did we do better" but "did we do as good"...go BEYOND the obvious. Be honest and tough on yourself. What counts to the viewer was , "was it any good." they don't care how difficult it was to do... Rationalization is the enemy of successful TV News. It is bizarre that on air people sound alike...they don't talk normal. Identify what's important in the story...don't miss the heart, the core...play to the strength of the story. Think about making it personal with words, structure, and partnership. Structure...pay attention to structure...stories rise and fall. Don't be cynical or jaded with your structure...it DOES matter. TV News is one of the few places where we have a chance to change people's lives and perceptions. We make important news interesting and interesting news important. News nows goes in where sitcoms fear to tread...Dateline now beats NYPD Blue. Nearly every organization had irresponsible use of "resignation" and "impeachment" with Monica Lewinsky's early days of coverage...a genuine rush to judgment. Make sure the story is clear and compelling...hype can kill...think of the guy at home on the couch to be successful. What does he want in a reporter? Curiosity, compassion, passion for news, warmth, and humanity. He welcomes closer scrutiny...just doesn't know if news councils are the answer. "Coast to Coast"...it was Kuralt times 5...but proof that people are still drawn to drama, not good news. Hasn't found right mix yet for "Public Eye"...but show does show sparks and promise. Morning show is up significantly year to year...closing gap with GMA...after an unbelievable cycle of failures. Amazed at the kudzu-like growth of evening magazines.
Scott Livingston A photo essay means the photographer has no one to blame but himself...means photographer has to learn how to tell a story. gives a photographer credibility...makes them better at day to day stories...and at breaking news. Make sure your pieces have characters, story development, and passion.
Jonathan Malat KARE-TV Minneapolis Take responsibility for the story...no can't, no won't, no shouldn't. Make disaster coverage better by personalizing with one child or adult to tell the story. He's got a bad sense of direction...like myself...and finds stories that others don't because he ends up on roads he didn't mean to go on. Think----------------------visualize------------------------plan. Steal! It is a den of thieves in Norman...and anywhere photographers gather. Any teases prior to story are fair game for showing the good video in most cases...but don't give it away in the lead in...or hopefully the break prior to the story... Enjoy life with your subjects...open up your heart.
One more thought from Darell Barton When shooting, imagine the viewer at home...the opening shot should say, "What's going on." or "Hey, that's cool. Look at this." A tight shot invites the viewer to come closer, to take a look at a detail. The closing shot should put the viewer in the back of the chair, relaxing...
Eric Kehe, KUSA-TV, Denver "Taking it Home...Making a Difference." Editor's note: A two time regional Photographer of the Year as well as the outgoing 1996 Photographer of the Year...Eric Kehe knows his stuff. He shoots with passion and a lot of heart...and is one of the more inspirational teachers here. He is a genuine credit to the profession...except for that part about being a Denver Broncos fan... Remember the basics...it's all about action/reaction...hopefully within the same shot. Try shooting from a block away to get a great "compressed" look. The story you shoot has to be like a great movie...must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Mike a dog...think of sound as being one of your ultimate tools that has to be used with every shot, every day...if you can. Speaking of tools, you have learned a lot from this session...you don't have to use all of your new tools in one story...just take the one tool needed to do the job correctly... A photographer has lots of motivations...one of them should be the viewers! Serve your viewers by being better than the next guy. Remember to be kind to the editor, writer, assignment desk, and maintenance people among others...a kind word or cookies is all it takes sometimes to show you remembered them for helping you out. It's not enough to get a rabbit running down a drag race track (like he had)...you have to get the reaction as well. Try putting nat sound from one location (a football game) underneath a different shot (tow trucks towing cars from the game). Check your camera's slack and tension before doing a really loud story...some events are so loud (drag racing, rock shows..) that they can literally screw up tape tension from the vibration. Make a difference! Give a damn! Not enough to see pictrues...you have to feel the pictures...make them breathe. Take the road less traveled... Get in line when the kids do the "good game" at the end of the game... Lead your fellow photographers by example...suck it up...and be the very best you can possibly be...every day.
Bob Brandon "What's Your Commitment" Move someone's life...be a real human being...see something wrong? Don't photograph...help the person or dog...basic, but a few wouldn't... Emphasis...get it right...not necessarily perfect. Ask yourself...who are your heroes? The Lewinsky/OJ type walkouts have got to go. Ask yourself if the story poses a threat...does it have an impact on our lives? On children? Ask yourself...is this an honorable profession? And what are you doing to make it better? And what are you doing to make it better? |
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