Archive for the ‘NewscastTip’ Category

NewscastTip: Hyperlocal sites provide great opportunities

Hyperlocal Web sites are becoming a more and more popular way for news outlets to drill-down and provide highly localized information in a way not possible with traditional media.

Most hyperlocal sites are sorted by regions or neighborhoods. This is a great way to break down content into categories your users will readily recognize and help make it easier for them to find relevant news. Be sure to include all relevant local neighborhoods or regions of your viewing area and special attention to using the names locals know them as. Also consider any “turf wars” that might mean you need to break out a certain zone into its own category to avoid offending citizens.

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NewscastTip: Dressing down can look good if done right

Although formal business attire has been a mainstay of television news wardrobes, more casual attire is becoming popular for afternoon, morning and weekend newscasts, as well as for programs and stations who want to portray a more laid back or youthful look.

For men, a more casual wardrobe typically means going without a suit jacket or opting for just a sweater or sweater vest with a tie.

If you go this route, however, talent should be sure they purchase dress shirts that fit well to prevent the fabric from looking rumpled or bunched up, especially around the arms. If your talent presents the news both standing and sitting, this should be taken into consideration when fitting clothing. Sweaters and sweater vests shouldn’t be overly thick or “lumpy.”

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NewscastTip: Find simple ways to make newscasts greener

As spring approaches and those buried under mountains of snow long for a bit more green in their lives, I thought it might make a good time to think about going green in another way — finding ways to make your newscasts a bit more environmentally-friendly.

Back in 2007, WCCO-TV in Minneapolis touted having the world’s first green newscast, broadcasting from the local fair using electricity produced by human pedal power. While this is a bit extreme, there are some simple, easy ways you can reduce your newscasts’ impact on the earth, even if just a little.

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NewscastTip: Pacing gives personality to newscasts

Newscast pacing is a great way to differentiate your news brand and have a direct impact on the feel of your newscasts.

Pacing is one of those elements of newscast production that can be much more of a subliminal thing that viewers may not notice on the surface but in reality can have a profound effect on how well (or badly) they respond to a newscast.

It’s important to remember that pacing doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the reading rate of your anchors, though this certainly is one of the more prominent elements of the concept.

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NewscastTip: Generic supers add additional info to stories

Using lower thirds to label stories have several names — generic supers, headlines, banners, descriptors, descriptions, labels (we’ll refer to them as generic supers in this column) — and they can be quite effective storytelling tools if done right.

First, when designing the template for your generic super graphics, many stations often use a standard lower third. This works well, but it’s also worth considering if a slightly different look might serve you better. For example, you may not need a second tier for generic supers and can therefore free up some space.

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NewscastTip: Keep viewers informed with good closing graphics design

Bitter wind chills are sweeping the county while snow piles up higher and higher — and that means it’s time to fire up the closing alerts.

When considering how to graphically present closing information, there are three main factors to consider: text size, display time and on-screen positioning.

Using a clear, easy-to-read typeface is key to creating useful graphics. Also be sure to consider color selection and contrast as well as size.
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NewscastTip: Monitor options each offer key advantages

Having well-placed monitors for talent to see stories is a vital part of your studio setup and while there are solutions designed to mount flat panel LCDs to either the side of the camera, facing the anchor desk or the front of the teleprompter, these can be costly and sometimes are only compatible with certain equipment, there are less expensive options.

Obviously, in-desk monitors are a popular option and have the advantage of being discreet and not taking up studio floor space.
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NewscastTip: Some interview set furniture considerations

As I wrote a few weeks ago, the process of selecting anchor chairs has many aspects to considre: and the same is true for selecting seating and other furniture for interview-style areas.

When selecting interview set furniture, keep in mind that it is, more often than not, more visible than anchor chairs since there isn’t a full-height desk in front of them.

Try to avoid using generic waiting-room style chairs, though keeping shots tight is a good strategy to prevent less photogenic furniture from appearing on air. It’s also a good idea to avoid using wheeled chairs since guests or talent might inadvertently shift them too much, making it difficult to frame shots.
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NewscastTip: Web security becoming big concern for many stations

Web security is becoming a bigger concern for high-profile sites as there have already been cases of TV station Web sites and social networking accounts getting hacked and having undesirable content posted to them, but there are some easy steps to take in securing your station’s accounts.

The most important thing to remember is no password is unbreakable. The best you can do is create one that’s as strong as possible.
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NewscastTip: Anchor seating options balance comfort, style

Selecting chairs for the anchor desk is as much about comfort as how the the furniture looks on air.

For news sets, the design of the backs of chairs isn’t a huge factor since most anchors don’t lean back when on air. However, talent often like to lean back during commercials or when not on the air, so having a comfortable back can be advantageous.

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NewscastTip: Optimizing sites for search key in visibility

News properties are some of the most popular sites online and there is tough competition to get top search engine rankings for news-related terms, and there are some simple ways to boost your site’s rankings.

First, it’s important to identify just what keywords users are likely to use. Some are obvious, such as “news,” but others aren’t. One good technique is to hold a brainstorming session with various staff members (and members of the public if you can) to develop a list of words users would be likely to use when searching for the content you offer online. Use the results to fuel the rest of your strategy.
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NewscastTip: On-set video backgrounds present many challenges

This week’s incident of a bird wandering in front of a live camera that was feeding an on-set video background — creating the appearance of a giant gull “attack” — is a good reason to consider the options for video backgrounds like this.

It’s no doubt rear projection and huge flat panel screens are becoming more and more popular in set design.

The screens allow the flexibility to instantly changing out a background, instead of having to manually change out duratrans, as well  being able to use motion and video.
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