Archive for the ‘NewscastTip’ Category
Share your ideas for future ‘Tip’ columns
What aspects of producing TV newscasts do you think need improved? Have a neat new way of doing something in the newsroom?
Share them with us and they might be featured in a future NewcastTip column!
Even though the column is taking a bit of a summer vacation, that doesn’t mean we’re not planning ahead — and we want to hear your ideas for future columns. E-mail your thoughts, suggestions and ideas to michael.hill@newscaststudio.com. Any feedback is welcome — whether it’s an idea for a future column, a problem you run in to frequently that you’re not sure how to solve, a specific tip or trick you’d like to share, or a personal pet peeve about TV news that you’d like us to address.
NewscastTip: Animated BGs require careful designing
Creating a computer-generated animated looping background for rear projection screens is a good alternative to using video loops, as discussed in a previous NewscastTip column.
Even if your set isn’t equipped with a rear projection screen, many of these ideas can be modified for use on chroma key wall backgrounds and on-set flat panels.
NewscastTip: Go off-axis for added interest
The straight-on anchor two-shot is perhaps one of the most recognizable shots in television news — but approaching this shot from a new angle (literally) can add a bit more visual interest to your newscasts.
Off-axis anchor two-shots give directors and producers another way to shoot the set and, if combined with technology or graphics, add additional storytelling tools.
NewscastTip: Explore options for in-studio interviews
In-studio interviews are a great alternate way to present a story and there are plenty of options on how to present them.
First of all, consider if an interview can be done at the anchor desk using the spot normally reserved for either the sports anchor or weather person.
Be sure to consider, however, what background will appear behind the interviewee when the director takes a one-shot; it most likely doesn’t make sense to have, for example, the weather center in the background (unless, of course, the interview is weather related). The same is true for sports theme-backgrounds.
NewscastTip: Building a local team
I once saw a promo that touted the station’s news team’s local ties. It was a simple, straightforward message that began with a voiceover saying to the effect of “This is how most reporters arrive here” and then cutting to a shot of an airplane landing. The voice then said “This is how our reporters arrived here” and cut to video of a crying baby.
Whether the promo was effective or not isn’t the issue here; the point is valid. News teams with ties to the community not only tend to score better with viewers but also bring key advantages to covering local news and finding ways to emphasize your team’s local roots wherever possible can be a good strategic move.
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NewscastTip: VOs can often be just as effective as packages
Packages are a popular fixture of any newscast, but they are also time consuming and expensive to produce, especially in under-staffed and under-funded newsrooms, and it’s important to keep in mind that many stories can be told just as effectively with a voiceover.
A well-written and succinct voiceover combined with sound bites is often more than enough to tell most stories.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
NewscastTip: Get ready for spring by sprucing up studio
Spring cleaning season is coming up and there’s no better time to look for ways to spruce up your set and studio.
Start by giving surfaces such as the anchor desk a good cleaning with a non-abrasive cloth and gentle cleaner. Keep an eye out for any scratches or dents that you might be able to repair with a furniture touch-up product.
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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