Adding Depth To Your Character

Posted January 18, 2020
Share To
 
 

One of the greatest weaknesses in TV news stories is their singular linearity.

That is, you get an assignment, go to one location or one event, shoot the event, shoot a charcter, do an interview, do a stand up, get some b-roll and you are done. 

Pieces done in this way, and most of them are done in this way, are pretty one-dimensional and also pretty boring.'

But an MMJ with an iPhone can, if they are shooting at our recommended 3:1 ratio, cover a lot more ground in a short window of time.  They work alone, and they shoot only what they need,

In this way, an MMJ can bring extra dimensions to the stories they are covering - bringing a far richer and more fulfilling experience to the viewer.

Take. a look at this story, done by Spectrum1-LA  Anchor Chris Leary.  

At Spectrum1, everyone learns how to shoot and cut on an iPhone, and everyone is expected to produce stories. 

Here's one he produced in bootcamp. All done on an iPhone and all done in one day. But see how he brings an extra dimension to the story.

A great character with a great story to tell - and with more than one dimension.

You can do this, so long as you are working along AND you keep the shooting rations down to 3:1

Which is what we do.

 

 


Recent Posts

There is a great deal of concern, well placed, that few people under the age of 30 watch TV news. Viewership of TV news in general has fallen off, so naturally, TV executives across the boards are searching for a solution. How to appeal to a demographic that spends most of their time on social media?


Sometimes when you are searching for something, the answer is right before your eyes. For years, I have been looking for a new and powerful way to cover breaking news stories - and now, I think, I've got it.


When we run our video storytelling bootcamps for TV news organizations, our primary focus is on what we call ‘the viewer experience’. It is a given that the journalism is well researched and accurate, but if no one is watching; if there is no ‘audience engagement’ with the story, then you are in fact showing it to no one, which is tragic, and avoidable.


Share Page on: