How to do TV news reports

This past week, my colleague George Hoff and I taught a class of post-graduate students at Centennial College how to put together a very basic television news package. We weren’t expecting Pulitzer material. Just a basic story they could find that morning, right on campus, go out and shoot, and come back and cut it into a minute long piece. In a half a day.

Despite some technical problems (SD card wouldn’t read, batteries not fully charged, coldest day of the winter to shoot outdoors in) most of the students did the assignment properly.
They shot interviews, standups, b-roll, streeters, establishing shots, cutaways, medium shots, and used a tripod and their hand held microphone, along with their HD video cameras. Most white balanced the camera properly.
And the topics they found for stories? The subjects ranged from how to book out equipment from the Library on campus, to what happened to the cafeteria lady named Tracy, to the fact it was the coldest day of the year.
Ironically, the workshop coincided with a brilliant piece of YouTube that’s been making the rounds all week. It’s called How does Broadcast Journalism Work.
I don’t know if I should show it to them! What do you think?
if it doesn’t play, try this link:

1 thought on “How to do TV news reports”

  1. Thank you and George Hoff for the class. I wish if i could be a student of that class. But your video gives me a little idea about the class . This type of class will sharpen fresher skill.

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