Basic Training: Shoot to Show or to Edit

Previous Image « » Next Image

"Shoot to Show" and "Shoot to Edit" are two different styles requiring different methods of planning. No one knows these techniques better than a run-and-gun News Photographer.

I've produced video on nearly every conceivable subject during my 15 years as a television news photographer. When I have the luxury of time, I shoot multiple takes of the same subject for editing variety and choices or "shoot to edit." However, the demands of a daily deadline require I sometimes use a different method known as "shoot to show", in which the camera work is very efficient but provides minimal choices for editing. Both methods have their place in your video skill set, as proficiency in one area will help you excel in the other.

In the Days of Yore
It was quite expensive to shoot several takes in the days of shooting news on film, and the editing and processing time made for the famous "Film at 11" signature on many newscasts. The 6:00 evening show usually had a newscaster reading on camera without the film that may have been shot earlier, because it may have still been in the processor. Most news photographers of those long-gone days would arrive at a location and shoot one long shot of the event. They would start with a wide shot, hold it for about five seconds, then slowly zoom in tighter to the left side of the scene, then slowly pan across to the right, followed by a long slow zoom out to an angle similar to the starting point. One long thirty-second shot was all he needed to cover most news stories. One long shot made for less editing, which was actually cutting the film strips with a splicing machine and taping (or cementing) the saved portions together; a tedious and time-consuming process. Now, tape is cheap, editing is quick and long boring thirty-second shots are, well, long and boring. …