Hows to Shoot News Video (page 2)

Now that he's earned some experience, Dennis knows what we need for broadcast. We don't need 30 minutes of raw footage full of snap zooms and boring video. We have taught him to shoot-to-edit. In this case, it means a series of clean four-second shots that we can air as is, followed by some longer ten-second shots in case we have time to edit. The exception to this is an action sequence. The rule of thumb with potentially exciting activity is to "let it roll!"

Dennis is valuable to our station because we often don't have time to cover a late-breaking story. This means we may not have time to edit out sloppy photography. Since we must dub Dennis' standard VHS half-inch tape to three-quarter-inch tape for broadcast, his video must be well focused and well lit. Luckily, the quality of his tape is good, and we don't lose much resolution after a second or third generation.

A news photographer is also a journalist so great video will be worthless without some information to back it up. In a breaking story, the best and sometimes the only source of information is at the scene. Our news anchors have learned to trust Dennis' ability to gather facts as well as video. Since we must verify the information, he's gotten into the habit of taping sound bites from emergency personnel and witnesses. He also writes down names, addresses and any other facts we might need.

No news team in the world can cover every breaking or newsworthy event. There are many stories unfolding in our everyday lives that never make it on the nightly news, simply because there is no video available.

Television news is much like baseball. It can be tough just to make it into the minor leagues, and nearly impossible to reach the majors. Every day, our station, in the 128th largest market in the U.S., receives several tapes and phone calls from job seekers. They are hoping to get any position that will give them a foot in the door, to gain the experience needed to become a television videographer or reporter. But there are seldom any openings. It's tough to make it in this business--but if and when a position opens up, Dennis will be more qualified than most.

Mike Donnelly has worked as a broadcast camera operator and is a reporter for a CBS station affiliate.

Have you ever thought about what you would do if you actually did shoot that once-in-a-lifetime video? Most people automatically assume they'll get a substantial payment from television stations if they capture a dramatic event on tape. Here are some of the realities, and some suggestions on how you might approach shooting news video for broadcast.

First of all, the chances are very slim you will ever catch a nationally newsworthy event. There are thousands of hard working, full-time professional photographers around the world who have never gotten a shot like the one an amateur captured just by looking out his apartment window as police officers battered Rodney King. Even so, you should be prepared to sell your video beforehand, in the event an opportunity arises.

Contrary to what people think, television news people don't make a lot of money. Most have a love and passion for what they do and get the most satisfaction from seeing their work on the air. You might be able to enjoy the same sense of creativity and achievement if you have the same principles.

Keep your eyes tuned for "small" news. Not every story has to be a disaster. Most viewers appreciate seeing something fresh and unique, which amateur videographers have just as much a chance of capturing as the pros.

Most recently, a resident of our town went skydiving. The interesting part was, he is totally blind. His friends videotaped the jump, and then contacted our station. We aired the tape as an entertaining and inspirational story.

In another case, a teacher at a nature camp caught an unusual bird on tape. It turned out to be a completely new species, previously undocumented by scientists. The resulting story we did on how area children were part of this discovery would probably not have been aired without that tape.

In both of these examples, the people involved received some unique satisfaction from being recognized for events that make their lives special and important.

If you feel you deserve some financial compensation for your videotape, don't sell yourself short. In many cases, I have been prepared to authorize some payment for video. So far, in every situation I have been able to save our company some money by getting the person to let us use the tape for free. Don't be overwhelmed by the excitement of the event and the TV cameras. If you're prepared to walk away with the tape, I might offer you some money.

Also keep in mind that a fire, an accident or a similar incident can seem a lot more important at the scene than a television viewer might perceive it to be. At the same time, newspeople have experienced many dramatic events and may believe your tape is not as significant as you think it is.

The bottom line: your pictures may be worth more or less than you think. Be prepared to make a sales pitch, and try to be understanding if your videotape isn't as groundbreaking as you thought it was.

--M.D.

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