PGDip TV News Handbook
DRAFT 11 March 2004
The idea of this is to
provide a facility that will allow the existing Annexe to be used a working
newsroom for journalism students.
Essentially it means putting
TV cameras and studio equipment in the room. The idea is to give students a more
realistic newsroom experience with fewer technical
problems.
CURRENT
The room is currently
equipped with about 13 editing stations, predominately using eMacs. The room is
used for editing by students for a number of courses and has in the past formed
a newsroom for PGDip students who then went on to produce their work through the
studio in M Block.
AMBITION
The ambition of this project
is to allow students to work in a newsroom environment where they have the daily
pressure of production but simplify the technical demands by presenting from the
newsroom.
The Annexe will be set up
with two cameras and a simple mobile audio and video missing desk. We expect to
be able to provide a remote studio to offer the opportunity to present live
stand-up pieces and down the line interviews and also a radio camera on campus
for live location reports.
You will have access to
satellite delivered television services you can treat as news feeds to re-edit
and voice over and a TBU to make phone calls for audio only
interviews.
ORGANISATION
With about 20 students in a
class they would all work together as one team to produce the output. By the
regularity of production the students will have the opportunity to take on
different roles as presenters, reporters, producers and editors. Also, they will
have the opportunity to get some production experience, giving them some idea of
how a gallery and studio work.
Students will produce at
least one bulletin each day, gradually building up both the time they have to
fill and the quality of their output. As PGDip students are taught three days a
week their work will appear rather like being on shift – except they will have
to work some of the intervening days to produce material for the following week.
TIMETABLE
|
Week
comm.. |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
To
do |
|
10 / April
26 |
Classroom
intro |
Intro to
cameras |
Go
filming |
Shoot own
story |
|
11 / May
3 |
Bank
Holiday |
Start
edit |
Edit |
Review
(Thurs) Preparation* |
|
12 / May
10 |
Newsroom |
Newsroom |
Newsroom |
Preparation |
|
13 / May
17 |
Newsroom |
Newsroom |
Newsroom |
Preparation |
|
14 / May
24 |
Newsroom |
Newsroom |
Newsroom |
Preparation |
|
15 / May
31 |
Bank
Holiday |
Newsroom |
Newsroom |
Newsroom |
OUTPUT
provisional
|
Week
comm.. |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
To
do |
|
12 / May
10 |
3pm: 15m |
3pm: 15m |
3pm: 15m |
Preparation |
|
13 / May
17 |
Noon: 10m 4pm: 15m |
Noon: 10m 4pm: 15m |
Noon: 10m 4pm: 15m |
Preparation |
|
14 / May
24 |
Noon: 15m 4pm: 20m |
Noon: 15m 4pm: 20m |
Noon: 15m 4pm: 20m |
Preparation |
|
15 / May
31 |
Bank Holiday |
Noon: 15m 4pm: 20m |
Noon: 15m 4pm: 20m |
Thursday: Noon: 15m 4pm: 20m |
CREWING Week
12
Editor
1
Editor for the week
Producers
3
Office based
Field producers
3
Work on location with reports
Presenter
1
Office based – could alternate
Reporters
3
Location
Tape editors
3
Office based
Camera
3
Location
Tech crew
3
Office based (director / scriptcue / A-V)
CREWING Week 13/15
Editor
1
Editor for the week, both bulletins
Editor – Noon
1
Editor Noon bulletin all week
Editor – 4pm
1
Editor afternoon bulletin all week
Presenter –Noon
1
Presents Noon bulletin all week
Presenter – 4pm
1
Presents afternoon bulletin all week
Producer - Noon
1
Dedicated to Noon bulletin
Producer – 4pm
1
Dedicated to 4pm bulletin
Producers – floating
2
Office based
Tape editor – Noon
1
Dedicated to Noon bulletin
Tape editor – 4pm
1
Dedicated to 4pm bulletin
Tape editors – floating 2
Office based
Reporters
3
Location
Camera
3
Location
Tech crew
3
Office based (director / scriptcue / FM)
NOTE:
Students will be rotated
through the roles to provide the maximum experience.
|
ROLE |
|
JOB
DESCRIPTION |
|
Editor |
|
Starting in Week 12
this person will oversee the production of both news programmes, arbitrate
on news priorities, deal with managerial and technical
issues |
|
Programme editor
|
|
This person is in
charge of their own programme from creating a running order to seeing it
though the gallery. |
|
Presenter |
|
Office based they will
write and sub along side the producers and present the live bulletin and
conduct interviews as necessary. |
|
Producers |
|
One producer will be
dedicated to each bulletin (this can be rotated) effectively being
chief-sub and video sub for that bulletin. Other producers will work in
the office wotking with tape editors to cut library material / off air
feeds, write scripts and liaise with reports. May also be asked to do
presentation from location studio (if available) or tape interviews for
video or audio. |
|
Tape
editor |
|
They will be cutting
off-air material (as satellite feeds) and cutting original material from
reporters. Also compiling the material from previous programmes as
“library” material. |
|
Reporter |
|
On location, creating
material asked for by their editor, working with producers and tape
editors in the office. May also be called on present from location studio
(if available) |
|
Camera |
|
Providing technical
facilities for reporters on location |
|
Technical |
|
Office based managing
the technical process in the
gallery. |
Suggested
rotation:
|
|
Week
3 |
Week
4 |
Week
5 |
Week
6 |
|
Editors – 3 |
A B C |
TUV |
|
|
|
Presenters – 2 Reporters - 3 |
DE FGH |
WR SPQ |
Etcetera |
|
|
Tech crew – 3 Camera – 3 |
JKL MNO |
ABC FGH |
|
|
|
Producers – 4 Tape editors - 4 |
PQRS TUVW |
DEJK LMNO |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WORK
SCHEDULE
The idea of the course must
be to give everyone an opportunity to “have a go” at the various roles in a
newsroom. While the gallery roles are ones you probably won’t ever be doing, nor
the senior editorial - at least for a year or two! – it is important you do
these at some point so that you have some idea of what is involved. Once you
have tried to direct a bulletin with badly presented scripts, you will never
write them other than perfectly from then on. Equally, to have to make editorial
judgements – and be allowed to get them wrong – is a learning
experience.
Across the two bulletins and
the four weeks everyone should be able to get enough experience in roles they
like and those they don’t, to know what it is they want to do, or are good at.
Not everyone is a born TV reporter, you might be a better producer than
presenter!
EDITOR
The person doing this role
will need a good understanding of news, the technology, diplomatic skills and
determination to do the best for their colleagues.
They will be the final
arbiter of news priorities, the allocation of crews and the person who will be
cheering for the team to the course management and the
university.
They will also co-ordinate
with the website, handling news stories between the two outputs and managing the
sharing audio and video material.
PROGRAMME
EDITOR
The Noon programme editor
would normally be the first person in having read the papers. They would be
expected then to construct a news list of stories they want to follow, with some
idea of the treatment (reporter package, live interview etc.) They would also
have a forward list of material already available or scheduled – e.g. press
conference, background story, overnight piece etc.
The first step will be to
allocate reporters and cameras to locations to get filmed stories underway as
soon as possible with the hope they will be ready for the lunchtime
bulletin.
As other staff arrive they
should have ideas for stories and coverage and there ought to be a news meeting
for the Noon bulletin as early as possible – say 9.30.
If we treat web delivered
news services like wires and broadcast programmes as feeds then these need to be
monitored and producers allocated to producing these for transmission. Editors
need to make sure they have a number of spare stories in their running orders as
it is to be expected that material will not arrive or that links will go
down.
During the run up to
transmission the programme editor has to be kept up to date on the progress of
stories, developments, disasters and all.
As the programme nears
transmission the editor will assume editorial responsibility in the gallery and
oversee the production from a journalistic point of view, such as changing
information, altering the length of live segments and so
on.
After transmission it is
important the editor calls a brief meeting with all the crew to discuss what was
good, what was bad and what problems people had. This post match analysis is
perhaps the most important part of the educational process and is what happens
in every newsroom everyday.
As the Noon programme editor
finishes the afternoon editor should already be up and running, using material
from the morning, possibly re-cut and certainly updated. They should also have
items not available to the Noon producer so giving their programme a different
look.
They will probably have had
a team meeting of dedicated staff (producer, presenter, chief video editor) by
11.00, when the Noon running order has settled down and they have some idea on
the progress of new material. There
should be a further briefing for the PM team after they have “come down” from
the Noon bulleting and had a short break.
The Noon producer cannot
just slope off! Now they have to think about the next programme and send out a
reporter and camera person to start making material for
tomorrow.
PROGRAMME
PRODUCER
The role here is to act as
the eyes and ears of the team. Keeping the editor appraised of what is going on,
overseeing the allocation of work to individuals, reviewing their scripts and
co-ordinating all written material into the scriptcue.
Where possible they should
work with their editor looking for stories for their next bulletin. If needed
they might have to work on the alternate programme but where possible they
should be free to work with their editor, perhaps taking a very minor role
helping in the alternate bulletin.
PRODUCERS
These people work below
their programme producer and deal with the nuts and bolts of reading the wires,
sourcing pictures and footage, talking to reporters about their pieces , writing
their links and acquiring any extra materials the reporter needs (music, stills,
library footage).
They may also be asked to
conduct interviews off camera or on the phone. They would also be expected to
book guests for interview and liaise with them to get to linked studios or
vehicles for interview by a main presenter or reporter.
VIDEO
EDITORS
The video editors are
responsible for cutting the stories seen on screen or other footage used with
voice over – whether live or pre recorded. They are responsible for ensuring
producers, with whom they will work, have all the correct technical information
on the story – in and out words, duration, early out, caption information and
timings.
One editor will be
responsible for all the video material in the bulletin - including titles - making sure that
all the stories are delivered to the gallery in time and then running them on
cue.
PRESENTERS
For simplicity we will only
be using one presenter on each programme. As well as being the face of the
programme they will be expected to work alongside their colleagues, writing
material, working with editors and contributing to the ideas meeting. Also, they
will be expected to conduct live interviews and may even shoot interviews on
camera near the office.
STUDIO
The conversion of the Annexe
into a newsroom / studio will involve putting cameras and gallery control
equipment Clearly compromises will
have to be made to fit the equipment in and of course it would be a soundproof
environment. However, the priority is for the students to feel they are running
a newsroom from where they transmit programmes.
The equipment should emulate
a proper studio with cameras, lights, autocue, sound, play-in facilities, a
remote studio and a radio camera resource for links to The
Street.
Space for 20 people is going
to be a problem and students will have to be encouraged to store personal
baggage elsewhere.