Educators

Lesson 5: Setting Up a Live Shot

Prepared by Dom Caristi , Ball State University

Objectives

• To get students to think about the elements that make a live shot more compelling
• To recognize that all live shots are not breaking news events but all must be handled professionally

Teaching Materials
Three videos are included:

• Video 1: About 2 minutes long, includes interviews with an assignment editor and two producers, looking at how they choose which stories to do live and what they want from the piece.
  
• Video 2: About 4 minutes long, focuses on the logistics of a live shot for the reporter and photog/technician.
  
• Video 3: About 3 minutes long, discusses what the reporter and photog think about when doing a live shot.
  
• Handout: Producing good lives shots + assignment outline.

Instructor’s Guide
Most news classes don’t have access to live reporting equipment, but you can still simulate many of the conditions. This assignment is designed to be introduced in one class (30-45 minutes of class time), be completed in the subsequent class (the full 50 or 75 minutes) and evaluated/discussed in the following 50-75 minute class session. In cases where classes meet once/week for an extended time (like three hours), this can all be accomplished in one class meeting.

Part 1: Why Go Live?
Some events are breaking news that must be covered live, but these are actually the minority of live shots. Many live shots are actually news packages that are presented live from the scene by a reporter. Television news operations like to schedule live shots for every newscast because they believe they add immediacy and urgency to the program. Stations promote their use of live coverage because some consultants tell them the viewers want live stories.

Show Video #1 – discuss content

Part 2: Better Live Shots
Let’s face it, though – not every story covered live is visually interesting. The story might be extremely newsworthy but the presentation may be lackluster. How many times have you seen a live shot delivered next to a sign or brick wall? This does nothing to advance the story. The reporter’s responsibility is to use the location in the best way possible to tell the story.

Show Video #2 – discuss content and share handout with various ways to choreograph a live shot.

Here are some possibilities:

• Show, don’t tell. Is there something you can do or point to that will help the viewer better understand?
• Move. A live stand-up does not always imply “stand still.” Is there a way that the reporter can present the story by moving through a location?
• Plan the camera angle. The background of a shot is your choice – it should not be an accident.
• Provide variety. If you will be seen at the beginning and end of the piece, would two different angles from the same location provide more information than just one? Is there something you can do differently?

Show video #3 – discuss content.

Advise students that they will be going in the field for the next class to put this into practice (if this will be done in one day, be sure you have prepared them the previous class period). They ought to recognize that they will go regardless of weather conditions so they need to be prepared. If students check out video gear for use in your class, each team will need to come to class with the equipment, ready to go.

Part 3: The Exercise
On the day of the exercise, divide the class into teams of two. It is up to you whether you assign teams or let them choose for themselves, but each team should have a reporter and a shooter. Each team is given a location within a short distance (less than 10 minutes travel time) and a story that they will be covering “live.” Each team should have a video camera. Each team will be expected to go to the designated location and record a tease for their story, a stand-up open and close, all of which should be done “live” (no re-recording). Teams should each cover different stories, which they randomly draw. Some possible stories:

• Your library just received the collected papers of Donald Hall, U.S. Poet Laureate
• Your university’s star athlete was just selected in the pro draft of his sport
• The Board of Trustees has just voted to raise tuition 10 percent for next academic year
• An outbreak of food poisoning has been traced to the egg salad served at the nearest cafeteria
• A Rich alumnus just donated $5 million for the construction of a bell tower on campus (if you already have one, how about a fountain/plaza honoring faculty?)
• U.S. News & World Report has just named your school as a “best buy” on its annual list of colleges and universities
• The university’s computer system has been hacked and 1,000 students’ personal information is now at risk
• Construction begins tomorrow on the main road into campus – major headaches are expected
• A student from a residence hall (choose the closest one) has been diagnosed with tuberculosis and is now at the hospital undergoing treatment
• Earlier today at a press conference that you attended, the university president announced that s/he will be resigning at the end of this semester to accept the position of Secretary of Education in the U.S. President’s cabinet.

Part 4: The Wrap Up
In the following class period you should have each team announce to the class the story they were assigned, why they chose the location they did, and what difficulties they encountered. Then show the video. Invite students from other teams to comment. Encourage critical thinking – not just “the framing was bad” – but what could have been done to make it better. Especially encourage them to comment about whether the segments advance the story. You may have to “prime the pump” a time or two.

© RTNDF Educator in the Newsroom Lesson Plans