Tom Hepworth reporting for BBC South Today.
Tom, a video journalist and frontline presenter at BBC South Today relayed advice to WINOL’s news team as he talked through how to construct a news package, create television friendly pictures and how to be as innovative as possible in difficult situations. For example, Tom followed a story on a new tennis gizmo device which could store used tennis balls, keeping them refreshed and ready for action again. In a limited space (a tennis court) and on his own he produced close ups, high angles and low shots of the two tennis developers playing, which cut together very well. He also conditioned a three part piece to camera (in tennis attire), by splitting what he had to say into three compartments – and then by twisting the camera onto different backgrounds and remembering where his words finished from the last point, this added to the visual. Other assets to his armoury in terms of the reporting he showed us were as follows:
- Try pull to focuses, particularly good when you have two definitive objects in the fore and background: referring to Tom’s piece on a man – who ran his small business of providing care for people (the catch was he had to walk to many of a destination). When undertaking the filming for the piece, the interviewee had to play ball so to speak to do a variety of sequence shots – which added to the story’s humour. Tom was also asked – does the BBC check the legitimacy of story goers like that one? And he uttered yes to an extent as he followed the man to make sure he actually did do the long yards of walking in his job to his clients.
- Winchester Recession Story: Tom answered a problem I’ve had before, getting potential interviewees to go camera. His advice – to be as front with them as possible, to let them know what you want and your intentions from the offing. But more than anything, to just be nice to people.
- Another slice of advice which was memorable is that when you have to film or undertake a PTC in front of people (particularly children), just relax if they keep asking you questions as they are genuinely interested in what you are doing. For instance, if school children so happen to be on a summer break, tell them to come back in an hour (when you know you will be finished) so they cannot cause wholesale disruption. Additionally, if they want you to record something of them just do it and then show them to quash their first for television there and then.
- PTC advice: When doing a PTC on your own you need to get over the fear of doing it in front of people. Position yourself where you want it to be done, twist the side screen around and hold your hand where you are going to perform it. Then you are able to focus in on your hand, leaving it ready and waiting for the reporter to jump in front of the camera and perform.
- Try and mix up your camera work with low shots and handhelds. For the handheld camerawork hold the camera into your chest to stop the movement of the shot being jerky.
The hints and tips Tom provided the WINOL team with were invaluable and for me particularly they were aspiring and very motivational. Below is a link to my allotment based story I recently produced and featured are Toms standout comments about my work:
Please watch the package first here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/StuApplebyWINOL#p/a/u/2/GPiLqXATlIM
- First two shot didn’t work over the top of the woman’s clip – it would have been better to set up the camera behind her so you couldn’t see her mouth moving but could see she was talking to you and your reaction to her work.
- Walking set-up shot – editing grammar – let the interviewee leave the picture before taking the talking head.
- Next time when you are filming a sequence – get shots of different variety – high angles- close-ups – high-up – long shot – behind the subject and a shot of the face.
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