How To Write A Piece To Camera
This is a guest postal service from news and documentary filmmaker Christian Parkinson. Christian has been in the game for over 15 years and has seen his work win a number of awards and be shortlisted for an International Emmy.
This article on shooting pieces to camera for news and documentary is an excerpt from his new ebook Camera Confidential: How to Succeed every bit a Video Announcer which can exist ordered here. Information technology's a cracking guide that aims to encompass the nuts (and not-then-basics) of the skills you'll need to survive and thrive as a videojournalist in today's hectic news surround.
Nosotros don't all take an experienced colleague who'due south willing to share their experiences and wait out for the states on the task – think of this book every bit the next all-time thing.
The Piece to Camera
The good former-fashioned stand-up, the piece to camera, is probably the about overused chemical element of news packages. This is where the reporter (or you, if you are a self-shooting journalist) gets to show their face in the video and prove to the viewer that they are really at the scene, earning the big bucks. Personally I hate them and feel that their use is rarely justified. That's a sentiment that can make me very unpopular with colleagues – some just desire to tell a proficient story in the best way possible while others thrive on seeing themselves on screen.
In fairness, the PTC has get such an integral part of how people think a news piece should be structured that if you transport a film to a traditional broadcaster without one, inevitably the bosses will ask why and frequently force yous to put one in. Don't get me wrong, when done well and with good reason a stand-upwardly can be brilliant – the trouble is that many fall into the category of, 'I'm standing in front of this sign with nothing new or important to add.'
How tin can you make them piece of work?
The aim of a skillful piece to camera is oft to link two thoughts and to bridge between two sequences. BBC shooter Nick Woolley looks at it this way:
'When producing a story, the reporter – or more relevantly the broadcasting company – wants to own the story to some degree. Nosotros desire the story to exist "our story" rather than but a story that we tripped over and fell head-first into. Ofttimes a news story involves a few twists and turns, a variety of interlocking threads. Our job collectively is to ensure a strong, cohesive link between these threads. Often a piece to camera is the all-time and easiest way of turning a sharp corner in the centre of a slice. I say in the eye because historically pieces to photographic camera always reared up at the terminate of the slice, complete with the reporter sign off. I call up that the fact that they are now more often found in the trunk of the study indicates a different, new and somewhat welcome approach to the stand-upwardly as a device. Together with making a left plough in the motion picture more bearable information technology makes the viewer, albeit subconsciously, expect on the reporter as someone who is actively involved in the story and someone who has bothered to get off his backside and detect out what is going on.'
I concord with Nick, in my stance the best pieces to camera are those that fit naturally into the film without disrupting the visual flow. In other words they should be congenital into the sequence, office of the activity. Try to seize the moment. While you're out filming, continue the reporter mic'd-up and ready just in case something happens. For case if you are in a war zone you never know when the action might showtime. When it does you won't have time to be angling in your run bag for a mic. Be prepared at all times.
The reality is that rarely do we get to shoot stand-ups in the right place, at the right time. Instead nosotros are forced to brand something from nothing after the activity has finished. Often we are in the wrong place all together – I've had to shoot pieces to photographic camera in a completely different country from where the story is happening because nosotros physically couldn't get in that location in time (Exist certain to make it clear where y'all are though or viewers may feel tricked). The challenge is to bring these actionless stand up-ups to life. There are many means to do this: I beloved to use movement (when the story warrants information technology), putting a wireless lapel mic on the reporter and walking with them downwards the road. If that's not possible then maybe I'll expect for an interesting foreground – something relevant between the lens and the discipline that adds an extra visual dimension. If all else fails then you tin can't become wrong with a colourful, out-of-focus background behind the reporter – shoot them on the long lens with the iris about wide open. Shooter and editor, Guy Siggers:
'I volition e'er try and steer people abroad from static stand ups. Even if it's only a simple pan, I experience the piece to camera needs action and should provide detail or free energy. But in the new digital age nosotros're at present exploring means to engage with a different audience. Shorter PTCs, multiple PTCs can bring interest into a piece, engaging the viewer and belongings their attention. In a sterile location, bringing the contributor into frame from a pulled-focus foreground with a tedious minimal movement tin can be squeamish, whereas in action situations handheld is king and can aid the energy along. Beingness creative and non following convention has never been more than important.'
Nick Woolley adds:
'We can use reflections, wide shot cutting to tight shot with something like a natural wipe of a car passing through frame, or we tin can use motion to brand the viewer detect that something is happening on the screen that warrants their attention.'
Be willing to experiment, don't autumn into the trap of always doing static mid shots. Find new angles, new approaches. Certain, once in a while you may get criticised and told that you lot did something 'whacky', but if you are worried and then shoot two versions: a 'straight' 1 and an edgy, creative i. That way nobody can complain.
When directing a less-experienced reporter, try to assistance them relax. Memorising a script word-for-discussion tin can be a bad arroyo – it doesn't sound natural. A PTC should be conversational and engaging. If they are walking, make sure they start to walk before they outset talking, otherwise it tin can wait very awkward. As well, as shooter Colm Manus says:
'Always fuss over people. Even if someone's tie is directly let them know you lot've checked information technology, or if someone's necklace is crooked permit them know so they can fix it. People will always appreciate it if y'all get the extra mile to brand them look good.'
Which mic should you lot employ?
As with all filming, you must cull the right microphone for the job. Mostly, for a piece to camera, I use a radio lapel-mic – information technology looks tidier and leaves the reporter'due south hands free. If it's windy and then sometimes I will use a directional stick-mic (like a Sennheiser MKH 60 or 416) with a fluffy windcover, only no affair what happens I'll be sure to frame the 'dead dog' out of the picture, as I think filming a fluffy windcover in a shot should exist a sackable offence unless in that location is admittedly no other culling!
Shooting your ain piece to camera
And what well-nigh VJs shooting their own PTCs? I've had to shoot a number of my own and I know how hard it is. In that location are different means you tin approach them. I'm a fan of the 'selfie'-style – i.due east. property a modest photographic camera at arms length and looking back on myself – you lot need a lightweight camera and long artillery for this.
I shoot these types of stand-ups with consumer compacts that have wide-bending lenses – you tin can as well utilise a small sports camera like a GoPro. If it's non windy or you are indoors then you can sometimes get abroad with just using the camera'due south internal mic to record sound. Simply my communication would be to put a mic on, record the sound into a sound recorder, and and then sync information technology up during the edit.
If you are looking to brand a more than traditional PTC then be certain to set your focus to manual, marker the spot where you lot want to stand up, ask somebody to stand on that spot for a moment so that you tin prepare focus, and and then go for it. If nobody is available to stand in, and then put your kit handbag or a lighting stand up on the spot and focus on that. These PTCs are better if you have a flip-out screen so that you tin can still bank check your framing while filming – if you don't, just exist certain to cheque it back subsequently and brand sure it looks and sounds good.
Source: https://www.newsshooter.com/2016/01/07/how-to-shoot-a-piece-to-camera-guest-post-by-christian-parkinson/
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