Digital News - Project Evaluation

Project Evaluation

The new year saw new challenges to help build us up for life after university. This would be the first unit we are marked on for our final degree. For this unit we had to create a branded digital news channel and website on a subject of our choice. To help create this show we were put into groups of 4, each member with their own idea that they feel would work as a digital news show.

It was Troys idea that we went through with in the end, the idea was to create a branded show about contemporary art in London. The initial idea was to film at The Other Art Fair, which is an art event held for emerging artists looking to break into the art scene. This idea was scrapped due to lack of access and we needed to have all the pre production sorted in a quick time. Instead we got into contact with the Highgate Contemporary Art Gallery, who allowed us to film at one of their exhibitions as well as get access on another date as well.

I took up the role as director and script writer for this unit. I felt somewhat comfortable writing the script, I had plenty of resources to work from, Sammi provided a detailed list of questions she asked both Hannah, the gallery owner, and Jonathan, the artist. This formed the basis of my questions and also helped write the rest of the script. However there was a lot of changing around with the script and some parts I wish I could change if I could come back to it. For instance some of the dialogue in the News Package sounded like a live piece.

As director, there is a lot I changed about my approach to the news package that I did not do in the live. I felt rather unorganised during the live piece, some of it was just nerves but some was just me not knowing where to go next. There was a lot of changing around on the day, which is something I did not want to happen, as I did not plan where I'd be filming in the gallery specifically. The Package however went a lot smoother, I felt more organised. Research went into the gallery beforehand and I got plenty of coverage. There were changes made on the day but having a co-director on the day, Josh, really helped push the project forward without too many hitches.

For future reference, I'd like to spend a lot more time on planning everything we do before I get to the location and to plan for any future instances that may occur. I do not feel that directing was the best role I could have picked, but I would certainly like to explore it even more.

Digital News - News Package shoot

Brief Summary

The news package took a lot longer than the live to set up, organise and film as there was a lot more to consider in the ways of shots and sequences. We managed to film on every floor of the gallery including Hannah's studio and outside. Despite the larger obstacles, I felt a lot more prepared for this shoot and though it took a lot longer than the live, it definitely felt a lot easier to direct and organise each take thanks to the pre production beforehand.

My Role

Again, I took up the role as the director, alongside Josh. A shot list and a detailed script had been compiled so I knew what I was doing for the most part of the shoot. Some of the decisions made were last minute, such as where we would film the interview and how we would sequence all the scripted shots together but we couldn't help that for the most part. I liked how the sequencing came out in the end, it felt very fluid, on the day I could visualise how everything would fit together. However if I could do it again, I'd probably change some of the ideas and maybe some of the scripting, actually hearing what is on the script from somebody else felt very different to what had gone through my head, some elements sounded like it was from a live piece.

The Idea Summarised

The opening to the package was to have James, the presenter, walk through the high street towards the camera and the gallery introducing the area before going on to the gallery. James would then walk in and a voice over would play over some GV's and sequence shots. We would then see both James and gallery owner Hannah sitting opposite each other discussing the history of the gallery and how she took over. Throughout the interview a number of GV's would play over sections of the interview, matching what they say to the picture you see on the screen. There would also be different angles and noddies so the package doesn't drone on too much and feels more active.

Digital News - Live News shoot

Brief Summary

Despite taking just an hour to shoot on set, with gaps in between, shooting the live seemingly took all day to prepare for, accounting for things like using Troy as a reporter on the live despite lack of experience on camera. Despite a few hitches along the way, I am happy with how the live shoot turned out. We got plenty of interviews to choose from as we got a number of different takes and with various GV's of almost the whole gallery, we are more than capable of hiding any unwanted camera movement and, if need be, to cut between two or more takes while giving the illusion that it is all one take.

My Role

My role as the director of the live piece was to pick the most beneficial spot to film from to not only get the best image, but also to keep out the way of numerous visitors who have come to view the artwork on display. Ideas were constantly changing with each take and some questions would change with each answer given so preparing in the moment became difficult. Communications would break down from time to time so I'm not overly happy with how I played out my role as the director, I didn't always feel prepared and I would regularly lose track of where my ideas were heading when I had thought them through.

To ensure I didn't have the same problems on the next shoot, I thought over everything I had done right and how I can make them better and decided to work on things I didn't do so well. All in all I am happy with how the day went as a whole and I feel there is a lot I can take out of it, good and bad.

The Idea Summarised

The idea for the live is relatively simple, we would see Troy, the reporter, alongside our artist of the month and exhibition host Jonathan Davis discussing his artwork and his background. The two would be placed in front of one of the art pieces, preferably one of his favourites, so that we could talk about one of his works specifically, whether it be how he made it or what he likes about it. GV's will be used to hide unwanted camera movement as well as to emphasise his points and Troys questions.

Digital News - Pre Production

Having discussed the idea, it was time to begin the pre production stage of our project. For digital news, we had to organise our location, reporters and presenters, people to interview, a script and a shot list. But the biggest thing we needed was a finalised idea that we can work with and will work as a digital news show that people will watch and enjoy.

My Task

We all had our own tasks to get through to best prepare for our shoot. My task was to write the script and help create the shot list with Sammi (on camera) and Josh (my co-director). My job was particularly important as it forms the core of the whole project, the storytelling.

Sammi had got in contact with the gallery about filming and got the thumbs up from them. To help write the script, Sammi visited the gallery to speak to the owner, Hannah, about the gallery and asked questions about both her and the gallery. All this was then typed up and helped form part of the script. The same was done with artist Jonathan Davis who had allowed us to interview him at his private viewing. This helps when actually filming as the interviewees will already know the questions and will be able to answer them in more confidence, knowing exactly what to say in the instance.

As one of the directors, it helped to have a shot list ready so I know what I should be filming, how it should be shot and how long it will be. Sammi and Josh did most of the shot list while I simply added my own suggestions based on what I had included in the script.

Digital News - Research into Digital News Shows 2

Noisey (VICE)

Noisey is a youtube channel associated with VICE that discusses the latest music and gets background on the artists lifestyle. Content includes, but is not limited to; digital news, documentaries, reviews and behind the scenes.

The channel launched in January 2012 and started off by uploading official music videos and song teasers, the former still being a large portion of their most popular uploads. Active series include Noisey Raps, a show where rappers discuss upcoming music, how they create it and behind the scenes. The show aims to bring you information on the biggest artists, rising stars and even some international artists, helping to promote the genre to the rest of the world.

I've been looking at ideas on how they shoot both their news pieces and even their documentaries, some further improving my knowledge on how a digital news show is structured and some on how to script a news package. Most of my research on Noisey went towards the package as there are no live pieces on this channel.

Digital News - Script Writing lecture

A little while back we had a script writing workshop with Helen and Zoe Sales where we learned how to write a script for a news show. There were a number of things we had to consider when writing a news script which may differ from writing for other forms of visual media. These include:

Alliteration

Avoid repetition

Wordplay

Rule of three

Similes and metaphor

Personification

Exaggeration

Relatable comparisons

Remembering all of the following will enable me to write a script at a high quality that the audience can understand and will want to listen to.

Another important factor to consider when writing a script is accuracy. The viewers will want to trust that everything that is read to them is accurate and well researched. If you are going to present something as a fact, it must be checked to ensure that what you are writing is correct. It is also important to keep up to date, some things will change all the time and as the writer, you will need to keep on top of it to keep your audience updated. The facts you write must also be necessary to the topic you are writing about. It's no good educating people on the facts that have little to nothing to do with the story.

Even the small details of a script can be vitally important. The lead of your story needs to be attention grabbing, you want your audiences to stay tuned for what is about to come up next. For news shows like Sky, BBC and ITV, the opening to a story is important when competing against other news broadcasters in order to gain the most attention. To keep this attention, information must be concise and to the point, viewers will switch off at the sight of statistic upon statistic, it's boring. It also helps to be a little creative as well.

Digital News - What is a news package?

A news package is a self-contained news item where the story and the reporter are presented through a multitude of filming techniques that go beyond a simple interview or piece to camera. It adds character and entertainment value, it engages the audience a lot more than any other form of news reading. A good package will contain things from interviews, to voice overs, GV's and maybe even some visual effects.

Ultimately the way you shoot your package will depend on what's necessary to the story and what will benefit the audience most. However it can be useful to structure the piece like you would a written essay for example, starting with a good introduction, a body of argument with background information and expert opinions for example and something to conclude the story with. It makes it easier for the audience to understand without the need for further explanation.

However, just like any other form of filmmaking, storytelling is at the very heart of your news package and you should treat it the same as you would with any other creative piece of work. There are a number of things you should consider as well when telling your story; how you introduce your characters; how you will engage the audience and be sure to entertain as well as inform to make the information more palatable.

So to summarise, be clear who you are making your news platform for and begin to research possible stories utilising relevant online resources.

Digital News - The Idea We Went With

The idea we decided to go through with was Troys idea to create an online news show about art. The initial idea was to film at The Other Art Fair, which is an art event held for emerging artists looking to break into the art scene. The event was due to take place in London from the 6th to 9th October. We were also looking at going to another gallery to film the second half of the show.

However the other art fair organisers never got back to us resorting to new ideas. Having discussed the idea with the group a little more, we came to a decision to narrow the idea down to contemporary art so it's not so broad. To narrow it down even more, we decided to keep it to the south east so there's less traveling and not such a wide scope to look at. Sammi then brought up the Highgate Contemporary Art Gallery, a gallery owned by one of her former students and good friends, Hannah.















When looking into the gallery a little more, we saw that there is an art exhibition starting out around the same time we had planned on started filming, Jonathan Davis' Panta Rhei exhibition. On deciding to film both the gallery and the exhibition, we decided on a basis for our show, the Artist and Gallery of the month. We got into contact with Jonathan and the gallery to see if it would be possible to do an interview with Jonathan and to film around the gallery, which they allowed us to do.

Digital News - Research into Digital News shows

Screen Junkies

Screen Junkies is a youtube channel which hosts various shows to do with film and television today. They provide the latest news and reviews on a multitude of content from the big screen and the small screen. Some of the shows are just a bit of fun and a laugh, such as honest trailers where they take a film/television series, new or old, and make a mockery of it, picking holes wherever they can. However they also bring up more newsworthy topics such as the new Deadpool 2 director and what is known about other upcoming films.

It was this show (as well as others such as CinemaSins) that gave me the idea of creating a show around cinema and television. I wanted to focus on the biggest films as well as smaller, lesser known films. I wanted to follow the idea of setting the show in a small studio room with sofas and films posters etcetera to give it a more relaxed and informal feel while still keeping it informative.

There are a number of interviews with actors and actresses about their latest film and they get a lot of background and behind the scenes to these films. This was not what I was looking to follow as access to behind the scenes footage would have been difficult to come by and finding someone to give us background to a film that is yet to be released would have also been difficult to organise.