Workbook 2nd week

09/11/2020 : We talked about videos on COVID and had to chose one in group and say what we liked most about it. Then we talked about the news angle and how to find one, which we alread learned about in the 1st module of the Journalism course but it was more focused on writing while here it was on video. Angles are focusing on an aspect of a large topic. Angles can be found in stats, surveys, studies, reports, events.Human interest should be added because it can make a great angle. Angles can also be a large topic reduced to a local area. It can also be the most recent or surprising part of a story.

The types of angles : National angle, Local angle (ex : how people or businesses will be affected), new development (ex : new element to a story, updates, like in stories about a new bill or a crime story or example), human interest (social issues, emotions), consequences, progress, eminence or prominence (emerging trends), conflict (of any kind, opposite points, controversies), Timing (events : Samhain, Christmas etc…)

In groups we had to think about two angles about the COVID topic : our 1st angles was about how this 2nd lockdown has much less impact on our daily lives as it is less strict, the schools are open etc… 2nd one about the student’s protests and riots agains tthe lack of security measures in schools.

Structure of the storyline : flatline : add quotes, “she said”, “critics disagree”…, Arc : add a question, deliver a surprising answer, selling the story so everyone wants to listen until the end. Divide in Acts : Dividing the story in three levels : beginning, middle, end. or by visiting 3 different places.Eample : Asking questions at the beginning of the event and going back to the same people to ask oher questions and see what’s different. Example for a football game : Beginning : pregame, fans, setting the scene Middle : what happens during the game End : interviews with players, celebrations. Signpost structure : being clear, telling the audience why they should keep listening, resume everything said so far, break question in smaller parts.

To make the change of “acts : change of area, change of character, change of focus. Example: News story – normal person facing a problem, then expert or person in charge etc… then back to the normal person.

SEQUENCE AND SHOTS : shots = building of scenes (different types of shots, full, medium, form the bottom etc…) Scenes (1 location, contains multiple shots) = outside the place, inside the place and action scene. Sequence = series of scenes built with shots.

SOUND AND MUSIC : natural sounds, natural shots, music if enhances a person’s point of view if it’s ambience, if it evokes a place or time, if integral to the story, Don’t use if it manipulates emotions or thoughts, to make people sympathize (bc biased) if it is cliché or to amplify emotions. Since journalism is more factual music is not that important but it can make the story more engaging, can make it more powerful.

Sound and music cannot save a bad story, the most important is the story, how it’s done, the strucutre, the interviews. Attention to abuse, fair use, consider copyright

During the first wave of the virus I was in the middle of my last year of high school. I started being really worried only when Emmanuel Macron announed the national lockdown and the closing of all schools. It was pretty overwhelming. I was worrying about my family obviously but also the final exams at schools, worried about what it would mean for the future. During the lockdown I had the chance to live in a house with most of my family and to have a forest just behind so I was rarely bored. I occupied my days with online lessons, going for walks, learning new languages, reading books, watching Netflix. I had the opportunity to develop myself and discover so much new things but in the last weeks of the lockdown it was mentally pretty hard, I redeveloped anxiety and was very sad even though I know the chance I had compared to others. No one I knew had been affected during the 1st wave and everything ended up well

I am still in France, I tried to call my old high school to ask an authorisation to go in, film, interview the students. I was refused due to te lockdown and the recent terrorist attacks

10/11/2020 : Rules of thirds for pictures : dividing pitures in 3 and placing the most interesting at the intersections rather than at the centre, (especially on the right upper part of the pic) There are also diagonals lines which can be used for example to show the dynamic or the movement

Cutaways : Time contrl, Focus, Reveal Info, Increase rension, Jump cuts, Errors can be creative ! Typical Interview cutawazys : Hands, Faces, Reverse shots

GVs

Angle : comment le lycée s’organise en plein confinement et comment les élèves se sentent ?

Piece to camera shoot : centre of the camera, looking directly at it, generally for reporters on camera, when speaking keep it short, avoid writing or memorising (just small notes), choose the perfect background (not necessarly beautiful, just related to the topic)h

11/11/2020 : I sent an email to another high school in my town, I was again refused for the same reasons as on Monday.

180 rule : line of action (180 degrees angle)

3 shot sequences : baiscally starting from a wide shot, a detailed one and a close shot

5 shot sequence : close up on a detail : What ?, closeup on face, WHO, wide shot WHERE, over the shoulder, unusual shot (be creative to show something else, crawl, stand on achair etc…), Interview shot

My local covid : I’m planning to go in a high school in order to do my story on the new restrictions or the lack of restrictions that a lot of studetns and teacher have been callin out. In the past few days there has been a lot of studetns riots and yesterday there was a teacher strike. Following the studetns riots the government announced that classes would be partially online from Thursday. I would like to ask the students opinion on this, how they are doing and also the teacher’s and I would like to interview the principal