12.4: On-camera Standup

The on-camera standup, an evening news staple, is not something many print journalists look forward to. Occasionally, however, it may be necessary, especially when covering breaking news or a major sporting event. For best results, do some planning and remember the following tips.

Content: Keep it short, of course, but try to provide something extra for the audience. Instead of saying there was an accident on I-10 and the trucker was hauling chickens, you might add that they were running all over the highway and that the officers at the scene were bent over laughing. Print reporters often want to keep the good details for their written story, but shouldn’t.

Write a script and warm-up: Even if you are reporting on location from a breaking news event, there are always a few minutes to run through a rehearsal before the tape rolls. If there isn’t time to write a script, at least jot down an outline with the major points that you need to cover.

Be stable, breathe easy: Posture is important, so be sure you’re standing up or sitting as straight as possible and that your chin is parallel to the floor. Relax your shoulders but try not to move them too much while talking. Breathe from your stomach and diaphragm, not your chest.

Talk with your hands: The most successful on-camera personalities exude personality and appear conversational. Using hand gestures is an easy way to add some informality and will help you feel a little more “normal” during the recording.

Find the right location: Ideally, you will find a spot that is not too busy, or loud or poorly lit. If you are going out in public, look for a setting that contributes to the story by adding an “environmental” element. But remember to ask for permission to tape if that spot is on private property.

Whether you are “on location” or in your office building, think sound and lighting first. If the on-camera subject will be wearing a wireless mike, you can get away with some environmental noise (but not a lot). If you have some heavy duty lighting equipment, you can shoot anywhere indoors and even compensate for indirect sunlight outdoors. If you don’t have good external lights, make sure you pick a location that fully lights the subject. You don’t want any backlighting or shadows on the subject’s face.

Assignment

1. Practice interviewing someone you know with a recorder (tape or digital). Write some pre-interview questions first, then review the interview and listen to how well you manage the flow of the conversation and listen for things you wish you would or wouldn’t have done.
2. Find a video news report online. Watch it while paying close attention to when the narrator speaks and what the narrator says. How could you make it better? Write out a new script and practice reading it into a recorder. Then play it back with the video playing without sound and see how well you did.