would you vo

[LGW]

OK..the scene is a large gas main break, on fire and a backhoe is in the middle of the fire, you are about, you have a great shot...reporter is 45 min's out...you've established your microwave path and are listening to ifb

Do you:

a. give info to desk to pass on to a writer and have an anchor vo your live pix

b. slap on a lav and discribe the scene yourself, yes your voice will be on air

are photog's willing\allowed to vo breakers at your station?

i know city-tv (toronto) used to use "vj's"
for featurish stuff. one man band with a twist. the "one man band" was a photog reporting and not a reporter shooting. any views on that one?

 

[Anton Saur]

I'd do whatever the desk had assigned me to do. I'd let the desk know that if they want a live pic, I would have it ready for them.

 

[The Old Guy]

Make the shot available as soon as possible and let them figure out the rest.

Once I arrived on scene at a very large fire 40 minutes from base, at about 11:10PM. I called in to say it was huge and they put me on hold. Next thing I know I was doing a phone interview describing the scene as the anchor stood next to map. All I did was try to describe the very large scale of the fire without saying anything I couldn't confirm. They seemed happy. The live truck had gone home for the night.

 

[SeattleShooter]

I have seen photogs here in Seattle go live...but only over the phone. I think it is just another tool in the "first here" attitude. I would do it if I were asked.

[ August 25, 2004, 11:48 AM: Message edited by: SeattleShooter ]

 

[SeattleShooter]

One more thing, what is the reporter doing 45min away? Cant they find someone who is not as far away?

 

[JYT]

If its good enough we do phoners with photogs but prefer to use a fire chief or someone else.

Any port in a storm though, if a photog is what we got then a photog is what we got!

 

[ewink]

I wouldn't see how this would be a problem. A photog is a journalist too.

It would be preferable to do a live interview with an authority type person, but if you can't you can either give the info to the desk and have them write something for the anchors to read or ask to VO it yourself.

I think VO'ing it yourself would give it more of a breaking news feel. (ie my god this is so fresh they have to have a photog report it!)

In April a Formosa Chemical plant near Springfield exploded. One of our competitors from Decatur had someone who lived near there. He met up with the live truck and went on live. I think he was a salesman or something, but not sure. I do know he wasn't an on-air personality. If anyone from WAND wants to correct me on this, feel free.

[ August 25, 2004, 10:56 PM: Message edited by: ewink ]

 

[Lenslinger]

At my shop, it's not unheard of for a photog to turn a live camera on himself and report in the case of extremely breaking news. Sure, it's not textbook TV journalism but I've seen it make the difference in beating the other station to the punch. Just make sure to slip a station jacket over that Doors t-shirt before you do - otherwise management will be all up in your face with unwanted wardrobe advice.

 

[btsatman]

I hate to bring up anything that the enemy did, but once we had a consultant show us a tape of a station somewhere in Florida. They had a photog that did regular live shots. His name was Ralph, and they called it Ralph Cam. He would wear a lav, and talk about what he was shooting, and then every once in a while, he would stick his hand into frame, and point at something.
This was a regular, every day thing, he would always VO the story, and the most you would ever see of him was his arm to point things out.
That's the way I would do it, as long as you don't have to see me, I can tell you what's going on.

 

[focusthis]

My God, man! Do you realize what you've written?

I think VO'ing it yourself would give it more of a breaking news feel. (ie my god this is so fresh they have to have a photog report it!)

- ewink

Remember when "Breaking News" was something immediate, and that "crews are headed to now"? Aside from the one-man-bands, having a photog report could easily be taken advantage of, and bastardized like the breaking news label.


If my face is the only video available to the viewers, I've got more work to do.

 

[ewink]

lol....

I wasn't talking about putting a face on camera. My god, if my face was on camera it could be the second coming of Christ and people would turn it off...

But I do see your point...

 

[Special K]

I'll be happy to provide the folks back at the station with a live picture and some information so the anchor can do a good story. But under no circumstance will my voice or likeness appear on air. My voice sounds horrid on TV and I don't have the right look. So I stick to what I'm good at doing--making pictures and telling stories. Plus I like being anonymous.

 

[Brock Samson]

The first station I worked at was so small, I shot news, produced commercials, was talent for noon newstalk and sports interviews, and directed the evening newscast!

Talk about cheap!

 

[str8shooter13]

We haven't done it here yet, but I once saw a tape from OK of a photog doing LIVE talkback while shooting a spot news event. I thought it was pretty effective for that event. I wouldn't have a problem clipping on a mic while I shoot LIVE if it was the best way to tell the story.

 

[addixicon]

Our Station manager loves this (photogs describing a live scene),its like amatuer video or something. We call it POV(its even got its own graphic banner). Ive done a number of them, as has our other shooters. It has turned out well most everytime. Its nerve racking though, Ive found a new respect for those on the front end of the lens. One of our ex photogs (Billy) was describing an impromptu Political Battle (Sign wavers on either side of the street) Anchor asks something like, "Billy, although its a heated battle, it looks as though they are haveing a good time!" Billy, "They are having a ggod time, but I dont think I'd bring a date here." It makes for some nice live random humor.
BTW focusthis, it could be bastardized and probably has been, but we are not doing it so much that we'd require a talent fee. I like to take ownership, its a pride thing, I dont deny credit when Ive produced, shot, written and edited a NatSound piece. I mean its a rare occasion when a photog gets on air credit for his/her work.

[ February 17, 2005, 11:20 AM: Message edited by: addixicon ]

 

[focusthis]

I agree, it's always a shot in the arm to get positive feedback on a job well done. A terrific natsound piece, being first on scene and on air, etc. I've not done this "POV" type stuff, but it sounds exciting. What I'm worried about is that this type of coverage will get out of hand. Those of us with little experience in this area will miss something important because of the distraction of being live. (Isn't management attracted to this style because it's immediate and not polished like a reporter's delivery??) A white balance, a mic level, the lightning behind you, the distracted driver headed your way? I've already heard (not seen; true) an example that sounds like the photog might not have been doing their best work. Why would you point to something in the frame, when you could zoom in? As for the urgency of the news event, if you have time to joke around, it doesn't sound like a national emergency.

Look, if anyone wants to cover the county fair like this, fine. Enjoy, have a great time. But what are you going to say when you get the pink slip for cursing on air as your tripod falls over?

 

[addixicon]

It IS a distraction to run camera and actually think and talk at the same time, the problem is not doing these things all at once, the hard part is not sounding like a fool while doing it. The appeal IS the "unpolished" feel of it, the adlibbing, the immediacy, and most of all, having a presence (even if it is just a photog on scene). As far as missing crucial information, I would be sure to tape a few bullet points under my viewfinder, just so I wouldnt miss anything...the anchor questions help though, as long as you are prepared for them.

 

[LongTimePhotog]

I did it once...bad weather moving in and the clouds were rotating...described it live to the weather guy and said the clouds looked like the skies from independance day when the ailen ships were coming...he said...I didn't see that movie...I responded well you should have, it was great...never did another one.

 

[2000lux]

Ha ha ha!

I haven't done it yet, but I shoot so many packages on my own, including hard news, that I'm staring to consider doing stand ups.

Today I did a court package about a convicted child molesting priest going in for sentancing all by my self. The reporter who wrote it while I went out and shot some more stuff wanted to do a stand up. Rather than drive five miles to do it on location, we did it in our obsolete AB edit suite. He never left the building!

 

[photogtony]

yesterday I had a big controlled burn that got out of control, I went and shot vo, then I established a live signal so I could feed my video, I let them know that I could have a live picture ready at the top of the show. The anchor fronted the live vid then read over the vo, looked very nice and worked out for me because I got brownie points