Story Structure

Story Structure

My VT is based on Sunday league football referee’s who receive a lot of a abuse from the players and fans who are watching, mainly due to them thinking the referee made the wrong decision. I have come up with a structure for the VT which I believe will make it easier for viewers to watch and will keep them focused on the story. Charlie Brooker’s How to Report News inspired me to come up with this structure, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHun58mz3vI[1]

This YouTube clip shows how straight forward a generic news package is, and how the most basic of things makes it seem so professional. The package starts off with a establishing shot, I haven’t used this idea due to the majority of my filming being at Hough End playing fields, an establishing shot wouldn’t be necessary or effective in this case. The package then goes on to a piece to camera which is essential in news packages as it informs the viewers what the package is about and who it is exactly who’s reporting it. I will go with this set up and start the news package with a piece to camera, informing the viewers of what the package will be about. The next step was a general view with a voice over in the background. I again will adapt to this approach and have two or three general views whilst the reporter does a voice over, explaining the topic in a bit more depth. The Charlie Brooker news package then states that the majority of news packages will then have a graphics page based on facts and statistics, I think this is a good technique as it will give evidence and will back up the reporters voice over from early on, so it doesn’t leave any doubt in the viewers mind the reporter knows what he’s talking about.

The next part of the package claims to show more general views with some fast cut editing which I won’t be following, this is mainly because there is a limit to how long our packages can be, and would prefer to have more meaningful stuff in the VT than more general views with voice overs. They then cut to Vox Pops of three people then quickly cut back to more general views with a voice over, I will intend to spend more time on the vox pops and interviews so therefore won’t be following this aspect of the package. The news package then contains an interview with some general views played over the voices of the interview which is a part I will include in my structure, it makes the interview less dull and attracts the viewers attention more than just having a interview with no general views. To end the news package, they end it with another piece to camera which then focuses on something different other than the presenter once he’s finished, I again will use this technique but won’t take the focus off the presenter as he’s the main role in the VT.

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[1] BBC. (2010). Charlie Brooker's How to Report the News - Newswipe - BBC Four. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHun58mz3vI. Last accessed 12th May 2012.