Context of Our News Story

A major factor that we need to consider is the context in which our News Story is going to be given in; is it going to be a ‘News Flash’ or an actual ‘News report’ for the daily news?

The context that we choose will determine the language our actors use (present or past tense), the information given (i.e. what the script is made up of) and the format for which the report follows.

The reports watched for research were all from the late 1980’s and more specifically 1989, as this is the year our news report will be broadcast in the film.

Research into News Flash

From watching many 80’s news flashes it is evident that unlike the news today, the news flashes did not contain that much content in terms of footage.

News Flash Title Card

Example of News Flash looked at:  Kegworth Plane Crash (1989) BBC News Flash- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLh7bMnlNyU

This report for example only involves a main news reader sitting at his desk whilst communicating with other reporters and eye witnesses via the telephone. A simple graphic slide is put on the screen whilst they speak with an insert title displaying their name and ‘role’.

Anchor in Studio

Graphic Slide for Telephone Calls

Research into News Reports

The format of the daily news reports were very different to the news flashes, and of course were very different to today’s news. These reports contained much more information, contained footage and photographs to match what the news readers were talking about and even included reporters who were on-the-scene.

Example of News Report looked at: BBC Six O’clock News (extract), 17th October 1989

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvwdUmaBDZ4  (00:59 – 05:40; Report on Guilford and Woolwich Pub Bombings, 1989)

This report began with the anchor in the studio giving an introduction to the news story as a super imposed picture relating to the story appeared above her shoulder; Photographs also appeared full screen as you still heard the anchors voice. The news story progressed as a detailed report began, voiced by a separate reporter, as pre-recorded footage linking to news story played. It was after this point that some reports progressed to a reporter on-the-scene.

Example: BBC1 6 o’clock news 1989 (6:46-Reporter outside Westminster) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbkusooBYD8

Anchor in Studio

Photographs flashed on screen

Beginning of Report Voice Over

Pre-Recorded Footage

All the reports that I watched followed this format and the camera angles and movements used for the pre-recorded footage were very basic. These used included; mid-shots, to show enough detail of an area in question, close-ups of important objects or people that needed to be identified and panning shots to establish a location being discussed. If we go for the ‘news report’ we should consider using these angles and movements.

DECISION: After looking at this research we concluded that an actual news report would be the best way to present the news of ‘Ruby’s’ death. (The kind that would be shown on the 6 o’clock news the day of her death) This is due to that fact that most of the reports followed the same format and we can replicate this to present our own script and footage; this will therefore help make our report as verisimilitude as possible.