MEDIA PERFORMANCE

1
MEDIA PERFORMANCE

• Practice and use of mediated forms of
  communication

2
Careers in Media Performance
Multimedia
Internet

• Broaden your perspective

Radio
Television
Film
Media
Advertising
All Branches Armed Service Net Training
Military
Training
Public Relations
Corporations
Industries
/
Careers
Product development
Careers
Government
State Federal
Congress
Senate
Education
Higher Ed
Arts Sciences
PR
3
TRENDS IN RADIO

• Corporate ownership
• Automation
• Computer programming
• Syndication
• Web Radio (streaming audio)
• Satellite radio
• Segmentation
• Local emphasis

4
TYPES OF JOBS IN AUDIO

• Master of ceremonies
• Talk Show Host
• Childrens Show Host
• Game Show Host
• Movie Host
• Health and Medicine Reporter
• Consumer Reporter
• Weather Reporter
• Sports Reporter
• Voice-Over Narrator
• Documentarian

5
Requirements of Radio

• PHYSICAL - Appearance, voice quality, experience
• EDUCATIONAL - Broad, political science, history,
  writing
• EMOTIONAL - Tension, deadlines, punctual,
  competition
• BUSINESS - Profit oriented, rating driven, few
  benefits
• WORK ETHIC - Hard work, long hours, commitment
• REWARDS - Fame, good pay security (big markets
  only)

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PRONUNCIATION How we form words with.

• Lungs (thorax)
• Vocal cords
• Roof of mouth
• Teeth
• Tongue
• Nasal cavities
• Lips
• Combinations of above

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PROBLEMS WITH VOICE

• Hard to correct
• HOARSENESS
• THINNESS
• HIGH PITCHED
• GRAVELLY
• NASALY
• POWERLESS
• STUTTERING

• Easier to correct
• MONOTONY
• POOR PITCH
• WHINING
• SINGSONG DELIVERY
• BREATHINESS
• ENDING PATTERNS
• FLUENCY
• PRONUNICAITION
• ARTICULATION
• ACCENTS

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STYLES OF DELIVERY match to
station/occasion/audience

• Sophisticated
• Authoritative
• Whimsical
• Folksy
• Knowledgeable
• Appealing
• Hard sell
• Sincere?

9
Acoustics

• Air molecules can be compressed and rarified
• Waves bounce around an environment. This is
  called reverberation
• Our ears pick up both direct and indirect
  sound
• Our ear drums vibrate in sympathy with sound waves

• Hard surfaces, glass, brick, concrete, iron,
  etc., reflect sound.
• Soft surfaces, carpets, curtains, blankets,
  acoustic tiles, etc., absorb sound
• Most studios tend to kill reverberation
• Microphones discriminate against indirect sound
  and favor direct sound

10
CHOICE OF MICROPHONES

• Microphones have a variety of characteristics
• Pick-up pattern
• Frequency response
• Impedance (high and low)
• Power requirements
• Size and color
• Corded or radio

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PICK-UP PATTERNS

• Cardioid (heart-shaped)
• Bi-directional (figure 8)
• Omnidirectional (circular)
• Shotgun (hyper-cardioid)
• Dish (beam)

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FREQUENCY

• Human hearing (20 20,000 Hz)
• High (high pitched instruments)
• Medium (voice)
• Low (drums, big bass)

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IMPEDANCE

• High impedance mics
• Low Impedance mics

Pre-Amp
Hi input
Lo input
Pre-Amp
14
Characteristics of mics.

• Power ( Two types dynamic (self generating)
• (battery 1.5 to 9.0 volt)
• Size ( In Radio any size)
• ( In TV smaller the better- lapel)
• Color ( In Radio any color)
• (In TV black)
• Corded (restrictive) and Radio (not restricted)

15
Connections

• What goes out must go in, what goes in must go
  out, high to high, low to low

input
output
input
output
out
Preamp
Mixer
Dist. amp
out
out
out
In
in
In
Speaker
Microphones
Monitor
T. Recorder
CD
Headphones
SFX
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TECHNICAL CONCERNS

• Reduce reverberation to minimum
• Maintain 6 distance from microphone
• Avoid handling the microphone
• Check level of recording
• Give slate, countdown, take number
• Watch timing, record TRT
• Identify you tape by labeling it correctly
• Mark up script
• Keep deadline in mind
• Package project properly

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Preparation to Record News

• Check VU meters and voice level
• Record for 10 seconds before slate
• Identify self and name of project
• Indicate take number, 1,2, 3 etc.
• Count down from 5.2
• Count 1 and 0 silently
• Time from 0 to end TRT
• Remain silent at end before switching off
• Check recording and cue-up chosen take
• Check labeling and packaging

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FACTORS OF ATTENTION

• NOVELTY
• PROXIMITY (CLOSE BY)
• FAMILIARITY
• ACTIVITY
• REALITY
• CONFLICT
• VITAL (HEALTH ISSUES)
• SUSPENCE
• HUMOR

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News writing and production

• Breaking news
• Police scanners
• Factors of attention
• Check out sources
• Use attribution correctly
• Paraphrase quotes
• Keep sentences short
• Use simple words
• Describe what happening
• Write for ear
• State facts imaginatively

• Include sounds in story
• Stress vivid words
• Watch mood changes
• Use names carefully
• Try to be balanced
• Keep pace up
• Be enthusiastic- energetic
• Try to read error free
• Avoid monotony
• Watch pitch and articulation
• Read smoothly

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MARKING KEY WORDS

• AP V0866 RN OPA-N PA UNKNOWN GAS (TIONISTA) ---
  IN AUGUST, A STRANGE OOZE BEGAN SEEPING UP FROM
  THE GROUND IN FORREST COUNTY. NOW THE DEPARTMENT
  OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES SAYS AN UNKNOWN GAS
  IS COMING OUT OF THE GROUND AT THE SAME PLACE.
  TIONISTA PROPERTY OWNER ROBERT GRINE FIRST
  NOTICED THE OOZE AFTER A HEAVY RAINFALL. THE
  D-E-R SAYS THE OOZE LED TO THE DEATHS OF AT
  LEAST 100 WILD ANIMALS RANGING IN SIZE FROM WORMS
  TO RABBITS. GRINE SAYS HE SAW A DEER FALL OVER
  AFTER DRINKING THE OOZE, BUT THE ANIMAL
  RECOVERED. D-E-R OFFICIALS ALSO SAY THEY FOUND
  HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS AT THE SITE. HYDROGEN
  SULFIDE IS FLAMMABLE AND POISONOUS. THE AGENCY
  MONITORS THE AIR AT THE SITE EVERY 12 HOURS.
  (WOYL-WRJS)

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MARKING KEY WORDS

• AP V0866 RN OPA-N PA UNKNOWN GAS (TIONISTA) ---
  IN AUGUST, A STRANGE OOZE BEGAN SEEPING UP FROM
  THE GROUND IN FORREST COUNTY. NOW THE DEPARTMENT
  OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES SAYS AN UNKNOWN GAS
  IS COMING OUT OF THE GROUND AT THE SAME PLACE.
  TIONISTA PROPERTY OWNER ROBERT GRINE FIRST
  NOTICED THE OOZE AFTER A HEAVY RAINFALL. THE
  D-E-R SAYS THE OOZE LED TO THE DEATHS OF AT
  LEAST 100 WILD ANIMALS RANGING IN SIZE FROM WORMS
  TO RABBITS. GRINE SAYS HE SAW A DEER FALL OVER
  AFTER DRINKING THE OOZE, BUT THE ANIMAL
  RECOVERED. D-E-R OFFICIALS ALSO SAY THEY FOUND
  HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS AT THE SITE. HYDROGEN
  SULFIDE IS FLAMMABLE AND POISONOUS. THE AGENCY
  MONITORS THE AIR AT THE SITE EVERY 12 HOURS.
  (WOYL-WRJS)

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UNDERSTANDING THE MESSAGE

• Key words What are the essential words?
• Essence?
• Meaning Why is it important?
• Interpretation?
• Mood How do you feel about it?
• Emotion?
• Pace At what speed should it be delivered?
• Urgency?
• Purpose What is its intention?
• Motivation?

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SCRIPTING FOR RADIO

• Type copy on right two-thirds page
• Use capital letters throughout
• Triple space lines
• Indicate all sources of sound, sfx, music, etc.,
  on left hand one-third page
• Give instructions about how to treat sound
• Mark-up script with conventional marking
• Indicate if script extends beyond first page
• Indicate timing additively or subtractively

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Production details
NAME
TRT
PROJECT
Additive timing
CLIENT
TIME
AUDIO
Identification

• This Ruth Western with the WVRU Evening
  News

Mic. 1
01
Fader 4
Sources of audio
There has been a major escalation of the
05
War in Iraq. According to reliable sources
A car carrying an Iraqi cabinet minister was
Prefer CAPS and double spacing
blown up just as it was entering the American
10
Leave space between stories
Consuls compound in Baghdad.
Use transition markers
In Regional News.
15
In Local News..
1/3
2/3
Divisions of page
Divisions of page
MORE
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INTERVIEW SCRIPT
NAME
TRT
PROJECT
CLIENT
VIDEO
TIME
AUDIO

• CAM 1
• MCU OF PRES

• PRES Good evening ladies and gentlemen
• GUEST Thank you for that warm welcome, I am
  to glad be here..

1
01
(cut)
2
CAM 2
05
MCU OF GUEST
(cut)
CAM 1
3
PRES Tell me about your new book
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CU OF PRES
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Note Divisions of video and audio Time cues
are additive (grow) Cameras alternate
1,2,1 Transition between camera shots (cut, mix,
key, wipe, super ) Shot descriptions are given
(ECU, CU, MCU, MS, MLS, LS ,WS, OS )
More..
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Structure of News

• Identify yourself and station
• Start wide and narrow focus or
• Start narrow and widen focus
• National, regional, state, local or
• Local, state, regional, national
• Provide bridges between areas
• In national newsin state news
• End with something light
• Identify yourself and sign off

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INTERVIEWING

• Avoid Ambush Journalism
• Respect Privacy
• Remind who audience
• Keep control of interview
• Dont give platform
• Thank person afterwards
• Remember long term relationships
• Get press passes
• Scout out locations

• Preparing Questions
• Doing Research
• Selecting Guest
• Introducing Guest
• Stress Why Important
• Ask Open Ended Questions
• Get complete answer
• Ask follow-up questions
• Be fair and logical

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Techniques for interviews

• Prepare introduction and conclusion as well as
  list of questions on topic in advance. Do not
  give this list to the guest!
• Sit/stand close to guest. Try to keep the guest
  calm and relaxed. Look at them with interest!
• Use hand held or lapel microphone. Maintain right
  distance from lips (6 inch rule)
• Do not be afraid of asking follow-up questions
• Tell and remind listeners who you are talking to,
  and importance of guest (authority/fame/celebrity)
  
• Convey respect and humor at all times
• Thank guest and summarize the conversation

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Sports Reporting

• ANCHOR WORK
• SPORTS REPORTING
• PLAY-BY-PLAY
• COLOR
• SPECIALIZATION

• Personalities, players, coaches, umpires, refs,
  owners
• Issues, serious problems, judging, doping,
  injuries, sex scandals, etc.,
• On-air reporting in News with News Anchors,
  summaries, scores, lists of results
• Play-by-play, knowledge of game, rules, players,
  self control, convey excitement and drama
• Specialization, expert on one sport

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Sports Reporting

• Focus on local interest
• Write for ear
• Keep copy close to visuals
• Vary reporting scores
• Remember personalities
• Owners, coaches, umpires, players
• Keep energy high
• Know rules of game

• Dont question umpires rulings
• Employ spotters
• Identify players carefully
• Give highlights
• Use accurate terms
• Show excitement
• Gather anecdotes
• Report time remaining
• Dont repeat yourself

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TIPS FOR SPORTS

• Local interest, high school, university,
  professional teams
• Pre-write as much as possible, collect data,
  statistics, stories, anecdotes, scores, history
• Write copy as close to original as possible
• Avoid monotony of scores.
• Use spotters to identify players/numbers
• Try to remain enthusiastic, speak with intensity
• Remember personalities are important players,
  coaches, umpires, owners, spectators, drivers,
  ground keepers, jockies, etc.
• Do interviews to spice up your reporting

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Weather

• Do research/meteorology
• Use friendly easy style
• Remember local interest
• Remember past, present and future
• Humidity
• Temperature
• Rainfall/Snow fall
• Tides, high/low
• Sunrise sunset
• Wind direction

• Gulf stream paths
• Hurricane paths
• Tornado sighting
• Flash flooding
• Freeze warnings
• Heat and ozone warnings
• Relate to time and season
• Road conditions
• Cultivate local connections
• Encourage e-mails and pictures

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Technical Weather

• Meteorology and physics background (?)
• Prepare maps (down load form satellite feed)
• Know symbols placement and use
• Know geography of US, regional, local
• Cultivate network of reporters
• Use computer models and predictions
• Synchronize voice with graphics (body language)
• Know how chroma-key works, position/monitors
• Keep/access records/history

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COMMERCIALS FOR RADIO

• Use persuasive strategy
• Grab attention
• Satisfy needs
• Describe satisfaction
• Give contact info
• Name address, phone Web address
• Mention product often

• One voice
• Dialog
• Multi-voice
• Dramatization
• Sounds, SFXs
• Vignettes
• Interviews
• Jingles
• Accents!!

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FACTORS OF ATTENTION

• Novelty
• Proximity
• Familiarity
• Vitality
• Humor
• Suspense
• Conflict
• Reality
• Symbolism

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TIPS FOR COMMERCIALS

• Keep to the script
• Use tasteful humor
• Dont over do repetition (except for phone
  numbers and addresses)
• Avoid going flat (mechanical and bored)
• Vary rhythm, pattern and inflection
• Try to show excitement and confidence
• Love your product! (at least respect it)
• Handle it, stroke it, feel it, apply it, use it
• Saver it, enjoy it

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Ideas for Commercials

• Use unusual sound effects
• Build commercial around sound/effects
• Use mood music
• Use tasteful comedy
• Keep it simple
• Follow persuasive sequence/steps

• Relate to activities in time and place
• Make every word count
• Write for ear and eye
• Remember format
• Length 60 or 30 secs.
• Name your client often
• Give location address
• Website/phone number

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Clothing for News

• Pastel shades are fine
• Earth tones are fine
• Grays are fine
• Pure black is not a good idea
• Pure white is not a good idea
• Narrow stripes are not a good idea
• High contrasts are not a good idea
• Very shiny objects are not good idea
• Highly saturated objects are not a good idea

• All suits are appropriate
• Button blouses and shirts fine
• Jackets are fine
• Turtle-neck sweaters not good idea
• T- Shirts not good idea
• Ties are fine
• Necklaces not good idea
• Plunging necklines?!
• Hats and caps not good idea
• Better loose than tight

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Jewelry and Hair for News

• Jewelry
• Small jewelry fine
• Avoid big, bright and shiny
• Avoid pendants and large necklaces because of
  mics.
• Avoid large pendant ear rings
• Visible body piercing is not recommended,
  especially nose rings, lip rings and tongue
  piercing!
• Tie clips are fine
• Small pins are fine
• Small rings on fingers are fine
• Small ear rings are fine

• Hair
• Short hair is fine, unless you have a round face
• Short hair tends to strengthen facial
  features
• Long hair is fine, if well groomed and off your
  face
• Long hair strengthens your jaw line
• Watch parting placement and condition of
  hair
• Put hair up or braid it
• High parting on head narrows your face
• No bangs over eyes because of shadows

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Makeup

• Remember TV is an intimate medium
• Close-ups are common, closer than in normal life
• Go lightly on all make up (unlike theater)
• Avoid grease bases for powder because of hot
  lights
• Ladies, powder all shiny areas, particularly nose
• Use slightly darker shade of powder than
  otherwise would use in the street (not if sun
  tanned)
• Apply mascara, eye shadow, eye liner, blush,
  eyebrow pencil sparingly
• Keep lipstick to lips, do not go over edges of
  lips
• Men powder beard stubble or dark shaven areas
• Men powder bald heads
• Dont forget necks but be careful of collars
  (mess/stain)
• Use perspiration absorbing tissue to reduce
  visible sweating

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TV ACTING

• Keep your movements small
• Use your facial expressions to communicate how
  you react and feel, etc.
• Talk in a conversational manner, do not project
  much
• Address yourself to persons not to camera/s
  (except for news)
• OK to sneak a peek at cue cards, if any
• In news look directly into camera and read in
  middle of teleprompter
• Memorize where your key light is pointed on the
  set (relative to blocking directions)
• Use blocking rehearsals to determine movements
• Move normally, without pronounced gestures
• Determine what shots are being used when you do
  something

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TV LIGHTING
3
B

• Three point lighting (inverted Y)
• Key light (Fresnels)
• Back light (Fresnels)
• Fill light (Scoops)
• Lighting intensity ratio of above is, 2 3 1
• All lighting focuses at one point (Key and Back)
• Performers must know where there key and back
  light are focused or pointing
• If necessary, mark place on floor or set
• Ask lighting director to point out lights, if
  lighting is very complicated on set

K
F
2
1