Betsy Ross Middle School

Date posted: April 26, 2004
School: Betsy Ross Middle School
Town: New Haven
Slug: "Cost of Educational Technology"
Status: Re-submit
Length: :48

DELIVERY (How is the voice used to tell the story [pitch, tone, diction]): Good voice-over delivery. Be careful when wrapping up your story in your stand-up – the reporter is impartial and only reports the facts.

INTERVIEWS (Sound bites interesting and did they enhance the story?): Good sound bites are used. Please introduce each interviewee in your script so the audience knows who is giving the information.

ORIGINALITY (Story creative, unique, statewide appeal?): Good story line.

WRITING (Report written clearly, creatively, & grammatically correct?): Please remember to answer the 5 journalistic questions in your story: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. The reporter must always be impartial to their story – ie: please don't say "our decision, or we will be" the reporter is not making the decision or is involved in the story – he is just relaying the facts.

VIDEO (Pix illustrated the story? Tri-pod used, lighting, composition?): Please use a tri-pod at all time and keep your camera straight on a shot. In news we don't use pans, zooms, etc unless absolutely necessary to tell a story. You will want to get at least 30 minutes of a variety of images in-order to edit down to a 1 minute story.

AUDIO (Clarity, natural sound, enhance the story?): Good

EDITING(Pictures and sound used in the proper sequence to tell a story? Pictures match the script?): See video.

OVERALL(All the elements used to tell an interesting story for the viewer?): Please take one more try at your script. Thanks.

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Date posted: April 26, 2004
School: Betsy Ross Middle School
Town: New Haven
Slug: "Gang Related Activity's"
Status: Re-submit
Length: :50

DELIVERY: Your voice-over is a little fast. You will want to memorize your script before recording and try to speak like you are talking to a friend or family member. Suggestion: if you smile while you are recording it will add energy without adding speed – it's an old radio trick.

INTERVIEWS: Please introduce each interviewee within your script. Their name and a brief sentence summarizing what they are going to talk about.

ORIGINALITY: Good concept.

WRITING: Nice job getting the facts of your premise in your script. Please see interview note for writing into your sound bite.

VIDEO: Please use a tri-pod at all times! All your images should be steady straight shots. In news you don't want to use your zoom, pan, etc. You'll want to use a tri-pod and set it up in many different locations to get as many close-up, medium and wide angle images as you can. The general rule is :30 minutes in the can for a 1 minute story. If in doubt – when editing start with a wide shot and move in to a medium, then close-ups. This helps establish your location, then draws the audience into your story.

AUDIO: Good

EDITING: See video note.

OVERALL

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Date posted: April 26, 2004
School: Betsy Ross Middle School
Town: Trumbull
Slug: "Driving to Distraction"
Status: Re-submit
Length: :50

DELIVERY: Good delivery for your voice-over. Suggestion: for your stand-up, we only need to see the reporter at the end of the piece wrapping up the story and signing off. For your ending stand-up, please place yourself on location, IE: outside on the sidewalk, with cars driving behind you.

INTERVIEWS: Good choices.

ORIGINALITY: Good, interesting subject.

WRITING: Nice job answering the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.

VIDEO: Please use a Tri-pod at all times! More b-roll is needed to support your story. These should be different angles and locations to add pacing to your story. IE: close-up, medium, and wide angle shots. Suggestion: close-up of car/cell phones. Medium and wide of cars driving by taken from several different locations. Even better if you can catch a driver on their cell phone while driving. But never stage your shot to obtain an image.

AUDIO: Good

EDITING: See video.

OVERALL: Please shot more b-roll and edit one more time. Thanks.

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Date posted: April 26, 2004
School: Betsy Ross Middle School
Town: New Haven
Slug: "Security Camera Promotion"
Status: Re-submit
Length: :50

DELIVERY: Good delivery on your voice-over. Nice job placing your stand-up on location. Be careful when wrapping up your story that you stay impartial. As a reporter your job is to report the facts only – please don't editorialize. Suggested wrap-up line "with over 500 security camera's currently install in Connecticut schools, student safety is a high priority for many towns. From Trumbull, this is David Van Epps reporting."

INTERVIEWS: Good interview choices.

ORIGINALITY: Interesting and timely story.

WRITING: You must be very careful to stay impartial in your reporting and only report the facts: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. You don't want to ask a question in your story – just report the facts. Both sides of the issue can be addressed in the sound bites with the reporter introducing the interviewee's with facts that will lead into the sound bite.

VIDEO: Good job getting a variation of images. Good job getting a close-up on your first interview – this helps bring the interviewee into the story. Be careful not to shot a person in front of a blank wall ie: your second interview.

AUDIO: Good

EDITING: Okay

OVERALL: We will need you to give your script one more edit, thanks.

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Date posted: April 26, 2004
School: Betsy Ross Middle School
Town: New Haven
Slug: "Kids & Violence"
Status:
Length:

DELIVERY: Voice over delivery was well done.

INTERVIEWS: Please introduce each interviewee with their name and their credentials if they will be giving relevant information. We are not sure who the first interview is and why they are important to your story.

ORIGINALITY: Good

WRITING: Good job giving the facts. Please don't ask a question in your story – the reporter shouldn't editorialize in a news story.

VIDEO: Your story subject is about young people, but we don't see any in your shots. We should see kids going about their daily lives in school. Walking the halls between classes, outside getting off the bus and walking into school – any shots that will show a large gathering of kids. The images should support your script – if we hear about something in the script, we should be seeing it at the same time. Television is a visual and audio experience.

AUDIO: Good

EDITING: Please see video.

OVERALL: This will need some additional footage to support your story. Thank you.