Video Presentation

There will be three kinds of presentation for a news story:

1. Direct to camera. 
   
   This is generally the most difficult. If you do not have an autocue, then you will need to learn the script by heart. Remember that you can do multiple takes to get it right.
   
   Speak with a confident manner looking directly into the camera lens. Treat the camera as a person to whom you are relating the story.
   
   Hold the microphone at a proper distance from your mouth for best recording. It does not matter whether the mike is in shot. It is common to shoot the presenter mid-shot from waist up.
   
2. Interviewing
   
   Most likely you will only have one camera. In this case, you can be on camera with the interviewee whilst conducting the interview (mid-shot), or you can capture the interviewee alone with you off camera, and then take a number of ‘noddies’ of you that can be inserted into the item in the editing stage. Be aware if you do this that these noddies need to be filmed in the same location where the interview was conducted, and if the interviewee is facing in from the right, your noddies should face into the left.
   
3. Off camera narration
   
   To give the news a sense of authenticity, it’s best if your narration is recorded on location. You should follow a similar style – pace, tone, etc – to that which you used in the direct to camera presentation.

In all cases, be aware of what you are wearing. Striped clothing, whether horizontal or vertical can interfere with the video if the stripes are too close. Think always in what is appropriate to give the audience a sense of authority and professionalism.

You need to take establishing shots of the location and activities that give the story its context. These will be used as cutaways over the top of your off-camera narration when editing the video..