Written Analysis Tasks
Studio Presenting Workshop
The studio presenting workshop gave a very insightful experience into what gets prepared for a news presenter within a studio, using the cameras, autocue operator as well as seeing how the control room operates during a recording. As a student taking screen media and journalism as my minors, the workshop interested me very much by being able to see the different ways in which a studio can be used under a journalism context and with the use of the studio cameras.
The workshop mainly consisted of one newsreader, one studio camera operator, one autocue operator, Margot as director and a control room operator. During the workshop we alternated between each student to be a newsreader, autocue operator and studio camera operator to each get a feel and opportunity to know how each of the roles are done in a news studio setting. The studio camera operator worked closely with the control room operator to check if the framing for the shots were clear and correctly placed before recording the take. While Margot worked more closely with the newsreader for everyone’s turn and guided them in their pacing and expression.
The workshop was very interesting to me as a person who enjoys working with cameras. As well as giving some experience into a studio of how the cameras are operated as well as reading from the autocue. The 2 roles that I participated in during the workshop was camera operating and taking my turn reading from the autocue. Reading from the autocue was an enjoyable experience, getting to see how it works while being in front of the camera despite the struggle of getting used to following it and trying to read at a good pace. As someone who typically doesn’t enjoy being in front of the camera, it was still an enjoyable experience to try and understand the perspective of a newsreader and how they speak and express their emotions while speaking play an important role.
Contrasting with the role of a camera operator, I felt more guided and comfortable having experience with using a camera to understand the framing needed but also a new experience to use a studio camera for the first time. The controls for the camera were set differently opposed to a DSLR camera that I had more experience using but was still insightful to learn the difference in how the cameras work. As well as being guided by the person in the controls room through the headphones to check my framing was right for the recording. Being a camera operator helped me improve my understanding of how studio cameras are operated and gave me a better understanding of how camera operators work during a news set recording.
Having a chance to do these roles within the workshop gave me a wider understanding of how news recordings are typically done and what gets put into doing these types of recordings. Especially with using the autocue, this gave me a stronger understanding of the effort a newsreader has to put into their recordings or even live television. It made me understand the pressures that a newsreader has while being in front of the camera. Using the studio camera impacted my skills the most from being able to step out into using a new piece of equipment I haven’t tried before and only briefly learned from being in the workshop. Despite only learning how to operate the camera within the workshop, I was able to learn a new skill and have brief experience with, even with most of my experience mainly being within photography. It gave me an opportunity that I wasn’t able to do before that could be a potential skill for the future.
The studio workshop definitely was a very insightful and enjoyable experience that I could potentially use my experience from for future opportunities that may involve working within a studio set, especially with the studio camera. As well as for my own personal experience in developing my skills that could be used for various fields or roles.
ABC Newsroom in Ultimo
Visiting the ABC newsroom in Ultimo allowed us to get a first hand view of how the newsroom operates on a regular day and the different fields and opportunities that come with working at the ABC. The experience was very enjoyable and insightful as someone who grew up watching ABC shows but also as a wider understanding of how a newsroom operates from behind the scenes to what is shown on TV.
Our visit to the ABC mainly consisted of having a tour of the newsroom of everyone working in their respective fields and the different areas that they work in with various mediums of how news can be presented, while being guided by various people that work in the relating area to give us a better understanding of who people were and what they did. We were also given the opportunity to watch a pre-recording being done in real time from the control room & seeing the process of how it was done while being guided by the people working in the control room. Ending the visit with the opportunity to listen and speak to a few journalists that are already working in the ABC. Giving us tips and advice on the industry and the different fields and areas that everyone could get into within journalism.
The tour of the newsroom was more of a listening opportunity while going around to different areas and fields within the newsroom to get a better understanding of how their areas operate as well as seeing how many people it takes within different areas to put together different stories as a team. Such as the radio news area having more people than I expected to be involved in creating their stories. The tour was a very insightful and interesting experience, giving a wider understanding and knowledge of how things are done with how each individual has their key role that contributes to their area or team.
Watching the pre-recording was a very interesting and enjoyable experience for myself to see the process of it getting done first hand to how it gets shown on TV or in their YouTube videos. There were less people than I expected to be involved in the pre-recording as well as not expecting the amount of screens that are needed within the control rooms showing various things at once. It was a very interesting experience to learn about and seeing a professional control room and studio up close with a few equipment that we previously saw from the studio workshop at uni.
Having the opportunity to listen and speak to the journalists was a very insightful experience to hear about how they all made their way to getting to work in the ABC, as well as giving advice to us about what we could do to have better chances within the industry. One of the points they mentioned that stood out to me was the different fields and areas that journalism can offer such as news writing, entertainment & sports news to working behind the camera. As well as mentioning to find your interests that we thrive in and could have a place within journalism and the industry. Hearing from the journalists gave me a wider understanding of a journalist’s perspective of the industry from hearing about their own experiences and roles getting to ABC, that anyone could have potential in.
The opportunity to visit ABC was already memorable itself but gave me a better understanding of the various areas that journalism has, that's more than TV news presenters. Rather giving me more understanding of all the different pathways that working in the industry can offer opening up a bigger understanding of the various people that are needed within journalism. With various fields and interests, connected by a joined interest in journalism, they’ve created a big platform for many other people such as myself to be able to share their talents and their stories to the world that other people may not have the same opportunity to do.