Planning your production

I can't overestimate the importance of planning, so here's a short write up on that, and these tips can easily be found through Google. Here, I pick off from a website called Learn TV Journalism and it is run by A Ravi Shankar who says he's got experience working with different agencies.

"Planning a Story

You have just been asked to cover an earthquake, which has taken place a few hours back causing massive destruction and death. On reaching the spot you find lots of shots to be taken. Your Cameraman is on a filming spree. He films whatever he sees. On the editing table when you return you find lots of footage - many repetitions. But some important shots and crucial sound bites missing.

Questions that can help your reach the answers....

So how does one overcome this problem? The answer is planning.

Three vital questions:

Just before you go out to shoot, give some time to yourself to plan for it.

There are three vital questions which when answered will help you in planning your story. viz.

i) What is the story?

ii) What are the Sound Bites needed and from whom?

iii) What are the visuals needed for the story? What is the story?

Some times the reporter may get lead time to ponder over these questions... however, most of the times he is in a hurry to cover the event. In order to still ensure that you get the right story.. there is no option but to think and resolve these stories at the back of your mind even as you travel to the location to shoot.

The answers to the other three questions actually make newsgathering a possibility. "

Gayathry