WINOL debrief - 27/11/13

This week has been an exceptionally successful week as we are now award winning journalists as we won the news day of the year at the BJTC awards for our special bulletin on the Budget.

The head of ITV praised us on our achievement; http://winol.co.uk/2013/11/head-itn-news-praises-winol-another-national-award-7571

This weeks bulletin was quite limited content wise and story wise so it was not our strongest week but yet again we managed to turn it around and produce a news worthy bulletin. Personally I think we should have led with the BJTC awards in our running order but the editor decided to put this further down as it was not a sure story for the day but luckily Liam managed to turn the story around in a few hours. 

Our headlines were poor this week as we used two still images when the visuals should always be moving, Angus was not impressed and advised us not to do this again as it didn't look that professional and was unacceptable.

One package that really stood out for me was Zeena's care home story, she started with a case study which worked effectively as she didn't limit herself when it came to filming as she may have had some issues trying to get shots within the care home, she illustrated the piece through visuals and good voice overs and it worked really well. The only issue with Zeenas story was her piece to camera as the care home was too noisy and the audio became muffled and hard to hear. Angus advised that we could have filmed her in a closer shot that would enable the gun mic to be held closer to her mouth, producing a clearer audio. 

Lucy's world vision package turned out really well as she focused more on the interview which worked quite effectively as she concentrated particularly on the one exclusive interview rather than the speech as it was shot better. Angus advised that when we are listening to a speech before interviewing the speaker it is essential to write down notes as you can bring up the key issues the person raises in their public speech in your own private interview. Through editing Lucy voiced over some of the pictures she shot which added more interest and depth to the story as it would have been quite boring just watching him speak to the public. Her package included three SOTs of the interviewee which was fine but shouldn't be repeated in other stories and is not an example for other packages to follow. 

A particular focus for the week was to really concentrate on our audio as there have been quite a few issues with sound in the last few weeks. Myself and Faith typically experienced a few problems this week with microphones when we were out filming for Access meaning we had to re-edit the final package as an interview could not be used due to such poor sound quality. 

The piece in the end was turned into an OOV however someone turned the sound off of the OOV completely which was a shame as the sound of the choir was of a good quality. Myself and Faith helped edit this OOV making sure the sound was left on so it was disappointing not to hear it on the bulletin as the SOT worked nicely. 

WINOL debrief - 20/11/13

To continue our host of brilliant guest editors we were joined by Paul Wood who has previously studied journalism at Winchester and is now working for a specialised online marketing firm.
It is important for us to receive advice and guidance on every aspect of journalism, especially on our website which provides our audience with all our news stories, bulletins and features work. In terms of progress and development we have massively improved and we are doing great with our ratings. We have just recently launched our new features magazine Here and Now which is a combined magazine full of all of our great features that we have produced from previously separate magazines as we thought it would be easier for our audiences to locate the features if it is all in one section. Paul wood originally created the WINOL website, he writes on his blog;

"I was involved with the creation of a news website which was a relative success with even people who weren’t directly involved with the project visiting the website. The site that I helped to make a success became known as WINOL and is now a fundamental part of the award winning course at the University of Winchester."

The bulletin this week was good, it had a string of recognisable packages that were credible and full of interesting content. This week was slightly different in editing terms as the editor had to make hard choices by dropping a few of the stories that had been reported on. It is essential that we think of it positively, it is a good development for WINOL as we now have options we can choose from which gives us a range of choices to play around with in the bulletin. 

The bulletin was on time again, we hit our deadline and Nadine presented the bulletin perfectly, she was composed and read the script well, with just a slight improvement of slowing down her pace when talking. The OOV's were a problem as the production team were not completely sure on the length therefore impacting upon the script as that then needed to be changed so it is important to pay attention to the finer detail to make sure everything runs smoothly.
The headlines were good, they were engaging and flowed with the bulletin as well as working effectively with the strap lines which were visually moving. The order of the bulletin wasn't that well thought out this week as it was quite messy and potentially wrong as there was no gradual progression between the stories so that is an element that needs to be improved upon next week.

Lucy's bishop story was difficult as the vote had not yet been announced as to whether women could become female bishops so it was a news story that was still happening however she took a good approach to it by getting two interviews that had two different points of view to balance out the story. Her sequences were good however the choreography of these needed slightly tweaking to flow a bit more smoothly but apart from that the end report came across very professional and gave her room to follow up the story.

Tom's rave story at Highclere castle was good, the idea behind the visuals was creative with the contrast between the serene shots of the countryside and of the castle and then the high powered impact of the rave with the music, dancing and flashing lights. Tom also managed to get an interview with a legal rave organiser who provided some great archived footage from the student scene that Tom could include in his piece.

Ben's piece on the grit was great as he gained access to a really good location where all the grit was being kept with the gritting vehicles in the background, however his opening shot could have been much stronger but due to a few technical problems the story had to be re-worked and a few shots changed so Ben edited the piece exceptionally well to make it suitable for the bulletin. The camera work was professional with a variation of shots and a strong, well formed interview.

Christina's rape story was exceptional this week, after taking on board Claudia's advice from last week she presented the report extremely well as it was an emotionally hard and heavy report to have to read. The piece to camera was excellent, she gave the audience all the right information and painted a picture for us by including comments taken from the witness statements. The structure of the piece was very neat, it flowed smoothly and she set up her three sequence shots well with a solid interview to add depth to the story.

The cuts on the council story wasn't that strong this week as it needed more impact and the camera work needed improving as the shots were not varied enough. It is important to remember to get a range of shots, especially low angled shots as these are more interesting for our viewers. There was too much overlay on the UKIP element of the piece which proved distracting and would have been more effective to find one really good clip or edit to use, it is vital that you don't go over board on editing as 'less is always more'.

Ellen's turbine piece was good, it could have been better if she had found bigger turbines but due to circumstances that wasn't possible. The lack of pictures didn't leave much room for editing so it is always important to get as many visuals as possible so there are plenty of options when it comes to putting the shots together in order to get a wide range of angles. As Paul said it is all about 'coming back with a variation of shots'. The audio was good and the interviews were solid that conveyed both sides of the argument.

Zeena's health story on the new app for heart defibrillators and where the nearest one is located was brilliant as people will be interested in these kind of stories as it could potentially effect them so we are relating to our viewers. Zeena managed to get two solid interviews with two interesting people and excellent audio which makes the package extremely watchable as the audience will listen to what they are saying. Zeena's piece to camera was good with steady pace and a well thought out explanation of what the story was all about, the shots she got were good with a clever ending shot of the app on an iPhone that worked effectively with her pay off line.

WINOL debrief - 13/11/13

The guest editor for this week was Claudia Murg, a straight talking undercover reporter for Panorama. Her main comments suggested that our bulletin was 'watchable' and that we had made good progress from last year however as journalists 'we need to be fearless'. She advised us that we all need to aim higher in terms of our aspirations and what we individually want to achieve by bringing something new to the news, and not just repeating it.

It is essential that we are bang on time which Claudia was impressed with as we hit our deadline of three with everything coming together. It was an okay news week, with Claudia telling the team that the stories flowed better than last year and that we had included more varied content than some of the previous WINOL bulletins she had watched however it did not reflect high aspirations and that we needed to be more confident in our abilities. It is important that we took on board everything Claudia had to say as she reinforced how essential it is to make sure you have a plan before you go out to film, you need to think what will the viewers want to watch, what pictures will they want to see and what sounds they will want to hear.

The packages in themselves were good however there is always room for improvement, as journalists we need to think about who will be effected and how we can bring something new to the story, not just repeating it off other news channels.

Alex's story which covered the loss of jobs at Flybe in Southampton airport was good however it is so important to let the audience know that you tried to get an interview at the beginning of the story and that they refused to talk to you,  giving you the credit for attempting to get a comment. The GVs were good however the story would have been much more effective if Alex had talked to some 'real' people to get their perspective and opinions on the job cuts.

Spence's PCC story was great with strong story access as he made the utmost effort to get the interview by travelling to Birmingham to finalise the package. Spence's demeanour was good, he was comfortable and confident in front of the camera and most importantly came across completely natural. The graphics used in the package were excellent as they were clear and easy to understand and did not mislead the viewers in any way. The only thing Claudia said Spence could improve upon would be to throw in his own questions when interviewing Simon Haye, is it key to challenge him and to not give him a platform to react too as the viewers will expect that.

Christina's police package did not turn out as well as she hoped it would but it counts that she has learnt from her mistakes, it is all about having control of the interview which her and Claudia have previously discussed. Again it is essential that as a journalist you challenge the interviewee, you need to think about the person you're interviewing and not bore them with questions they have been regularly asked before. They want the journalist to ask them something different, something interesting and you need to be that reporter who has the confidence to do so, to show them you know the facts of the story and that you are not wasting their time. With Christina it is important that she remembers to be herself, in her interview she has come across very formally which means she is over thinking the questions too much, you need to be natural and to remember to really listen to their answers.

Kate's crime story was good, she had good pace in her piece to camera and used the information she had effectively. One silly error that technically effected her camera work was that she forgot to wipe the camera lens meaning the picture came out a little smeared and blurry.

Ellen's new forest piece on the ponies was slightly confusing and needed more depth, without an interview the content was slightly lacking and would have looked more professional if she managed to get a quote or comment.

Sports was good this week, however Liam's interview was interesting as Claudia said she was 'mesmerised' as she couldn't stop looking at why he wasn't being interviewed on a football pitch. She said if she had missed the first part of the interview she wouldn't of known who he was. The piece needed more images however Liam was incredibly restricted on where he could film so just had to go with what he could get.

Claudia's visit was incredibly eye-opening and definitely inspired us all to try and achieve the best that we can, on a final note she left us with this statement;

'You are going into a world of competition, it is essential that you are creative'  

WINOL debrief - 06/11/13

For this weeks debrief we had BBC politician deputy editor Will Bowden join us to comment on the progress of WINOL.

One of the first things Will commented on was the teamwork involved each week and how well we pulled together to produce a strong bulletin with well structured packages. It is important that everyone helps one another and works efficiently so there are no mistakes or errors made. One thing that Will did mention was that our rehearsal time was too late, we needed to try and get this done earlier so we were not rushing around at the last minute which is when mistakes are more likely to happen.

In terms of what packages people produced this week, we were rich in content with strong news stories that Will seemed impressed with. The variety of stories and how each individual reporter made their package interesting for our viewers was acknowledged and praised due to the effort people had put in to pull off such a good bulletin for this week. In editing terms, we were right to lead with the job cuts at Portsmouth ship yard as it was a breaking news story that we managed to cover, which in turn ended up leading the entire bulletin. The running order was accurate enough however Will suggested that packages such as Liam's scrap metal should have been higher up potentially swapping with Nadine's interview with Rowena Davis that was placed second in the order.

Angus was incredibly impressed with Liam's scrap metal package with Will echoing exactly what Angus was saying as it ticked all of the boxes of how a news package should be produced ready for broadcast. Will commented saying it was "fantastically constructed" and worked so effectively because he thought about his pictures and how to visually tell the story, for example doing his piece to camera in front of a crane crushing an old scrap car, visually brilliant with added effect of raw natural sound. To help build up the story he included a sequence of three different shots that showed the audience what was happening, Liam did not have to tell the story through his own words.

Ellen's updated story about the dogs being poisoned in the new forest was well explained with a good link back to the story she had previously covered with excellent reference to her archived footage she had already shot. Technically the package was very well thought out and Ellen's camera work is always exceptional however there was one edit where there was a jumpcut between two different dogs which was visually jarring as the transition needed to be smoother.

Ben's piece on the 20mph speed limit was well thought out with some brilliant shots taken on the go pro that was attached to the bottom of the car, a simple idea yet very effective that showed initiative when thinking about how to capture a range of different angles. Ben captured a lot of different shots and sequences which gave him room to play around when editing with a mix of different interviews that visually were very pleasing.

Sam's piece on the radar was good, although quite hard to explain which Will commented on saying we "cant assume too much for the audience, the viewers may not be aware of the story". He included some good shots although some were quite central, particularly the interview shots so it is important to remember the rule of thirds. Will also said it is important to "let the natural sound breathe and to allow the pictures to roll" making sure that you are not rushing through the story apart from that it was a good piece seeing as it was Sam's first news story.

Lucy's 'and finally' was good, with the first fifteen seconds explaining the story exceptionally well with great pictures of the hedgehogs that are guaranteed to capture the viewers attention. Her piece to camera was good however Lucy could be more involved with the hedgehog as it would have added a more personal touch to her story. One of the only improvements Will had to comment on was to be careful not to repeat or copy opening lines when writing the cues for her story.

Overall it was a successful week for WINOL with some impressive stories and many improvements on camera and audio work. Angus seemed happy with the efforts everyone had put in, praising most of the stories that were featured in the bulletin. It finally feels that the reporters are really starting to understand how to tell a story as they have thought about their pictures, their nat sot and their sequences.

WINOL debrief - 30/10/13

This week we had one of our favourite guest editors, Chris Coneybeer a former BBC television reporter who annually visits WINOL to see how we are developing and progressing as a media outlet.

Chris was impressed with the variety of stories and the content involved because it was interesting and kept his attention the whole way through. Technically he was also impressed as it is very difficult to maintain a punctual bulletin but yet again we managed to air on time without any errors or mistakes. The headlines were good, they were kept short and tight so there was no chance of them misleading our viewers as well as using captions that added interest.

The first story that was on WINOL's running order was the cut of hundreds of jobs in the Hampshire area, it was a strong story with a professional introduction that effectively used "months and months of uncertainty" as one of the opening lines which can then later be expanded into another story. The piece was full of pictures which really helped to bring people into the story as they can relate to what is happening as well as a solid interview that challenged some of the statements made such as "moral remains high". Chris was impressed that a graphic was used however it needed a little more thought as it was too complicated and needed to be explained to the viewer as it was impossible to take in during a short period of time.

The report on storm Jude was great, with some effective local shots however there was a problem getting an interview so the piece was lacking in that aspect, Chris suggested getting around this problem by talking to passer-bys as that way you can collect a few sound bites and use these to bring the piece alive.

The interview with UKIP leader, Diane James was well set up and well structured, it was relevant to Winchester which gives viewers a reason to watch. Chris advised that as a journalist we should always make sure we are in charge, as senior politicians will say what they want to say so it is important to plan ahead. The interview was well lit and filmed, however it could have used two cameras so when editing there would be a variation of angles and shots.

The court story was well presented with an excellent PTC as well as a great reference to one of the judges quotes that came across professionally and accurately for the mood of the story however there was a serious lack of pictures which didn't leave much to work with when it came to editing. It is key to plan for these stories as you need to gather covering shots which will break the story up so viewers can follow the report.

Lucy's 'and finally' piece was good, with an engaging subject that had a variety of shots through the use of the go pro cam that was attached to her bike. The set of interviews that Lucy managed to gain helped to give a balanced view as she obtained an interview from two opposing people. The only improvement would be to check her white balance as some of her shots came out over exposed but apart from that it was a very strong story.

After Chris had finished giving feedback Ian gave a few pointers that we needed to work on for next week which included a stronger opening sequences and stronger OOVs. We also need to be careful on how we write the "coming up" stories as it did not make sense this week so that was a key point to watch out for next week.

WINOL debrief - 23/10/13

This week we were lucky enough to have not one, but two guest editors who kindly came in to offer their advice and critique on how WINOL is developing. We had our regular, Ian Anderson as well as Graham Bell, a former student at Winchester who is now working as a senior assistant producer at Omni sport.

  

On a whole, the feedback was good, it was a story rich bulletin however there seemed to be a main issue with the running order of stories, we needed to lead with a visually powerful piece that told the story through the pictures.

The first story that WINOL covered was Steve Brian back tracking his support from potential benefit cuts for under 25's, which in itself was a good story but could have been improved. There were no covering shots and it is vital to get at least two shots to lead us into the story, whether this is a walking shot or a panning of the background to set up the interview. To add more depth to the package Ben could have also interviewed a member of the opposing political side to get a reaction which would have created more interest.
Technically when interviewing it is important to favour yourself with the mic when asking questions, it improves the sound quality and the viewers can actually hear the question being asked and then the answer clearly.

Nadine's piece on the rise of gas prices was very well shot and edited, her opening sequence was methodical and relevant to her story as well as including lots of natural sound that gave the story authenticity. The exposure and white balance on her pictures were perfect as well as including a variety of well shot interviews that added interest and well balanced opinion to her story. The only improvement would be to add colour or make her graphic slightly more interesting.

One of the weaker packages that was shot focused on crime rates falling however there was not enough information to make a story out of it as it wasn't leading anywhere. There were no facts and the sound quality was very poor as the interviewee did not have a mic so it was very difficult to hear what he was saying. On a whole this piece needed a lot of work and was criticised by both guest editors as it came across that the reporter did not put enough effort in to the story.

The mental health package was a nice piece to include as it focused on a wider audience. Zeena has a great voice which really showed through on her piece as she kept a steady pace and spoke extremely clearly. The piece was shot well as it is a sensitive issue but Zeena kept the story very factual and professional as well as managing to get an interview with someone who is suffering from a mental health disorder, however she could have been the focus point of the story. The only criticism was where the interview was shot as she was placed against a white brick wall which could be mis-interpreted as a cell wall. Apart from that it was a very strong package with good cut aways and a variety of interesting shots.

Ellen again produced a fantastic story about the Hayling Island tornado as it was well told through visually engaging pictures and brilliant scripting. She included sequences that worked well with interviews and covering shots. The only improvement would have been to include a longer and wider shot of the destruction as it would have made the piece more visually shocking for the audience.

The egg story which we have already covered was included again in this weeks WINOL as it was being shown on channel 4's small spaces making it relevant for this weeks news. The only thing that could have been improved upon was to make it a key point that we had already covered and filmed the egg being built, however it needed to be explained to our viewers why the egg was built in the first place. Everything else was well shot and edited apart from one audio bit where the fade out of sound was not great.

The sports packages were great this week however the phrase "i'm here at" needs to be banned as it is stating the obvious as we can see where the reporter is reporting from.
Laura's camerawork is definitely improving as the shots are clearer and more focused on the action however one of the main cameras angle was too wide so it made it very difficult to see the ball, so the only improvement would be to squeeze in so viewers can see what is happening.
The Ben Streven interview was shot well, the sound was good however they needed to be aware of the wind. There was a good use of archived footage that added more interest to the package and was a good reference to the interview.

The 'and finally' piece looked at the return of the lapwing however there were a lack of shots which were needed to add more interest and depth to the piece to create sequences. There were also a lot of mid angles used and not enough long and short angles to add variety however there was good use of natural sound at the beginning of the story.

Ian's main points were to work on the development of stories, to get the full potential out of a story requires time and effort so it is vital that we push to get the best out of our packages. it is also important to get reactions whether this is through interviews or vox pops as this adds authenticity and a variety of opinions to the bulletin.

Technically we need to practise practise practise camera work and make sure our sound is of a good quality. It is important to experiment with different angles and camera frames as well as using natural lighting to the best of our ability. Apart from that we have improved on our sequences and getting a variety of stories but we need to get more pictures to visually lead our packages.

WINOL debrief - 16/10/13

This week we had Joe Curtis as our guest editor who is a senior editor at the Hampshire Chronicle as well as having Ian Anderson return to comment on how WINOL is progressing.

WINOL overall was well executed and we led a clean programme however Ian noticed that we were being held back by technical shortcomings. As a whole we need to improve on our editing, lighting and sound when operating in the field as it will make our packages look so much better if we pay attention to the smaller details. As a student led bulletin we need people to take notice and watch our programme so in order for that to happen we need pictures and sound that are of a high quality, similar to that of the bigger news channels such as BBC and ITV. However we did improve on our headlines this week which was one of the things Ian mentioned last week as well as having a better top story, which wasn't visually perfect but we made it work by writing the story to the pictures. It is vital that we get good pictures as these are primarily telling the story, viewers will not sit and listen to a script if the pictures alongside are not good enough.
The OOVs that we included this week were much better as we planned out the ques within the script so it could be rehearsed to make sure everything flowed smoothly. OOVS are always tricky to get right as they need to be laid out in the script properly but with practise this skill will be essential to have.

We had some solid stories that worked well in the running order, with our first story that looked at the development of houses in Eastleigh which worked effectively as it was local and relevant to the area. The package itself contained some good content however the visuals were not great as the camera was out of focus and at a slight angle. It was great that they included an interview with councillor Keith House who is a significant figure in Hampshire which added more depth to their story however as a viewer you would want to know where these houses are being built so it is important to show this at the beginning of the story, not at the end.

Harvey's story about the independent shops was good as it had a recognisable structure, beginning, middle and end, a simple yet effective way of telling the story. The story however needed a little bit more clarity as it didn't actually explain why the shops needed funding, however this does leave a good follow up story. The interviews with councillor Rob Humby and owner of independent book shop P&G Wells, Ben Tanter worked nicely as it gave a neutral balance to the piece. It was an added bonus that Harvey managed to get an interview with Chris Turner, a member of the Winchester Business improvement district as it added a councils perspective to the story.

Emma's story on the teacher strikes was again a well presented story however it should have been lower down in the running order as it wasn't as important as some of the other stories this week. The footage that she got was good however some of the shots had to be recycled from last weeks bulletin due to privacy laws about filming children. She managed to gain a variety of interviews which gave her piece a good balance however on her pictures there was no natural sound that made the visuals seem lifeless.

Spence's graduate piece was really good as he filmed an effective opening that added interest as he included lots of varied shots and emphasised the natural sound. The piece to camera was very confident and came across natural, it showed the viewer that he was there getting involved in the story as his walkthrough included background shots of students graduating. The piece worked well as it was relevant to the university and it was important that he made the piece interesting that would relate to the students at Winchester.

Laura's volleyball piece was brilliant as she got involved and managed to film herself having a first hand experience into the sport. Her piece to camera was good as it came across natural and not staged, she looked confident and spoke well. The only improvement would be to get a more varied range of shots that allowed people to come in and out of the frame as it again emphasises a natural setting.

WINOLs 'and finally' piece looked at Wolf Awareness week where our reporter, Liam Garrahan managed to gain access to the wolf conservation trust. The piece was visually perfect and the presenting was good however some of the cliche lines used could be voiced with more irony. There were too many mid shots used, however the fencing in the background needed to be taken into account as this detracted from the wolves.
The only negative to this as a 'and finally' story is the fact that the location is in Reading which is too far away for viewers in the Hampshire area which could lead to them being misled or disappointed however you can never go wrong with an animal story at the end of the bulletin to lift some of the more negative stories with a positive one.

Access Winchester - War Horse press launch

As part of Access Winchester myself and Faith managed to gain entry into the press release of Warhorse debuting at the MayFlower theatre in Southampton.

We were allowed to film in and around the venue which gave us exclusive access as well as an insight into how the theatre production is performed, the construction of the horse and how the puppeteers operate.

We were given front row seats where we could film the entire launch which included a presentation from Jimmy Grimes, the puppetry director who talked us through how the horse was built, the way it moved and how they brought the puppet to life.

Jimmy explained the origin of the puppet from original performances seen in South Africa where these life like puppets gave the directors inspiration and how they developed and transformed these ideas to create the horse.  The evolution of puppetry is very relevant in this performance as Jimmy explained the main aspects are focus, breath and fixed point to create an authentic replica of a horse.

Jimmy went through and showed via slides how the horse was constructed, the materials used to build the puppet and how they designed the horse to be as realistic as possible. This was achieved by adding multiple joints that could be operated by the puppeteers, pretty much identical to that of a real horse to create fluid movements when the horse walked, trotted, cantered or galloped. The horse also 'breathed' as they used such flexible and light weight material that the movement of the horses 'heart' was visible to the audience, changing in pace dependent on the movement, a very clever technique that reinforced the realism of the puppet.



After Jimmy had finished the presentation, we were able to see the horse in full action which was an incredible sight as we got the full war horse experience. We could see how the horse moved, the way it interacted with the actors and hear the sounds made and produced by the puppeteers which were amazingly realistic. After a demonstration of the horse we were able to sit in on a Q&A with the puppeteers and the song man who explained how they spent weeks researching horse behaviour, the noises they made and the way they reacted to people to fully understand the dynamics and thoughts of the animal.

We were lucky enough to grab an interview with all of the puppeteers where we got  some brilliant inside info into how much practise and training goes into operating the horse as well as some exclusive horse sounds that they willingly performed for us. We also managed to get another interview with the song man, Tim Van Eyke who gave us some insight into his previous performances and his role within the show.

WINOL debrief - 09/10/13

This week we have produced another successful WINOL, after taking on board Ian’s advice he returned to see the progress made and what else could be improved.

WINOL again had a full running order with each reporter providing an interesting story to make up the bulletin.

One of the things Ian said could be improved upon is our headlines, the writing needs to be a lot clearer as the top lines can be misleading so we need to really think about what are the best lines for the links and ques. As a journalist it is essential that you have clear vision for your stories top line and that you are able to generate a two sentence que in plenty of time that flows and compliments the rest of the reports in the bulletin.

As our first story we covered the COMPASS meeting which was organised by Spence. The meeting involved a discussion about policing the night time economy and what can be changed or improved.
The event drew the viewers in as the studio set up, the interview and the meeting of the police commissioners looked professional and accountable. The sequence of shots for the first 15 seconds worked well as it gave time before the soundbites came in as Ian explained how important it is to let soundbites have enough room to breathe and fully deliver their impact on their audience. As a credit to Spence, Ian reinforced how important it is to make these contacts as it develops a professional working relationship which will encourage them to return and use our studio space again. 

As our second story we were able to convert a national story to a local story about children taking reading tests in schools which Emma managed to shoot relatively well. She gained access to a local school in Winchester and worked around the legal and privacy issues of shooting children on camera by avoiding any face shots. The story was good and was shot well with a variety of different angles however the script needed tweaking slightly as there were a few grammatical errors. Ian reinforced how important it is to set the scene, you should have three sequence shots that take up fifteen seconds of your intro to get the viewer interested and create impact.

Ellen again pulled off a really well shot and edited environmental story about how bees are being affected by diesel emissions from local traffic. She gained access into and around the bee’s hives as well as a laboratory which created a variety of shots in her story as well as showing the viewer that she was there getting a first-hand look into the story. The trio of shots making up Ellen’s introduction sequence had potential but there could be room for improvement as the shots needed people doing things in them. Visually the story was perfect, the shots were varied and the sound was extremely clear however in her final shot it was slightly over exposed which took away from her wearing the bee suit as it was too bright on the screen. Ian suggested that she could have knelt down beside the bee hive which would take the glare of the sun away whilst still keeping the attention on her and the bees.

Toms court report was better than last weeks however the pace was still too fast and needs to be slowed down. Ian also mentioned that he should flaunt the fact that he has gained access to the court room and should use props such as an iPad or notebook when doing a piece to camera to add more interest to the shot. 

Zeena has again converted a national story to a local story by covering Stoptober, the month where people try to stop smoking. Zeenas camerawork was good, focusing on a range of angles and different interviews where the eye line was perfect however the background was distracting and detracted from the focal point of the interview with the nurse. The sequence of the nurse was perfect, with three shots of her doing something to lead us into the story which added variety to her piece. 
The graphic she included was good but had a little too much information and needed a title to clarify what statistics the graphic was displaying.

Lucy's 'and finally' package was brilliant although it could have been longer as viewers will always enjoy a light hearted animal story. The birth of the baby zebra was a nice story to finish on as it was quite entertaining and balanced some of the more negative stories with a positive one. The package had a variety of camera angles which focused in on the zebras as well as including an interview with one of the animal keepers. One point Ian mentioned was to never do a piece to camera and then sign off as it seems too blunt and abrupt to end on so it is advisable these two are kept separate.  

WINOL debrief - 02/10/13

The first week back after the summer holidays is always a chaotic mess however this weeks WINOL went surprisingly well considering we had new reporters, new concepts and new roles.
The WINOL news bulletin went ahead as planned, with all reporters turning up with a story for the week we were able to produce a bulletin with a variety of content.

Our guest editor this week was Ian Anderson, a former editor at the BBC who very kindly gave up his time to visit us at Winchester to offer his opinions, guidance and advice on our packages. Ian is very honest and to the point which is brilliant for us as his advice is invaluable and in a few weeks time you will be dying to have someone like him come alone and strip your package so it is important to take on board everything he says and learn quickly.

Ian's comments were very positive, he was impressed at our punctuality and how professional our rehearsals were. He believes it is key to meet and rehearse and it is a good mindset to get into at a young age. The running of the bulletin is down to solid team work of which we should all be proud of as we took our roles very seriously and produced a legitimately sound bulletin.
It was a great achievement to get an OOV belt out as filling in the spike is never easy which meant our news editor of the week didn't have to rely on stories, as well as creating a competitive edge for the reporters to get their stories into the bulletin. Ian again re-enforced how important it is to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse as OOV's can be a nightmare due to the presenter reading the script live to images, providing a certain amount of risk however it is a useful tool to have as it breaks up the bulletin and allows us to cover more stories, this week being the development of Southampton docks and the re-building of the warship at Portsmouth.

Something that Ian said really stuck with me, that 'as journalists our only real currency is the quality of our stories' and I think this week the news content was extremely good, that each reporter managed to find and produce a package was exceptional, especially reporters such as Calum who can continue and build upon his story over time.

Ian made a point that we need to think about our audience, who are we trying to appeal too and who will be watching, which will effect the running order and choice of headlines that we use. Our news editor made a few last minute decisions, deciding to go with Zeena's more visually engaging story as our opening report followed by Emma's uni ranking story which had more relevance to Winchester.

Zeena's flu story is a good seasonal story as it is current and relevant to our audience, a highlight to her package is that she gained access to a laboratory which really showed the audience what was going on, we were not telling them what was going on, visuals are key as it involves the audience and really explains the concept and setting of the story. One point Ian said could be improved is that she could have done her PTC in a white lab coat as it shows the viewer that the reporters are there, getting involved and having a first hand experience into the story.

Emma's Winchester league table story was good as it was relevant to the university however the opening shot could be improved as it needed impact. The shot next to the sign is just a pet hate and a serious no no as it is stating the obvious and is not visually exciting. As Ian says the first ten seconds are the most important as they have to have impact to make an impression.

Toms scam story was a great first court story with a good graphic, however the pace was a little too fast and the presenting needed improving however this will get better with time and practise.
The type face on the graphic was also a little too small to read but that can easily be adjusted when editing.

Ellen's actual story was very average and run of the mill however she put an interesting angle onto her piece and made it interesting and engaging for viewers. Her final edit was extremely professional and technically perfect as the colours, sounds and shots were spot on.

Liam's mine craft piece was graphically very advanced and gave his package a unique edge, he used the sounds found in the game to keep interest. I thought the idea was very clever and worked really well at the end of the bulletin as it was fun, entertaining yet still informative.

As my new role as entertainment reporter it was our first Winchester Access which went extremely well considering none of the entertainment team had produced this kind of package. For our first event we travelled up to London to cover the RainDance film festival where we were allowed to film around and inside the venue. We also managed to film a master class with one of the directors as well as attending a Q and A with another director and one of the leading actresses.
To input some other content our entertainment editor, Jack went to an African drumming class where he got a first hand experience into how to play the instrument as well as getting an interview with some of the people who attend the class.

WINOL - Critical Reflection Year 2 Semester 2

My time on WINOL this second semester has been thoroughly rewarding and as an individual much improved. WINOL is still one of the most successful student run editorial projects with an impressive current Alexa traffic ranking of 76,180 in the UK and 499,642 worldwide.

The project is handed down from the third years to the second years who manage the whole operation for the remainder of the year; they are split into five different teams that cover news, sports, features, production and web production.

As a whole team the aim is to produce up to date and interesting content each week for all different mediums of broadcasting including television, online media and radio. 

I first began WINOL as a sports reporter, although I enjoyed this role and learnt critical key skills such as camerawork, script writing and editing techniques I wanted to explore a more creative role in my second term. After Christmas I began to work on the features team, producing articles for the Absolute:ly online fashion magazine as well as creating graphics that could be used for some of the packages produced by the news team.

After a huge renovation of the WINOL website last term it was re-designed into a broadsheet format that created a stronger looking layout that was more appropriate for news. After the decision to change the site to a Wordpress template instead of a Joomla template it created a noticeable difference, although limiting the flexibility of what could be posted and formatted to the site, it was much more suitable for the purposes of WINOL. This proved to be the right decision as we beat our competitors East London Lines by over 15,000 places making us the number one student journalism website in the country as of the 10^th December 2012.

The main WINOL site has kept the same design this semester, however there is more flexibility when it comes to the slider; there is now the option of switching between a smaller slider if the news team have not acquired a decent image to go with their story or a big slider for when there is a decent image that can be used.   

The three different feature sections; New Winchester Review, Adventure and Travel as well as Absolute:ly online fashion magazine had a re-design to make each home page more attractive, engaging and aesthetically better.  Our web editor Jason French took full advantage of the Wordpress template which allowed him to use custom plug in’s and custom templates. The features team created a more traditional and authentic theme for the Arts section within New Winchester Review instead of the darker, more formal theme previously used. The Masonry inspired shaken grid, a ‘jQuery’ plugin worked perfectly as the Masonry arranged the elements such as the images, videos and text vertically and found space for the next element to be positioned, creating a ‘block stone wall’ effect. The design was similar to that of Tumblr and Pintrest which created a fun yet recognisable style for users to explore and experiment with.

The New Winchester Review also had a small re-design tweaking the layout of the page. The most interesting story with the best picture is now positioned in the top left corner which means that even if the story isn’t the latest it will still appear at the top of the page.

The Adventure and travel section was more complex to design but was definitely worth the time and effort put in to make this feature page so strong. The main slideshow and focal point of the page was made through a plug in called ‘Supersized.’ The larger pictures link mainly to a full screen YouTube video through the plug in ‘tublur’ but some will link to a Wordpress site. This feature page is led through photographs, keeping the background, text and font very minimalistic and simple which worked effectively as our attention is not drawn away from the images.

As Absolute:ly was purely aimed at a female demographic, myself and the features team decided to update the look of the page as a new, modern and edgy style would make the features section stronger as well as increasing our female audience. We gathered ideas by looking online at other magazine formats such as Vogue and their different use of images, text, fonts, colours and layouts to produce fashionable, modern and chic designs.

When re-designing Absolute:ly we could now create a responsive theme which meant the template on the page would resize to fit the dimensions of the screen as well as creating a visually striking black and white contrast between the text and the background. One of the key aspects to the design was the sliding navigation menu which uses a ‘jQuery’ plugin called ‘meny’ creating a three dimensional and space efficient menu. Simple, yet clever you move your mouse towards the arrow which then opens the menu consisting of the different sections within the magazine. This enabled the page to look minimal and suited the smart style we had chosen to use.

As I had a keen interest in graphics and had experience using Photoshop, I was eager to update the content on Absolute:ly as some of the previous features were dated and lacked a professional, polished look.

We decided to split the magazine into six different sections, focusing on fashion, beauty, hair, relationships, gossip and competitions, all of which are key interests for a female readership.

I produced features for Absolute:ly that ranged from spring fashion catwalks, makeup reviews, Valentine’s Day maps and interviews with up and coming fashion designers which enabled me to venture into different areas that made up the magazine. 

For my first feature I wanted to create an original piece that had not been done before so decided to research into spring fashion catwalk trends for 2013. I drew my own model templates and used Photoshop to create different clothes, patterns, prints and designs which were showcased on the London catwalks this year.

I was especially pleased with one of the features I produced that continued on from spring catwalk trends to spring makeup trends. I wanted to create a very chic, elegant and sophisticated piece that was strongly image led.

I managed to get in contact with a professional makeup artist who agreed to help me with my photo-shoot. I used three different models, all of which had completely different looks that added diversity to the photographs as each model worked a certain look that complimented their skin, hair and eye colour. I researched what makeup trends were key for spring 2013, with the red lip, blue eye and black lashes as the most popular looks sent down the catwalks by the designers. I then asked the makeup artist to re-create these looks which I then photographed and edited myself using special editing tools that produced flawless, beautiful and stunning images, each of which were suited to the style of a magazine.

Although the features team spent most of their time focusing on the online magazine, we also discussed putting a few graphics together to be included in the bulletins broadcasted each week. This would increase our audience ratings as anybody watching the weekly bulletin would be re-directed to the WINOL site as they would recognise the features package, an example of this was the Valentine’s Day love map.  Using Photoshop I created a map of the UK, adding in Valentine’s Day related images such as cupids, love hearts and weather symbols to keep in context with a weather report. I then researched various different universities and the events they were throwing for the day which I then placed on the map. Using final cut I could then zoom in and out as well as around the image that imitated a weather report once a voice over had been added.

As one of our special bulletins we covered the Eastleigh-by-election after MP Chris Huhne resigned after pleading guilty to perverting the course of justice. Fourteen parties took part in the race for the MP’s seat; however the main contenders were the Lib Dems, Labour, Conservatives and UKIP.

WINOL produced ‘The South Decides’ on the night which was our Eastleigh-by- election special. Our show went live at 10pm until 12pm when it then transferred to the radio show until about 1am when the show went live again as the results came in. I think this was one of our most accomplished bulletins which included an extremely professional and engaging package about the labour party by Luke Garret as well as live OBS, reaction interviews and the results footage coming in from Nadine Foreshaw and Lou O’Brien who were there when the winner Mike Thornton was announced.

In addition I helped to create graphics that could be used by the news team in their packages. I created a ‘super graphic’ for the Eastleigh election that was to be put on the front page of the WINOL site but due to some sizing complications this was not possible however I still felt that I had contributed to the event as I had to work out various different stats about the election and convert data into graphs, maps and charts. I particularly enjoyed creating this ‘super graphic’ as I could experiment with different elements on Photoshop, using maps, images of the candidates and the collected data to try and imitate some of the graphics seen in The Times.

This year WINOL reported on and produced two special edition bulletins, one the Eastleigh-by-election and the other The Budget announcement. Many of our news reporters travelled to London to create their packages and I felt that one of the strongest of these packages was Faith Thomas’s. I found her package incredibly informative and her piece to camera was of an exceptionally high standard. She spoke clearly and formally whilst maintaining strong eye contact with the camera. Faith also managed to obtain a couple of interviews outside the bank of England which added variety to her piece as she could portray a number of different thoughts and opinions about how the Budget should be used.

As an added extra the bulletin also featured an in studio guest who was a supporter of the labour party and their views towards the economy. This worked well as it created a ‘debate’ like atmosphere that explored and recognised where and how the Budget should be used. 

My involvement with the Budget was again creating another ‘super graphic’ that could be used in Anja Ellen Eikenes package. As Anja was from Norway we decided to compare various different elements such as fuel, food, alcohol, cigarettes, tax and housing prices between Norway and the UK. The results were staggering as Norway proved to be a lot more expensive than the UK with items averaging out a considerable amount more. For example a pack of twenty cigarettes in the UK cost around £7.47 whereas in Norway you are looking to pay £10.86, that’s almost four pounds more!

We researched the different prices for each country, I then used Photoshop to create a map with images of the different products placed on the UK and Norway with the prices positioned beside them. I then uploaded the image to Final Cut where I could use the editing techniques to create an interactive graphic that worked effectively with Anjas voice over in both English and Norwegian which gave WINOL a slightly more cultural angle as well as adding originality and memorability to her piece.

Over the course of the semester WINOL has reported on many different stories, some more serious and hard hitting than others.  As one of the more advanced reporters, I thought Christina Micheal’s has grown strength from strength as a crime reporter producing packages with a composed nature yet still conveying a gripping story with legitimate and genuine facts and images. I found the hit and run story one of her most professional pieces which included an emotional appeal from the parents to the public which our WINOL team managed to gain access to in order to film.

As well as reporting on the more serious areas such as politics, finance and crime WINOL also strives to focus on what’s happening locally, environmentally and in the sporting community. We have had some brilliant sports packages that the team have got involved with creating a ‘gonzo’ like style with the go-pro cam. The go-pro cam is especially effective when trying to capture fast paced sport as it gives the audience a first person view point as if you are there in the thick of the action, this worked particularly well in Liam Garrahan’s wheelchair rugby and Thomas Baxter’s fencing report.

Each semester WINOL grows as a project, with advanced reporting, accomplished packages and professional production it is one of the most fantastic and engaging learning resources any journalism student could ask for. As an individual I feel I have strengthened the online fashion magazine, producing numerous articles and creating graphics that have achieved a place in the news bulletin. WINOL thrives off teamwork, dedication and recognition which makes it an incredibly professional news channel that everyone who has participated in this semester, should be proud of. 

The Budget - The UK Vs Norway

The news topic of the moment is the Budget. Nobody likes paying taxes. But in my home country of Norway, we pay far more tax than in the UK.

British beer is expensive at around three pounds. Scandinavians have a reputation for hard drinking. But in Norway a pint of beer costs eight pounds.

A 20 pack of cigarettes in Winchester costs about eight pounds, but in my home town of Bodo, the result of high taxes means that you have to pay eleven pounds.

Graphic created by myself

Filling your car in England can leave a big hole in your bank balance. But in Norway, even though we have our own oil reserves, petrol is still more expensive.

Comparing taxation on housing in two different countries is notoriously difficult. But due to the higher tax regime in Norway, sale tax on housing is four times more than in the UK.

If you work in Norway and pay maximum tax, you will need to give 47.8 per cent of your salary. In the UK you will not pay over 40 per cent.

But in return of paying all this tax, older Norwegians can look forward to a pension of almost double that in the UK.

Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world, but not everything costs more. Christmas trees are in plenty supply, so much so, that we can afford to give a giant one to England every year.

Written by Anja Elen Eikenes.

Eastleigh By-Election

The 2013 Eastleigh by-election has been dominating local press around Hampshire since Chris Huhne's resignation on the 4th February, following his guilty plea to a charge of perverting the course of justice.

Eastleigh has been thrown into a frenzy of political competition with each party handing out leaflets,   brandishing signs and banners whilst also attending local events and speaking to Eastleigh's voters.
The four main party contenders consist of  Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Labour and UKIP who have all nominated popular candidates to push their party forwards in the election.
The well established defending party, the Liberal Democrats have nominated Eastleigh Borough councillor Mike Thornton to retain the seat due to his promising reputation as a local politician. The Lib Dems have run the council since first winning the election in Eastleigh however the recent controversy of Chris Huhne's implosion has been traumatic for the local party with some refusing to accept his guilt and others extremely angry.
The Conservative candidate, Maria Hutching's was chosen for the by election on 7th February, first coming to light in 2005 when she interrupted a live television phone-in with the then prime minister, Tony Blair. Hutching's views on reducing abortion term limits, life outside the EU and whether local state school are good enough have landed her in some controversy however she identifies herself as "pro-life" and claims that she is not a "Tory-toff".

Graphics created by myself

Labour have chosen author and broadcaster John O'Farrell as their candidate, a non politician who has beaten several others with far stronger local links to become the face of "One Nation Labour" in Eastleigh. Although Labour has had a shaky start with John O'Farrell admitting he did not know Labours policy on university tuition fees when launching his campaign at a local college, Labour are taking the contest seriously, throwing everything they have at it.
UKIP selected candidate Diane James, a councillor from Ewhurst in Surrey who was elected there as an independent. The party's previous leader, Nigel Farage contest the seat at a by-election in 1992 initially stating that he would consider standing again, however deciding against this decision due to too much media speculation.

As the votes are rolling in it seems that the Tories could be on track for a surprise victory, according to a poll taken on Saturday, 23rd of February. Research shows that the Conservatives are on 33%, four points ahead of the Liberal Democrats. 

The UKIP Party also appear to be performing well, giving its support as 21%, however they did suffer a recent blow on Friday night when one of its MEPs, Marta Andreasen announced she was defecting to the Conservatives.
Labour is not doing that well as they trail on 13%, the poll found.

WINOL - Critical Reflection; Year 2 Semester 1

Over the last few years WINOL has grown and developed to become one of the most successfully run editorial projects by student journalists. This year the WINOL team has advanced due to an increased number of students that equally benefits and limits the project. As we cover a small area that lacks in currently occurring news it is difficult for each reporter to find a new and interesting story each week however when it comes to production, features and editing it is useful to have a number of people to help out and step in when needed. Alongside an acknowledged website, we produce a 10-15 minute bulletin that covers the latest news in relation to court reports, transport and local news as well as sport events at a very high standard that is both professional and legitimate.

As an on- going project it is vital that we keep WINOL updated and ambitious which is reinforced by  measuring our success through our online ratings and links into other various forms of online media. Our increasingly high Alexa rating, places us in the top 500,000 globally, and 10,424 as of the 10^th of December in the UK. With these rankings it places us higher than any other UK student production that we are aware of, whilst also exceeding the local newspaper “The Hampshire Chronicle.” By hitting these rankings it shows the expansive market we are reaching, from Portsmouth to Southampton, Basingstoke and other surrounding areas whilst also acknowledging that our readership is split between residents and students in Winchester.

One of the most recognisable progressions from last year is the improvement within the website, as well as the branches into online media forms such as Facebook and Twitter. The website has transformed due to our web editors changing the platform from Joomla to WordPress that automatically changes the template design. Although WordPress limits the capability of the site, it aesthetically adds a more formatted and structured design that keeps in context with the broadsheet approach that we've chosen to comply too.  The site efficiently distributes the most recent three stories accompanied with a picture that brings a continuous feeling to the site as the audience now knows they can access the top stories each week. By including features on the website it keeps the audience engaged as it extends to other interests such as the arts, entertainment, fashion and beauty; a vital key to bring in readers.

Another tool used to bring in readers is through the use of Facebook, by linking the WINOL site, Facebook users are more likely to click on the links building a positive reputation for WINOL as well as boosting the Alexa ratings.

By including an online twitter feed on the front page of the website it emphasises this “live” quality that again provides an easy access point for news and top stories that the audience can connect too.

We started off our first Monday learning the basic rules and regulations to adhere to when gathering, reporting and editing a news report to feature in the bulletin. Many of us had little idea as to how difficult it would be to put together a full news programme that was engaging, legally safe and professionally presented.

To begin with we were all split into three different teams, news, sport and features as well as voluntarily helping out the third years with production work. In our own meetings we were advised on what to report, how to film particular pieces and how to write scripts to accompany our pieces.

My involvement with WINOL this semester has been as a sports reporter, an area that has never been covered by any female reporters so far since WINOL began, making me determined to create my own niche in a male orientated occupation.

The problem I had with this role to begin with was the fact that I had no interest in sport, did not follow a particular football team and had no idea what the offside rule meant. Each member on the sports team was assigned to a particular sporting team whether that was in football, rugby or ice-hockey as well as other sporting news relevant to the area. I soon became the newest supporter of Basingstoke FC.

The first game I attended was when Basingstoke town welcomed Havant and Waterlooville to their stadium in Basingstoke. Once I had found the grounds, I was quite content to set up my tripod and camera at the top of the stands giving me a good vantage point which covered the whole area of the pitch. I soon discovered though that following the ball with the camera wasn't as easy and simple as I thought it might have been. I didn't anticipate the speed at which the ball would travel and the different angles the players would run to and shoot from making it difficult to manoeuvre the camera in order to capture the shot. It was important to move the camera steadily without any jerky movements which I found incredibly difficult to begin with as you couldn't anticipate where the ball was going to go, a skill that needed time and practise.

When it came to editing, I really struggled with the technicalities of the programme and how to piece together the footage I had shot. I encountered a few problems as the tripod that had positioned the camera had been at an angle, meaning the footage had come out lopsided. I also had not adjusted the settings properly meaning the footage had come out extremely bright due to the sun making it difficult to see some of the goals that had been scored. I also lacked crowd shots and a variety of opening and closing shots that could be used to make the piece more interesting, all of this was down to a lack of experience and could be improved upon. Despite all of this my piece made the bulletin with help from some high-tech editing and an engaging script.

Coming round to week two I was even more motivated to get into the bulletin, marking my usual spot in the stands it was time for Basingstoke to play against Eastbourne Borough. It was vital that I made sure that my tripod was on an even surface so my footage would come out straight this time round, as well as adjusting the settings to suit the conditions I was shooting in, this time in floodlit circumstances as it was an evening match. I felt that I have improved on my movement and co-ordination when following the ball as my shots came out a lot smoother and more efficient. I also focused on really capturing the crowd and their reactions to try and include the atmosphere within the piece to make it more charismatic and appealing for an audience to watch as you can connect with the emotions and feelings projected from the crowd. I was disappointed as I was unable to get an interview at the end of the match from Basingstoke’s manager which I thought would give the piece a bit more variety as so far the piece heavily relied on voice overs and camera shots. Although the piece didn't make the bulletin it was included in Sports Week, an extra feature included in WINOL that discusses and broadcasts all the sport that has been reported on for the week that hasn't made the news bulletin. However for that week I thought that I have really improved on my camera shooting abilities and managed to get several professional looking shots as well as using editing techniques such as slow motion and audio functions to accentuate the goals that were scored.

For the third week, Basingstoke Town were playing away so I was instructed to steer away from football and attend a Winchester rugby match. It was a good chance to experience another sport and test out my refined camera skills in a different environment. I found that filming a rugby match was quite different to a football match as the camera angles needed to be filmed wider and longer as the ball was often kicked higher in the air or longer across the field. It was harder to establish more crowd shots as it was a smaller venue than the Basingstoke stadium so having to improvise and think more creatively was a bit more of a challenge however there were some nice opening and closing shots to play around with when editing. Just as I thought I had finally gotten the hang of filming I encountered a problem with the audio, fortunately I managed to solve the problem later on however I had missed around ten minutes of sound during the match. By gaining experience and practising on Final Cut, I easily solved the problem by grabbing crowd sound captured later on in the footage and copying it to the parts that were missing the audio, a technique I had learned from another member of the sports team. Again I was unable to get an interview which really frustrated me as I wanted to add more diversity and depth to the piece; an aim that I was determined to pursue for my next piece.

After filming both football and rugby I still felt that I hadn't created my own individual mark within my role as a sports reporter, so I decided to branch out from football and report on something a little bit different. For this week’s piece I decided to create a feature rather than a match report, the subject of my feature being horse polo.

As my confidence had grown using the cameras, editing programmes and writing the scripts, with three pieces already used in Sports Week and in the bulletin I felt it would be innovative, fun and a tad unusual to report on Winchesters Polo team. To begin with I didn't know along with many others that Winchester even had a polo team but after getting in contact with the Captain of the team she was more than pleased for me to come along and promote the sport. For this feature I really wanted to get past the pretentious front the sport seemed to be affiliated with and find out the real truth behind playing polo. I decided to get as many cut away and opening shots as possible, filming the stables, the horses, players and the arena used for matches so I could really experiment and play around with different options when it came to editing.  I then decided to do a piece to camera so I could include that option if the piece suited, explaining briefly about the history of the team and the exciting news that they were joining a league.

Finally I managed to achieve my aim, setting up a detailed interview with the Captain of the team and one of the novice players, an important angle to the piece so the audience could get first-hand information revolving around the sport. As an extra for entertainment value I decided it would be extremely original and inventive to get my own perspective on the sport by getting on the horse and having a go myself. By doing my reporters sign off from the horse the piece became memorable and had a certain individual edge to it that I had wanted to achieve.

I found this a great experience and thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of reporting, with help from the guest speaker Graham Bell, a former student and now producer of Omni Sport his advice was crucial when putting together the feature. He aided me in how to script the piece, adding in puns for the voice over that added amusement, for example when I struggled to get on the horse he recommended scripting in something entertaining such as “watching the team from the side lines made me eager to get back in the saddle, however this proved to be my first challenge”.

I was extremely pleased when my feature made the final bulletin, as achieving a place in the news bulletin shows that the hard work and dedication you have put in has paid off. It provides recognition for yourself as well as the rest of the team who have found original and interesting stories for that week. It is a fantastic learning resource that gives students a first-hand experience into a working newsroom as well as producing an accomplished news channel that everyone who has participated in this semester, should be proud of. 

A rather unusual sport...

As a sports reporter I have gotten used to going along to various football and rugby matches however this week I decided it was time for a change. As the only female reporter I wanted to branch out and do something a little bit different.

After finding out from a fellow sports reporter that Winchester had a polo team i decided that this would be a perfect replacement for this weeks bulletin. 

Polo is often overlooked, classed as "the sport of Kings" many find it a rather pretentious affair. I wanted to delve deeper behind the extravagant front and learn the real truth behind the sport. 

I spoke to Rania Kamal, captain of the polo team and overal organiser of the sport. She was incredibly helpful, providing me with a first hand experience of polo and exclusive inside info into what happens behind the stable doors. 

Rania and novice player Emily Rees explained to me that polo is an equestrian based sport with four players on each team. The match normally lasts for two hours and is divided into six time periods known as chukkas. The match begins with a throw in of the ball at the beginning of each chukka whilst penalty shots are given depending on the severity of the foul. 

Whilst learning the basic rules of the match, it was encouraging to see the enthusiasm, enjoyment and skill that went into the sport whilst the team practised. I found it incredibly admirable how the team managed to control their horses whilst playing an intense game, chasing a small white ball and holding heavy mallets. Multi-tasking at its finest. 

I soon found out how hard polo actually is, deciding to grab life by the reigns and have a go myself. Getting on the horse was my first challenge, however he was the laziest horse out of the bunch making it a bit easier for me to struggle up however the next challenge soon arose as actually controlling the horse whilst trying to hit a polo ball proved difficult. I thoroughly enjoyed my first attempt at polo but despite my best efforts i doubt i will be recruited to join the team. 

It was important to promote the sport as not many people know that Winchester even have a polo team let alone that they are joining the league which enables them to play against other polo playing universities. It is a great achievement for Winchester to qualify for the league which will hopefully encourage more people to appreciate this fantastic sport. 

Basingstoke town V Eastbourne Borough

Basingstoke town welcomed Eastbourne Borough to the Camrose stadium looking for their first victory in the last six games.

Basingstoke had the first chance of the game with Wes Daly's long range free kick comfortably saved by the keeper.
Basingstoke took the lead when Delano Sam Yorke capitalised after an error from Boroughs goal keeper Joe day.
Delano Sam Yorkes winding run came to nothing as he poked the ball wide of the top corner.
Borough's corner was bundled into the net by Ellis Remy after Basingstoke failed to clear their lines.
Oliver Rowes volley gave them their lead in the eighty-third minute.
With the clock ticking down Basingstoke pushed for an equaliser but could only shoot at the keeper.
In the sixth minute of injury time Basingstoke got it with Stefan Brown finding his way past the keeper.
It was a much needed point for Basingstoke who would hope to take the momentum of their last goal into the next game.
Video link below;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h4GjM1bgac&feature=youtu.be

Basingstoke Town V Havant & Waterlooville

Basingstoke town welcomed Havant & Waterlooville to the Camrose stadium over the weekend for their Blue Square south encounter. Both teams have had a bad start to the league with Havant only one place off the relegation zone.

Tim Sills had the first chance of the game but his header narrowly missed the target.
Basingstoke opened the score with a powerful driving shot from Delano Sam Yorke, leaving the keeper with no chance.
Basingstoke continued on the front foot with a strike from outside the box.
Wes Daly tried his luck from far out resulting in an easy save for Thomas.
The ball was punched out of the air denying basingstoke a chance from a corner.
Using his league one experience, Lee Bradbury inspired his men to fight back.
Havant went in search of an equaliser but were denied by Basingstoke's defence.
Havant equalised shortly after the break.
Havant then pressed for a lead with a long range effort forcing Bayes to cover his post.
A cross in from the right left left Thomas flapping but Havants defence scrambled the ball clear.
Basingstoke continued to attack with a header narrowly skimming the post.
Wes Daly failed to meet the target with a weak shot from the 18 yard box.
Bayes makes an easy save after a low twenty yard shot from Christian Nannetti.
Callum McNish missed the target when it would have been easier to score.
Ryan Moss displayed an impressive turn of pace slipping the ball to Palmer who lifted the ball over a floundering Ashley Bayes.
Basingstoke attempted a last minute equaliser shooting wide over the cross bar.

Basingstoke will be disappointed to have lost to Havant after dominating most of the game but will not be disheartened this early on in the league.
Video link below;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJuL9tgVVJ4&feature=youtu.be

The Basics of Television Reporting

When entering the world of Journalism it is important to remember that there are so many different routes and openings into other fields of work that it is key to know at least the basics for some of these, for example television reporting.

It is vital to remember that there are two different disciplines - videoing and being a journalist.
When working as a journalist you have to find pictures, interviews and the full story in order to produce an accurate and interesting report. It is important that you present yourself professionally and on time.
When videoing, you are most beneficial to the journalist. It is vital that you get the full story and battle against any other journalists to make sure you get the best shot.

How to approach an assignment;

- Fix up an interview regarding the story.
- Research the story, know the questions you are going to ask and know the full details within the story.
- Prepare yourself before you go out; make sure you have a structure and a plan.
- Think about the angles and the way you are going to film, whether it is interior (inside) or exterior (outside).

-Look at the environment, size, lighting, furniture, people and noise that may influence your shot.
- You do not want distractions, interviewees must be fully co-operative as they are only on camera for a maximum of 20 seconds.
-Ask for another location or if not possible to be interior, ask to go outside - there will be more light and is more pratical as there is no need to move furniture or people.
However this all depends on the nature of the interview, this is more appropriate for a quick interview as an interior setting is more suitable for a more involved, in depth interview.

When interviewing;

-Know who they are!
-For people rarely on TV, introduce yourself, appear friendly and positive as this is reassuring for the interviewee.

Interiors;

-When shooting in an interior space the most important thing to check is the lighting.
-Make sure you can see the person, they must be lit with no shadows or reflections.
-To test the light, use your hand to notice how the light changes, a bright light is always best.
-Think about where you are going to place your interviewee bearing in mind the factors listed above.

Exteriors;

-The most impractical element is when clouds pass over the sun as the light level will keep changing.
-NEVER use an automatic exposure setting as this gives you poor results.
-ALWAYS use a manual exposure setting even if you have to keep changing the levels to get the right shots.
-Focus is key; always make sure the focus is on the interviewee

Create the environment to suit you, simply ask to move things, shut blinds/curtains etc.
Work with your colleagues, ask to share lights with other crews when needed - be professional.

Sound;

-When under pressure for time and you need an interview use a radio mike.
-When outside do not use a small mike as background noise and wind will ruin your film.
-Use a fluffy mike otherwise known as a "fluffy" as this gives you the best results.
-"Fluffy's" are good wind protectors.

Tripods;

-Use a tripod as you will have better results.
-The tripod will help overcome any movement.
-Unfortunately the bigger and heavier the tripod, the better.
-A handheld camera can be appropriate at certain times you can move and walk more easily across different places to achieve different angles (from above and below as it is more fun and creative)

Personal Safety;

-When working on your own make sure you make a good risk assessment. Make sure you are not in any danger and that you look after yourself.

Preparation;

-When asking questions and taking notes make sure you put the name and occupation of your interviewee at the top of the page.
-Make sure you have a few basic questions to ask to remind yourself of what happened.
-Get a reaction!

Structure;

-A morning editorial meeting will normally take place discussing what stories will be covered and what wont be.
-You will be given a story with a time length.
-Make sure you collect information and research as well as vox pops as these are more effective in a story.
- Make sure you have a basic plan for a script and your film however that may change and have to be adapted.
-The most important shot is the first shot, it will determine if people will stay tuned in to your story.

Jargon;

GV - General View
COMM - Commentary
ACT - Actuality
SOF - Sound on film
OOV - Out of vision
VT - Video Tape
PTC - Piece to Camera