1 / 50

Sports Media Comm 312

Sports Media Comm 312. October 9, 2007 Russ Maloney. Present Tense Leads. Sentences require a subject and a verb. Broadcast writing is most effective when it sounds like a normal conversation.

elaine
Download Presentation

Sports Media Comm 312

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Sports MediaComm 312 October 9, 2007 Russ Maloney

  2. Present Tense Leads • Sentences require a subject and a verb. • Broadcast writing is most effective when it sounds like a normal conversation. • Write the lead in present or present-perfect tense. The rest of the story may be written in past tense.

  3. Present Tense Leads • Present tense makes the story more immediate and captures the audience’s attention. • If the lead involves an event that happened in the past, advance the story. What is happening now? Put the most up-to-date information in the lead.

  4. Distorted Present Tense Distorted present tense is the use of present tense for events that clearly happened in the past. Sounds like a newspaper headline

  5. Examples • Past • The Pacers won Monday. • Distorted • The Pacers win Monday. • Present-Perfect • The Pacers have won their first pre-season game. • Present • The Pacers are one-and-oh following Monday’s exhibition victory against Washington.

  6. Quotes • Present tense is also used for quoting or paraphrasing. • Rationale – When someone makes a comment, it likely reflects ongoing thinking. • Use “says” not “said”

  7. Mid-Term Exam Review

  8. Mid-Term Review • 100 points or 10% of your grade • 75 minutes to complete exam • Format • True or False • Multiple Guess • Matching Definitions • Short Answer • Write Leads • Stacking a Sportscast • Essay/analysis

  9. Studying for Mid-Term • Study groups • Review notes & PowerPoint slides • Chapter summaries in Schultz book • Ask questions • Review writing handouts

  10. If you knew what I know . . . Disclaimer Not All Inclusive What to Study

  11. Sports Media History

  12. Sports Broadcasting • Era of Technology • Era of Creativity • Era of Accountants

  13. Radio – Era of Technology • Live Broadcasts • Recreations • 1920 – First Live Broadcast on KDKA • Harding-Cox Election Returns • 1922 – First Network (WJZ and WGY) • Broadcast of the World Series

  14. Radio – Era of Creativity • 1921 – First Sports Broadcast • Heavyweight boxing match • 1922 – First Commercial on WEAF • 10 minutes - Hawthorne Court Real Estate • 1930’s – Larry MacPhail ends Home Ban • Demonstrates revenue potential of broadcasts

  15. Radio – Era of Accountants • 1950’s – Effects of Television • FM Radio and Transistor • Format Radio • Niche Audiences • Localism • 1987 – WFAN in New York • Emmis switches former WNBC-AM to Sports Talk • 1992 – ESPN Radio Signs On • Now more than 700 affiliates

  16. Television – Era of Technology • 1939 – Television Demonstrated • First MLB broadcast • Not many sets available • Two cameras • Problems

  17. Television – Era of Creativity • 1961 – Wide World of Sports • Personalities not results • 1970’s – Monday Night Football • Not just a game, an entertainment event • 1970’s – NFL Today Pregame Show • Phyllis George

  18. Television – Era of Accountants • New forms of transmission • Cable and Satellite • Subscription and Pay-Per-View • Fox TV • Football legitimized the network • Made for TV Sports • Effect of TV Deals on the field

  19. Writing Sports for Broadcast Back to Basics

  20. 10 Rules for Sports Writing • Use Active Voice • Use Proper Grammar • Pronoun Agreement • Attribution • Use Simple Words and Numbers • Keep Writing Clean and Simple • Use Solid Reporting Skills

  21. 10 Rules for Sports Writing • Learn More than Just Sports • Remember Creativity • Clichés • Humanize Your Writing • Sometimes Less is More • Carefully Consider Outside Elements

  22. What Makes a Good Story? • Informative • Interesting • Accurate • Pertinent Localization is key!

  23. Story Construction • Lead • Get the Audience into the tent. Hook them! Why should they listen? • Body of the Story • Deliver the message. • Tag • Leave the audience with something.

  24. Three Important Concepts Subject-Verb-Object Attribution Leads Assertion Active, not Passive

  25. Active Verbs Know How to Write in Active Voice

  26. Verb Tense Present or Past

  27. The Lead • The first sentence in broadcast stories • Must draw viewer’s/listener’s attention • Sets the tone for the story • Includes many of the basic facts • Determines whether a story will be heard/watched

  28. Types of Leads • Hard • To the point; used for serious stories • Soft • Feature-oriented stories • Humorous • Must actually be humorous • Throwaway • Line before story begins • Question • Tune out or away

  29. Do’s and Don’ts Lead Writing

  30. Write to the Video • S-W-A-P: Synchronize Words And Pictures • Tell the story in a way that makes best use of video • Don’t directly describe understandable pictures • Writing & video may tell more than one story at a time

  31. Ending the Story • Tell what happens next • Provide a summary • Tell the other side • Include a bit of interesting information

  32. Lead-ins Lead-outs or Tags Voice-overs (VOs) VO/SOT Tease Tosses Package Standup Cutaway B-Roll Broadcast Definitions

  33. Reader Actuality Wrap Natural Sound Q-and-A Voicer Broadcast Definitions

  34. Sportscasts • Factors that influence sportscasts • Medium • Audience • Location • Format • Resources

  35. Putting it Together • Find out what you have • Stack the cast • Local • Immediacy/Timeliness • Group by sports • Sound or video • Write the cast

  36. Delivery Sports Anchoring

  37. Anchoring A good sports anchor ties all of the other elements (writing, sound, video, etc.) together and communicates them in an interesting and entertaining way.

  38. What makes a good anchor? • Control • Creativity • Style • Entertaining Differentiation

  39. Play-by-Play Preparation

  40. Preparation - Finding Info What do you need? • Statistics • Rosters • Background Information • Quotes

  41. Preparation - Finding Info Sources of Information • Newspapers/Magazines • Media Guides • Press Releases • Yearbooks • Internet Sites

  42. Preparation - Organization Putting It Together • Create a system that works for you • Background Sheets • Spotting Charts • Scorecards

  43. Preparation - The Lead Write the lead the night before • Get broadcast off to a good start • Set the scene, don’t dramatize • Find a good story

  44. Planning the Show • Pre-Game • Set the scene • Half-Time • Recap and look ahead • Post-Game • Review and give perspective

  45. Play-by-Play/Color Commentary Broadcasting the Game

  46. Play-by-Play - The Basics What does the play-by-play announcer do? Explain WHAT is happening! WHAT?

  47. Color Commentary What does a color commentator do? Explains WHY it’s happening WHY?

  48. The Basic Formula • Set the play • Follow the ball • See the field/court • End the play • Score/Time

  49. Mid-Term Exam Questions ?

  50. Thursday Assignment Study for Mid-Term Exam

More Related