Current Events 4/9/14

1. What country has been removing pro-Russian demonstrators from some of its eastern cities? 
Ukraine 
2. Russia warned any use of force in this area could lead to what? 
War
3. What did searchers hear this weekend that may have been from the missing Malaysian Airlines flight 370? Extra Credit: Why is it important that searchers find out about this soon? 
Pings from the black box. The battery lasts only 30 days. 
4. President Obama signed an executive order this week to keep federal contractors from punishing workers who discuss their pay. This is one step to help what group get more equitable pay? Extra Credit: What are some are accusing the White House of doing related to this? 
Women. They are discriminating too. 
5. What will many in this country be finishing this week before an April 15 deadline? 
Taxes. 
6. What did the judge in the South African trial of celebrity athlete Oscar Pistorius say will have no effect on the verdict? 
His emotional outbreak during his testimony. 
7. For the first time in 20 years, what top contender will not be in the Masters Tournament, which starts this week 
Tiger Woods. 
8. Finally, what men’s basketball team did win the NCAA championship game Monday night? 
UConn

Scripts

Dexter: Hello there Eastview and welcome to the Flash

Anneliese: I'm Anneliese and this is Dexter, and We've got a very interesting show for you today. 

Dexter: What have you been up to with this amazing weather? 
Anneliese: Just getting ready for the lacrosse season. 
Dexter: That's awesome. We asked Eastview what their favorite part about spring is. 

----What is your favorite thing about spring?----

Dexter: I love all those things about spring too.
Anneliese: So Dexter, since your senior year is coming to an end, what are your plans after high school?
Dexter: I am going to be taking a year off next year to make some money.
Anneliese: That's a really good idea. We went around Eastview and asked others what their plans were  for after high school 

----What are your plans for after high school?----

Anneliese: Those all sound like good plans.
Dexter: With so many good movies coming out recently we went out and asked Eastview what their favorite thing about movies is. 

----What is your favorite thing about movies?----

Dexter: Personally I love a movie with great special effects. 
Anneliese:  There are so many people in this school many many things you don't know about them. Our last story deals with just that. We asked people something that you may not know about them.

----What is one thing people don't know about you----

FORMAL INTERVIEW:

1.  Show up early, set-up and put mic on chair
2.   Run Mic up their shirt_
3.   Reporter should distract and make a _Distraction_
4.   Photographer is listening in _____________
5.   Frame up shot:  Eyes on ______, Talking Space/Nose Room, Cam Eye Level,
6.   Photographer gives signal:  Clears Throat... to signal he/she is ready for the interview to _______
7.  1st Question is always  State your ______ and spell it...
8.  ________ Ended Questions
9.  Last Question is always "Is there anything ________________"
10. Shoot ________ _________ of Hands or Reporter


Copy and paste the following questions and answer them on your blog:

Run and Gun Interviews:

1.  What is a "Run and Gun" interview? When can we use a "Run and Gun" interview?
A quick on the fly interview. Used when we have to interview many people or when we have to interview very quickly (Coach after a game)
2.  What is the first thing you should do BEFORE starting off for the interview?
Test gear before going. 
3.  Why do you think we should ask for permission?
Not everyone wants to be taped. Courtesy. 
4.  Why should we always ask the interviewee to state and spell their names?
So we can have their name correctly in the story.
5.  Where should we place the microphone?
Below the shoulder and out of the camera shot
6.  Should we hand the mic to the interviewee?
no
7.  The photographer is responsible for the sound levels.  What are two things the photog should be aware of?
Make sure the levels are good, Background noise
8.  COMPOSITION:  How we should frame our interview shot:
a.  Eyes on Third
b.  2 Eyes One Ear
c.  Camera should be Higher, Even, or Lower than subject?
d.  Talking space or Nose Room


BACKGROUNDS:
9. Avoid shooting in front of  Windows.

10.  Why should we keep signs out of the background?
People will read them and not pay attention to the story.
11.  If we were doing an interview about the high cost of parking at EVHS where would a good place to interview be?

12.  What is a demonstration interview and what are the benefits?
Showing them how it will go so that they are more comfortable

Opening Assignment 3/31/14

Today a disappointing and pathetic event took place when Dexter St-Pierre was on his way to work today and discovered he was missing something critically important. His keys were nowhere to be found. Dexter tore apart his bedroom and living room searching for the keys, only to realize that he had locked them in his car last night.

All dressed, lunch packed, name badge on, Dexter was all ready for work. There was just one more thing he needed. He reached onto his dresser where  his keys should have been his fingers only met with the wood of the dresser. His hands searched the dresser just like Velma when she would drop her glasses in Scooby Doo. Then he had a horrifying realization. He ran out to his car as quickly as his tired legs could carry him and looked in the window. Sitting there on his driver's seat were his keys.

Current Events 3/19/2014

1. What has Russian President Vladimir Putin done this week because of the results of a referendum last weekend?
Annexed Cramea
2. Because of what is going on in Ukraine, what have other countries like the U.S., Japan and those in the European Union imposed against Russian officials?
Sanctions 
3.  What national championship with 68 teams competing begins this week and ends April 7?
March Madness
4. Where did two die in a fiery news helicopter crash this week?
Seattle
5. Why is Fred Phelps, controversial founder of Westboro Baptist Church, in the news this week?
He is dying 
6. With the Malaysian Airlines flight still missing, whose computers and homes did authorities search unsuccessfully, looking for clues this week?
Extra Credit: What celebrity says she has become “a little obsessive” about the plane and posted photos of where she thinks it went down?
The crew. Courtney Love.
7. What incident put the Grand Canyon’s South Rim in the news this week?
Somebody fell off
8. What rock star canceled his concert in Australia after the death of his long-time girlfriend?
Mc Jagger

Current Events 3/12/14

1. One of the biggest stories this week has a dateline of Kuala Lumpur. What happened to a plane near there? 
It disappeared. No one knows where it went
2. What is unique about two men's passports connected with this plane? 
They were stolen
3. South by Southwest (SXSW), formerly just a music festival, has turned high tech. What controversial information freedom activist talked to those at the festival via Skype from Russia? 
Edward Snowden
4. What Ukraine region will hold a referendum later this week to decide if it will join Russia? 
Crimea
5. Why is South African sprint runner Oscar Pistorius in the news this week? 
On trial for killing his girlfriend
6. Who was labeled “bratty” in a video showing some of his 4+-hour deposition with lawyers this week? 
Justin Bieber
7. Who did the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee accuse of allegedly spying on her committee staffers through a special computer network? (HINT: It’s not just one person) 
CIA
8. More than 100 firefighters battled a blaze Tuesday night at a construction site in what city?
San Francisco

Current events 3/6/13

1. What part of Ukraine has been the focus of recent problems with its more powerful neighbor? Extra Credit: Who is that powerful neighbor? 
Cremea, Russia
2. What U.S. diplomat went to Kiev this week to increase the pressure on this neighbor and show support of those in Ukraine? 
John Kerry
3. One more powerful winter storm hit the U.S. last weekend and early this week. What was its name? 
Titan
4. Twenty-nine people were killed and more than 140 wounded in a train station in China last weekend. What weapons did the attackers use? 
Knives
5. What is everyone in almost every state in the U.S. doing Saturday night if they don’t want problems Sunday morning? 
Move their clocks forward an hour
6. What was named best picture at the Academy Awards Sunday night? 
12 years a slave
7. Whose selfie at the Oscars now holds the record of the most popular tweet ever? 
Ellen DeGeneres
8. What celebrations have been going on this week in New Orleans? 
Mardi Gas
9. Name two jobs Mr. Fornicoia has had.
Kool-Aid man, teacher

The Truman Show

What if every detail of your life was broadcasted for the entire world to see? Everybody knew about every mistake and every failure. And you didn’t even know it was happening. This kind of invasive exposure is exactly what Truman Burbank experienced in “The Truman Show”.

“The Truman Show” reveals a lot about the impact that mass media has on our society. It shows that we are willing to humiliate another human and turn them into an animal at a zoo so that we can have entertainment. That is a scary thought. They use product placement sarcastically to show how a person would react to someone enthusiastically recommends a product like they always do in commercials. It does a fantastic job of showing how manufactured and unnatural it really is. I don’t think I would be an actor, but I think I would watch a show like this. I enjoy watching people and trying to figure out why people do what they do and this would give me a great outlet for that. It would do wonders for the study of psychology. This movie has a similar sarcastic take on social media as “Anchorman”. They both show how ridiculous mass media can be. Both movies use sarcasm to present the idiocy of mass media.

Many philosophical ideas are presented by the characters in “The Truman Show”, some of them are true, and others are completely false. Christof made one such statement when he said, “We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented.” This idea is the main reason why Truman took so long to realize that his world wasn’t real. For all we know we could be living in a world that was designed just for us and we would probably never know. It is kind of scary to think about. A similar idea was presented in “The Matrix” when Neo said that nobody questions the world they live in because they just accept it. Their conscious minds don’t remember anything different, even though they are living in a computer. When Truman was about to escape from Seahaven, the world in which his show takes place, Christof made this statement to Truman, “there’s no more truth out there than there is in the world I created for you. The same lies, the same deceit. But in my world you have nothing to fear.” This statement is very false. Truman’s entire life in Seahaven was fake. Every little aspect was a lie, designed for people’s entertainment. While our world may have a lot of lies and deceit at least there is a lot of things in our world are genuine. Many things are true. However it was quite a compelling statement.

I really enjoyed the ending of the movie. I thought it was humorous while being kind of philosophical. I love that Truman decided to leave in spite of Chritsof’s compelling words. I loved that he said, “in case I don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night,” right before he left because it was kind of his catch phrase in the show and something that people knew him by and now he was poking at Christof with it. When Christof took the show offline he probably went and looked for some other producing or directing job. He showed that he was very good at it and I am sure plenty of studios would want him. I think Truman went looking for Sylvia because he realized that she was the one true thing in his life. When everything else was fake his and Sylvia’s love was true. The viewers of The Truman Show probably just went back to life as normal, and probably are watching some other show right now. I think the sequel would be about Truman suing Christof for exploiting him. Truman would sue him for all he’s worth and Christof would be shamed.

The invasive exposure that Truman experienced shows us a lot about the function of humans. Everything from mass media to our acceptance of reality, but it doesn’t excuse invading someone privacy. 

Current Events 2/26/14

1. What state’s legislature passed a controversial bill that some say discriminates based on sexual orientation and others say promotes religious freedom? Extra Credit: What happens to the bill now? 
Arizona, Governor needs to approve it.
2. Comedy director, writer and actor Harold Ramis died this week after a long illness. Name one of the classic movies he wrote, directed or acted in. 
Ground Hog Day
3. What country’s president has fled to an unknown destination after being ousted from his post and charged with mass murder? 
Ukaraine
4. Who is the Russian president, recently watching the Olympics in Sochi and now watching what is going on in the neighboring country in Question #4? 
Vladimir Putin
5. In another much-hyped change in late-night viewing, who took over Jimmy Fallon’s old job hosting “Late Night” on NBC? 
Seth Meyers
6. What 40-day religious observation begins next week? 
Lent
7. A man known as the world’s most wanted drug lord was arrested in what country last weekend? 
Mexico
8. What did Dale Earnhardt Jr. win last week?
Daytona 500

Sequencing

Explain in your own words what video sequencing is. 3-5 sentences. What are 3 main benefits to shot sequencing? What are the Key ingredients to shot sequencing?
Video sequencing is when you string together lots of short bits of video together to create a complete scene. Three benefits are passage of time, continuity, and professionalism. 

2.20.14

Action reaction shooting is when you show what is going on, whether it is a performance, sports game, or anything else, then show how people react, or respond, to what is going on. This could be an individual or a group of people. The reaction is what really makes you feel something because you react the same way that the other people do. It increases the emotion in the piece. It is important because it gives us the feeling of really being there. When something happens around us in real life we look around for other people's reactions so it makes us feel like we are really there.

Current Events 2/19/14

1. What country had at least 14 reported dead this week in clashes between protesters and police outside its parliament building? Extra Credit: What is the city where this is happening? 
Ukraine. Kiev
2. Of course the Olympics has been in the news spotlight all week. Name one sport where the U.S. is doing very well. 
Hockey
3. But one sport’s participants have done surprisingly poorly. What is that? Extra credit: At least some are blaming what new piece of technology for the problems? 
Speed skating, the new suits aren't working as expected.
4. What did an Ethiopian pilot do this week that made headlines? 
Hijacked a plane to go to switzerland looking for asylum. 
5. What singing/performance duo, who already had been in Russian prison for two years for their actions, were again jailed – this time in Sochi? 
Pussy Riot
6. Who premiered as the Tonight Show host this week? 
Jimmy Fallon
7. What country was the site of a photo that went viral this week of a 4-year-old boy, temporarily separated from this family while crossing the desert to escape the fighting in his homeland?
Syria
8. Some experts say the proposed increase in minimum wage will be good because it will increase the earnings of low-wage Americans, but it will be bad because 
Prices go up, fewer jobs

Camera Techniques

Left hand:
Thumb: Eyes on third
Pointer: The nose knows
Middle: Audio
Ring: Background
Pinky: Lighting

Right hand:
Thumb: Action
Pointer: Reaction


Zoom- Magnifies image
Zoom with your feet if possible.
Tilt- Moving the camera and down.
Pan- Moving the camera left and right.

Wide- Give an overall feeling of location and surroundings.
Medium- Less setting and more details. focus on a specific area.
Tight- Lots of details.
Sound Bite-A piece of the interview that can stand alone
B Roll- The footage of what you are covering.
3 things you can change

1. Angle
2. Height
3. Focal length

The shooting six:

1. Camera 
2. Tripod
3. Microphone
4. Headphones
5. Battery 
6. Memory card

I  feel like at the beginning she was just looking for a story to share and he had some drama that made him a character that would pull on all of our heartstrings. She also wasn't the one who brought up the topic of his brother, he was. She really messed up with the last question. He was already of the verge of tears and she kept on pushing the issue and he broke down. When interviewing someone you should be on the lookout for non-verbal hints that they do not want to talk about the topic. 

Dirty jobs: Taxidermy

1. How did Mehleena the reporter quickly make it clear she was a participant in the story? 
She walked up to the taxidermist and introduced herself. She said she was going to skin a deer. 
2. Which natural sounds added texture to the story? 
The sound of the skin being peeled off. drilling. hammering. .
3. “That was going to take some pretty gruesome work.” Why was that voiceover used when it was--how did it prepare the viewer? 
It warned us that there was going to be some gruesome images so that squeamish people could look away. 
4. The concept of “reporter-as-surrogate-for-the-viewer” means what? 
That a reporter does something so that the view can experience it without actually having to do it. 
5. Did the story make you appreciate the preservation of animals, or make you wonder why people do this in the first place? Explain.
I think it made me appreciate all of the hard work that goes into preserving these animals. 

Steps to writing a story

1. Find a topic
1. Do teens care?
2. Should teens care? 
2. Create a focus statement
1. 3 words 
1. Subject
2. Verb
3. Object
3. Collect Information
1. Who are the experts?
2. Do you need opposing points of view?
3. What questions do we ask?
4. Other research?
4. Interview
1. Ask open ended questions
2. Find good sound bytes. A piece of audio that can stand alone.

Current events 2/12/14

1. What famous former child star died this week? 
Surly Temple
2. What newscaster was sidelined during the Olympics because of an eye infection? Extra Credit: Who is replacing him? 
Bob Hospice 
Matt Lauer
3. Name the U.S. Attorney General who has been in the news several times in the last week with announcements about same-sex rights and calls for changes in state voting laws. 
Eric Holder
4. House Republicans finally agreed Tuesday to lower/raise (choose one) the U.S. debt ceiling limits. 
Lower
5. What popular mobile game’s creator pulled it from app stores this week? 
Flappy Bird
6. Keeping track of the medal count at the Olympics is challenging, but name one of the countries that had multiple gold medals by Tuesday. 
Norway
7. What professional sport was in the news this week when one of its top draft prospects announced he is gay? 
Football
8. What European president visited the White House this week, attending a state dinner and discussing ways to deal with the Syrian crisis?
France

Toy Story

1.  The camera work in this story is very advanced.  It uses various angles, foregrounds, sequences, and lots of tights.  List three shots that were the most memorable for you.
   
   
   2.  How does the proprietor’s joke at the start of the story help establish him as a character?  What does it tell us about him?
    It shows that he is a goofy guy and young at heart, not just a creepy old guy with lots of toys.
   3.   There was no reporter stand-up.  Should there have been?  Explain your answer.
    I don't think it was needed. The beginning was needed to establish the place and the rest of the story was focused on the owner. The only way a stand-up would have worked is if they had a shot of the reporter interviewing the owner. 
     The photograph provided a nice surprise.  How did that further establish him as a character invested in the toy store?

1.  It showed that he had strong attachment to these toys, not only because he loved them, but also because he grew up with them. He wants to preserve his childhood. 
    I enjoyed the shot at the beginning with the top.
    The pan between the two toy soldiers 
    Te shot of the Rolls Royce 
   5.  Was there information you didn’t get that you really want
2. How long has this museum been open? how did he get it started? 

Focus statement: The idea that you are concentrating on or trying to prove in your story. Guides every decision in the story process. 

Kare 11 2/10/14

For Minnesota native Anne Schleper the Olympics is still a surreal experience. She is a graduate of the 2012 class at the U of M and is playing defense for the USA women's hockey team at the Olympics in Sochi Russia. She has stood out as a leader on the team as well as a crucial player on the team.

I had no idea that we had someone from Minnesota on the Women's team. I think it is awesome that Minnesota produces such great hockey players. I could never imagine that stress that would come from playing in the Olympics.

Shayna's story

1. Describe how the story incorporated the technique, "Make them laugh before you make them cry." 
They made it seem like everything was ok with her first jump but then it went horribly wrong.
2.  How did the story structure help “save a surprise” on at least two occasions?
By not telling you that she had a kid until after they told you she was pregnant during the fall. It seemed like she would never go sky diving again but she did.
3.  Which soundbite will you remember the most from this piece?
I will remember the sound of Shayna's husband screaming at her as she was falling.
4. How do the Anchor's comments after the feature help bring the story full circle?
It brings it back to the idea of Shayna skydiving.
5. What information would you like to have that the story did not include? 
How long her recovery took.

Shayna's parachute failed on her first time sky diving alone and she went crashing to the ground and survived. 

Easy Access

 1. List three pieces of natural sound in this story. 
Opening the package, the sounds of the phone, the sound of typing on the computer.
2. How did the reporter tease the viewer in the beginning? 
By showing a package at a door and saying that they were going to be talking about what was in the package but didn't tell you right away.
3. When the reporter made the call to the online vendor, she gave a lot of clear information about who she was, and why she was calling? Why did she make it clear the conversation was being recorded? 
She had to share that because you aren't allowed to record people and use their image or voices without letting them know that they are doing it. She shared information about herself so that he would know what she was doing.
4. How did the prosecuting attorney’s letter help this story happen? 
It allowed the student to buy alcohol without having to worry about getting in trouble because it was research for a news story. 
5. The story reveals online alcohol sales to minors. How concerned are you that it might actually give teens information they did not have?
I think that a lot of teens don't already know that it is that easy to order alcohol online. I think it might cause some students to go buy alcohol illegally online but more importantly it lets students know about something that might be harmful to their friends.

Current Events Week One

1.What award-winning actor died last weekend of an apparent drug overdose?

2. What Southern state now has a severe weather task force after two inches of snow last week totally paralyzed its largest city?

Georgia

3. With the Winter Olympics starting in Sochi this week, the Russians have some challenges. Which is NOT a problem the media have reported? a. The host nation is being accused of shooting stray dogs. b. Some of the hotels are not ready. c. Russia’s anti-gay laws have upset human rights groups. d. All are issues the Russians are facing.

a

4. The big named winter storm this week is ______________________. (HINT: The last one was Maximus.)

Minimus

5. A Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this week is exploring privacy in the digital age, especially related to credit cards. Name one of the two retail companies whose executives have been testifying because recent security breaches put millions of their customers at risk.

Target

6. What recent sporting event broke records for the most watched TV event in U.S. history?

Super Bowl

7. In a strange and some say unbelievable story this week, a man was found in the Marshall Islands after doing what?

Drifted there from Mexico

8. What social network site turned 10 this week?

Facebook

Whose Video

1.Why was important to show the Youtube clips of fights recorded at schools?

To show how brutal these fights can be and to encourage students to not record fights.

2. The Student Press Law Center source makes it clear students always own their cell phone video footage. How do your school administrators handle this?

I have never seen a teacher search through a student’s phone so I have no idea.

3. What are some alternative ways to conduct the interview with the SPLC lawyer other than over the phone?

They could do it in person or if that isn’t possible then they could have used skype so that they could show an image of him talking.

4. What was the point made by the second stand-up, and how did it relate to the focus of the story?

To show how something that happens in real life get recorded and then uploaded to the internet. It shows the process.

5. Cite examples of how this story practiced the journalistic concept of “say it, prove it.” 

They stated what the problem was then showed evidence to prove that it is true.