By Polly Billington BBC News

MAKING A TV REPORT Polly's tips

BBC presenter Polly Billington explains how to make TV news in a short video on the BBC News School Report website.

She demonstrates how to use five shots to create a one-minute report about a proposed ball ban in a park.

These guidance notes provide some extra tips to accompany the video.

It also means you'll spend less time looking through the tape before you assemble or edit the report.

Another advantage of the storyboard is that your team can make sense of the shot they are working on, by seeing where it fits in the overall report.

If you are reporting on a proposed ball ban in a park, it makes sense to interview your guests in the park. It doesn't help your report to film them in their home or office.

Remember, it may be fine to film in and around your school but to record anywhere else, such as parks, shopping areas and libraries, you'll probably have to get permission beforehand.

Now you're ready to start recording, so make sure the ON button is on!

The first rule when doing any type of filming is to do it safely.

Think about your own safety and the safety of those you're working with.

For example, tidy up any camera cables on the ground so that people don't trip over them.

Light is very important. The camera needs more help with this than the human eye.

If you are indoors, it's a good idea to turn on the lights. Don't film towards a window, like the picture on the left.

Position your camera with the window at your back, and the light falling on whatever you are filming, like the picture on the right.

Use large print so the presenter can read them when they are placed just behind and to the side of the camera.

This way you'll make fewer mistakes and they'll help you sound professional.

Moving the camera around too much or too quickly may make the person watching the finished report feel unsettled.

Think about using the camera to put a picture frame around what you're filming.

The tripod will also help you "frame" your picture.

These extra seconds make the film easier to cut and paste together when you are assembling or editing the report.

This shot shows only the reporter speaking directly to the camera and his audience beyond.

It's called a "piece to camera."

That's because the presenter is talking for the length of his/her piece to the camera.

These shots are often used to sum up reports at the end, or as a bridge between one part of the story and another.

This shot shows the reporter AND the people he's interviewing.

It places the reporter and the subject in the same frame, but focuses clearly on the subject.

This type of shot breaks up the story for the viewers and adds to the overall feel of the piece.

It's called an "over-the-shoulder-shot.

"No prizes for guessing why!

Remember that sound is just as important as the pictures.

Make sure the microphone is pointing at the person who is speaking.

This may mean the person in charge of the microphone ends up looking like a conductor!

Ask the person you are interviewing to answer in full sentences. That way you can choose whether you keep or cut the reporter's questions.

Ask lots of questions so you have a good range of answers to choose from.

Guide to making a one-minute radio report

If you have watched the one-minute news report for TV, you may have thought that the interview with the sports expert could have been better.

That's because the reporting team were running out of time and couldn't ask all the questions they had prepared. If they'd asked more questions, they'd have had a better range of answers from which to select.

Listen to the expert in the radio report. The radio reporting team found time to ask more questions and picked the best bits to include in the final radio report. How does this compare to the TV interview with the sports expert?

But evaluating your work and seeing what you could have dome better is all part of being a good reporter.

When you assemble or edit the film, you can add graphics showing their names and job titles. Remember, if they are under 18, only use their FIRST name.

If you want to add some extra shots to your report, it's always useful to film pictures which show what is happening at the location.

For example, if the report is about a football match, you could film close-ups of the ball, players feet, the spectators and the referee. These are called "cutaways".

Wider shots, like this one, which shows the park and several people playing football, are called "general views" or GVs.

Cutaways and GVs not only add interest to your story but make it much easier to assemble your report when it comes to editing.

Follow these tips and you'll be making your own TV report like a professional!

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