News Analysis, Part II

As film-making and technologies evolved, so did the techniques used on them, to capture different perspectives, in order to achieve more in-depth connection with the people watching them. From manipulating the lights on a recording, to adding sound to the recording itself, are some of the techniques perfected nowadays in order to astonish modern public. In these fews days, we were supposed to analyze two pieces of news from two different types of news programmes. A prime-time news programme, and a News Channel. Based on the concepts studied in class, we had to identify and compare the different aspects included in the aforementioned news, to see any difference between those. The two news broadcasts used were BBC News at Six (Prime Time) and FoxNews (Obviously, 24hrs)

To begin the analysis, the news pieces are going to be analyzed in relation to a specific aspect, which is shooting and framing, that refers on how the recording of a film is made. The prime-time began with a medium shot at the correspondent, in order to give an introduction to the event itself, a car-bomb incident in Newry, Northern Ireland. Then, some long shots were shown, for the viewers to see the destruction caused by the bomb. An interview to a couple that were nearby the event, making a close up to them, to focus the viewer's attention at them. It finishes with a medium shot to a businessman that gave his opinion towards the subject of terrorist attacks. This one focuses a lot more on the peoples opinion of the event, and on portraying this terrorist strike to a specific group, the IRA. On the other hand, the 24hrs’ news that was selected, about two rescues made by a man on his holidays, there were some long-shots of the man on his boat, the driver in the river and his car, to show to the audience the place of the events, of the two rescues made by the aforementioned man. Then a medium shot (a little closed up) is used to show the rescuer, to be identified, and a long-shot at the people carrying the second injured one to the ambulance. This news piece focuses more on the awesomeness of the story, since they repeatedly show, for example, the car in the river and the rescuer.

Another aspect to analyze was Camera Angles, needless to explain. In the prime-time news, when showing the crime scene, lots of high angles are shown within the shots, to the viewer to see the  degree of destruction caused by the device, like in the case of the church, which lost each and every one of it's windows. One other type of camera angle is the eye level, in cases like the interviews shown, as a standard camera angle. Instead, in the 24hrs, there was a high angle to the driver in the river, since he was a few feet below the cameraman, and an eye-level angle to the man that rescued the driver. Also another eye-level to the second injured when being carried to the ambulance. In both cases, the angles used are part of a stardard procedure, and given by the occassion, like in the case of the high angle at the car in the river, since the only way at the time to record it was that. But nonetheless, there’s a bit of meaning in the angles used in the prime-time since they want to worsen the mess caused, by showing the place at a smaller scale, form higher ground.

Other aspect of analysis was camera movements,also needless to explain. Within the PT news, there are few camera movements, since there are many cuts in between to show enough footage. Little pan is shown, in order to show larger areas that can’t be covered by the current stance of the camera. There's a crane movement to show the white-suited people at the scene and the church. There's also a zoom in to the bomb itself, to enhance it's definition and viewer's amazement to it. Instead, in the 24hrs’ one, there's also few camera movements. It begins with a bit of non-mounted tracking, then a zoom to the man in the boat, some tilt to show the injured driver.

To continue, there’s the lighting to analyze. The PT didn’t use any lighting effects, those weren’t needed, since shots were taken at morning, and the shots that weren't, had natural lighting by the car's leftovers. Also, at the 24hrs, no lighting effects are used since both accidents occurred at midday, so there was enough light at the scenes.

One of the most important of the aspects to analyze are Editing Techniques, since those are the easiest way to identify bias. At the PT, mostly cuts are done, since their objective is to show as most content as possible, mostly because they have limited time to show every piece of news available, since it is another of the scheduled programs in the channel, not specified in news. Also, a little flashback is used to refer to another terrorist strike by dissidents 12 years ago that left 29 dead, and another one 2 years ago by the IRA. Again, as a way to focus on portraying the IRA as guilty of the bombing attempt. On the other hand, in the 24hrs, only a couple of cuts are used to show the different rescues made by the man (the second one only shows the plane's pilot being carried to the ambulance.)

Another aspect was sound, whether diegetic or not. In the first one, It was totally diegetic, since it isn't a film, but a news piece, so seriousness is required, so no background music or else is used. But, in the second case, the sound could Non-diegetic, since there's no real sound in the footage (not necessarily music), and the only sound in the video is the anchorman's voice narrating the news, which obviously can't be heard by the people in the video.

The last concept to develop was Bias. In the first case, its bias is represented in how they manage this piece of news, only showing interviews about their disgust towards this terrorist strikes (second one) or about people affected by the explosion, and cutting possible interviews of people supporting N. Ireland's emancipation from the UK. That's mainly because it is a British news channel, so naturally it has to show it country's interests overall. On the second one, since there's mostly footage of the story, bias can be attached to the anchorman's narration, since he emphasizes the humor of the situation, mainly because the man that made the rescues was on holiday leave with his family, and also the feat accomplished by the man.

I can conclude with the fact that prime time news favor time over content, since them have a lot less time to present than others (like a 24hr News broadcast). In the other hand 24hr news try to capture the viewers' interest with more humorous comments or developments of irony on their storys, maybe because of the fact that they have to transmit on a 24 hour basis, so they have to get as much audience as possible, since they only rely on news to maintain the channel "rolling".

News Analysis

As film-making and technologies evolves, so did the techniques used on them, to capture different perspectives, in order to achieve more in-depth connection with the people watching them. From manipulating the lights on a recording, to adding sound to the recording itself, are some of the techniques perfected nowadays in order to astonish modern public. In these fews days, we were supposed to analyce two pieces of news from two different ypes of news programmes. A prime-time news programme, and a News Channel. Based on the conceps studied in class, we had to identify and compare the different aspects included in the aforementioned news, to see any difference between those.

Prime-Time News: BBC News at Six

Shots and Framing

It began with a medium shot at the correspondent, in order to give an introduction to the event itself, a car-bomb incident in Newry, Northern Ireland. Then, some long shots were shown, for the viewers to see the destruction caused by the bomb. An interview to a couple that were nearby the event, making a close up to them, to focus the viewers attention at them. It finishes with a medium shot to a businessman that gave his opinion towards the subject of terrorist attacks.

Camera Angles

When showing the crime scene, lots of high angles are shown within the shots, to the viewer to see the  degree of destruction caused by the device, like in the case of the church, which lost each and every one of it's windows. One other type of camera angle is the eye level, in cases like the interviews shown, as a standard camera angle.

Camera Movements

There are few camera movements, since there are many cuts inbetween to show enough footage. Little pan is shown, in order to show larger areas that cant be covered by the current stance of the camera. There's a crane movement to show the white-suited people at the scene and the church. There's also a zoom in to the bomb itself, to enhance it's definition and viewer's amazement to it.

Lighting

No lighting effects were needed, since shots were taken at morning, and the shots that weren't, had natural lighting by the car's leftovers.

Editing Techniques

Mostly cuts, since there objective is to show as most content as possible, mostly because they have limited time to show every piece of news available, since it is another of the scheduled programs in the channel, not specified in news. Also, a little flashbck is used to refer to another terrorist strike by dissidents 12 years ago that left 29 dead, and another one 2 years ago by the IRA.

Sound

The sound is totally diegetic, since it isn't a film, but a news piece, so seriousness is required, so no background music or else is used.

Bias

In this case, it's bias is represented in how they manage this piece of news, only showing interviews about their disgust towards this terrorist strikes (second one) or about people affected by the explosion, and cutting posible interviews of people supporting N. Ireland's emancipation from the UK. That's mainly because it is a British news channel, so naturally it has to show it country's interests overall.

24 Hrs News Channel: FoxNews

Shots and Framing

In the news I chose, there were some long-shots of the man on his boat, the driver in the river and hids car, to show to the audience the place of the events, of the two rescues made by the aforementioned man. Then a medium shot (a little closed up) is used to show the rescuer, to be identified, and a long-shot at the people carrying the second injured to the ambulance.

Camera Angles

There was a high angle to the driver in the river, since he was a few feet below the cameraman, and an eye-level angle to the man that rescued the driver. Also another eye-level to the second injured when being carried to the ambulance.

Camera Movements

There's also few camera movements. It begins with a bit of non-mounted tracking, then a zoom to the man in the boat, some tilt to show the injured driver.

Lighting

No lighting effects are used since both accidents occurred at midday, so there was enough light at the scenes.

Editing Techniques

A couple of cuts are used to show the diferent rescues made by the man (the second one only shows the plane crash's pilot being carried to the ambulance.)

Sound

It can be Non-diegetic, since there's no real sound in the footage, and the only sound in the video is the anchorman's voice narrating the news, which obviously cant't be heard by the people in the video.

Bias

Since there's mostly footage of the story, bias can be attached to the anchorman's narration, since he emphasizes the humor of the situation, mainly because the man that made the rescues was on holiday leave with his family, and also the feat accomplished by the man.

I can conclude with the fact that prime time news favor time over content, since them have a lot less time to present than others (like a 24hr News broadcast). In the other hand 24hr news try to capture the viewers' interest with more humorous comments or developments of irony on their storys, maybe because of the fact that they have to trasmit on a 24 hour basis, so they have to get as mch audience as possible, since they only rely on news to mantain the channel "rolling".