PRESENTING/LOCATION – Thomas Baxter
- It’s seems far too monotone for me, Tom, and just by watching your body language, it seems more of a struggle than a pleasure to be presenting the programme. You seem to be squinting as well.
- “I’m here at the Camrose stadium” – Yes, you are. But why are you there? Is it a Matchday? If it was a matchday, could this have been done on the pitch while the players were warming up? I know full well it can as I did a PTC while the players came out of the tunnel before. If it’s not a matchday, why have you turned up to an empty venue? All I can see here is you, some horrible metal work at the bottom on the frame and an empty stand. Why was this not done in the actual stand where you can see seating? – I think “I’m here at..” should be banned from now on. While it’s interesting to know where you are, there are more creative ways to introduce your location.
- I like the fact you moved position for the 2nd link into Tate’s story, but why is it just 5 yards up from where you were previously? It seems lazy.
- The same position for the start and beginning – where’s the initiative and creativity?
- I do like however that a sporting venue was chosen - well done team – but I don’t think this was used to its full potential.
HEADLINES
- · The headlines are good in terms of the ordering of the stories; however I really think bringing the presenter back in vision midway through each headline is poor. It looks messy and pointless. Let’s stop that and use longer shots in the headlines – remember it doesn’t need to be rushed.
- The headlines themselves are scripted well – they engage us, although I’m not overly sure about the quotes for Strevens used. “BS tells us about his time in the Football League” “Yeah I broke my leg, I broke this, I broke that” – yeah, it happened, but surely we can use when he talks about being at Watford early on instead?
BASINGSTOKE – Laura Allen
- · Absolutely love this intro, Laura. Very, very good work. You have used a quote from the manager reflecting on a previous result to engage the viewer and hence link onto the rest of your piece.
- Pronunciation is great too.
- “Captain Wes Daly leading the game” – I’m not sure on this. “Leading the game” doesn’t strike me – perhaps “firing an early chance just over the crossbar” or something along those lines?
- Why are you so far from the action? How can we identify anybody? Follow the ball, follow the action, and get tight in on it. Make the viewer feel like they are at the game, in the thick of it.
- I like what you’ve done with the yellow card, however I personally wouldn’t have used it. Unless he later gets sent off, it’s a bit redundant and feels like it’s been put in for the sake of it.
- Please don’t show replays on chances which show nothing. It was a header over the bar – could you have perhaps mentioned the Wolverhampton Wanderers line in the wide shot on the effort?
- “Match looking as dismal as the weather” – I usually like these sorts of lines, however, my argument would be is…can we see the weather? Was there any past reference to the weather? If not, then don’t mention the weather unless we see it or hear about it before hand. To me, watching it, it just seems cloudy – a typical day in England, then!
- Good work using the replay for the goal – it was a good angle, however we MUST see the ball hit the back of the net. We don’t. We see the players and the post.
- Next time, carry the sound from the goal underneath the video of the replay – that’s what you should try at every single opportunity. I noticed the audio cutting – if you bring the sound along it gives it a more natural transition from one picture to another.
- Not sure the free-kick was of any relevance. It was a terrible effort and not really interesting.
- Good work with the post-match interview, it’s always fascinating to hear what anybody has to say about their team’s results – try and get somebody different to Jason next time round (although he is always more than happy to be interviewed) - I also like the cut to the players on the pitch – well done with that, but next time, can we get closer? On the pitch? Let’s see the player’s faces up close and get a feel for the game.
EASTLEIGH/BEN STREVENS INTERVIEW –
Tate Slyfield
- · Well done getting Ben, Tate. I think it adds a whole different dimension to the whole because it feels more like a sports programme, instead of just seeing highlights all the time.
- Your PTC is very similar to the link Tom gives. Rule for everybody – try and keep these different. Let’s be thorough in what is being said, and make sure we don’t repeat one another.
- Also, another suspect of the “I’m here at…” line. No thank you. Angus pointed this out when I spoke to him. Be more creative.
- Also, the sound is very tinny. Why did it sound like that? Was anybody filming this with you?
- The framing of the interview is good – perhaps we could go a bit tighter next time?
- The background of the interview though? Could you have done it with the goal behind him? Or him next to a post? Not buildings. No buildings.
- I do not know what those shots over the top are. It seems like a load of shots have been logged for the sake of it. Don’t use random shots to paint what your piece is about. Make sure they are relevant. From now on, I propose that if you have an interviewed lined up, get as many CLOSE-UPS of those players filmed on put onto a timeline so everybody knows where to access them.
- HOWEVER, you used the Dover images well to paint over when he was talking about Dover – MORE OF THAT!
- The interview itself is actually quite interesting. Especially when he talks about Watford, etc. The injury talk is also interesting (I don’t think that particular quote used for the headlines was the main news line from this interview though)
- Why did you give a sign-off? It seems quite needless to show random footage of a corner just to say who you were and where you were. Just end on the interview, or better yet, give Ben a ball and ask him to do some keepy-uppys.
- Otherwise, Tate, this is good. Great to get something different in there. Use these tips in future.
GOVERNMENT FUNDING/DOUG ROWE GOAL OOVS
- Well done Tom for getting this in, in some capacity. We can tell you have voiced this in a studio or with a gun mic though. Give us the more natural feel. We won’t see you in shot, so if you have to read it off a bit of paper at the ground, then by all means do.
- I have no idea what relevance Doug Rowe had to do with that. This was a poor editorial decision. You go off the back of a real sports news story into a Winchester striker from 3 years ago scoring a similar goal to a Premier League player. YES, use it, but editorially, the decision to use it should not have been there.
- Also…who is Kasami? I know who he is, you know who he is, but does EVERYBODY watching know who he is? I doubt it. Explain who he is and why you are mentioning him. Who did Fulham play on Monday? Not everybody will know. Don’t assume your audience watches EVERY single bit of sport possible. Tell the viewer the story, and get them engaged in what you are telling them.
DODGEBALL – Charlie Gardiner
- · I slammed university sports last week and I usually do, but what I want you all to do is to not use university football – you have 4/5 non-league sides on your front doorstep, so university football is just a step down.
- So, having said that, this dodgeball piece is interesting. The link is factual – GOOD and the intro is factual –ALSO GOOD.
- Charlie, your voiceover is not great. While you have good pronunciation, where is the enthusiasm? Where is the “oomph”? There is none. This is a feature, not a eulogy.
- 5:47-5:50 is 3 seconds of madness with the camera. What are you doing? He’s not moving, yet the camera is all over the place. Let’s be careful with what we are filming. You may one day miss a crucial moment with a big story because your filming is careless.
- The framing of this interview is all wrong. I can see what you’re trying to do by getting the players in the background, and that’s great, but why can’t you just move to the other side of the camera and get him looking in the direction of where the players are behind him? This really struck out for me when I first watched Sportsweek. Framing is everything, and this really lets what could have been a great feature down.
- The sound on the interview is quite tough as well – as I said to Laura last week, use a radio mic as often as possible in that hall because it’s so hard to judge. I made that mistake once, so you live and learn!
- In terms of your scripting, it’s really good. I think factually it has some interesting information – like the stat about winning in 16 seconds is great, so honestly well done with that.
- I would have liked to have seen you get involved - would be good TV to see the reporter get involved with the dodgeball getting hit by the balls.
OVERALL
- · A definite improvement from last week but still a lot of work to do to get it to the level it was two/three years ago. That will take hard work and commitment, but please don’t be fazed by that. You get out of WINOL by what you put in.
- Every piece of criticism you receive, use it constructively. WINOL can be draining and disheartening, but remember guest editors and lecturers may one day be your friends & colleagues in the industry, so listen, take it all on board and get to know the people that come in to help YOU.
- Thomas Baxter – let’s have a package from you this week. I think it’s vitally important we see this ‘editorship’ side from you. Remember, it’s more than just presenting and fixing the show up. You have to be included in what your team is doing and be at the heart of the operation. You have to support your team, just like they have to support you. Sports teams particularly are all about teamwork and advising each other and taking on board what everybody has to say. Once that team discipline returns, then Sportsweek can progress. At the moment, it’s very, very jagged around the edges, but I firmly believe we can fix this and get it going smoothly again. If Sportsweek is not up to scratch, then WINOL is not up to scratch. Remember that.
- I am very concerned about the length of the programme. I understand it is hard, but you have to suck every opportunity at any given moment and use it to its full potential – I propose printing off every fixture to the 4 teams we cover (Eastleigh, Basingstoke, Totton, Winchester) – I did this, and I pinned them to the sports board. Saturday games, and Tuesday night games MUST be filmed and packaged up. Especially Tuesdays because they are your most recent games therefore it is NEW. Tuesday nights are a must. They were done in my time, and they will be done in your time.
- Congratulations everybody – we are slowly making small steps to improvement. Be pleased with your work and take pride in your work.
