Components of a Sound Story

This is how a story is put together.
1st We come up with a Topic:

cross country homecoming
2nd We decide on a Focus Statement:

CC team runs ball far

3rd: We Conduct Interviews to get Sound Bites to use in the interview:

"our cc team holds tradition very dear to us"
4th We Shoot B-Roll to complement the sound bites

helicopter overhead shot

leaving the highschoo
5th We Shoot our stand-up

low/deep shot of school from under car
6th: We Edit our story together adding Voice Overs as Seques between interviews.

reporter adds info about the length of the run

linking shot of football hand off

Reading 2

Read, in Dotson’s book, pages 43 thru 55. Respond to what you read, and use these questions if you get stuck: What strikes you as interesting? In what ways do you agree or disagree with him? How does this fit where you are as a writer, and how will it help you become a better one? 
(100 words minimum)

   What I found interesting about this section of reading is that when news stations tell a story or give information, instead of having words all over the screen for the viewers to read themselves, they keep them interested and tell the story with images and videos.  I agree that this would keep viewers watching for a longer time because it doesn't take effort on their part to know the story they're telling.  It's also important to get a wide variety of viewers connected; the story or the way it's told shouldn't draw the attention of one culture more than another.  Keep the viewer interested by using an active voice, group everything in threes, and add in little surprises.  But at the same time, it's important not to overwhelm the viewer with information.

So, Dotson highlights the following:
- How to defeat the TV remote control
- Be conversational
- Gobbledygook and clichés
- Active voice
- Write in threes
- Surprises

Doing the right thing

         This story uses the strategy of being conversational throughout the writing.  Towards the beginning of the story after the writer had talked about hockey for a little bit, he added in a short story of a past memory between the twins that relates to the story.  This story also includes a surprise.  Not only did Nate win the prize by making an impressive shot with an injured arm, he ended up giving all the money back because he didn’t feel it was right to keep it.  The rule of threes also shows up all throughout the story.  For example when the Vikings heard about what the family did, they (one) “brought the whole family to a game”, (two) “let them hang out on the field”, and (three) “put them in a VIP box.”

End of a 12-son football dynasty for Minn. Family

         This video, as well as the story, has a lot of conversation in it.  Whenever the interviewer would ask a question, they would continue talking about things that wouldn’t directly relate to the question.  The surprise tactic was used when they talked about how long the mom and dad has been going to the games because of their 12 sons.  The video also has an active voice and keeping things interesting throughout the story.  When they showed all the sons, they made it humorous by talking about past stories (also conversational) that resulted from having 12 boys in a house.

Wheres My Keys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYWFuqXC-EI

Robber Story

1. What is the lead in this story? Does it intrigue you to keep watching?
Something unusual happening in a quiet neighborhood. Yes

2. What are the 5W's of this story: Who, What, Where, When, Why
Who- woman (interviewee) and other neighbors
What- robber breaking in and stealing (through doggie door)
When- all robberies happening close to eachother
Where- quiet neighborhood, block away of 31st and Julian
Why- to raise awareness to be extra cautious

3. Give an example of the reporters Voice over or seque (Write it down word for word)
Gives information after every sentence the interviewee says about the story

4. When do we see the reporter's stand-up? Beginning, Middle, or End?
Middle- down the sidewalk

5. What is the purpose of this reporter's stand-up?
-move story forward
-reporter becomes B-Roll
-take me to the scene
-use props
-be creative and surprise us

Make It Memorable by Bob Dotson

Regarding the book by Bob Dotson, Make It Memorable: Please read the introduction and Section One (pages 3-41). Then, answer the following questions and be sure to exceed the requested word counts:

o What do you notice about the way he writes? Use specific examples, please. (75 words)
Bob Dotson writes stories to benefit others and to influence his readers.  He wants to help his readers become better at what they want to do by being creative and doing things differently.  Throughout his writing, he explains in detail how to improve yourself and your stories.  He gives off little pieces of advice that work together to make your story that much better.  For example, he gives the idea to "look for things that the audience cannot see or hear for themselves... Tell them what they might have missed even standing next to you" (p. 27).

o What did you learn from reading pages 9 to 27? (75 words)
Do all that you can in order to make your story engaging and different from others.  Take the information that you have and make it interesting if it isn't.  You can do this by focusing on a small topic that listeners might be interested in and get as in depth as possible with details.  Rather than hearing the same things all over again repeatedly, listers want to hear something different; a story they have never heard before or anything like it.

o With the scripts: What do suppose is described in each column? Why would it be split like that? What else is interesting about the scripts? (50 words)
In the scripts: in each column, he uses examples to demonstrate what he taught you in the previous pages.  These examples are meant to help you fully understand what he meant when he was explaining it.  Its split to make it easier for the reader to understand and read.  I thought that the scripts were interesting because they all give little details of information that you may not get from a broader told story on the subject.

o On Page 34 (and to the end of the section), Dotson writes about a long-form feature. Find one of these (a story at least 4 minutes long) on a TV news magazine such as Rock Center, 20/20 or 60 Minutes. Then, give and explain examples of how the storyteller uses the five bulleted traits Dotson gives on Page 34. (200 words)

I watched Jackie Hance thought sister-in-law was 'good mom' before Taconic crash, a 9 minute story, off of Rock Center.  It was about a mom who trusted her sister-in-law to bring her 3 daughters on a safe camping trip that was meant to be a good experience for all of them.  Bob Dotson first talked about the setting.  The scene was set in an interview room with the mother of the girls and the interviewer, Brian Williams.  They talked about where the crash took place, which was on the Taconic Parkway.  Videos of the girls playing and sounds from the highway were used as natural sound while she was being interviewed. Foreshadowing was used when they showed the mother's book in the begging called "I'll See You Again" with a picture of her daughters on it. The conflict was the mother putting trust in a seemingly reliable sister-in-law but it turns out to be otherwise when she gets an alarming call from her oldest daughter crying over the phone "somethings wrong with her" as she was driving down the street onto oncoming traffic. The character growth was at first she talked about how the sister-in-law seemed trustworthy even as a friend, but later goes into further detail how she never really knew much about her.  The Resolution ended with police finding marijuana and high alcohol levels in her blood from her body and the mother talking about all she finds herself doing is blaming herself for trusting a stranger.

Changing Identity

1. Identify and explain as many WALLDO shots as you can.
W-
A-piano playing, making toast
L-playing with dog on deck and yard
L-wind chimes to face
D-sitting on deck talking, toaster
O-front of toaster, back of toaster

2. What is Natural Sound?
The background noise/environmental sound that adds to the story

3. Identify several examples of Natural Sound in this story?
Piano playing, making toast, outside noises

4. How does Natural Sound enhance the story?
Adds normal day sounds and makes the story more interesting

Walldo

Wide shot: shows the full scenery with background (zoomed out) sets scene
Angle shot: shot at an angle, goal is to get the eyes to move across the screen
Low shot: gives a different perspective by shooting low from the ground
Linking: tells two stories within one shot; linking two things into one
Depth shot: shows creativity and details; looks 3D
Opposite shot: gives depth; shows two sides of a shot- opposite sides. Action/reaction.