Structure of a Sample Script

Here is a sample script for the first three minutes (approximately) of a school newscast. Included here are: two anchors, various camera shots with some having both anchors and some having only one, pre-recorded footage being rolled in (b-roll or package), and graphics such as a lower-third super identifying a person on the screen.

Lesson on Interviewing & the Non-Question

The following is a role-playing activity that could be used to teach students about interviewing technique. Included is a list of bullet points that are stressed in the activity.

Interview Activity

Objective – To teach students how to use the non-questions and the Rule of Three’s in order to develop a captivating and revealing interview. The assignment requires three people to participate. You have two people who develop questions and one person who will respond.

Background:

Presentation on Interviewing for Television

Many students will quickly realize that interviewing someone on camera could be much more difficult than interviewing someone for a print story. The journalist’s skill of asking strong questions to keep the conversation going is on display. If a weak question is asked preventing a quality response from the source, the entire interview can fall apart.

Script Form

This is a sample of the two column script form your staff can use to plan out the production of the story. Students should remember to fully describe not only the reporter’s words and possible soundbites recorded, but also the visual components involving b-roll and sequence shots.

Click here for link to pdf version.