Take Me to the
Movies Why use video or music? You can use video or music to achieve several purposes in a training program: Make a point. You can tell participants in a writing or rewriting workshop, "You write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head," and some of them will remember it. The point will be more memorable, though, if you play the scene from "Finding Forrester" where Sean Connery gives that advice. The impact isn't just because Connery can deliver the line more dramatically, though he can. The act of turning from your spoken presentation to the video emphasizes the point and pulls it out from the rest of your workshop's content. It becomes a pull-quote for your workshop. Have fun. Video or music adds fun to the workshop. If you're using a movie or song that is familiar to participants, it's fun to hear or see it again and to think about it in a new way. You can use video or music in a humorous way that breaks up the spoken presentation. Teach technique. A song or movie clip can illustrate the use of writing techniques. "I use video occasionally to illustrate structure and cinematic techniques including wide shots and camera angles - very relevant to writing," says Bruce DeSilva of the Associated Press. "I'm always asking storytellers where they would put the camera if their story were a movie. I also use video - a lot - to illustrate the importance of reporting visual detail." DeSilva shows the barn-raising scene from "The Witness" and then the writers discuss what details the camera showed and what those details tell about the people and the action. Stimulate discussion. You can watch a video or listen to music to set up a discussion of issues or techniques. You could watch the scene from "All the President's Men" where Carl Bernstein interviews Hugh Sloan's reluctantly cooperative bookkeeper, then follow with a discussion of the interviewing techniques Bernstein used. Or you could use a scene with Bob Woodward and Deep Throat as a preface to a discussion of using anonymous sources. Simulate news. You can show a movie scene of an event that reporters might cover, asking them to take notes. For a note-taking workshop, you can ask the reporters to write a passage using two direct quotes. Then ask some brave souls to read their passages. Check the quotes against a transcript you've prepared in advance (the results will be eye-opening). Or for a workshop on deadline writing, give the participants three minutes after watching the clip to write the top of their story, "free-writing" without stopping to think or correct. You can make the point that reporters can write pretty decent leads without wasting a lot of time staring at the blank screen. Simplify. A song or video can help you simplify issues clearly. Tom French of the St. Petersburg Times teaches narrative techniques by playing "Eleanor Rigby." The song sets up an interesting discussion of Paul McCartney's storytelling techniques (dual-track narrative, character development, power of a few telling details). Or you can play "Crazy." Tell participants you're playing "Name That Tune" and ask them to speak up as soon as they recognize the song. Someone will call out "Crazy" before the first word is sung. We recognize the song instantly because it's a classic. Then ask if anyone knows what the original title, or lead, was when Willie Nelson wrote the first draft. It was "Stupid." You can use this to make points about rewriting or about polishing a lead. It ties in well with the "Forrester" quote: Nelson wrote a good "Stupid" song with his heart, but the rewriting made it the classic "Crazy." DeSilva uses "Hey, Jude" as an example of what not to do in storytelling: "When you get to the resolution, the story is OVER and you can't then write another 20 graphs (as too many writers are apt to do). And in 'Hey Jude,' Paul just doesn't know when to stop." Choosing a selection Inspiration is best. Once you start thinking of using video or music in workshops, you will come up with ideas. You're watching "Casablanca" and in the final scene, when the inspector says, "Round up the usual suspects," you think how often reporters do exactly that. Then you think that would make a great clip to use sometime if you're doing a workshop on diversifying sources. You could show the clip, then ask people to list their "usual suspects," maybe the three or five sources they quote the most. Then ask them to place the suspects in various demographic categories. That would introduce a discussion of how to develop sources beyond the usual suspects. If you're not planning a workshop in the immediate future on developing and diversifying sources, make some notes when the idea comes to you and work this workshop into your plans at the appropriate time. Brainstorming works, too. If you don't have an inspiration of a great clip to use, give it some thought after you've planned the points you want to make in the workshop. Think about movie scenes or songs that might help make a point or launch a discussion. You can do this by yourself, but sometimes it helps to bring in a colleague or two, doubling or tripling the movie and music memory you're calling on. If you're doing a storytelling workshop, consider a song that tells a story. You might start by thinking of scenes from newspaper movies to think if one might apply. But don't limit yourself to newspaper movies. Newspaper people make plenty of appearances in other movies. "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" was a Western, and it includes a terrific scene where Dutton Peabody, editor of the Shinbone Star, makes an impassioned (and funny) speech refusing to accept a nomination to be a delegate to the statehood convention. You could use that clip during a workshop on journalism ethics. Or you can use clips that have nothing to do with journalism. French uses a clip from "Silence of the Lambs" to illustrate the line of a narrative and a loop on the line. Or maybe you want to select a clip that shows a news event, so you can put reporters in their roles briefly for an exercise. "Comedy usually works best," says Warren Watson of the American Press Institute. He has used scenes from "Catch-22," "The Blues Brothers" and "Animal House" to make points about leadership and management in workshops. Ask the list. One of your colleagues may have done a similar workshop and may know the perfect clip to use. Ask the "Newscoach" list, and give your colleague credit for the idea when you use it. Write your own. Victor Merina of the USC Annenberg Institute for Justice and Journalism put a narrative writing tip sheet to music in "The Shoop Song." He passes out rhythm instruments and gets a roomful of journalists on their feet (sometimes dancing) as they chant chorus lines such as "character and plot," "show the scene" and "think narrative." Victor sings the tips in verse: "Use documents to tell the tale. Don't be dull or the story fails." Don't force it. Don't use video or music just to be using video or music. If you can't think of a selection that adds to the workshop, don't use something that becomes a diversion or that distracts from the points you need to make. Be prepared Using video and music requires extra preparation for a workshop. Arrange for equipment. You want to be sure that a CD player or TV and VCR or DVD player is available in the room you will use for training. You might be able to bring a boom box from home easily or ask someone else to bring one. A conference room might be equipped with its own TV/VCR, but in some places you need to make advance reservations for delivery of a rolling TV that serves several conference rooms. Test the equipment. Make sure in advance that you know how to operate the equipment, including any remote control devices. You don't want to blunt the impact of the music or video with a delay as you fumble with the equipment (or, worse yet, lose the impact by being unable to operate the equipment). Test the equipment just as you will be using it during the workshop. If you're using the same projection system for PowerPoint and video, be sure you know how to switch from one to the other and back if that's what you will do in the workshop. If you will be using a remote control, test the remote. Walk to the back of the room and listen so you're sure the volume is at the right level. When the equipment fails despite your preparation, make the failure part of the fun. John Hatcher had such a problem once at Poynter when he was using a clip from "It's a Wonderful Life" (more on that later). "I had to do my best Jimmy Stewart impersonation while Chip fixed it." Cue the tape. Have the tape or CD cued to the place where you want to start, so you don't waste time finding it. Time your clip. Time your song or video clip. If a video scene runs fairly long, consider whether you can start later or stop sooner. Cut down to the part of the scene that is essential to your purpose. Do you need to play the whole song? Could you turn down the volume and talk over it for a while after you've made your point? Or just play the opening few lines? The longer a video or music clip is, the more effective it must be. Remember video and music in PowerPoint. John Rains of the Fayetteville Observer has some slide shows instructing journalists on coverage of issues involving firearms. "One presentation I do on firearms errors, for example, has a video segment of a fast-draw demonstration and an animation showing a semiauto pistol firing. I also have sound effects (gunshots) in that one." Examples of video and music use From Robbie Morganfield, Freedom Forum Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University: I typically use three arrangements of a song titled "I Don't Want to Lose You." It's a classic R&B ballad from the late 1970s, initially popularized by the Spinners. I use the examples because I think they illustrate how different people can tell the same story in a different way, which is basically the idea behind my presentation - that song writers/singers and news writers share some things in common, the main of those being both are telling stories. I liken the different arrangements to three reporters who go to a press conference and later write a story. They each witness the same event but often offer slightly different variations on that event (with some common threads, of course). Moreover, music, with its words, appeals to our senses; songs are crafted and orchestrated in ways to draw us in and maintain our attention while telling us a story. There are different things that song writers and singers do to grab us and keep us, and so it is with good writing. The idea is that good
writing sings; it has a lyrical nature to it; the nut graph much like
the chorus is the thing that should catch us or remind us of what the
story is all about. Many people will know the chorus of a song if they
don't know any of the other words. It's what One other major point
is that introductions in many ways resemble the news judgments people
make about leads. If it's hard news, you get right to the point. The version
of the song by Phyllis Hyman illustrates this because she opens with the
chorus and no music intro). Then there are alternative approaches, where
the point is delayed. The other two From Kate Parry, St. Paul Pioneer Press: I started a half-day
seminar for our staff on narrative writing by having a Miles Davis jazz
CD playing when they walked into the training room. Right away, they knew
this wasn't going to be training as usual. A few did a little spontaneous
dance as they walked over to get donuts and coffee, which was entertaining
for me (always nice to entertain the trainer). If they asked what the
music was about, I told them it would all become clear in a few minutes,
which added a little intrigue. I turned the music down, but not off, as
I introduced what we would do in the training, and then I asked them to
stop for 60 seconds and just listen to the music, which I turned up. After
they had listened, I said this: The second time I used music this year was at the Northern Writers Workshop I organized for Knight Ridder. One of our reporters, David Hanners, had covered a homicide in Texas years ago. Hanners is a bluegrass musician in his off hours and had put a narrative account of the homicide to music. So, in the segment of the workshop about narrative writing I had David come in and sing the homicide song. Then I talked about how narrative crosses over creative forms, and that it's worth studying how stories are told in music, theater, detective writing, etc., in order to bring creativity back to newspaper writing. From Carol Riordan, American Press Institute: One clip I've enjoyed using on motivating people is from "Babe," in which Babe first threatens and screams at the "stupid sheep" before changing his tactics to get desired results. Bruce DeSilva, the Associated Press: I use Kathy Matea's version of "Love at the 5 and Dime" by Nancy Griffin to talk about story structure - character, problem, struggle and resolution. I use it because, by listening to it for just over 2 minutes, everyone in the group can have a story in common to discuss. I use it because, in the stripped down form of a song, the underlying structure that all storytelling has in common is very easy to discern. And I use it because it's just plain good. I also sometimes use music to illustrate how the personal voice of the artist (whether writer or singer) affects both the appeal of the piece to the ear of the reader or listener, and can greatly change the message of the piece as well. It's a technique I learned from Roy Peter Clark. An example - try the Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston's versions of "I Will Always Love You." Whitney's version, while superficially impressive, is primarily a showcase for her lung power. Dolly's is much more sincere and heartfelt. I find that television (despite what people say, there is a lot of good writing on television) is great for teaching people about characterization, pacing, and story structure. You can learn a lot about characterization from "NYPD Blue," a lot about pacing from "The Shield," a lot about story structure from "The Sopranos" and even the formulaic "Law and Order." Just this week, I've been invoking them in working with a writer who's doing a serial narrative that has not one, but two story arcs - very much the way the first half of "Law & Order" begins with one story arc involving Jerry Orbach (Will the cops catch the killer?) and then ends with a second story arc (Will Sam Waterston get a conviction?). From John Hatcher, Syracuse University: I do use movies and clips to illustrate things. I often show a cut from "It's a Wonderful Life" as a quick aside in talking about the dedication a journalist can have to a community. It's the very quick scene when George Bailey confronts Mr. Potter: "These people do most of the working and the paying and the living and the dying in this town." In fact, last week, I had the same scene cued up in the video as I talked with my class about having an impact in a community. It just so happened that our conversation turned toward that very subject and they were just blown away when, in the middle of talking, I walked to the front of the class, pressed one button and there was Jimmy Stewart telling off Mr. Potter. "How'd you do that?" someone said. But I frankly just got lucky. I've also used the
story of Me and My Arrow in the Pointless Forest when My dream is to have
a cool collection of great scenes from different shows and movies that
I could access at a moments notice:
And in my dreams I'd be able to cut to it on demand. I've seen people use video and music well, and it's a seamless transition, weaving it into their presentation like a great quote in a well-written story. I once saw a guy interview himself - a videotaped shot of himself. He was smooth (an advertising guy, of course). I guess what I've learned is that it can be a nice distraction and may strengthen a point you're making if it's short and seamless. I think the same is true for music. If done well, people appreciate the energy and fireworks it can bring, but don't think it will bail you out if the rest of your program is weak. From Tamara O'Shaughnessy, The Times of Northwest Indiana: I have used the video I made of your (Buttry's) presentations here for groups of reporters/editors who didn't attend the sessions. But rather than have them just watch, I became your assistant - you led the session and I solicited comments/thoughts/discussion and conducted your exercises so it became an interactive session. The folks told me they really liked it. I even did the candy. As newspapers continue to struggle with shoe-string, no-string training budgets, perhaps it might be something to consider for trainers such as yourself and Chip to make quality video workshops and sell for a reasonable price that can be made interactive with a newsroom's existing trainer/editor as I did here. From Tom Silvestri, Media General: I used "Lifeboat" in the context of a change management workshop. I use a tool, the Change Style Indicator, that pinpoints a person's preference to going through major change. The characters in the lifeboat pop out as symbolic as folks reacting to major change - even if being throw together in a small boat after a Nazi sub sunk your ocean liner is a stretch. I also use the Robert Mitchum scene on the D-Day beach - "The Longest Day" - as a reference to leadership under duress. Have seen a couple of trainers use "Dumb and Dumber" in workshops. Plenty of metaphors there. There's always a reporter character lurking in some movie. (Last night in Deadwood on HBO, there was a classic scene about the local power brokers "helping" the editor in town "edit" the paper to put a positive spin on a plague breaking out.) From Kate Long, Charleston Gazette: A good song is a compact vehicle you can use to make points about writing. Bruce Springsteen's "Ghost of Tom Joad" album is a jewel. In his song, "Straight Time," for instance, he paints a vivid picture of an ex-con, a family man who is trying to live a straight life, but is about to go back over the line. In maybe ten inches of newspaper type, he tells you more than many 50-inch newspaper profiles do. Examples: He mixes concrete close-ups with abstract glimpses of the guy's thinking: "Eight years in, it feels like you're gonna die. But you get used to anything …" He moves you through time: "Got out of prison back in '86, and I found a wife, walked the straight and narrow, just trying to stay out and stay alive. Got a job at the rendering plant. It ain't gonna make me rich. In the darkness before dinnertime, sometimes I feel the itch …" I often use songs to demonstrate the mix of close-ups and wide shots, concrete and abstract, specific and general. Good Nashville songwriters say they give their ideas furniture to sit on. Abstractions and vague statements are usually in the chorus. They sit on the concrete details in the verses. If I sing "My baby left me," who cares? Most everybody had a baby that left them at some point. But if I say, "I've got three kids, including one with serious medical problems, and my baby pays half the rent," then the fact that he left me takes on some color. Generalities draw meaning from concrete detail. This is true in newspapers too. Reporters should consider that before they start a story with a mushy generality like "Tom Smith is confused." Video: Like songs, movies give a person another way to talk about many techniques that translate to newspaper stories. Close-ups and wide shots are the obvious example. Cutaways are another. Another example: Many movie scenes provide an easy way to talk about transitions. Videographers and filmmakers often start and end cuts with motion, for instance. At the end of the cut, something is moving, often at the right edge of the frame. The next cut begins with a motion at the left edge of the frame that echoes the previous cut. Helpful resources Detroit Free Press "Jobs Page" listing of newspaper movies: http://www.freep.com/legacy/jobspage/club/movies.htm Paul Schindler's "Journalism Movies": http://www.schindler.org/movie.shtml The Norman Lear Center's "Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture": http://www.ijpc.org/ "The Song's the Thing," Julie Moos' interview with Roy Peter Clark: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=46292 "Want to Write Narrative? Think in Movie Mode" by Gregg McLachlan: http://www.notrain-nogain.com/Train/Res/Write/movie.asp |