Cameraman
Dean Whitehead
Whangarei cameraman Dean Whitehead has been filming news stories for New Zealand audiences for more than twenty years. His footage appears regularly on the evening bulletins of TVNZ and TV3, as well as Maori TV, Sky, and Australia's Ten and Seven news networks. The job can be exciting and demanding. But what happens when news makers don't cooperate?
G: Let's look first at a typical office interview. What's involved?
D: A typical office interview takes about ten minutes to set up. I'll arrive with a large broadcast camera and tripod, as well as backup lighting. If I do need to light your office, it might take another ten to fifteen minutes. But it's worth the effort. Lighting removes dark unattractive shadows. It makes you look good!
In most desk interviews, I'll provide a lapel microphone to fit to your shirt, jacket or top. When we do a level check, don't bother counting to ten. I'll get a more accurate reading if you simply say what you had for breakfast! During the interview, make sure you don't click pens or rustle notes. Turn off your mobile phone and arrange for your office land-line to be diverted.
G: Are there any special requirements for the office location?
D: Most offices are fine, as long as the air conditioning isn't too loud. Often when I arrive, people mistakenly assume I want to set up in the boardroom. In fact, this is not the best place. Unless your boardroom features something more dynamic than a table, eight chairs and a water container, I'd prefer your office. It's more interesting for the viewers, and more relevant for the story.
Once the interview is over, I'll usually need to shoot some general 'overlay' activity. This is also known as 'cutaway' footage, to assist with editing. You might be filmed reviewing paperwork; making a phone call or having a chat with a colleague. Expect to do this two or three times. It may seem unnecessary, but each take is a different angle for editing. Shooting overlay shots rarely takes more than ten to fifteen minutes of your time.
G: You refer to yourself as a video journalist. What exactly does that mean?
D: A video journalist is someone who combines at least a couple of roles - usually camera operator and interviewer. We're more commonly found in regional areas where we can respond quickly to fast breaking stories like natural disasters. Not long ago, TV news crews had a camera operator; a sound recordist, and a journalist. These days, one person can do most of the work.
My role as a freelancer is to cover stories anywhere in the Northland region. I do three things: I film the story; interview the subject, and occasionally I also edit the footage before it goes to air. When a news story breaks, I don't have to wait for the journalist. I head straight to the action.
G: How many of your news assignments are confrontational?
D: About half the stories I cover are routine. They are simply information-gathering exercises with news makers, politicians or community leaders on daily issues, like the price of milk. The other half is what pumps the adrenaline. This category includes unpredictable breaking news like fires, floods, and fraudsters. Within this second group, a small percentage of interviews are what you would term confrontational. The majority of interviews are routine.
G: What are the most common frustrations you have with business interviews?
D: I interview people in business on a regular basis. For most of them it's their first exposure to the news media. They're often nervous and inclined to give muddled responses. They rely on confusing business jargon. They talk too much, and say very little. Doing a TV interview is an unusual experience. But most of the time, we in the media actually want you to perform well. And we can only use the parts that make sense. So it's important you give a good interview.
If I'm covering a controversial issue, the one thing I really hate is when a company or an individual continually stalls me. I appreciate they might need time to investigate the facts. But when people repeatedly stall or continually ignore my messages, it has a negative effect. I'm more likely to become entrenched and more aggressive in my approach.
G: So you don't give up when people aren't available?
D: Generally speaking if someone is not answering or returning calls on a negative or controversial issue, it's an indication they have something to hide. In these circumstances it's more than likely they will find a camera crew at their front door.
G: How can people in the corporate world become more media friendly?
D: I recently wasted more than half an hour with one business leader, trying to find a suitable location to record the interview. This may not sound like a big deal. But thirty minutes minutes can be crucial on a tight deadline. So don't leave it till the last moment. If you know your office won't be appropriate, have a backup. For many companies, it's the reception area. If you have other ideas, share them with the reporter.
Whatever you choose, the location should be reasonably quiet but visually appealing. Ideally there will be some branding on the wall. Don't forget to keep it quiet: turn your mobile off and don't accept calls unless they're related to the interview. And when you do interviews - never lie. Just be honest, even if you're caught up in a controversy. If you do make a genuine mistake during the interview, ask the reporter to repeat the question. If you don't know the answer, just be upfront about it.
G: What do you do in a typical day
D: I wish there was a typical day. When you're freelancing, things change every day. I often have to drive long distances across Northland, so my day can often start as early as 3am. And there's not a lot of warning about those early starts. It might be a late-night call alerting me to an important announcement or media conference. Depending on the story, those early starts (and late nights) might stretch for several days. My 4x4 always has a full tank and a packed camera kit ready to shoot at the press of a button.
G: What about the more routine days?
D: On more routine days, there are still two keys expectations - I have to get the story, and I have to cover it better than rival media. Frequently I set off with little background or understanding of the issue. Often, I'll need to stop along the way to set up interviews. Sometimes I have to deal with busy police & emergency personal. At other times I might have to talk my way into a hostile environment, trying to win the trust of an angry crowd or family.
Later, my job is all about logistics. The pressures of meeting daily deadlines and getting footage back to the newsrooms. Depending on the urgency, this might involve air courier (lower priority), broadband delivery or a satellite link.
G: How do you decide which of the networks gets your story?
D: It's all about timing. My clients may be competing networks, but they have an equal opportunity to book me for a story. And the first to call gets the story.
G: What are the major changes you've seen in TV news gathering?
D: One of the biggest changes is the arrival of the camera operator who now interviews and edits. A journalist is still required to package and voice the story. But reporters no longer needs to attend interviews. Frequently they will brief me by phone or email, before sending me the questions. Another big change has occurred in editing. We're no longer tied to studio edit suites. New technology enables us to edit in the field (i.e. outside your office) and upload the finished story directly into a network's server.
The arrival of Twitter means nothing is a scoop for very long. Suitcase satellites and high speed broadband links make it much easier to have reporters in the field going live at a moment's notice. And of course, there are changing demands on news. The days of one daily deadline are over. The footage I shoot today might be needed for breakfast and midday bulletins and Internet news feeds, as well as the 6pm news.
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