Credit where it's due
| 11:15 UK time, Tuesday, 14 November 2006
You may have noticed a couple of pieces recently where we have not just credited the reporter.
On Friday we mentioned Darren Conway for his exceptional camerawork on the nomadic people of Northern Kenya - and last night we credited camera operator Fred Scott and producer Peter Emerson for their work on a piece with British marines fighting in Afghanistan.
The reason for this is that their work was exceptional - in Fred and Peter's case, risking their lives to bring us the story (watch the piece here), and in Darren's case, capturing some extraordinary images, while working in extremely difficult circumstances (watch that piece here).
We will always credit reporters, for the simple reason that people need to know who is broadcasting - but when people behind the scenes do something exceptional we will mention them too.
Comments
No reason why you can't always credit the camera & sound people using text credits at the bottom of the screen at the beginning of the piece. If either were missing, the report would be just as impossible as without the journalist, surely? (In fact, I can think of several recent ´óÏó´«Ã½ reports in which the package would have been better without the reporter!)
The links to the two video pieces point to the wrong ones - they just need swapped about. I'm glad you have started crediting the people behind the scenes. One gets used to hearing their names when your reporters win awards, but it is nice to see their extraordinary contributions recognised at the time of broadcast by the newsreader. I hope this is something added across all ´óÏó´«Ã½ programmes for reports such as these, and indeed by ITN and Sky also. It reminds us that these style of reports are not gained without some considerable risk to those involved.
Thanks for that Kenny, is now fixed
I agree that the camera work that these guys produce is fantastic and they are often the unsung heroes.
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So, the ´óÏó´«Ã½ feels fit to respect their workers with credits in this instance.
But the credits for most TV shows and movies are trampled upon by being squeezed into half a screen, cut short or talked over.
No respect there.
The work of the support crew may indeed be exceptional - but that is a subjective view I guess. My TV screen seems full of highly competent, professional work - from nature programmes, through sport, to reality TV.
Did the work of the professional soldiers get credited ? Surely their work is as just as exceptional.
My thoughts are 'don't do anything that disrtacts from the story or issue' - the support crew will be rightly recognised by their professional colleagues, praise they will value - keep the issues and stories 'clean'.
It will be appreciated by all viewers of ´óÏó´«Ã½, I am sure of it. Excellent Idea to honour the job. Wish you all the best and Congratulation to Fred And Peter for being broadcasted!
This is an excellent idea, give credit where it is due. I think I have seen this done in France almost as a matter of course , perhaps it should be done by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ more often.
Well done to those mentioned already, and thank you.
I admire the thinking behind this idea, to credit "exeptional" behind-the-scenes staff, but it's undoubtedly doing to run into difficulties. Where will you draw the line? What constitutes "exceptional" in one editor's mind may not be the same for members of the public, or indeed for a fellow editor. I am sure that the producers and cameramen who work day-in, day-out on ´óÏó´«Ã½ TV news pieces are feel their work "made the piece possible" - will they not start to feel resentful if they are now perceived to have been "ommitted" when they feel they have worked very hard? I think ´óÏó´«Ã½ News needs to decide if this is a new blanket policy, or whether it will only be used in "exceptional" circumstances - otherwise you risk offending and isolating other producers and cameramen who work equally hard.
French TV has been doing this for years, with a simple caption.
From France 2, 16th Nov 06, 8pm News, near end of first report.
I think every report on F2 and F3, and presumably TF1 as well, has this sort of credit. Works well, doesn't it?