Day in the life: The makings of a stand-up

Stand-ups. They can be a reporter’s best friend or worst enemy, especially when you're a one-man band. It just reminds me of the fact that people really don't realize how much work goes into a minute and a half story. This picture is a still from a recent story I did on the soaring prices of propane. Due to this unusually blistery winter, the demand for propane has significantly increased, causing shortages in some parts of the nation and a rapid increase in it's cost. I had the pleasure of speaking with a local distributor about how he was holding up. Getting through the interviews and shooting footage was the easy part of the day for me, it was my stand-up that really took the most effort. It took me forever to think where to stand, what to say, make sure my mic was working, make sure my camera was focused/well lit and make sure I was also creative. The fact that it was freezing outside did not help. When the manager, who had gone inside at that point, came back out and saw me shooting the stand-up, he thought I had been talking to myself (#reporterprobs!). I just laughed and explained what I was really doing. I saw all of this to say that stand-ups are an area which I am actively working to improve as a reporter and I can't wait to see what they'll look like a year from now. As I just said I am definitely still learning, but I have a few tips that I use to help my stand-ups turn out decently.

 1) Think of what you're going to say ahead of time! There's nothing worse than having the camera rolling and you're just standing in front of it dazed and confused trying desperately to figure out what you're going to say. Trust me, I’ve done it so many times before (including for this stand-up) and it just wastes time, tape and battery life. Turn off the camera and take a minute to plan out (if you can) what you're going to do and say.

 2) Make sure the camera is in a secure place Not following this rule could land you in big trouble. A much as we want to get that perfect action shot/stand-up, you've got to treat your camera like your baby. That means you have to make sure that whatever you're doing, the camera is on a steady base (preferably the tripod) and it's not near something that could knock it over/break it.

 3) Make sure your shot is focused/ well-lit and your sound is good This comes out of a lot of trial and error (at least for me). But be sure to focus your camera on the spot you'll be standing (if you're a one man band) and adjust your lighting accordingly. I know that in this business time is of the essence, but it might not hurt to do a couple of takes. That way you can play them back to check audio and visual quality before moving on. There's few worse feelings than playing back a "rock star" stand-up, only to find your audio is bad, camera is unfocused, or you're shot is dark/overexposed.

 4) Shoot multiple versions! Unless you're shooting your stand-up at the end of ALL interviews, it wouldn't hurt to shoot multiple versions of your stand-up. Usually at this point you're not entirely sure what your story will include (from start to finish) and you want to make sure your stand-up will make sense with whatever angle your story takes. So, don't say the same thing every time. Also, don't always assume you won't end your story on your stand-up, so make sure you shoot some with a tag. You can always cut it off if you don't need it, but it be there if you do need it and don't shoot it.

 5) Get Creative! Once you get the basics down, it'll be time to get creative with your stand-ups. The easiest way to have an "active stand-up" is to walk a little, from one point to another. More advanced stand-ups may include driving, multiple shots/angles, nat pops, matched action sequences and so on. While every stand-up doesn't HAVE to be active you should ALWAYS strive to make it active, especially if your story lends itself to that. One of my favorite reporters to watch is Jennifer French of WSYX/WTTE, Columbus, OH. Check her out!