A Peek Behind the Curtain

One of the advantages of having a faculty as experienced and diverse as we have at Midwestern University is that they are often asked by local media to provide expertise on various healthcare topics.

This often results in broadcast media stopping by our campus to conduct interviews, and though I've been through the process many, many times over the past fifteen years - here at Midwestern and at previous places of employment - I never fail to be fascinated by the amount of hard work that goes into creating such a small window of televised reporting.

It is true that these days, when everyone not only has a video camera built into their phone or tablet computer but can edit together their own videos in a matter of minutes on the go, that the magic of TV production is not as impressive as it was for me as I was growing up. But there is still an amazingly detailed process that TV news outlets employ to get that 30-second segment for the evening news that most people never get to see.

Regardless of whether a segment is a quick interview for a breaking or consumer-interest story or a piece of a more detailed investigative special, it all starts with research. In TV news, running a story means that the group who reports on it must become as knowledgeable as possible on the topic on extremely short notice. In past years, that would mean a segment producer would be tasked with either finding a topic or being assigned one, and then embark upon a cram session worthy of a college student's final exam prep. These days, with belts tightening and staffs being streamlined, the on-air talent and their camera operator are the ones who do the legwork on their own.

When they arrive for the interview, the reporter and camera person are loaded with books, papers, notes, and an intense desire for clarification. Thus, while the camera operator rigs the lighting and prepares the scene of the interview, the reporter generally has the interview subject pigeonholed to get as much background as possible before they "roll tape" (a phrase which is increasingly an anachronism as technology improves).

The process of staging the interview is fascinating in and of itself. Most reporting teams have a wagon full of cameras, batteries, tripods, light stands, lights, shades, hoods, reflectors, and various and sundry other bits of paraphernalia to ensure that the proper mood is set. While the reporter is prepping with the subject, the camera operator is busily trundling from place to place, erecting light stands, planning accent lighting, adjusting curtains and blinds, and employing a bewildering array of angles and directions to craft the look and feel for the background.

When it is time for the interview, the first task is to tape the subject's answers. In most cases, it is not a matter of asking a set list of questions, but rather a conversation that will later be edited and arranged to appear as though the subject is responding to specific inquiries. This is because the conversational process makes the interview subject look more relaxed on camera and less like he is being interrogated.

Once this is done, the reporter will continue talking with the interview subject while the camera operator restages the lighting and camera to focus on the reporter. These are the camera shots that show the reporter nodding sagely with a focused look on her face, which will be edited together with the interview itself to create a sense of a dialogue with the interview subject.

When all of this is finished, the camera operator will shoot what is called "B-roll," a series of visual vignettes showing the interview subject doing something natural like working at his desk, walking down a sidewalk talking to someone (often the reporter), and so forth. B-roll is used as a backdrop for the reporter's eventual voiceover that will tie the interview segments together.

It is a complex, fascinating puzzle that only seems to make sense when it is finally put together for broadcast... which makes it all the more incredible when the finished product is only a few seconds' worth of footage in a segment that can take up less than a minute of a news broadcast.

So next time you see a Midwestern University student or professor on the news, you'll understand how much effort was put into that quick sound bite!