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the truth of the story, so caution must be exercised not to distort any facts with fancy matting tricks.

In EFP, however, with the understanding that scripts are created to tell the clients’ stories rather than to report the news, it is more common to see compos- ite images. They can enhance a script with the viewers’ understanding that the illusion of certain places and times is important to the story, even if the actual places and times cannot be photographed. For example, a corporate video might call for the company CEO to appear in a faraway location that the budget cannot af- ford. In this case, the CEO can be shot against a solid- color backdrop, and stock footage of the exotic loca- tion can be keyed in later, creating the desired illusion and saving a costly trip.

Editing Sound

Traditionally, sound editing has not been as compli- cated for TV as it has been for the movies. The poor quality of most older TV speakers and the conditions under which most people watch TV reduced the need for good sound. Today, however, sound editing is every bit as crucial as picture editing. Anyone can download high-fidelity MP3 sound files from the Internet, so why should TV audio be of any less quality? Additionally, today’s big-screen TVs demand big sound from the speakers. With high-definition television (HDTV), viewers expect high-definition sound quality. High-fi- delity stereo mixes and 5.1 surround sound are the norm. Of course, these high-quality soundtracks might be mixed down to simple mono for playback on low- end systems, such as standard VHS tape machines, just as the high-quality images might be compressed for In- ternet or cell phone distribution. However, many cli- ents want the original project to be mastered with the highest possible sound and picture quality so that high- quality copies can be dubbed for distribution in addition to any lower-quality versions.

Accurate Representation of the Event

The two sources of audio in ENG are the audio of the talent (news anchor or recorded reporter) and the sound accompanying the pictures. Because most TV news is based on journalistic standards, the addition of

any other audio is frowned on. The addition of music is the only exception, although in some cases it is not desirable. Adding sound can be misleading, deceptive, and sometimes downright dishonest.

The most you can do in ENG is move the sound around from one shot to another, but the sound must accurately represent what you would hear if you were there. An example is a shot of a mine with a whistle blowing; the next shot is of miners filing out to go home. The sound of the whistle may not have been re- corded at the same time as that shot of the mine, but it did blow while the crew was taping and it did signal the end of a shift. The sound was used correctly.

An example of sound used incorrectly is a shot of people at an accident scene and the news photogra- pher running up to the injured on the ground while a siren is heard. The siren in this case was taken from a story shot last week and used to add a feeling of break- ing news to the piece. The photographer actually ar- rived late. In this case, the siren should not have been used at all. It made the story into something it was not. If you did not get the sound at the location, you should not manufacture sound to make it appear as though it came from the location. If it makes the pic- tures seem different from what they really were, then the sound should not be added. Sound needs to depict what happened accurately.

Adding Sound for Effect

If you record an explosion from a mile away, it can take the sound of the explosion several seconds to reach the camera. Do you move the sound? For EFP the answer is simple, because any sound is fair game if it enhances the idea you are trying to get across. You would have to get very far out of line to violate the “truth-in-advertising” law.

For ENG the question is harder to answer. Years of Hollywood conditioning have made audiences expect to hear the sound at the same time they see the explo- sion. In real life, however, the sound and picture do not match. What do you do?

You can assume that sound and picture are in sync at the point of origin (the explosion site). The audio can be synced back up in editing if the shot contains the explosion as the only audio source. If, however, there are people in the foreground reacting to the ex-

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plosion as it happens, their audio, and therefore the audio from the explosion, cannot be moved. Moving the explosion’s audio would distort the people’s reac- tion to it.

There is, nevertheless, room for creativity when it comes to audio in ENG. You can add sound where it is obvious to the viewer that the sound is added for effect. Shots of an abandoned school house with the sounds of a school bell and children playing can give a powerful emotional touch to the scene. It is obvious that no chil- dren have been there in decades, but the audio implies the rich history of the once thriving school.

Imagine a reporter doing a stand-up in front of a roaring water pump with a mic that does not pick up the sound of the pump because of its placement. You see the pump, but you do not hear it. By adding the background sound of the pump in editing, the shot seems to come together better. All the pieces fit and work together for the overall effect. These are just a few examples of adding sound to enhance ENG work, but you must use sound carefully. It is a fine line that sepa- rates enhancement from deception.

Avoid Abrupt Edits

In general, avoid abrupt starting and stopping when editing audio. Abrupt starts and stops are to audio what jump cuts are to video: they distract the audi- ence. Even when audio must come in very quickly, a fast fade in is better than a full-volume take. A cut made in the middle of the bell’s ring doesn’t sound right. Either a quick fade-up or finding the natural starting point for the sound would be preferred. Audio cutoff is the same. Find a natural end for the sound or fade it out quickly. Background audio can come and go with the edit points as long as the audio is truly in the background. Every picture has a sound, unless it is a graphic or a freeze-frame. There is background sound for just about everything.

Natural Sound

A good news package opens with a picture that be- gins to tell the story or captures the viewer’s atten- tion. A reporter stand-up opening is often boring and gives the viewer little to look forward to. It looks like more news anchor and not more news. With an

opening shot, there should be some good natural sound (natsound).

Use with Opening Video A story on flooding might

open with a shot of water flowing over a dam. The roar of the water is heard for a few seconds before the re- porter’s voice comes in. This breaks the constant flow of talking and can spark someone’s interest to look at the TV instead of only listening to it.

Not only must the pictures be good, but the sound must also be good enough to make someone want to watch the pictures. Good use of natural sound can draw the viewer into the story and give the pictures that “you-are-there” feeling. This means you should open a story not only with the best picture you can but also with the best sound.

Use as a Transition You can use the natural sound of

the pictures to break up paragraphs in the track, get into or out of soundbites or talking heads, and bridge a gap from one part of a story to another. To move from talking about people buying new homes to discussing the number of new homes being built, you could make the transition on a shot such as an electric saw (with the sound up full) cutting a board in front of new construction. After a couple of seconds of the saw, the reporter continues the story, now talking about all the new construction. Time limits can make this type of editing difficult, but if the story is well thought out, and the reporter and videographer work together on producing it, the end product will show the effort and have a greater impact on the viewer.

The “L” Cut

A popular form of creating an audio transition is to start the audio of the next shot (usually the beginning of a new sequence) under the current shot. This is called the “L” cut. On the editing timeline, it actually looks like a “lazy L” because the audio on the lower au- dio track begins ahead of the video on the upper video track. (See Figure 7-17.) For example, we see the building planner looking over the drawing for the new housing development as the reporter’s track about the project comes to the end of a paragraph. While the planner is still on screen, we hear the sound of a buzz saw ripping through wood for about one second or so before the picture of that saw pops up and starts the next section of the story about construction. The au-

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