Why the vocabulary matters on a live story
When a crew is sent to a developing story, the phone call lasts perhaps two minutes. In that time the newsroom has to explain what it needs, and the crew has to understand it without a second call. Shared words make that possible. If an editor asks for a stand-up and the operator hears something different, the first hour on location is wasted on the wrong shot.
This note explains a handful of terms we hear most often when Breaking News Camera Crews are booked: the camera operator and sound recordist we send to the scene to film developing stories for your bulletin. None of it is secret knowledge, but it is easy to assume everyone means the same thing when they do not.
I handle scheduling and quotations at dupyra, so I take the calls where these words are used loosely. What follows is how we understand them and what we will assume unless you tell us otherwise.
Stand-up, piece to camera and two-way
A stand-up, also called a piece to camera, is the reporter speaking directly to the lens at the location. It is usually recorded in one take of twenty to forty seconds, framed so the scene behind them tells part of the story. A two-way is different: a live or recorded exchange between the reporter on site and the presenter in the studio.
We record stand-ups with the reporter's voice on a clip-on or handheld microphone, and a second safety take is standard. If you want a stand-up delivered clean, with no graphics or captions burned in, say so when booking, because that is what we will supply by default.
A two-way needs a live feed, which is a separate service. A crew filming for a recorded package is not set up for it unless the booking says so.
- Stand-up: reporter to camera, usually one short take plus a safety
- Two-way: exchange with the studio, live or recorded
- Clean delivery: no captions or graphics on the picture
Cutaways, GVs and the shots that save an edit
A cutaway is any shot used to cover a join in the edit: hands, a doorway, a crowd from behind, a sign on a wall. GV stands for general view, a wide establishing shot of the location. Editors rely on both. Without cutaways, two interview answers cannot be joined without a visible jump in the picture.
Our operators shoot cutaways as a matter of routine, but they are fitted around the main task. On a fast-moving story the priority is the event itself, then the interview, then the cover shots. If you need a particular building or landmark, mention it at the time of the call.
A useful habit for producers is to ask for the GV first. It is quick to shoot, it can be sent ahead, and it gives the desk something to put under a headline while the rest is still being filmed.
Wildtrack, natural sound and why we record it
Wildtrack is audio recorded at a location with no one speaking to the microphone: traffic, a crowd, wind, a siren in the distance. Natural sound, sometimes shortened to nat sound, is the ambient audio that goes with the pictures. Both let an editor lay a bed of real atmosphere under a voice-over so the cut does not feel hollow.
Our sound recordist captures roughly thirty seconds of wildtrack at each position by default. It costs almost nothing in time and often rescues a package where interview audio has a noisy edit point.
If a location is genuinely silent or you would rather have no ambient track, tell us. Otherwise it arrives with the rushes, labelled so the editor can find it.
- Wildtrack: ambient audio with no one speaking
- Nat sound: the atmosphere that belongs to the pictures
- Thirty seconds per position is our usual capture
Rushes, pool footage and who may use what
Rushes are the raw, unedited recordings from the shoot. When a crew is booked for your bulletin, the rushes belong to the commissioning newsroom under the terms agreed in the quotation. Pool footage is different: material shot once and shared between several broadcasters, usually because access to the event is restricted.
We do not supply pool footage unless the booking says we are acting as the pool crew, and then the sharing arrangements must be settled in writing before we film. It is the single most common misunderstanding we meet, because the word is sometimes used loosely for any shared material.
If you are unsure whether your story is a pooled event, ask the organisers before the crew leaves. It is a short question that prevents a difficult conversation afterwards.
Turnaround, deadline and what we mean by ready
Turnaround is the time between the crew finishing filming and footage reaching you. Deadline is the time your bulletin needs it. They are not the same, and a booking works best when both are given. We would rather know that you need pictures by a stated hour than be told only that it is urgent.
Ready also needs defining. Ready can mean rushes sent as they are, a lightly trimmed selection, or a finished package in your format. Each takes a different length of time, and the quotation will state which one we are working to.
On the call, Duncan or whoever is on the desk will repeat back the location, the deliverable and the hour you need it. If any of those three is wrong, that is the moment to say so.
- Turnaround: crew finishes to footage in your hands
- Deadline: the hour your bulletin needs it
- Ready: rushes, a trimmed selection or a finished package
None of these terms is difficult, but each one hides a small assumption, and on a breaking story small assumptions cost minutes you do not have. When you book a crew, a sentence covering what you want filmed, what form you want it in and by when is usually enough. If a word on your side means something different from ours, say so on the call and we will work to yours.