The Setup for a Better Ending

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A New Resiliency

Every year, we blitz into January with new resolutions, goals, and commitments. We've all experienced that the end of the year is greatly determined by the start.?

I've learned that a great year is not achieved by resolutions alone but by resiliency. It is easy to plan for goals and outcomes but harder to withstand unforeseen challenges and recover quickly from the unexpected difficulties of life.?

The setup always determines the ending. In this edition, I break down 3 keys to help you improve your story setup and shooting process for a better end result.

The Story Setup

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This story is about a local football coach, Glen Yearling, who goes beyond the football field to change the lives of his players, including driving around the city and picking them up for practice.

The Images We Frame

The Berkley TImberwolves' story is important to tell because it frames authentic images of everyday Black stories that are rarely seen on the front pages of media. Around the time of the 2020 protests, those who sided against the peaceful protests would often inaccurately assert that Black people were preoccupied with street protests and ignoring personal responsibility for the issues in our communities. I guarantee none of those people have spent a day on our streets interviewing real people like Glen. I heard several times the question, "What are Black people doing for their community?" Well...This is a small picture of the historically unpublicized, hard-working contribution many are sacrificially making to single-handedly build up their community.

We see a volunteer coach providing transportation, education, recreation, nutrition, safety, and emotional support in one evening of practice. Glen's story is nothing new. But our screens are flooded with other images as media focuses more on crime in the Black Community.

"Black Americans, and black men in particular, are overrepresented as perpetrators of crime in U.S. news media."-Center for American Progress.

He's been doing this for over 20 years, along with many more community servants and organizations you've never heard of.

Video is a series of individual, sequential still pictures or frames?that create seamless motion. You can't detect missing frames until you slow down to milliseconds. As we turn on our screens, we are unaware of the amount of positive images missing.

What's in Your Bag

Our all-day shoot required every piece of gear: 4 cameras, 2 wireless microphone sets, extra batteries, and 4 tripods/mounts. While all of these tools were necessary to make the story memorable, the mental approach and setup were most important to convey the genuine detail, depth, and emotion we witnessed on the shoot.

As a journalist, the task is always to capture the authentic moments in real-time as they unfold with the least amount of interference. During every shoot, I usually only have one chance to get the moment right.?

Over the years, I discovered my biggest tool was the ability to anticipate and utilize the normal sequences of life’s predictable activity to my advantage.

After building a muscle memory bank of anticipated action sequences, I next needed to move into position to capture the essential moments of the story, then repeat and execute every time until the end. The biggest moment with the coach and player's emotional embrace wasn't predictable or expected, but I was already set up and prepared to capture the reaction. A good setup involves choosing the perfect set of tools to shift into position and catch the reaction.

Coach Glen had a Lavalier mic on at all times that was synced up to all cameras. I was able to first hear the conflict faintly with my ears but I was 100+ yards away. I always shoot with my headphones on and listen for key sound bites to record or react. Because he was still mic'd up (with working batteries) about 4 hours into the shoot, I could distinguish what was going on and record from his mic the most important raw sound bite of the story, "Coach is right here, man."

3 Keys for a Better Ending

1. Anticipate the Predictable?

Capitalize on the predictable sequence of normal activity. I had no idea which kids would be picked up and when, but I knew in my mind the sequences needed to hop out of the van, prop my camera on a curb 50 feet away for a steady picture, and set the shot right before the player ran into my frame running from the house to the van.?

2. Position for the Unpredictable?

I always carry my sticks (tripod) for this reason. The world is a tripod, but my tripod is always the most reliable and steadiest tool for news gathering. The moment when the player is emotional and comforted by his coach is the most important sequence and summarizes the heart of the story. Every setup is about timing and selective movement when working with live action. When placement competes with shot perfection, you must make the split decision to "lock in" the most reliable placement so you don't miss the moment.?I was at the opposite end zone from the coach. I heard the commotion, ran to my left to get an uninterrupted shot, zoomed in, and framed the shot wide enough to allow for an authentic, unobtrusive moment of raw emotion. Sometimes, a 7-yard completion for a first down is better than going for the end zone and completely missing your target.

The biggest moment with the coach and player's emotional embrace wasn't predictable or expected, but I was already set up and prepared to capture the reaction.

3. Execute Every Part?of the Plan

There will always be the temptation to give up on the most challenging shots you had planned after multiple attempts or due to the story's complex setting and circumstances. We can easily second-guess our vision. We always have creative shots planned in our minds, but sometimes, we shy away from the moment and back away from the creative angle. I've learned to go for the shots I would second guess. The harder the shot, the better. Trust your plan. It never fails that every shot I give up on ends up being a valuable missing piece of the puzzle I regret not having during the edit. And every crazy shot, no matter how hard the setup or how ridiculous I looked getting it, was always worth it in the end.

Set up. Don't give up. Plan for the end.

Let's continue the discussion. What does your story setup involve? How do you prepare mentally for each story assignment?

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Story by 13News Now (WVEC) , Reporter Arrianee LeBeau