Whilst watching the news the other night I was fascinated by the hand and body movements of the television presenters. It made me think that perhaps a course could be initiated for aspiring talent eager to break in to the television reporting field.
If one wanted to be a weather presenter, the first and really only skill to master is the four finger and thumb point. This is achieved by holding all four fingers straight out with the thumb pointing down whilst moving the arm backwards and forward away from the body. Every so often the hand movement is changed to have the palm forward whilst waving the hand backwards. A serious demeanor, as if breaking tragic news to a loved one, must also be engaged whilst this pointing and hand waving is being undertaken.
If one wanted to be an "on the scene reporter" a few basic skills need to be mastered. When the cross first takes place it is essential to start nodding your head furiously as if 30,000 volts have been applied. This is undertaken before a word is spoken. Immediately upon speaking arms must be waved about. This is usually the left arm fling after every five words. This can be complemented with the four fingers together, pointing downwards with great force after every sentence is completed. The more experienced reporters need to start walking towards the camera whilst performing double karate type chops to promote even the most irrelevant detail. It is essential to continually point to the subject whether it be a building, tree or street.
If one is aspiring studio host then the back of the hands need to face the camera whilst quickly rolling them over to expose the palms. This can then be reversed but only for the multi skilled. Double pointing of both index fingers is also a greatly underrated skill. When these are fully utilised it is then necessary to wave both hands about as if one is conducting a symphony orchestra
Next comes the speaking voice and, let's face it, there are only two options for females. The first one is the full on nasal with all words dragged out. If this is not your go then the only alternative is the creaky voice. This is delivered from the back of the throat all the while seemingly grasping for breath. Each syllable needs to be delivered as if it is your dying statement with particular emphasis on an inflection at the end of each sentence, as if asking a question of the world.
Finally, the correct linguistic skills must be applied. Such words as "absolutely" "genre""Oh My God""like"must be used in all sentences. Whilst these are delivered the face must adopt an enquiring and quizzical persona as if Einsteins Law of Relativity is being discussed.
One last thing, and it is important. Always refer to your co host, guest or colleague by a nick name. It doesn't matter, always shorten the name or add an "o" or a "y" John becomes Johnno, Brown becomes Brownie and so on. Always pretend that no matter who you are crossing to you know more about it than them and that you are all really close friends.
There you have it, success guaranteed in the television field.
Grrrrrr! Don't get me started . . . some of the cricket commentators annoy me so much, Mark Taylor prattles on and on and the tone of his voice really grates, now Michael Clark is following in Taylor's footsteps, must have been taking lessons from Taylor, same prattle on and on in his little girl voice.
We really enjoy the cricket but when Taylor or Clark come on our blood pressure rises, can't watch it muted or using radio sound.
Bruce McAvaney is another one, IMO really annoying voice.
How do these people get commentary jobs?
Jeanne
-- Edited by Jaytee on Monday 10th of April 2017 10:43:35 AM
AAAAH - so that is why some people you meet fling their hands around all over the place (me included - Billy reckons I am part Sicilian) - practicing for a news report!!! - the one that gets me is the hand to the ear -instructions from the studio!
The one person who gets me with his voice, mannerisms and "know all" attitude is Kochy on the morning show!
Good one, DM, love it!
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They are trained at journalism school. Actually at uni. There is a subject and they do a lot of work in front of cameras. If you watch overseas news/weather they use the same hand movements.
You forgot the chicken wing flap D Maxer. This is achieved when holding the microphone in either hand then flapping the free arm in and out from the elbow, gets me every time! Also it is imperative to master the slow walk towards the camera whilst standing in ankle deep water in gumboots Regards the female "voice" on some of them, I liken it to a rasp file being drawn across a galvanised iron sheet.
-- Edited by Magnarc on Monday 10th of April 2017 02:24:18 PM
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You are right, Magnarc. That is spectacular. I also like the standing up to read the news approach. The presenter has a fist full of papers with nothing written on them as he/she is reading it all of the tele-prompter.
Another classic is the ABC approach where the reader looks directly at the sports or finance reporter who in turn looks at the newsreader and allows us to feel like the third person watching two unknown people talking to each other. All of a sudden, the reporter turns away from the newsreader and looks at the camera as if to include us in the conversation. I just love it.
Finally the piece de resistance is when the newsreader crosses to the reporter and says with great authority something like "The price of gold has risen, that would be because blah blah blah." The reporter nods madly before speaking and then says "Absolutely Johnno, that is what is happening"
Aren't we a bunch of critics? How many of you have been in front of a live camera? How would you have appeared in your career if you were on camera? Remember this bloke? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5qEFFR8gX6k
I do get annoyed at bad grammar and obvious bullpoo when they try to have an opinion on things that they have no clue about. The talking heads.
It is easy to be a critic Rgren2 when confronted with these arm waving talking heads. There was a time in the past when television used to employ journalists. They were educated in the English language, brilliant writers with solid opinions who could speak without having to use their waving hands to crank their brain for the right words.
If you look back at some of the great orators, Bob Menzies, Gough Whitlam, Paul Keating, Winston Churchill to name a few, no hand waving, just great diction and delivery. I think that people like Barry Cassidy on the ABC and most of the ABC commentators are brilliant because they are journalistic trained, not media trained.
The talking heads we have today have little if any journalistic training and are just hell bent on making news instead of reporting it. Reporting is not about your opinion, it is what has just happened. I am appalled by their judgmental, know it all, world weary style.
My working life has been spent on my feet in courts and I know how long I would have lasted if I started waving my hands about and double pointing when addressing a court.
It is easy to be a critic Rgren2 when confronted with these arm waving talking heads. There was a time in the past when television used to employ journalists. They were educated in the English language, brilliant writers with solid opinions who could speak without having to use their waving hands to crank their brain for the right words.
If you look back at some of the great orators, Bob Menzies, Gough Whitlam, Paul Keating, Winston Churchill to name a few, no hand waving, just great diction and delivery. I think that people like Barry Cassidy on the ABC and most of the ABC commentators are brilliant because they are journalistic trained, not media trained.
The talking heads we have today have little if any journalistic training and are just hell bent on making news instead of reporting it. Reporting is not about your opinion, it is what has just happened. I am appalled by their judgmental, know it all, world weary style.
My working life has been spent on my feet in courts and I know how long I would have lasted if I started waving my hands about and double pointing when addressing a court.
This is exactly what I'm going on about. You can only do what your trained to do.
Aaaaaaaaaach, and then we have "one foot in front of the other" "moving forward" "step up to plate" "the police won't tell us, BUT, it could be a siege!
We're sick of anorexic, blond bimbo weather presenters caked in too much makeup pretending that they are meteorologists. We don't need ''eye candy'' we want to know what the weathers going to be. Jane Bunn excepted.
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SNIP~~~. We don't need ''eye candy'' ......... Jane Bunn excepted.
Gday...
I fully endorse Keith's evaluation and recommendation.
Jane Bunn is an Australian meteorologist and is currently a weather presenter on Seven News Melbourne. Bunn completed a Bachelor of Science at Monash University in 2005, where she had majors in Atmospheric Science and Mathematics. In 2006, Jane was selected to undertake a Graduate Diploma of Meteorology provided by the Bureau of Meteorology. After completing her degree she was posted to work as a weather forecaster in Sydney, then Canberra and finally at RAAF's Williamtown base. She has also completed a Graduate Certificate in Journalism from Charles Sturt University.
Jane is certainly not just 'eye candy'
However, I do feel that she talks 'down' to the viewers with her 'bubbly' presentation style ... as if presenting to a group of kiddies.
Cheers - John
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The whole time I was reading this I was thinking of a skit from The Paul Hogan Show" in which Delvene Delany was practicing her arm and hand movements to be the board girl in Tony Barber's show but for the life of me I can't remember the name of that show.
