Shooting a PTC in Moscow - 2006
I love to film – to capture the moment as it develops. There is though one element of News films that I usually dread shooting – The Piece to Camera or PTC. They often seem contrived and can disrupt the flow of a piece. But we do work in a business where Reporter involvement is seen as crucial to adding gravitas and establishing their authority and credibility. For me the only pieces to camera that really work are those where you are “in the thick of it” – dodging bullets in Afghanistan, at the front of a demonstration or in the middle of a riot. The reality is that these action PTC’s are quite rare and so time and again we are forced to make something from nothing – Bring to life a dull background while still appreciating that Reporters always want to look good – no matter what the circumstances.
There are no golden rules to shooting a good PTC and every situation is different. I’ve put together a short clip reel of PTC’s I’ve shot over the last couple of years and I hope they will give some idea as to how I often try and lift the story with an engaging PTC. I don’t claim that they are all great, but I hope they might give a few ideas to anyone just starting out or looking for some inspiration.
Shooting Pieces to Camera: Some examples of my work from caparkinson on Vimeo.
If I ever see a PTC in front of a sign or against a wall then I want to throw a shoe at the TV. My advice to anyone starting out in News is always to avoid the cliché. Add some movement and make it feel that the Reporter is really in the middle of the action. I love to use foreground, to move past objects and then reveal who is speaking. I don’t buy the argument that claims you should only move for a reason – that it should be motivated? Isn’t a good shot motivation enough ? We are trying to appeal to and grab the interest of viewers bombarded by Hollywood movies and the flashy music videos. Are we going to stick to the old and boring “news style” or we going to grab our viewers and turn them away from the internet by offering new and interesting ways of shooting and editing news.
As always I welcome your feedback and would love it if you post links to some of your own work.
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