Church Arsonists? Scripting for News.

This is the third exercise on scripting. Instead of a commercial, this time I used a news story on CNN about the recent church arsons. Writing for news is very similar to writing copy for advertisements, but there are some key differences. While news is trying to convey as much (if not more) information as a commercial is, news uses longer shots and steady speech to do so. Much like commercials, news will always have a visual element to appeal to the lower functions of the brain, but unlike a commercial, news will not resort to use visual tactics to grab attention alone. The final and most definitive difference is that news is dealing with truth and reality while commercials are structured to build a fantasy around an item or service.

The actual video I wrote the script on is below:




And here is what the script looks like:
(As always, the script is written with video cues in CAPS, audio cues is italics, and dialogue in bold.)

CNN – Dallas

MID SHOT – ED LAVANDERA IN FRONT OF CNN DALLAS BACKDROP
ON SCREEN - LOWER BANNAR: ED LAVANDERA CNN DALLAS
ED LAVANDERA: For almost 2 months, church fires have horrified local residents and clergy men across east Texas, but now authorities have arrested the two men responsible

CUT TO: CHURCH FIRE TAPE
ON SCREEN - LOWER BANNAR: FILE
VO: Ten churches torched across east Texas since January first and…

CUT TO: SIDE BY SIDE PHOTOES OF CHURCH ARSON SUSPECTS
ON SCREEN: COUTESY OF SMITH CO., TEXAS JAIL / FACEBOOK.COM
VO: …these two men are accused of burning them down. 19 year old Jason Bourque and 21 year old Daniel McAllister.

CUT TO: CHURCH FIRE TAPE
ON SCREEN - LOWER BANNAR: FILE
VO: They’ve been charged with one count of arson so far, but authorities say more will follow.

CUT TO: KYTX PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR MCCRRAW INTERVIEW TAPE
ON-SCREEN-LOWER BANNAR: STEVEN C. MCCRAW, DIRECTOR, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
STEVEN C. MCCRAW: We’re confident that these individuals were responsible for it and, but the investigation needs to continue.

MID SHOT: ON SCENE - CHURCH FIRE REMNANTS: ED LAVANDERA HOLDING MAP
ON-SCREEN-LOWER BANNAR: ED LAVANDERA, CNN TYLER TEXAS
ED LAVANDERA: This is a map of northeast Texas and I wanted to give you a sense of where these church fires have happened.

ZOOM IN ON MAP
ED LAVANDERA: We’re here is the city of Tyler where there have been two. Three more have happened outside the city limits. Another three down here in Henderson County. There have been two here in Van Zandt County. The first thing we’re going to do is visit one of the pastors of these churches.

CUT TO: TAPE OF CLEAR SPRING CHURCH ENTRACE
ED LAVANDERA: This is the entrance to Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church and this…

MID SHOT: ED LAVANDERA WITH PASTOR BRANDON OWENS
ED LAVANDERA: … is Pastor Brandon Owens. You’re going to show us around?
PASTOR OWENS: Yes sir.

MID SHOT: PASTOR OWENS WALKING THROUGH CHURCH REMNANTS
PASTOR OWENS: If you look down here…

ZOOM TO GROUND WHERE PASTOR OWENS IS MOTIONING
PASTOR OWENS: … A book like that could have been one of the bibles.

CLOSE ON: BURNED PAGES IN ED LAVANDERA’S HANDS
ED LAVANDERA: To see a bible like this, or part of a bible-

MID SHOT: PASTOR OWEN AND ED LAVANDERA LOOKING AT BURNT BIBLE PAGES IN ED LAVANDERAS HAND
PASTOR OWEN: Never would have imagined it, man, never.

*This script ends here but the news report continues. *

If you would like to know more about these church arsons, you can follow the link below:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/11/texas.church.fires/index.html