Writing for Digital Media

Demographics

Analysis of audience characteristics (Age, gender, ethnicity, and income level)

Narrowcasting

With the growth of multiple transmission-reception technologies, more and more programming can be aimed at specialized audiences.

Ethical Appeal

Endorsement of a product from a well-known or well-respected person

Logical Appeal

Persuasion that a product or service fills a practical need

Emotional Appeal

Non-intellectual appeal to the audience’s basic needs or wants

Storyboard

Frame-by-frame drawings showing a program’s video and audio sequences in chronological order; essential in preparing and selling commercial announcements and sometimes required in showing development of a film story

Rundowns

a listing of all stories and their sources used in preparation for organizing and writing the script. Considers order and timing

Interpretive Approach

Where the basic facts are analyzed for their immediate and future impact on the public through reporter commentary

Investigative Approach

The reporter or writer discovers and even makes the news by digging up material not available to the press in general and bringing to the public new and usually exclusive information on the subject.

Advocacy News

News programming that presents an overt point-of-view or personal opinion

Libel

Defaming a person’s character or reputation in writing

Slander

Defaming a person’s character or reputation through spoken word

Colloquial Language

jargon that makes sense for certain news stations and sports

Opinion Interview

An interview that concentrates on the beliefs of an individual

Information Interview

Usually, a public service interview delivered by well-known or unknown figures in the field

Personality Interview

A human interest, feature story interview

Pre-interview

Establishing of general questions and answers before a recorded or live interview

Rising Action

part of the story’s plot that leads up to the climax

Documentary Proposal

A written pitch that details a film’s concept, story, style, target audience, production plan, budget, and more. Helps you to get funding for it.

Documentary Treatment

If you want to write about a bigger story on people or events, past or present, local or not (e.g. a biography on a historical figure or a sage of historical events (longer)

Editorializing

make comments or express opinions rather than just report the news.

Inciting Incident

 sets the story in motion and throws off the world of your protagonist.

Climax

wraps it up in the end (NOT THE RESULT) The story's highest point of tension, a major turning point where the central conflict is faced head-on, shaping the outcome and leading to the resolution. Occurs at the instant the conflicting forces meet head on and change occurs to or in at least one of them

Exposition

The background of the situation and of the characters

Genre

characterized by a particular style, form, subject matter, or theme, helping audiences and creators classify and understand works through shared conventions and expectations

Logline

One or two sentence description of your movie that tells us what it is. When [inciting incident occurs], a [specific protagonist] must [objective], or else [stakes].

Pitch

a concise verbal or written presentation of a film or television idea to potential buyers (producers, studios, or agents) to generate interest and secure the project's development or a script sale

High Concept

A really good idea. Emphasis on a striking and easily communicable idea.

Cliche

a phrase, idea, or element that has been overused to the point that it has lost its original meaning or impact

Spec Script

write it on your own and then try to sell it

Elevator Pitch

a brief, persuasive summary of yourself, a product, a service, or an idea that can be delivered in a short amount of time

What are the differences between writing for radio vs. TV vs. film?

Radio is all oral which means sound effects, music, and voice are all important.

TV is more character driven and more dialogue heavy.

Film is a standalone story that is more plot driven

What are the differences between writing for Commercials vs. PSAs. vs. Promos?

Commercials: used to advertise something

PSAs help support causes

Promos say “here’s some ways to get involved/donate”

What are the 5 Steps of the basic structure of a commercial in order?

1. Get the audience’s attention

2. Hold their interest

3. Present a problem

4. Present the solving of the product with the use of the product

5. Finish with the appeal to the audience to take action

Name three differences between News and Documentary Reporting

News Feature: Current, Local, a more straightforward report on an event. They are usually shorter.

Documentary Reporting: A bigger story, can be past, present, or local, usually longer.

In your project 3, give me examples of firsthand, secondhand, thirdhand, and why are the firsthand the best?

Firsthand: My sister who was actually a part of the army

Secondhand: My mom who has heard all of the stories but was not actually in D.C.

Thirdhand: Someone who saw D.C. posts online but had no personal connection to anyone there

Firsthand is the best because it comes directly from the source. It is more trustworthy because she was actually in the events that happened. We don’t have to worry about information being misunderstood or misinterpreted.

Name the 15 events in a Beat Sheet

1. Opening Image

2. Theme Stated

3. Set Up

4. Catalyst

5. Debate

6. Break into Two

7. B Story

8. Fun and Games

9. Midpoint

10. Bad Guys Close in

11. All is Lost

12. Dark night in the soul

13. Break into three

14. Finale

15. Final Image

What is the difference between a Film Analysis and Film Review?

Analysis: factual. Objective look at how a film presents its story. Like a thesis.

Review: Opinion based. What did they like about it? Subjective approach if they liked the film or didn’t

1. What do you value as a writer? 

2. How did those values come through in your projects? Give examples. 

3. What Scripture inspires how you write? 

4. What are your future goals as they relate to writing? Just talk about promos or something 

5. What are some things in the class that have helped?