can begin. Therefore, in part one of the shooting script,
you should complete the following sections:
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Who— The name of the individual or subject that
will be photographed. The job, title and duty
responsibilities of the subject should be included,
if applicable.
What— The exact nature of what the subject will
be doing in support of the overall theme of the
photo feature.
When— The time and date the subject will be
photographed. Make sure the subject will be
available at the time specified
Where— The exact location or locations where
the photography will take place. Make sure the
specific area will be available at the time
indicated.
Why— Why will this photo feature visually
interest your audience? State the reason(s) why
the subject will appeal to a given audience.
(Planning— List three to seven picture ideas in
order of their visual flow.)
How— List all arrangements that must be made
to enable you to carry out the assignment. Include
name(s) and telephone number(s) of contact(s)
assisting with the event. Also list the photo-
graphic equipment (type of camera, lenses and
specific lighting accessories) and props you will
need.
PART TWO.— Part two of the shooting script
should contain a well-planned list and description of,
and reasons for, the photographs you determined will
best represent the story. For example, if you were doing
a picture story on the Navy’s flight demonstration team,
the Blue Angels, one desired photograph might be
identified as follows:
SHOT 1: LONG SHOT
INSTRUCTIONS: Aircraft flying in close
formation. Shoot with the operations tower in the
foreground, from low angle, for perspective.
REASON: To show the reader the precision flying
ability of the “Blues” and to identify the location of
their performance.
Other planned photographs in the photo feature
should be addressed similarly. The following
information should be listed for each proposed shot:
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The angle of view (high, low, front, side, back,
and etc.)
The action (implied or actual) expected to take
place
The type of shot (long, medium, close-up or
extreme close-up)
The desired depth of field or point of focus
Any unusual lighting conditions
Finally, you should storyboard each picture idea to
assure a unified picture page with emphasis placed on
leading lines, lines of force, framing or rule of thirds.
Storyboarding (fig. 12-5) entails sketching out each
planned photograph beforehand, giving visual direction
to your list of desired shots and numbering the sketches
accordingly.
The sketches do not have to be works of art (stick
men representing your subjects will suffice), but they
should be recognizable as visual descriptions of the
planned photographs on your list.
Remember, the shooting script is only a guide for
shooting a picture story. With a basic idea of the subject
and its importance (accomplished through research),
you can better understand the subject and obtain
superior results.
Shooting Script Techniques
A good shooting script should include the following
techniques:
Change of pace. During the actual shooting
session in covering a particular subject, interest
must somehow be maintained in the story.
Interest can be retained by having a change of
pace or variety in the coverage technique used by
the photographer. Static coverage of a subject can
be eliminated by first understanding the reason
for certain types of pictures to be taken, and
second, by keeping these points in mind during
the script writing and the actual shooting.
Long (perspective) shots. Taken from a distance
or with the aid of a wide-angle lens, long shots
show the subject in its entirety, relate it to its
surroundings and clarufy the relationship of its
different components to one another. They are
photographs that, at one glance, present many
different aspects of a subject that subsequently is
further explained in some of the other
photographs in the story. This type of photograph
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