Question about shooting news documentary style in this case.

[Ryan Elder]

I have a project I want to do where some portions of the story are told through news footage. It's fiction, but it's told in a news footage style. One thing I notice about the news is that it has weird transitions as it goes from scene to scene sometimes.
Here are two transitions in this news clip at 0:29. and 0:54 into the clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LKm76D-Rf0*

And here is another transition at 3:11 into this clip:

Tucker: Black Lives Matter is now a political party - YouTube

I am wondering, do you think I should use the same types of transitions you see in those examples, or should I make up my own, if they just look better? Or should I go with those examples, because those kinds are more realistic to modern news? What do you think, out of curiosity?

Thanks for any input! I really appreciate it.

[Brian Drysdale]

You don't need to use Fox News transitions.

UK news programs just use straight cuts on their news and it's a lot less distracting. I don't recall seeing them on other news channels from around the world.

II would check out how other North American news outlets like CNN and CBS handle the same thing.

[Paul R Johnson]

Bored editor - transition box full of stuff - pick a few.

How on earth did you even focus in on these? It's news. They use transitions - so slides, blurs, pattern wipes are all perzazz to spice up boring material and make it look snazzy, modern and exciting. Usually fails IMHO.

Before you start a thirty page topic. Consider the question? It really does not require our input at all Ryan. If you want to create news footage, there's some much, you just pick your own. Try imagining getting a job as editor. You have three minutes to edit it and stick it on the server for playout. Do have time to think about these things - you just grab one and use it - then move on. It's unworthy of considered thought and discussion. It's the kind of thing you do and immediately decide yes, it works, no it doesn't. You don't prevaricate and you don't even really evaluate it. You might6 not even make a note of the actual effect name. It's a non-event.

Move on.

[Ryan Elder]

Oh okay, well I was just thinking of how to cut bridge the scenes, together thinking if I used transitions, it would look more like American news, but at the same time, I don't want to make them look over-stylized either.

[Brian Drysdale]

I would dump that example, it's distracting.

If you want to simulate American News, look at a number of different channels. However, bear in mind nothing dates faster than the transitions used.

[Ryan Elder]

Oh okay, well I can do cuts instead it's just what if I want to jump ahead, but not have their be a continuity error? Like the news, I want to make the events are shot with just one camera, but if I want to cut ahead with avoiding jump cutting, I thought that using those news-ish transitions would help that. Or I could just jump cut, but you never see jump cuts on the news though.

[Brian Drysdale]

Believe it or not, news video editors use cut aways to make time jumps. It all good practice by the camera people to shoot these, who may also be editing their news pieces, although that depends on the nature and size of the news organisation.

[Ryan Elder]

Oh okay thanks, I don't recall seeing jump cuts on the news. Well I can use just cutting if that's better, as long as it still feels like American news.

[Brian Drysdale]

It's the onscreen graphics and the reporter's voice that makes it look like American news.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

It’s funny I was wondering last night what happened to Ryan, we haven’t heard from him in a while. I was hoping he finally decided to stop trying to micro plan his movie and started making it. Oh well looks like he’s off on another tangent but it’s sounds more achievable than the other project (unless this is simply another part of that same movie he is always talking about).

24hr News channels (Fox/CNN/MSNBC) have big budgets and large departments dedicated to creating these slick looks. For a $50-200 you can buy graphics plugin packages for your editing software to approximate this corporate news look. This seems like another exasperating effort to emulate big budget productions with no budget.

[Ryan Elder]

Oh I was busy with other projects. I could buy the product, but I thought I would just create the graphics myself in the software I have though, unless there is an advantage to that package?

Another thing I could do in some parts of the editing is insert a still photo and then pan and scan within the photo for reveals. The only thing is, you don't see this on the news, so would that TOO different?

[Brian Drysdale]

There's no reason why you wouldn't see a still photograph in a news programme if it's the only visual that's available. It won't be something that they'd shoot themselves, since they shoot video. but a still could be provided by a member of the public or from a newspaper photographer.

[Ryan Elder]

Yep true. I could use still photos in some parts, but I wonder if that looks like it's considered cheating since it's a movie, and are movies expected to have videos tell their stories as oppose to a still once in a while?

[Paul R Johnson]

People won't think anything if it looks like news. You are over thinking again. Movies use whatever is appropriate, so look at the movies about news if you have to, and you'll find they over exaggerate the key features, not recreate reality. Don't get into your rules thing again.

[Brian Drysdale]

No such thing as cheating in a movie, the whole thing is a cheat, a slight of hand.

"La Jetee" is made using stills, so no rules regarding that.