Tips for setting up a mock "News Cast"

[Ken Bates]

I am planning a 20-25 min news cast with two of my older kids "anchoring'. The stories will be the type of family events that are common fodder for year end Christmas letters to friends and relatives.
I want to take it up a notch from the snapshot type homemovies feel and with a couple lights and mics I think I am at the tech level I want to be. (as an early amatuer, I am still AMAZED at the better audio quality after steping up to an inexpensive azden wireless lav) I have a sgm2x as well but may not use.
Now I am brainstorming for basic lighting (I have 500w home depot shop-light and a 1Kwat film light with a softbox so I can key and fill a bit. I will also have a small greenscreen positioned behind them for graphics/logos when view from one angle and the other angle will be a more close-up portrait type shot. I have a basic Optura 50 and will likely borrow a second similar consumer grade JVC miniDV.
I am realy jazzed about this project as it will be calling on some "prosumer" lighting sound and editing techniques that I have very little experience with.
I guess what I need to do is watch a lot of local news casts and get a feel for how they do handoffs and cuts etc.
I would appreciate any encouragement, feedback, suggestions and "you should try this..or that" etc.

Thanks
Ken