Tuesday, April 12, 2011

27 dresses: the biggest mistake with anchor tapes

Most everyone knows the format for a good reporter tape; a montage, three packages, and hope for a phone call.

Anchor tapes are a little different. While you obviously have to show good communication skills and a personality that fits the story you're reading, you may be unwittingly making a mistake that sends up a red flag.

If you're wearing more than two different outfits on a tape, a News Director is going to wonder whether you can make it through a single show without stumbling.

Many anchor tapes are a collection of clips from the desk; a welcome and a lead story, some stuff from the A & B blocks, a consumer or health lead-in, a kicker. Then some cross talk with weather and sports. But if every clip is from a different newscast, it's a subtle hint that you can't muster all your best work in a single day.

It's best to pick one, or at most two, of your best newscasts. Show that you can hit a home run on any given day, because chances are if you get a call, a News Director is going to ask you for a second tape of your most recent anchoring.

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