10 Creative Standup Ideas Every TV Reporter Should Try

A TV News standup is one of the oldest storytelling techniques in broadcast journalism. However, when done creatively, it can be so much more than just your opportunity to show up on camera! A strong standup connects different parts of your story, reinforces your reporting, and demonstrates to viewers that you’ve done the work to become knowledgeable about your topic.

Unfortunately, we’ve all seen the traditional talking-head standup, which is typically just a reporter standing in the middle of the frame delivering a few scripted lines before the package continues.

But, in today's world where most journalists are one-man-banding, why not take a few more mintues to make your standup more memorable?

So, sit tight, because I'm about to share with you the BEST 10 creative TV News standup ideas that I could come up with:

1. Transition Between Two Locations

If your story involves multiple locations, begin your standup in one place and literally reach toward the camera before cutting to yourself finishing the standup somewhere else.

The transition creates movement while reinforcing the different locations featured in your story.

2. Use Green Screen Creatively

Most of today's editing programs include green screen options!

So instead of just standing in front of a plain background, have some fun, and put yourself INSIDE your story. Some ideas you can use are making yourself appear on a cellphone screen during a technology story, or pop up on a billboard during a traffic story.

3. Create an Object Transition

Content creators use this technique constantly, and it can work just as well in TV News!

Hold a coffee mug, court document, microphone, or any other relevant object. After delivering your line, push the object toward the camera lens to create a natural transition into your next shot. 😉

4. Duplicate Yourself

Using editing programs like as Adobe Premiere and Edius, you can place multiple versions of yourself in the same frame. This can create a fun visual effect, but use it sparingly! Like many editing techniques, overusing this technique can easily become distracting for viewers.

5. Throw Something to Yourself

Working on a sports story? Throw a football off camera while delivering your script, then cut to another shot of yourself catching it before finishing your standup.

It’s a simple trick that creates fantastic visual energy!

6. Use Cutaway Shots

Your standup doesn’t have to be filmed in one continuous shot.

For example, if you’re reporting on a new driving law, you can start your video off with you opening a car door. Then, you can cut to a close-up of the door closing, then finish your standup from inside the passenger seat!

7. Mix Wide and Close-Up Shots

Film your standup twice!

Capture one wide shot and one close-up, then combine them in editing. Even adding just a simple change in framing can make your standup feel more dynamic.

8. Use a Whiteboard

Need to explain numbers or statistics?

Grab a whiteboard! Whether you’re showing vote totals, crime trends, weather data, or simple math, visual aids can really make complex information easier for viewers to understand.

9. Try the Walk-and-Talk

The walk-and-talk will ALWAYS be one of the simplest, yet most effective, standups known in our industry. Walking through your location will allow viewers to experience the environment, while keeping your standup visually interesting.

10. Move the Camera

Instead of leaving the camera locked on a tripod for your entire standup, try starting with your script with the camera stationary. Then, as you continue speaking, pick up the camera and naturally turn it toward whatever you’re discussing.

This technique creates movement, and helps connect viewers directly to the story.

Final Thoughts

A creative standup should NEVER distract from your overall story. In fact, it should strengthen your storytelling, by giving viewers a more engaging way to receive the infomation you're sharing.

Whether you’re a journalism student, MMJ, reporter, or seasoned news anchor, experimenting with different standup techniques can make your stories more memorable, and help you stand out!