CME Masterclass

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Group 1: 12th - 13th May. Group 2: 14th - 15th May.

Led by Thomson Foundation for CME

About

Learning Outcomes

Schedule

Experts

Location

AM: (This session will include a quick quiz on what is produced on a smartphone compared to traditional broadcast camera)

Why mobile - strengths and weaknesses of shooting on smartphones – what works, in which situation and what doesn’t.

This session looks at how broadcasters include smartphone filming and audio as part of their workflow and how they can be combined with or replace the traditional TV technology – This will be expanded in more detail on Day 2.

Different types of video content produced on smartphones with examples. The visuals - all about composition. Q and A.

AM: The basics of shooting video on smartphones - shooting movement and filming good sequences.

Horizontal vs vertical – when does it make sense to go vertical and for what purpose?

How the combination of smartphone filming and traditional broadcast camera work operates in the field for producing content for multi platforms.
Quality control – image/audio/text -Policy/guidelines.

Access to platforms.

To include short exercises

Short break.

AM: Practical sessions.

AM: Shooting for sequences that edit easily

Short exercise and review.

AM: Short introduction to editing.

Short exercise and review.

Lunch Break.

PM: All about Audio - getting quality audio is crucial especially as it is increasingly used for different formats. Session includes how the get the best quality audio from interviewees, audio apps, mics, accessories, tips on how to deal with background noise and the role audio plays in storytelling.

PM: Interviews - shooting professional-looking interviews. Here we combine the skills of shooting video with producing correct audio levels and the social skills of managing interviewees and asking the questions – all tasks for a lone mobile journalist. There will be an interview exercise and Q and A.

Short break.
PM: AI
Where AI can fit in your workflow.

PM: Multi media storytelling.

Storytelling – considering the visuals need to tell a story. Writing for video. Here we look at the language used for speech, how it differs from text and the how it complements the vision. Social media storytelling.

Case studies include the benefits of using smartphones to shoot high-quality human-interest films around licensed sports events where usage of licensed content is limited.

Short exercise. Creating a social media video at speed.

At the end of the day journalists will be allocated into teams to prepare for the final shooting exercise on Day Two

Day Two concentrates on the integration and deployment of journalists to produce multimedia content for multiple platforms and achieve economies of scale.

AM: Shoot a short story – Working in teams to plan and produce a story on a smartphone and receive guidance and feedback. Journalists will prepare and shoot a short story on their smartphones for broadcast and social media and edit with the help of trainers. It will involve filming, short interviews and in the edit adding text and other relevant content.

AM: The edit: The ability to edit, reformat content for different platforms and then publish makes the smartphone an essential tool for journalists. This session considers editing a story to suit a specific platform, looks at the best editing apps for smartphones and techniques for compiling a story. It introduces the use of text as an additional storytelling technique.

Short break

AM: The smartphone and your workflow.
This session considers how the smartphone as a tool is incorporated into your planning, coverage and final production. Drawing previous sessions outlining the potential of capturing content – audio and visual and its use for live coverage. The session draws on case studies and considers how it can be combined with material captured with the traditional broadcast cameras and recording equipment.

INCLUDES: Livestreaming.
Many news organisations increasingly rely on smartphones for quality live streaming. This includes: to deliver short live two ways on breaking news event, when a smartphone is the only available option or multi feeds during a live event. Here we consider the protocol and opportunities for live streaming on smartphones and look at the Apps available.

AM: Expectations and Deployment

Scenarios the best use of smartphones in planning and deployment
This session will continue to build newsroom leaders understanding of the potential when deploying staff of how the smartphone can be used in the field.
Safety issues.

Lunch break

PM: Movement story boarding and creative filming
In this session journalists take a more active role in visual storytelling to engage audiences, save time and edit efficiently
Journey exercise

PM: FINAL SESSION Next Steps
Implementation. How the smartphone system will be introduced into the newsroom and sport newsrooms workflows

Creating an action plan for the next stages.
Q and A and final feedback.

NOTE: Day two This will be a full afternoon session so all journalists should be prepared to remain until the 5.30PM departure.

Mark is an experienced mobile-video consultant, journalist and trainer.  

He was one of the first self-shooting video journalists at the BBC where he worked for a number of years earning a BAFTA nomination for his documentary work. Mark has helped pioneer mobile journalism around the world and for a time was the BBC’s lead video journalism trainer.  He has trained thousands of people to shoot professional videos with smartphones and worked with the European Broadcasting Union, SKY, SVT Sweden, NOS Dutch Broadcasting among others.  Mark is regularly invited to speak at international conferences.

Deborah is Director of Training and Communications at Thomson Foundation. A former senior journalist and newsroom executive, she has worked for leading international news organisations including the BBC, Thomson Reuters, Al Jazeera and the UK’s ITV News.   Deborah is Thomson’s in-house trainer, leading trainer of trainer courses and has worked in many countries training journalists, communications teams and civil society organisations in skills including mobile journalism, disinformation and communications messaging.  For media training workshops she draws on her experience as an executive producer for national and international television news channels. She is a member of the UK Higher Education Institute.

The smartphone has become an essential, multi‑purpose production tool for today’s television landscape—functioning simultaneously as a camera, editing suite, and publishing platform in a single, highly portable device. This practical two‑day masterclass is designed to build confidence in the technology and know when and how to deploy journalists and crew to produce multimedia content combining traditional broadcast equipment with smartphones and when mobile phones can replace Legacy TV technology completely. Through a mix of training, case studies, and hands‑on exercises—covering everything from vertical‑video filming to fast‑turnaround storytelling—participants will learn how smartphones can deliver authentic, cost‑effective, and agile production solutions ideal for modern broadcast environments. The programme also introduces the use of AI tools to streamline content preparation, helping teams work even more efficiently.

Evaluate when and how smartphones can be effectively integrated into newsroom workflows—including understanding their strengths and limitations compared to traditional broadcast equipment.
Demonstrate core mobile journalism production techniques, such as composition, shooting sequences, vertical vs. horizontal filming, capturing movement, and conducting professional interviews using a smartphone.
Capture and manage high‑quality audio for different journalistic formats, applying best practices for microphones, apps, background noise reduction, and audio-driven storytelling.
Produce platform‑specific multimedia stories, including shooting, editing, adding text, and reformatting content for TV, social media, live streams, and other digital platforms.
Apply principles of mobile-first storytelling, including storyboarding, writing for video, using visuals to drive narrative, and incorporating AI tools for planning, scripting, and repurposing content.
Plan and deploy journalists and multimedia crews effectively, making informed decisions about equipment, safety, cost, and workflow integration for major events or field assignments that combine smartphone and traditional broadcast tools

Masterclass

Who we are

Thomson Foundation

6 Greenland Place

London

thomsonfoundation@journalismnow.org

Masterclass C: Mojo

Welcome to the CME News Masterclasses

Day 1: 08:30 – 17:30

Day 2: 08:30 – 17:30

Mark Egan - Mobile Storytelling/Artificial Intelligence

Deborah Kelly - Mobile Storytelling

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