What is PTC

The Piece to Camera, also known as PTC, is any part of a news report, whether packaged or live, in which the reporter speaks directly to the camera while on the location of the story. It is most common when a news or television show presenter is reporting or explaining items to the viewing audience. Indeed, news programs usually take the form of a combination of both interviews and pieces to camera. The following points need to be kept in mind for conveying an effective PTC.

BASIC PRINCIPLES DESIGNE FOR DELIVERING AN EFFECTIVE PTC

1. When a news story starts with a PTC, it is called an Opening PTC. An opening PTC must introduce the story efficiently. It is used most often when the reporter is there at a place where the interior shots of the location are not readily available, and the reporter has to fall back upon the option of using a PTC. In such events, the outdoor aspect of a location may be used as the backdrop for the PTC to showcase exact environment.
2. When a PTC occurs in the middle of a packaged news story, then it is called a Bridge PTC. This is to be used when the reporter is explaining something for which visuals are not available.
3. When a news report ends with a PTC, it is called the End PTC or Closing PTC. This is meant to be a brief by-line to the story. A by-line is not merely a summary of the story, it is meant to be an opportunity for the reporter to appear on screen with a brief, balanced observation about the story, much in the same way that a print reporter mentions his name at the beginning of a report. This is also the reason why, the last line of a Closing PTC consists of the Sign-off, which consists of the reporter stating his name and the organization he or she works for.
4. Opening PTCs and Bridge PTCs must be used as little as possible. This is because the potential of television is that it can show visual evidence. Only when shots are not available for some reason should Opening and Bridge PTCs be given.
5. A special variety of the PTC is the Walk-Through. This is a PTC in which the reporter does not stand at one place but walks in any one direction, and the camera follows him. This is usually used when interesting elements of the location are so spread out that they cannot be captured in a static shot.
6. To deliver an excellent PTC, a reporter must be presentable. He/she should look good and speak well. One must comb one’s hair properly before delivering a PTC and speak in well-chosen words with good pronunciation. The overall confidence of a reporter is reflected in the PTC he or she delivers. This confidence comes not from swaggering assertion, but from knowing one’s subject matter thoroughly and having a good command over words.

[This article is published by Media Center-IMAC in interest of student awareness and career guidance. Media Center-IMAC specializes in Post-Graduate/Under-Graduate diploma courses in Media Studies and Mass Communication & TV journalism. With practical oriented and industry specific course, Media Center- IMAC is a prominent institution in Delhi.

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