"""Generic output formatting. Formatter objects transform an abstract flow of formatting events into specific output events on writer objects. Formatters manage several stack structures to allow various properties of a writer object to be changed and restored; writers need not be able to handle relative changes nor any sort of ``change back'' operation. Specific writer properties which may be controlled via formatter objects are horizontal alignment, font, and left margin indentations. A mechanism is provided which supports providing arbitrary, non-exclusive style settings to a writer as well. Additional interfaces facilitate formatting events which are not reversible, such as paragraph separation. Writer objects encapsulate device interfaces. Abstract devices, such as file formats, are supported as well as physical devices. The provided implementations all work with abstract devices. The interface makes available mechanisms for setting the properties which formatter objects manage and inserting data into the output. """ import sys import warnings warnings.warn('the formatter module is deprecated', DeprecationWarning, stacklevel=2) AS_IS = None class NullFormatter: """A formatter which does nothing. If the writer parameter is omitted, a NullWriter instance is created. No methods of the writer are called by NullFormatter instances. Implementations should inherit from this class if implementing a writer interface but don't need to inherit any implementation. """ def __init__(self, writer=None): if writer is None: writer = NullWriter() self.writer = writer def end_paragraph(self, blankline): pass def add_line_break(self): pass def add_hor_rule(self, *args, **kw): pass def add_label_data(self, format, counter, blankline=None): pass def add_flowing_data(self, data): pass def add_literal_data(self, data): pass def flush_softspace(self): pass def push_alignment(self, align): pass def pop_alignment(self): pass def push_font(self, x): pass def pop_font(self): pass def push_margin(self, margin): pass def pop_margin(self): pass def set_spacing(self, spacing): pass def push_style(self, *styles): pass def pop_style(self, n=1): pass def assert_line_data(self, flag=1): pass class AbstractFormatter: """The standard formatter. This implementation has demonstrated wide applicability to many writers, and may be used directly in most circumstances. It has been used to implement a full-featured World Wide Web browser. """ # Space handling policy: blank spaces at the boundary between elements # are handled by the outermost context. "Literal" data is not checked # to determine context, so spaces in literal data are handled directly # in all circumstances. def __init__(self, writer): self.writer = writer # Output device self.align = None # Current alignment self.align_stack = [] # Alignment stack self.font_stack = [] # Font state self.margin_stack = [] # Margin state self.spacing = None # Vertical spacing state self.style_stack = [] # Other state, e.g. color self.nospace = 1 # Should leading space be suppressed self.softspace = 0 # Should a space be inserted self.para_end = 1 # Just ended a paragraph self.parskip = 0 # Skipped space between paragraphs? self.hard_break = 1 # Have a hard break self.have_label = 0 def end_paragraph(self, blankline): if not self.hard_break: self.writer.send_line_break() self.have_label = 0 if self.parskip < blankline and not self.have_label: self.writer.send_paragraph(blankline - self.parskip) self.parskip = blankline self.have_label = 0 self.hard_break = self.nospace = self.para_end = 1 self.softspace = 0 def add_line_break(self): if not (self.hard_break or self.para_end): self.writer.send_line_break() self.have_label = self.parskip = 0 self.hard_break = self.nospace = 1 self.softspace = 0 def add_hor_rule(self, *args, **kw): if not self.hard_break: self.writer.send_line_break() self.writer.send_hor_rule(*args, **kw) self.hard_break = self.nospace = 1 self.have_label = self.para_end = self.softspace = self.parskip = 0 def add_label_data(self, format, counter, blankline = None): if self.have_label or not self.hard_break: self.writer.send_line_break() if not self.para_end: self.writer.send_paragraph((blankline and 1) or 0) if isinstance(format, str): self.writer.send_label_data(self.format_counter(format, counter)) else: self.writer.send_label_data(format) self.nospace = self.have_label = self.hard_break = self.para_end = 1 self.softspace = self.parskip = 0 def format_counter(self, format, counter): label = '' for c in format: if c == '1': label = label + ('%d' % counter) elif c in 'aA': if counter > 0: label = label + self.format_letter(c, counter) elif c in 'iI': if counter > 0: label = label + self.format_roman(c, counter) else: label = label + c return label def format_letter(self, case, counter): label = '' while counter > 0: counter, x = divmod(counter-1, 26) # This makes a strong assumption that lowercase letters # and uppercase letters form two contiguous blocks, with # letters in order! s = chr(ord(case) + x) label = s + label return label def format_roman(self, case, counter): ones = ['i', 'x', 'c', 'm'] fives = ['v', 'l', 'd'] label, index = '', 0 # This will die of IndexError when counter is too big while counter > 0: counter, x = divmod(counter, 10) if x == 9: label = ones[index] + ones[index+1] + label elif x == 4: label = ones[index] + fives[index] + label else: if x >= 5: s = fives[index] x = x-5 else: s = '' s = s + ones[index]*x label = s + label index = index + 1 if case == 'I': return label.upper() return label def add_flowing_data(self, data): if not data: return prespace = data[:1].isspace() postspace = data[-1:].isspace() data = " ".join(data.split()) if self.nospace and not data: return elif prespace or self.softspace: if not data: if not self.nospace: self.softspace = 1 self.parskip = 0 return if not self.nospace: data = ' ' + data self.hard_break = self.nospace = self.para_end = \ self.parskip = self.have_label = 0 self.softspace = postspace self.writer.send_flowing_data(data) def add_literal_data(self, data): if not data: return if self.softspace: self.writer.send_flowing_data(" ") self.hard_break = data[-1:] == '\n' self.nospace = self.para_end = self.softspace = \ self.parskip = self.have_label = 0 self.writer.send_literal_data(data) def flush_softspace(self): if self.softspace: self.hard_break = self.para_end = self.parskip = \ self.have_label = self.softspace = 0 self.nospace = 1 self.writer.send_flowing_data(' ') def push_alignment(self, align): if align and align != self.align: self.writer.new_alignment(align) self.align = align self.align_stack.append(align) else: self.align_stack.append(self.align) def pop_alignment(self): if self.align_stack: del self.align_stack[-1] if self.align_stack: self.align = align = self.align_stack[-1] self.writer.new_alignment(align) else: self.align = None self.writer.new_alignment(None) def push_font(self, font): size, i, b, tt = font if self.softspace: self.hard_break = self.para_end = self.softspace = 0 self.nospace = 1 self.writer.send_flowing_data(' ') if self.font_stack: csize, ci, cb, ctt = self.font_stack[-1] if size is AS_IS: size = csize if i is AS_IS: i = ci if b is AS_IS: b = cb if tt is AS_IS: tt = ctt font = (size, i, b, tt) self.font_stack.append(font) self.writer.new_font(font) def pop_font(self): if self.font_stack: del self.font_stack[-1] if self.font_stack: font = self.font_stack[-1] else: font = None self.writer.new_font(font) def push_margin(self, margin): self.margin_stack.append(margin) fstack = [m for m in self.margin_stack if m] if not margin and fstack: margin = fstack[-1] self.writer.new_margin(margin, len(fstack)) def pop_margin(self): if self.margin_stack: del self.margin_stack[-1] fstack = [m for m in self.margin_stack if m] if fstack: margin = fstack[-1] else: margin = None self.writer.new_margin(margin, len(fstack)) def set_spacing(self, spacing): self.spacing = spacing self.writer.new_spacing(spacing) def push_style(self, *styles): if self.softspace: self.hard_break = self.para_end = self.softspace = 0 self.nospace = 1 self.writer.send_flowing_data(' ') for style in styles: self.style_stack.append(style) self.writer.new_styles(tuple(self.style_stack)) def pop_style(self, n=1): del self.style_stack[-n:] self.writer.new_styles(tuple(self.style_stack)) def assert_line_data(self, flag=1): self.nospace = self.hard_break = not flag self.para_end = self.parskip = self.have_label = 0 class NullWriter: """Minimal writer interface to use in testing & inheritance. A writer which only provides the interface definition; no actions are taken on any methods. This should be the base class for all writers which do not need to inherit any implementation methods. """ def __init__(self): pass def flush(self): pass def new_alignment(self, align): pass def new_font(self, font): pass def new_margin(self, margin, level): pass def new_spacing(self, spacing): pass def new_styles(self, styles): pass def send_paragraph(self, blankline): pass def send_line_break(self): pass def send_hor_rule(self, *args, **kw): pass def send_label_data(self, data): pass def send_flowing_data(self, data): pass def send_literal_data(self, data): pass class AbstractWriter(NullWriter): """A writer which can be used in debugging formatters, but not much else. Each method simply announces itself by printing its name and arguments on standard output. """ def new_alignment(self, align): print("new_alignment(%r)" % (align,)) def new_font(self, font): print("new_font(%r)" % (font,)) def new_margin(self, margin, level): print("new_margin(%r, %d)" % (margin, level)) def new_spacing(self, spacing): print("new_spacing(%r)" % (spacing,)) def new_styles(self, styles): print("new_styles(%r)" % (styles,)) def send_paragraph(self, blankline): print("send_paragraph(%r)" % (blankline,)) def send_line_break(self): print("send_line_break()") def send_hor_rule(self, *args, **kw): print("send_hor_rule()") def send_label_data(self, data): print("send_label_data(%r)" % (data,)) def send_flowing_data(self, data): print("send_flowing_data(%r)" % (data,)) def send_literal_data(self, data): print("send_literal_data(%r)" % (data,)) class DumbWriter(NullWriter): """Simple writer class which writes output on the file object passed in as the file parameter or, if file is omitted, on standard output. The output is simply word-wrapped to the number of columns specified by the maxcol parameter. This class is suitable for reflowing a sequence of paragraphs. """ def __init__(self, file=None, maxcol=72): self.file = file or sys.stdout self.maxcol = maxcol NullWriter.__init__(self) self.reset() def reset(self): self.col = 0 self.atbreak = 0 def send_paragraph(self, blankline): self.file.write('\n'*blankline) self.col = 0 self.atbreak = 0 def send_line_break(self): self.file.write('\n') self.col = 0 self.atbreak = 0 def send_hor_rule(self, *args, **kw): self.file.write('\n') self.file.write('-'*self.maxcol) self.file.write('\n') self.col = 0 self.atbreak = 0 def send_literal_data(self, data): self.file.write(data) i = data.rfind('\n') if i >= 0: self.col = 0 data = data[i+1:] data = data.expandtabs() self.col = self.col + len(data) self.atbreak = 0 def send_flowing_data(self, data): if not data: return atbreak = self.atbreak or data[0].isspace() col = self.col maxcol = self.maxcol write = self.file.write for word in data.split(): if atbreak: if col + len(word) >= maxcol: write('\n') col = 0 else: write(' ') col = col + 1 write(word) col = col + len(word) atbreak = 1 self.col = col self.atbreak = data[-1].isspace() def test(file = None): w = DumbWriter() f = AbstractFormatter(w) if file is not None: fp = open(file) elif sys.argv[1:]: fp = open(sys.argv[1]) else: fp = sys.stdin try: for line in fp: if line == '\n': f.end_paragraph(1) else: f.add_flowing_data(line) finally: if fp is not sys.stdin: fp.close() f.end_paragraph(0) if __name__ == '__main__': test()

RE-INVENTING THE TELEVISION NEWS BUSINESS*

A revolution in video storytelling

Creating entirely new & cost-effective production methods

From the world leaders in video production training and the creators of Character Driven Storytelling™

*and every other business that uses video

WHAT WE DO

Over the past 35 years, we have designed, built or restructured some of the most powerful news and journalism companies in the world.

We replace the traditional TV news ‘crew’ with one highly trained journalist, working alone with nothing but an iPhone.

No more TV news ‘crews’, no editors and no field producers.

This is television news done the way newspaper journalism is done – one reporter with their electronic pad and pencil.

In doing this, we can cut the cost of production by as much as 75% while increasing ratings and audience engagement.

In the place of conventional TV news ‘packages’ – ie, reporter stand up, interview, b-roll, man on the street, we marry great journalism with Netflix and Hollywood storytelling.

It’s a combination that works.

We have taken most of our clients to #1 in their respective markets.

And it’s not just for news. Any company, any profit, any NGO and anyone else who is online needs to tell their story in compelling yet cost-effective video. We can teach you to do that. Either in person or virtually.

EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE CAN TEACH YOUR STAFF TO PRODUCE

ITAY HOD

Itay Hod, MMJ with KPIX/CBS in San Francisco, took the 5-Day Intensive Video Storytelling Bootcamp in 2018.

Because he works alone, with only an iPhone, he was able to embed himself with a homeless family.

Here’s the story he produced in a one-day turn.

KIET DO

Kiet Do, an MMJ with KPIX/CBS in San Francisco, took the 5-Day Intensive Video Storytelling Bootcamp in 2021.

Here is a story he produced, all on his own, with only an iPhone and in a one-day turn.

TAYLOR SCHAUB

Taylor Schaub, an MMJ with Spectrum News 1 in LA, took the 5-Day Intensive Video Storytelling Bootcamp in 2023.

Here is a story he turned in only one day, using only an iPhone. It was the first video story he ever did and it was nominated for an Emmy.

THE BOOTCAMP

How do we convert stations and whole networks to working in this way?

Since 1988, we have run intensive 5-Day Video Storytelling Bootcamps

We have done these all over the world.

These are hands-on bootcamps, and participants learn an entirely new way of creating TV news stories.

-We shoot at a 3:1 ratio or lower, so turnaround times are fast.

-We go directly from camera to timelilne and edit – no written scripts. We work in the medium of pictures and sound.

-We are entirely character-driven.

-We are driven by pictures and real events.

-We are focused almost entirely on ’the viewer experience’.

Since 1988, more than 70,000 journalists around the world have taken our bootcamps, either in person on virtualy.

Case Studies

CBS News

We have started to work with CBS News, bringing our ideas of character-driven storytelling to one of the most successful and biggest networks in the United States. Since beginning to work with them ratings have climbed and more importantly, audience engagement is through the ceiling.

Learn More

New York Times Television

We started New York Times Television in 1990 and it was the first paper to be brought into the world of TV. It quickly became one of the most successful non-fiction production companies in the United States. The series and documentaries we produced won many awards including multiple Emmys.

Learn More

The BBC

We have been working with the BBC since the year 2000 helping to convert their national news network to our visual storytelling technique. Most recently we have trained teams from their sports, documentaries, and comedy divisions to make character-driven stories using only smartphones.

Learn More

Spectrum News

For the past five years we have worked with Spectrum News to introduce and train their journalists on visual, character driven storytelling using smartphones helping to create a different kind of local news for their network of 24-Hour News Stations across the United States.

Learn More

The United Nations

In 2006, we were approached by the United Nations. Rather than rely on news outlets, it would be much easier to train the field operatives to produce their own stories. We spent two years working with the UN, training more than 100 of their staff in bootcamps in Geneva and Nairobi.

Learn More

The Newark Star-Ledger

We trained 50 print reporters at the paper to shoot and tell their own stories, in conjunction with their print work. We built a TV newsroom in their existing print newsroom – you could not ask for a better set and they began to live stream their stories in conjunction with their print work.

Learn More

Mcgraw Hill

We spent two years with McGraw Hill, training more than 150 of their staffers, making them completely video literate. McGraw/Hill media properties we transit included Business Week, Aviation Week, (what was the name of the architecture magazine), and JD Power and Associates.

Learn More

Voice of America

In 1990, we were approached by The Voice of America, the official broadcasting agency for the United States Government. When we met with VOA, they were only a short wave radio broadcaster, but working with them, we took them into television, launching VOA-TV.

Learn More

Oyster Yachts

British based Oyster Yachts makes some of the finest yachts in the world. Like every other company, they had to find a way to feed the never-ending video demands of social media – sites like Instagram and TikTok. We trained the Oyster staff to tell their own stories, using only iPhones.

Learn More

Scottish Environmental Protection Agency

We were approached by SEPA, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency because they had to continually find a way to ‘feed the media beast’. The result was that SEPA was able to tell their own stories, whenever they wanted, and at almost no additional cost.

Learn More

Michael on Media

Michael Rosenblum has been writing about the media since 1988. His work and ideas have appeared in The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Ilkeston Life and many other publications.

He has been blogging regularly for the past 35 years on this subject. Having taught media studies at Columbia University, NYU and now the University of Oxford, he is considered an expert on this subject.

Continue reading this post or look back at previous posts.

Do You Have Questions About Learning Video Skills?

If you would like to know more about our courses contact us and one of our training advisors will be happy to call you.

Your IP : 216.73.216.103

RE-INVENTING THE TELEVISION NEWS BUSINESS*

A revolution in video storytelling

Creating entirely new & cost-effective production methods

From the world leaders in video production training and the creators of Character Driven Storytelling™

*and every other business that uses video

WHAT WE DO

Over the past 35 years, we have designed, built or restructured some of the most powerful news and journalism companies in the world.

We replace the traditional TV news ‘crew’ with one highly trained journalist, working alone with nothing but an iPhone.

No more TV news ‘crews’, no editors and no field producers.

This is television news done the way newspaper journalism is done – one reporter with their electronic pad and pencil.

In doing this, we can cut the cost of production by as much as 75% while increasing ratings and audience engagement.

In the place of conventional TV news ‘packages’ – ie, reporter stand up, interview, b-roll, man on the street, we marry great journalism with Netflix and Hollywood storytelling.

It’s a combination that works.

We have taken most of our clients to #1 in their respective markets.

And it’s not just for news. Any company, any profit, any NGO and anyone else who is online needs to tell their story in compelling yet cost-effective video. We can teach you to do that. Either in person or virtually.

EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE CAN TEACH YOUR STAFF TO PRODUCE

ITAY HOD

Itay Hod, MMJ with KPIX/CBS in San Francisco, took the 5-Day Intensive Video Storytelling Bootcamp in 2018.

Because he works alone, with only an iPhone, he was able to embed himself with a homeless family.

Here’s the story he produced in a one-day turn.

KIET DO

Kiet Do, an MMJ with KPIX/CBS in San Francisco, took the 5-Day Intensive Video Storytelling Bootcamp in 2021.

Here is a story he produced, all on his own, with only an iPhone and in a one-day turn.

TAYLOR SCHAUB

Taylor Schaub, an MMJ with Spectrum News 1 in LA, took the 5-Day Intensive Video Storytelling Bootcamp in 2023.

Here is a story he turned in only one day, using only an iPhone. It was the first video story he ever did and it was nominated for an Emmy.

THE BOOTCAMP

How do we convert stations and whole networks to working in this way?

Since 1988, we have run intensive 5-Day Video Storytelling Bootcamps

We have done these all over the world.

These are hands-on bootcamps, and participants learn an entirely new way of creating TV news stories.

-We shoot at a 3:1 ratio or lower, so turnaround times are fast.

-We go directly from camera to timelilne and edit – no written scripts. We work in the medium of pictures and sound.

-We are entirely character-driven.

-We are driven by pictures and real events.

-We are focused almost entirely on ’the viewer experience’.

Since 1988, more than 70,000 journalists around the world have taken our bootcamps, either in person on virtualy.

Case Studies

CBS News

New York Times Television

The BBC

Spectrum News

The United Nations

The Newark Star-Ledger

Mcgraw Hill

Voice of America

Oyster Yachts

Scottish Environmental Protection Agency

Michael on Media