VISUAL REPORT: CHARACTERISTICS AND EXAMPLES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The visual report is one of the variants of the report as a journalistic genre that refers to the audiovisual media (television and photography, mainly). One of the characteristic features of a report is that it deals with a current issue.

Its main objective is to inform about a specific event of social importance. It shows a present fact and delves into contextual aspects. In a visual report, the structure of the narrative includes interviews and context images that serve to contrast the points of view that are raised during the report.

Likewise, it uses images that allow the dynamization of the content that is shown. In the case of the photographic report, the images serve as testimony to show the events in a certain place, during a specific period.

Definition and origins

The report takes into account a main fact of current and social interest, and its development is carried out in a systematic and planned manner. The visual report uses audiovisual language, whose basic elements are words, music, noise and images.

Some experts indicate that the beginnings of audiovisual reporting began with two fundamental events:

-During the Crimean War, in the middle of the s. XIX. After the popularization of photography, it became possible to document events faithfully.

-During World War II, the radio became the first channel for the transmission of information regarding the different events that took place in the war. From there there was a combination of the informational element and the explanation of the facts through opinions and / or interviews.

Currently, visual reports are also being extended to other broadcast platforms (such as the Internet) that allow the expansion of knowledge and varieties of this genre.

Implementation structure

For the elaboration of a visual -and audiovisual- report it is necessary to take into account the following:

Preproduction

For photography as well as for radio and television, pre-production is a process that allows to establish the type of subject to be discussed and the guidelines that will be taken to work during the report.

It corresponds to the research process and the budget evaluation. It can even be supported by the storyboard, a resource that allows the visualization of events and the monitoring of the story.

In the media such as radio and television, this stage requires the development of a script, in addition to studying the plans and locations for the recording.

Production

It refers to the execution of the report. In the case of the photographic type, this contemplates the taking of images. As for radio and television, it is the recording.

The staging will depend on the placement of lighting, sound and the position of the cameras. In both cases, at the end of the process the material is collected for the next phase: post-production.

Post production

It corresponds to the editing of the images. According to various authors, post-production will depend on whether the two previous processes are executed correctly, since it is desired to maintain the highest possible amount of fidelity to respect the informational component.

As for the narrative, in general terms the guidelines of a traditional report will be followed.

characteristics

-It is considered a variety of the report; therefore, it is journalistic in nature.

-The objective is to try to show a current event of social interest.

-The facts are shown in a dynamic way.

-They combine informational and entertainment components.

-The research and preparation process is present.

-It focuses on a specific point of a certain event.

-In the case of audiovisual reports, it relies on interviews as a contrast component between different opinions about the subject.

-Although it has certain characteristics with the documentary, in the end they are two different materials.

Types

Essentially, you can find two types of visual reports:

Audiovisual

Report whose expression platforms are radio, television and even the Internet. It uses images in sequences, photos, interviews and statistics, among other resources.

In this type of report there is a process of pre-production, recording and editing, which include the use of resources of the audiovisual language.

Photographic report or photo report

The main basis of this is in the taking of images that show the reality of a certain event. To obtain images, he uses techniques and concepts from this branch, such as planes, angles, lighting and framing, among other concepts.

The idea is to prevent the subjects from posing and thus preserve the spontaneity of the moment. As in the previous format, you must create a story that has a beginning, a middle, and a close. The main resource for the realization of this report is the camera.

Magnum Agency

In the case of the photo report, it is worth mentioning the role of the Magnum agency, an organization that brings together the work of photographers, as well as the materials made in different historical periods.

Founded in 1947 by Robert Capa and Henti Cartier-Bresson, Magnum emerged as an institution that encourages the cooperation of workers in this branch, in order to give them freedom in terms of performance and subjects to portray.

Even on the organization's website it is possible to find a series of reports made throughout the world.

Difference between visual and documentary report

In general, the documentary format tends to be confused with the visual report. However, and despite the fact that they share several elements (from the narrative to the preparation of the information), the difference is in how the subject is approached.

Regardless of the format, the report has a current feature, since it deals with a topic at a certain point in the story.

Instead, the documentary is a cinematographic subgenre that is timeless in nature, since it considers more global aspects of the subject matter. It is intended for educational purposes and its narrative includes both artistic and informational elements.

Examples

Trialogue

Material made by Gonzalo Orquín, who photographed a series of couples located in various alters of Catholic churches in Rome.

Genesis

The photographer Sebastiao Salgado captured different scenes still virgin or with little influence of civilization.

Slaves of Daesh

It deals with the influence of this organization and its actions on the Middle East. It was awarded the Best Documentary at the Hamburg Festival.

References

1. Magnum Agency. (sf). On Wikipedia. Retrieved: March 29, 2018. In Wikipedia at es.wikipedia.org.
2. Definition of report. (sf). In Deficion.de. Retrieved: March 29, 2018. In Definition.de of definition.de.
3. The photographic report. (sf). In CCM. Retrieved: March 29, 2018. In CCM of es.cc.net.
4. Slaves of Daesh. (sf). In RTVE. Retrieved: March 29, 2018. In RTVE of rtve.es.
5. Espinosa Moreno, Pastora. The television report and its interpretations of reality. (2011). In UCM Magazines. Retrieved: March 29, 2018. In UCM Magazines of magazines.ucm.es
6. Reportage. (sf). On Wikipedia. Retrieved: March 29, 2018. In Wikipedia from blogs.upn.edu.pe.
7. Salguero, Cindy. Audiovisual report: Landivarian clubs and their contribution to the integral development of the student. (2013). In the Rafael Landívar University Library. Retrieved: March 29, 2018. In the Rafael Landívar University Library at biblio3.url.edu.gt.
8. Zaiter, Massy. 12 photos of reports to learn from. (2017). In Photographic Culture. Retrieved: March 29, 2018. In Photographic Culture of culturafotográfica.es.