1.
GV EXTERIOR..Villa where peace talks are held
0.05

2.
SV Scaffolding
0.08

3.
MV Photographer unloads ladder from car
0.16

4.
MV Pressmen preparing cameras, PAN TO floodlight
0.22

5.
MV Cameramen waiting
0.29

6.
MV Cameraman reading book
0.30

7.
CU Reporter
0.34

8.
CU Soundmen
0.35

9.
MV Newsman with walkie-talkie watches envoy arrive
0.43

10.
LOW ANGLE SHOT..cameramen filming
0.46

11.
SV REAR V..Flock of motorcycles with newsmen on pillion
0.50

12.
LV Cameramen
0.53

13.
GV Car enters villa grounds
1.00

14.
CU Stills cameramen with long lenses, PAN to envoy arriving
1.10

15.
SV Envoy leaves car in villa grounds
1.15



Initials ES. 1430 ES. 1455



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Newsmen covering the secret talks in France aimed at ending the vietnam conflict have had to develop their own specialist tactics to get the stories.

Every time a diplomat leaves his Paris headquarters, his car is followed by a flock of newsmen. The newsmen weave through traffic perched precariously on nimble motor scooters or clinging on the pillions of powerful motorcycles.

Once a venue for the talks becomes known to the press, it is besieged by reporters and cameraman -- and that is where ingenuity really comes in. In the primitive days of the first talks, photographers were often seen dangling like giant bats from trees, or clambering over rooftops to try to catch a glimpse of the conferring diplomats through their powerful lenses. Now the situation is far more sophisticated. The best scaffolders in Paris have been employed to build towers overlooking conference villas, from which cameramen can survey the scene with all facilities of colleagues covering a major sporting event. Some newspapers have issued reporters with "walkie-talkie" radios to provide instant progress reports on the diplomats' daily activities.

SYNOPSIS: A picturesque villa in the French countryside suddenly became the centre of frenzied activity this week. The world's press had arrived to cover another round of Vietnam peace talks. The newsmen covering the talks have developed new techniques.

Gone are the clumsy methods of the first talks, such as clinging from branches to snatch telephoto shots. The experienced conference-watchers have now equipped themselves with facilities equal to those of colleagues covering major sporting events.

Some news teams even have their own radio links. They use them to give their offices instant progress reports on the diplomats' daily comings and goings. Every move is recorded by a battery of cameras. And every official car has its attendant flock of scooters and motor-cycles, each carrying a newsman determined not to let the delegates escape out of camera range.

Devices which would do credit to an espionage organisation have been used by newsmen eager to catch every frown and smile, any subtle gesture that will indicate whether peace is any nearer.