I've had some trouble writing for a visual medium. Like some of the other people who posted, I'm used to writing for print and that's my prefferred medium. The most difficulty I've had with the video news stories is matching visuals to audio. If I have a quote or a fact that I want to include, I have to know this before I start filming in order to create context for it. This is really difficult for me because if there's a fact or something I want to include in a story that I think of after I've finished filming, it's too late to go back and get more footage.
There are some advantages to video-- it can definitely make facts more interesting. In the 60 Minutes clip we watched about pollution, the video kept my attention. If I had just been reading that story, I don't know if I would have been as engaged without the pictures to walk me through the story.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Visual Mediums
I find writing for a visual medium is much easier than print. In print it is so easy to misinterpret words and you can never know what connotations an individual has associated a word you use in your story. With visuals I find there is usually less need for explanation because the person has a better connection and understand when the information is right in front of them. There is still a chance of misinterpretation but the margin is much smaller. A problem specific to visual mediums is the issue of being redundant, stating in your audio or accompanying caption what is already included in a soundbite, shot, etc. While there is pressure in print to make yourself clear, there are more opportunities for you to get it right, while if you miss capturing some information it is less likely that it'll be duplicated and you'll be there to witness it.
Visual Medium
Writing for a visual medium is not so different than the other forms of writing I have dealt with. It resembles reports I have done. You have to make sure and stick to the facts. It also resembles storytelling because you want to use your video writing to tie the entire package together. It is a very important part of the equation to get right. It can sometimes be difficult because you have to work with the video you have. There is nothing you can do to change that because what you see is what you get. This is why I believe broadcast journalism is more credible at times because it would be more difficult to make-up or add something that isn't true. All and all writing for a visual medium just takes practice.
Writing...and the closing shot
Sarah Steffen
Writing for a visual medium is so different. Coming from a newspaper/magazine perspective, writing for TV is really another type of style. Now, with video shooting, I have to force myself not only go get the good quotes and tell my story in a compelling way, but also to care for good audio and video footage. I have to keep in mind that - for writing a good package - all has to go well together.
It's rather trivial that every story has to have a beginning, a middle and an ending - but I thought it was really important to point out that one needs a good closing shot. Of course it's important to have a good start that makes people want to watch the report, but it's equally important to write the story (and bolster it with the right footage) to let the audience know that this is the end of the story. It should give them a feeling of closure. If the report left them wondering what that was about, the writer didn't succeed in his endeavors. Which leaves the beginner with the question: What is a good closing shot? For our first assignment I just tried to get as many different shots as possible to have a variety to pick from during my editing process. I think the more experienced you get, the easier you can determine a good closing shot during your actual video shooting.
Writing for a visual medium is so different. Coming from a newspaper/magazine perspective, writing for TV is really another type of style. Now, with video shooting, I have to force myself not only go get the good quotes and tell my story in a compelling way, but also to care for good audio and video footage. I have to keep in mind that - for writing a good package - all has to go well together.
It's rather trivial that every story has to have a beginning, a middle and an ending - but I thought it was really important to point out that one needs a good closing shot. Of course it's important to have a good start that makes people want to watch the report, but it's equally important to write the story (and bolster it with the right footage) to let the audience know that this is the end of the story. It should give them a feeling of closure. If the report left them wondering what that was about, the writer didn't succeed in his endeavors. Which leaves the beginner with the question: What is a good closing shot? For our first assignment I just tried to get as many different shots as possible to have a variety to pick from during my editing process. I think the more experienced you get, the easier you can determine a good closing shot during your actual video shooting.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Writing for a Visual Medium
As a writer, I'm having a horrible time understanding the order in which you do things while videotaping and writing a television story. You start with the focus of course, then have an outline of the main points. But it's not like writing an article. You only get one shot to film. If it's an event, you better get every shot you need in order to be able to put a story package together, because you just can't drag your camera back to the scene and get everybody in the same clothes again if you forgot something. Whereas with writing, yes it helps to get everything you will need to write the story then and there, but you can always call back or google something if it doesn't make sense. I guess I'm just having troubling seeing how you set up a television story without even having done the reporting at the event. I guess camera people really have to think on their feet and be quick to get everything they could possibly need at the shoot, then go put together a story based on what they got.
My neurotic anxieties out of the way, writing for a visual medium seems to need a couple of things. The most important is to be able to summarize the point of the story in one sentence. People's attention spans are not long. They want to know what they are seeing and why. The second most important thing is to tell a story. Tell them what they are seeing and why it's relevant, but them them get the emotions from the footage themselves.
My neurotic anxieties out of the way, writing for a visual medium seems to need a couple of things. The most important is to be able to summarize the point of the story in one sentence. People's attention spans are not long. They want to know what they are seeing and why. The second most important thing is to tell a story. Tell them what they are seeing and why it's relevant, but them them get the emotions from the footage themselves.
Writing for Visual Medium
Elise Crawley
Going through the articles, I couldn't help thinking that getting video footage seemed like an exhaustive process. Specifically because I cannot imaging getting a shot from so many different perspectives by myself (being inept as I feel with the camera) without having to ask people to redo things constantly. Which then gets into the ethical question of staging things. However in then reading about how to create a package it almost felt like pre-writing was almost like pre-staging, because you decided what you wanted before you absorbed a situation. Granted decisions would be made at a location and it's not really staging, but reading how it is described almost sounds like creating news, though I recognize that it's not...it's more creating how the news (the results of a study, as an example) are portrayed. I liked the idea of editing much more. I feel that I could certainly learn to edit well, but as a videographer, I might always come back with Rambo footage.
And now for something completely different...
Lukas Litzsinger
*ahem* Action!
Not every sentence is created equal. Some visuals are better than others. A sound in the bush is worth two in the studio. If these saying don't sound familiar, it is because I just made them up.
Reporter Voiceover: This...*screenshot* is a blog. It is an online site where people post their thoughts--
Natural Sound: Stop it! Do you know how much work goes into producing a story like this???!
Reporter: ...as the march of technology clicks on, producing wonders not even imagined when the students were born almo--
Natural: Woah! That is a horrible sentence! 'Clicks on'? 'wonders'? What is this, Aladdin? Sentences should be short and to the point when writing for visuals.
Reporter: In addition, a video story needs to have several things to make it a success *clip of a chimpanzee shooting a video* including good audio, concise writing, relevant video and a sense of humor.
Natural: Hey, I didn't say you could use that shot of me! Er, I mean, you should show a clip illustrating each idea, don't just list them and show a marginally relevant video. Also, a story really shouldn't have more than three or four main ideas, you are jumping all over the place!
Reporter: Each story needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. Back to you, Big Bird.
Natural: That's common sense! And what kind of ending is that? You want to keep your best shot for last! That way you not only have an ending point to build toward, but you maximize impact!
*cut*
Natural: Hey!
*ahem* Action!
Not every sentence is created equal. Some visuals are better than others. A sound in the bush is worth two in the studio. If these saying don't sound familiar, it is because I just made them up.
Reporter Voiceover: This...*screenshot* is a blog. It is an online site where people post their thoughts--
Natural Sound: Stop it! Do you know how much work goes into producing a story like this???!
Reporter: ...as the march of technology clicks on, producing wonders not even imagined when the students were born almo--
Natural: Woah! That is a horrible sentence! 'Clicks on'? 'wonders'? What is this, Aladdin? Sentences should be short and to the point when writing for visuals.
Reporter: In addition, a video story needs to have several things to make it a success *clip of a chimpanzee shooting a video* including good audio, concise writing, relevant video and a sense of humor.
Natural: Hey, I didn't say you could use that shot of me! Er, I mean, you should show a clip illustrating each idea, don't just list them and show a marginally relevant video. Also, a story really shouldn't have more than three or four main ideas, you are jumping all over the place!
Reporter: Each story needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. Back to you, Big Bird.
Natural: That's common sense! And what kind of ending is that? You want to keep your best shot for last! That way you not only have an ending point to build toward, but you maximize impact!
*cut*
Natural: Hey!
Writing and Visual Mediums and All That
I can't imagine I will ever be too good at this. Though I'm sure I'll do better on my second time around than I did on my miserable first shoot. I was constantly panning and zooming, mainly because I am jittery and impatient I guess. Or maybe I was subconsciously trying to give my video an XTREME feel. I think that would perhaps been a good avenue to explore in the future, though in the meantime I think the different types of sequences will certainly be useful to keep in mind. There is so much to keep in mind all at once with doing video stories, though, so I'm sure it will take me a long time to actually be able to incorperate different sequences and get interesting shots and make it all cohesive and not shaky and such. I have a hard enough time trying to do a story without all that going on. But I feel like I at least have a grounding in what I should be doing now, to the point that I already think of myself from a week ago as an idiot.
Visual Medium
Anton Berkovich
After reading the article on writing for a visual medium, I realize that I could easily go back and improve on shots I chose to go into my video package and, also, more importantly, how to transition between those shots. Those articles, and last class helped me to realize how important it is to have certain shots following other shots. I enjoyed the Poynter article which mentioned the importance of being able to describe your story in one succinct sentence. Doing so allows you to have more focused and relevant shots in a package with a limited budget on length allowed.
Writing for Visual Medium
After reading, I have come up with a few main points to remember when writing for a visual medium. The news needs to be given a story-like structure. It needs to have a beginning, middle and end with a surprising "gee whiz" moment. I don't think though that every story should be as formulaic as "Writing the Package" makes it out to be, though this structure would be a good guideline.
Brad Fischer
Visual Media and holding the viewer's interest
Wow - after reading these articles I know that practically every shot that was in my flash video was probably wrong for some reason but we all have to start somewhere! Personally, I found Wednesday's lecture to be easier to learn from than the articles, but I do think that they were a great supplement. I feel anxiety about writing packages because I feel that so much information must be compacted into such a short amount of time - I think it must take a lot of practice to know what is best kept in and left out. Because of this, I appreciated the "Blueprint" in the Writing the Package article that was a very basic outline of how a package should go. I have a little more print experience than broadcast so far, so I appreciated the information this article offered.
A couple of summers ago, I job shadowed at a Fox affiliate in Minneapolis and one of the things that was most told to me by reporters was "Be nice to your camera guy!" Which makes much more sense to me now, after learning the difficulty in wading through useless video to get to what you want. If you or your camera person is paying close attention and thinking about each shot, it seems that package editing time can be drastically reduced, which I thought more about after the readings.
I feel that is was a great learning experience to shoot video before going through the information gone over in lecture and in the readings, it makes much more sense and I know that I will retain more of it than I would have had I never used a professional video camera.
A couple of summers ago, I job shadowed at a Fox affiliate in Minneapolis and one of the things that was most told to me by reporters was "Be nice to your camera guy!" Which makes much more sense to me now, after learning the difficulty in wading through useless video to get to what you want. If you or your camera person is paying close attention and thinking about each shot, it seems that package editing time can be drastically reduced, which I thought more about after the readings.
I feel that is was a great learning experience to shoot video before going through the information gone over in lecture and in the readings, it makes much more sense and I know that I will retain more of it than I would have had I never used a professional video camera.
Visual Mediums
After reading this particular article, it all seems like a tough process. After re-reading the article to help solidify the steps in the stages of writing for a package. One point that was made was obvious, but a good reminder was that the team needs to be in complete agreement and on the same page to accomplish their goal. Creating a dull video (duh) is such an easy thing to do. A lot work and thought goes into it. Angles and distances and a series of shots are critical.
It was also interesting how Poynter's article suggested doing a "focusing exercise" before beginning their project.
From a more personal standpoint, I think I can be creative and create a compelling story. Like we talked about it class, it's the technical aspect of it (uploading, editing, etc) that proves to be more difficult. This, I will have to work on.
I'd rather be explained "visual mediums" through a visual medium.
Although literature on “how to write for a visual medium” and “writing the package” nicely spells out how to go about doing our work, they are remedial and, quite frankly, boring. I do appreciate how thorough Shook’s piece is, and the basics of visual journalism he discusses are undeniably important. However, it strikes me as a tad ironic to find myself reading a chapter from a traditional textbook (okay, I guess I did read it in ERes) explaining how to succeed in the newest, most innovative, most interesting form of presenting information. The lesson sticks, but doesn’t resonate as well as it would if I had seen a multimedia presentation of it, such as the .flv file we watched on shot sequences. Similarly, everything I gathered from the article is already what I have seen by watching/reading/engaging in the current news. Just as I believe I learn better from experience, I also believe that I can learn better about visual mediums by watching visual mediums and critically examining what makes great news packages successful.
Writing for a Visual Medium
LYNDEY BROCK
Ok, so I think "writing for the visual medium" is a tough process. When I read Poynter's article, I began to understand all the steps in the process of writing for a package. I agreed with the article where it says that the team needs to do a focusing exercise at the beginning of their project. I think it's a great idea for the team to be in agreement of what is important for the team to accomplish through their work. Another important fact I found was whne the article said to move around and shoot from different angles and distances. I know we also discussed this in class, but I feel it's important because dull video is definitely a problem I will have to overcome!
Ok, so I think "writing for the visual medium" is a tough process. When I read Poynter's article, I began to understand all the steps in the process of writing for a package. I agreed with the article where it says that the team needs to do a focusing exercise at the beginning of their project. I think it's a great idea for the team to be in agreement of what is important for the team to accomplish through their work. Another important fact I found was whne the article said to move around and shoot from different angles and distances. I know we also discussed this in class, but I feel it's important because dull video is definitely a problem I will have to overcome!
my convoluted sentences will be the death of me.
Tracy Pfeiffer
I particularly enjoyed the article from the Poynter Institute, "How to Focus, Interview, and Get the Story Told." There was a cute quote from Mark Guss of the Tampa Tribune, "t returned me to the feelings I had coming out of college, that I could change the world. It was inspiring because it reminded us of the power we have as journalists." But back to the issue at hand: writing for a visual medium. I thought that the tips in the article were very useful, and I find the concept of a "single-sentence story" to be intriguing -- it sounds difficult, but I think it would certainly help journalists to push and shove their story into a format that can be succinctly expressed and explored. Then I got really jealous because I saw the website for Canon's newest digital SLR, the EOS-1D. I want eet. But I also really liked the advice given by photojournalist Rich Murphy concerning what he strives to show in his photography.
I particularly enjoyed the article from the Poynter Institute, "How to Focus, Interview, and Get the Story Told." There was a cute quote from Mark Guss of the Tampa Tribune, "t returned me to the feelings I had coming out of college, that I could change the world. It was inspiring because it reminded us of the power we have as journalists." But back to the issue at hand: writing for a visual medium. I thought that the tips in the article were very useful, and I find the concept of a "single-sentence story" to be intriguing -- it sounds difficult, but I think it would certainly help journalists to push and shove their story into a format that can be succinctly expressed and explored. Then I got really jealous because I saw the website for Canon's newest digital SLR, the EOS-1D. I want eet. But I also really liked the advice given by photojournalist Rich Murphy concerning what he strives to show in his photography.
Writing for a Visual Medium
The article I found especially helpful, yet, a bit daunting, was the "Writing the Package" reading. As a person much more comfortable in the print medium, I always knew that broadcast writing was detailed and intricate, but never quite to this degree. I'm sure, however, that it is probably much more intimidating on paper than it will be after continued practice with the equipment and the process. The section about "preplanning" was one to which I could really relate as a print person because much of the prep work and reporting that goes into each article I write seemed very similar to that which goes into prepping for a broadcast piece. Learning much of the jargon and terminology of the broadcast process is still something I need to work on much more, and this article seems like a good starting point with terms such as "focus," "lead-in," and "visual lead" helping me to start grasping the broadcast concepts more clearly.
Writing for a Visual Medium
Samantha Liss
I definitely agree that focus is important. With my story personal, I try and do way too much. Instead of getting a cohesive story that flows, I get an interesting array of things. Sometimes when doing the interview I get so interested in what he or she is saying that I get on a totally different tangent. Sometimes this can be great, but when you only have so much time and tape, it can be a waste. I also think that having a clear focus can lead to a quicker package. You know what you shot, where it's at in your tape sequence, making for a much easier edit time. I enjoyed the tips we learned in class in well, learning what our eyes naturally do will help me be more creative for shot sequences in my next two minute story.
I definitely agree that focus is important. With my story personal, I try and do way too much. Instead of getting a cohesive story that flows, I get an interesting array of things. Sometimes when doing the interview I get so interested in what he or she is saying that I get on a totally different tangent. Sometimes this can be great, but when you only have so much time and tape, it can be a waste. I also think that having a clear focus can lead to a quicker package. You know what you shot, where it's at in your tape sequence, making for a much easier edit time. I enjoyed the tips we learned in class in well, learning what our eyes naturally do will help me be more creative for shot sequences in my next two minute story.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Writing for a Visual Medium
Valerie Chew
Focus Focus Focus. I couldn’t agree more. After trying my hands at cameras, I understand the tendency to try to capture as much as I can – the just-in-case mentality. I have however, realized the cost of that – editing nightmare. When it comes to interviews, the Poynter article says that we should ‘understand that people love to talk about themselves and the things they are passionate about. Let them.’ If they go on for an hour, when all we need is 10 minutes of tape, how do we stop them without coming across as rude?
Focus Focus Focus. I couldn’t agree more. After trying my hands at cameras, I understand the tendency to try to capture as much as I can – the just-in-case mentality. I have however, realized the cost of that – editing nightmare. When it comes to interviews, the Poynter article says that we should ‘understand that people love to talk about themselves and the things they are passionate about. Let them.’ If they go on for an hour, when all we need is 10 minutes of tape, how do we stop them without coming across as rude?
Writing for a Visual Medium
Focusing in writing is important, period. I cannot argue that people get more lost in lots of words on a paper any more than they get lost in an eclectic, hectic showing of shots. I tend to lose my focus, I can see this in where my project has ended up now. I realize that projects go through metamorphosis as one works with them, but where I went into the topic without a clear focus, or at least a feasible one, project drift has been rather substantial. The Poynter article on focusing was helpful in making me think about how I should be thinking about a project proposal.
Writing for a visual medium
I must admit that, after reading the articles on composing TV packages, I am a bit intimidated.
I'm confident that I can plan and execute the recommended steps, but it seems like it would take a great deal of time to even come close to doing them well.
I already was aware of the importance of having a focus statement as well as storyboarding from a high school broadcast class, but it was good to have the ideas reinforced. As a primarily print person though, the notion of incorporating a distinct beginning, middle, and end into a one-minute story sounds like a challenge, but it makes sense when I think about some of the TV packages I've seen.
I'm confident that I can plan and execute the recommended steps, but it seems like it would take a great deal of time to even come close to doing them well.
I already was aware of the importance of having a focus statement as well as storyboarding from a high school broadcast class, but it was good to have the ideas reinforced. As a primarily print person though, the notion of incorporating a distinct beginning, middle, and end into a one-minute story sounds like a challenge, but it makes sense when I think about some of the TV packages I've seen.
Focusing
By Carla Schaffer
Out of all the articles, I found the article on how to focus on the story to be the most interesting. When completing the assignments that we've had up to this point, I have found myself slowly getting away from my original story topic when doing an interview. This article gave me some good tips on how to keep myself focused on the story and stick with it. The best advice was to think of your story as a sentence and in that sentence say what purpose the story will have. Even if the story changes direction during the interview, the sentence focus will help when it comes to editing. This way if I'm going through different parts of footage, I can ask myself whether or not that clip fits with the sentence. If it doesn't, find something that works better.
Out of all the articles, I found the article on how to focus on the story to be the most interesting. When completing the assignments that we've had up to this point, I have found myself slowly getting away from my original story topic when doing an interview. This article gave me some good tips on how to keep myself focused on the story and stick with it. The best advice was to think of your story as a sentence and in that sentence say what purpose the story will have. Even if the story changes direction during the interview, the sentence focus will help when it comes to editing. This way if I'm going through different parts of footage, I can ask myself whether or not that clip fits with the sentence. If it doesn't, find something that works better.
The Video Package
Like an idiot, I went to Centro Latino to shoot my video today before reading the help articles. Some of the concepts and tips suggested in these articles I did indeed practice, namely capturing the various shots (establishing, close-up, etc.). Still, other tips like re-establishing shots and interview techniques definitely would have came in handy. I feel like I came out with a wide variety of situations, shots, and angles, and I was even excited to realize that I had captured some of those “gee whiz” moments in which one of the kids made a funny face, tripped, or sank a difficult basketball shot.
The idea of creating a story with a clear focus is probably my biggest dilemma now. Quite honestly, I’m pulling my hair out in an attempt to find a different “angle” or story to tell at Centro Latino. After every shot, I struggled to find a meaning or its place in a larger package, but towards the end of the day, I really did begin to see a vision of how all of this could fit into a story.
One of the more ethical decisions I had to face was during basketball. I could capture the kids shooting, but without doing an “essential pan” (which I wasn’t too good at) to capture the action, I couldn’t see if the shot was made or not. I did capture just the basket, which could easily be edited together to show a kid making the shot or air-balling, depending on the effect I was going for. And while that is indeed a simple solution, I know it’s just unethical. As Lynda would say, “dang conscience.”
The idea of creating a story with a clear focus is probably my biggest dilemma now. Quite honestly, I’m pulling my hair out in an attempt to find a different “angle” or story to tell at Centro Latino. After every shot, I struggled to find a meaning or its place in a larger package, but towards the end of the day, I really did begin to see a vision of how all of this could fit into a story.
One of the more ethical decisions I had to face was during basketball. I could capture the kids shooting, but without doing an “essential pan” (which I wasn’t too good at) to capture the action, I couldn’t see if the shot was made or not. I did capture just the basket, which could easily be edited together to show a kid making the shot or air-balling, depending on the effect I was going for. And while that is indeed a simple solution, I know it’s just unethical. As Lynda would say, “dang conscience.”
Writing for a Visual Medium
by Chelsea Williams
I found the article "Writing the Package" to be extremely useful, especially for tips for the TV story we have to do for our next assignment. While it seems fairly obvious that having a clear focus and not trying to do "too much" are essentials to creating a cohesive package, it is far easier said than done. I learned a valuable lesson about narrowing down the message I have, so that I am able to communicate exactly what I want without leaving the readers/viewers confused and inconclusive. Also, when it said to limit myself to three or four main points, I found that bit of information to be very helpful. Now when I think of how I want to put together I story, I see it more in little segments. I've also really learned the value of natural sound. To me, prior to this class and these readings, it was never really something I was conscious of; however I now understand how I can use it to draw people in, as well as capture the essence of the scene I'm doing the story at.
I found the article "Writing the Package" to be extremely useful, especially for tips for the TV story we have to do for our next assignment. While it seems fairly obvious that having a clear focus and not trying to do "too much" are essentials to creating a cohesive package, it is far easier said than done. I learned a valuable lesson about narrowing down the message I have, so that I am able to communicate exactly what I want without leaving the readers/viewers confused and inconclusive. Also, when it said to limit myself to three or four main points, I found that bit of information to be very helpful. Now when I think of how I want to put together I story, I see it more in little segments. I've also really learned the value of natural sound. To me, prior to this class and these readings, it was never really something I was conscious of; however I now understand how I can use it to draw people in, as well as capture the essence of the scene I'm doing the story at.
Visual Writing
By: Lauren Foreman
I found the two articles very helpful because with video it is very easy for me to get caught up in the visual: the images, clarity of sound, editting appropriately. I sometimes forget that essentially I am doing what I love to do and that is telling a story with words; only, it must correspond with video in such a way that I am truely showing my audience. I have to develop a focus, a lead, and a close just as I would do in print. These elements of story telling are echoed in the way that story is shown: in the variety of shots taken, the different perspectives shown, and the reaction shots of subjects. It all works together.
I found the two articles very helpful because with video it is very easy for me to get caught up in the visual: the images, clarity of sound, editting appropriately. I sometimes forget that essentially I am doing what I love to do and that is telling a story with words; only, it must correspond with video in such a way that I am truely showing my audience. I have to develop a focus, a lead, and a close just as I would do in print. These elements of story telling are echoed in the way that story is shown: in the variety of shots taken, the different perspectives shown, and the reaction shots of subjects. It all works together.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Writing for a Visual Medium
I really enjoyed these two articles because I feel like people jump to conclusions when thinking about non-print media sources by thinking that no writing is involved. Of course writing is involved in all aspects of media even if it is not the final product of a story. These two articles also made me feel a lot more confident about our upcoming long T.V. stories because now I know how to approach it more than I previously had. I liked a lot of the tips in the Poynter article about finding a “gee wiz” moment and other interviewing and photographing techniques that I think are very similar in any medium one is working in. I also found the other article interesting for its tips on preparation and focus on the assignment before going to work on it. Both of these articles make me feel better about tackling the long T.V. story and how to prepare for it.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
a better-than-average week
Lee and I had a good time this week doing a KOMU story on mixed martial arts. We made a good team, and the finished product reflects that, I think. Everything went smoothly, which was a refreshing change from last week. I learned even more about Avid, particularly that I can't wait to transition to Final Cut Pro, the apparent gold-standard in video editing. I love video work, but still feel a bit clumsy when cutting into Avid. I expect I'll get better as the semester wears on.
Ira Glass was inspirational. I've listened to his show for years, but to see him in person was almost surreal. I recognized every clip he played. I loved his talk on making journalism "human-scale" and avoiding the dreaded topic sentence. My goal is to conceive a video method that mimics his approach to radio. The icing on Saturday night's cake was that my buddy hooked me up with a front-row ticket. I was 15 feet from a man I've listened to for years. It's a bit of a man crush, I admit.
Cheers to Sean Powers. I doubt any of us understand how ecstatic he was to spend time with his idol.
Ira Glass was inspirational. I've listened to his show for years, but to see him in person was almost surreal. I recognized every clip he played. I loved his talk on making journalism "human-scale" and avoiding the dreaded topic sentence. My goal is to conceive a video method that mimics his approach to radio. The icing on Saturday night's cake was that my buddy hooked me up with a front-row ticket. I was 15 feet from a man I've listened to for years. It's a bit of a man crush, I admit.
Cheers to Sean Powers. I doubt any of us understand how ecstatic he was to spend time with his idol.
Body Found on Dry Ice
I watched a video on cnn.com about a body that was found in a hotel on dry ice. There was little variety of shots in the piece. They kept showing shots of the hotel, and the sign of the hotel. There was also one interview, and some random footage of a man walking near the hotel. A voice over describing the suspect was being done as the back of the head of a random man was shown walking near the hotel. I thought it was kind of a weird way to tell the story, as if to suggest that this man was the suspect. It was obvious that there was little to shoot in this story, and I think the story could have been told better in print. Video footage of people talking is not that interesting, and neither is the same shot of the same building being shown in almost the same way. The piece was less than two minuets long, but I was already bored within the first 15 seconds.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Video Story
I watched a video on cnn called "Americans kidnapped, tortured" about Americans being kidnapped in Mexican border towns. There wasn't a lot of visual information other than interviews. Several of the sources wanted to remain anonymous, and I think this is one advantage of video versus print stories. When you use an anonymous source in a print story, it almost seems less credible than in a video story. In a video story you clearly show that it is a person, even though you may not see their face, you see their other characteristics that help to establish them as a reliable source. Also, I noticed that the video showed a close up of the anonymous sources wringing their hands, which helped to paint the picture further and hint at the severity of the problem. In a print story all you can say is "an anonymous source close to the story," there isn't much else you can do to show that they're credible.
Emily Coppel
Emily Coppel
Woman grabbed at Wal-mart
I watched a video from cnn.com. The only footage was of a security tape of a woman being pulled into a car and then a police officer speaking into the camera. Even though this was a boring video, I feel it was still a better story than if it had been a text story. In a text story, the dramatic feeling created by the woman being grabbed would've been lost. Also, the police said they hoped someone would be able to identify the suspects from the video, which would not be possible in a text story. The security video used was a very poor quality and just looked like blurs, but I think anytime a suspect could possibly be identified from a video it should be shown.
Video about currency
Sarah Steffen
I chose a video about the relationship between Euro and Dollar which I found at www.spiegel.de/video (it was made by reuters). I picked this video, because I thought it would be good to see how they illustrated their hard fact story with footage.
The way how the video was shot was very classical. It started with a shot of a a machine printing new Euro bills, showed some scenes from the German stockmarket (long shots as well as detail shots) and included interviews with two experts who didn't look directly into the camera. The only thing I really didn't like at all was the scene where they showed a man fueling his car. First there is a very boring (and predictable) detail shot that is supposed to show the process of fueling. Right after that shot the same shot is used again but with a wider angle. So you see the man who's fueling his car standing in the same boring position (facing the camera with his whole body and staring at the camera). That's the end of the report.
I don't like the fact that videos tend to show a man/woman refueling his/her car whenever the reporter says something about oil prices. That is so boring! Otherwise I thought it was a good example on how to support such a topic with footage.
If the video was a text only story it might have provided more numbers and facts. It is always a little difficult to include too many details in video, because normally people can't watch it again. Also they could provide additional information and links to previous stories which are related.
I chose a video about the relationship between Euro and Dollar which I found at www.spiegel.de/video (it was made by reuters). I picked this video, because I thought it would be good to see how they illustrated their hard fact story with footage.
The way how the video was shot was very classical. It started with a shot of a a machine printing new Euro bills, showed some scenes from the German stockmarket (long shots as well as detail shots) and included interviews with two experts who didn't look directly into the camera. The only thing I really didn't like at all was the scene where they showed a man fueling his car. First there is a very boring (and predictable) detail shot that is supposed to show the process of fueling. Right after that shot the same shot is used again but with a wider angle. So you see the man who's fueling his car standing in the same boring position (facing the camera with his whole body and staring at the camera). That's the end of the report.
I don't like the fact that videos tend to show a man/woman refueling his/her car whenever the reporter says something about oil prices. That is so boring! Otherwise I thought it was a good example on how to support such a topic with footage.
If the video was a text only story it might have provided more numbers and facts. It is always a little difficult to include too many details in video, because normally people can't watch it again. Also they could provide additional information and links to previous stories which are related.
Web Video Critic
I watched a journalistic video on CNN.com about a four-year-old that was found drunk at school. The title is actually what grabbed my attention, of course, but the video actually made me lose interest. I wanted to turn it off about half-way through. All of the footage was of buildings and scenery. I would suggest to add interest they would try to include other images and scenes for some variety. It was just very plain and uneventful. It did not keep my attention very well. I think this story would have been better as text because there wasn't really any compelling footage to go along with it. The same message could have been conveyed especially since it was the actual storyline that was attention grabbing. They need to do some work on making it more visually appealing.
I've gone with a video posted on Groundviews, from what I understand, the citizen journalism Web site. Groundviews has its own channel/playlist on Youtube, culling a lot of online video from global news sources and putting them together in one place. The video I've selected can be seen here; it's not a developed news story, but rather an extended interview, which I figured fits in with the broad concept of convergence. One note: the subject clearly wanted his identity protected, so the camera is kept off of him; for an extended interview, many may see this as a problem. However, if one knows anything of the situation in Sri Lanka, not only is it completely understandable, but it also works as an advantage in a way. Going back to the convergence aspect, it works as a video (and an online video at that), as opposed to a printed transcript or mere audio clip, because that very example shows at once the severity of the situation and that he isn't afraid to talk; these simple videos provide expediency and pack a punch, while being available to the outside.
Clinton's comeback: Reuters
In this video, most of the B-roll was of Clinton campaigning, with confetti, signs of support and American flags. It is much like that we have seen too much of at this point in the campaign. I feel that this story would still be very effective as a print story and also as a radio story. The reporter had a great interview that would be okay if transcribed into print or used as just an audio clip.
I think that video could be improved greatly by use of more interesting B-roll. Perhaps we could see Clinton doing something else, like talking one on one with a supporter or even an advisor. Also, I think more interviews should have been included. Is it fair to include just one source in this case?
The story would work as a text story, would it would be different. Viewers would not hear the natural sound captured, such as cheering crowds (that may signal her comeback) or her confident speech voice. These would just not sound as good when reduced to printed words.
I think that video could be improved greatly by use of more interesting B-roll. Perhaps we could see Clinton doing something else, like talking one on one with a supporter or even an advisor. Also, I think more interviews should have been included. Is it fair to include just one source in this case?
The story would work as a text story, would it would be different. Viewers would not hear the natural sound captured, such as cheering crowds (that may signal her comeback) or her confident speech voice. These would just not sound as good when reduced to printed words.
sensing a pattern
Tracy Pfeiffer
http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0308/501850_video.html?ref=newsstory
I decided to check a local television station from my hometown, Tulsa, Oklahoma. This piece is about how ODOT (the Oklahoma Department of Transportation) is installing cable barriers in between the highways instead of steel or concrete barriers. I think that, while it is important to have a visual of the cable barriers, perhaps this story did not have enough of a graphical element to be as long as it was. I felt like I was watching never-ending footage of cars driving down I-44 intercut with various angles and close-ups of cables. I don't know how I feel about the fact that instead of going to a graphic screen (or whatever it is called), they just placed the statistics for the story in the space next to the reporter. Hmm. I think it placed too much emphasis on the reporter, as if he needed more screen time or something. In terms of the script, i thought the opening and close were cute... Not necessarily funny, but cute. all in all, I think that this video could've been helped if it was shortened considerably. I felt that I was not only watching almost identical footage over and over, but also that I was listening to the same facts over and over.
http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0308/501850_video.html?ref=newsstory
I decided to check a local television station from my hometown, Tulsa, Oklahoma. This piece is about how ODOT (the Oklahoma Department of Transportation) is installing cable barriers in between the highways instead of steel or concrete barriers. I think that, while it is important to have a visual of the cable barriers, perhaps this story did not have enough of a graphical element to be as long as it was. I felt like I was watching never-ending footage of cars driving down I-44 intercut with various angles and close-ups of cables. I don't know how I feel about the fact that instead of going to a graphic screen (or whatever it is called), they just placed the statistics for the story in the space next to the reporter. Hmm. I think it placed too much emphasis on the reporter, as if he needed more screen time or something. In terms of the script, i thought the opening and close were cute... Not necessarily funny, but cute. all in all, I think that this video could've been helped if it was shortened considerably. I felt that I was not only watching almost identical footage over and over, but also that I was listening to the same facts over and over.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
The Tiger Temple
I watched a video news report from Religion and Ethics Newsweekly with Bill Abernathy. The video was about a Buddhist temple that has become a sanctuary for hosts of animals, including a good number of tigers. The monks at the temple are kind to all of the animals and believe that they all living together peacefully because the animals want it to be a peaceful place as well. They also believe that the tigers are reincarnated monks, so they feed them, comfort them and communicate with them as if they were human.
Bob and his reporters really know how to find sources that can helpfully explain things on camera. Having filmed video interviews, sources don’t always explain things as well as I could write them. But it’s true, especially when you are trying to show religious practices and what certain clothing, ceremonies, even demographics look like, a picture is worth a thousand words. In this video, you got to see the animals living together, the monks in all their traditional clothing and clips of the tigers interacting with the humans. They also showed a clip of a newborn tiger cub that characteristically sent me into a girly "awwww" moment. The only thing that I really didn't like was that they showed the reporter talking to the monks. I thought that the story didn't gain anything by leaving shots of him in there, and actually distracted me because he so obviously did not fit in.
Bob and his reporters really know how to find sources that can helpfully explain things on camera. Having filmed video interviews, sources don’t always explain things as well as I could write them. But it’s true, especially when you are trying to show religious practices and what certain clothing, ceremonies, even demographics look like, a picture is worth a thousand words. In this video, you got to see the animals living together, the monks in all their traditional clothing and clips of the tigers interacting with the humans. They also showed a clip of a newborn tiger cub that characteristically sent me into a girly "awwww" moment. The only thing that I really didn't like was that they showed the reporter talking to the monks. I thought that the story didn't gain anything by leaving shots of him in there, and actually distracted me because he so obviously did not fit in.
Journalism Video
Anton Berkovich
"Letting go of the American Dream" from MSNBC.
I enjoyed this video piece, which deals with the economy and home ownership, for a number of reasons. First, it is relevant and significant to all people in this country, especially with the elections coming up. They video also makes very well use of infographics that look professional and are easy to follow, which is expected from a news source like NBC Nightly News. The video has a wide variety of shots, switching between them fast, but also lingering when relevant. A good mix like this keeps viewers interesting, I feel. Like any good news piece, the video utilizes a variety of sources, from homeowners to finance experts, providing a broad view of the issue. I think to improve on the video, the producers could have elaborated on how the issue varies all over the country. Is it different in certain regions? I think as a written story, this piece would have been more focused on the numbers, and been less interesting to most readers/viewers.
WGN video
Elise Crawley
From wgntv.com Palatine looks to leave Cook County
This story is about how the tax increase in Cook county (the county containing the city of Chicago) has caused more talk from outlying municipalities in the county specifically Palatine, about seceding and forming their own county.
One thing that I thought that this story should have even as I saw the headline was a map graphic. While there was a map show at one point in the story, it was a bad map and it was difficult to make out which municipalities they were talking about. Instead I was treated to a lot of the reporter standing “live” outside of a gas station near the county border.
The one thing that this video did well was show how Palatine citizens are shopping elsewhere because of the tax increase and what they think about seceding. Because you saw these people that the reporter had clearly caught at the gas station giving these opinions, it did make it seem more like a grass-roots movement than a political scuffle.
I think this story could have been done well, perhaps even better as a written piece with some kind of map or chart of sales taxes in the area. You would sacrifice some of the authentic quality of people giving their opinions out of a gas station but this story isn’t breaking, it’s been going on for a while, and with the video and focusing on Palatine they weren’t able to get the other side of the story with the opinion of someone on the Cook county board for instance.
From wgntv.com Palatine looks to leave Cook County
This story is about how the tax increase in Cook county (the county containing the city of Chicago) has caused more talk from outlying municipalities in the county specifically Palatine, about seceding and forming their own county.
One thing that I thought that this story should have even as I saw the headline was a map graphic. While there was a map show at one point in the story, it was a bad map and it was difficult to make out which municipalities they were talking about. Instead I was treated to a lot of the reporter standing “live” outside of a gas station near the county border.
The one thing that this video did well was show how Palatine citizens are shopping elsewhere because of the tax increase and what they think about seceding. Because you saw these people that the reporter had clearly caught at the gas station giving these opinions, it did make it seem more like a grass-roots movement than a political scuffle.
I think this story could have been done well, perhaps even better as a written piece with some kind of map or chart of sales taxes in the area. You would sacrifice some of the authentic quality of people giving their opinions out of a gas station but this story isn’t breaking, it’s been going on for a while, and with the video and focusing on Palatine they weren’t able to get the other side of the story with the opinion of someone on the Cook county board for instance.
Does this story warrant a video?
A video I watched this afternoon on CNN.com enticed me with the following click inducement: "Drunk 4-year carried out of her school." Granted my choice was less than academic, I decided it could potentially be worth the 1:02 it took to watch the video. While the newsworthiness is debatable, it certainly proved to be a good lesson in filming. The sound quality was quite poor throughout the video; the interviews and nat sound were collected on an extremely windy day and it was almost painful to listen to the high pitched gusts of winds. Also, while the rumble of the ambulance made for interesting natural sound, in my opinion in remained too loud while the journalist narrated over it.
In regard to visuals, most were establishing shots of the school and paramedics outside the building. Probably for ethical reasons, no children were shown or interviewed and nor were any school faculty. This made for a visually redundant video, essentially showing the same scene setter from different angles.
I believe this is an appropriate example of the importance of critically evaluating the best method to convey a story. The fact that the click inducement was more compelling than the video itself suggests to me that it could have just as easily been covered through photographs or text.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/03/06/dnt.ok.girl.drunk.at.school.koco
In regard to visuals, most were establishing shots of the school and paramedics outside the building. Probably for ethical reasons, no children were shown or interviewed and nor were any school faculty. This made for a visually redundant video, essentially showing the same scene setter from different angles.
I believe this is an appropriate example of the importance of critically evaluating the best method to convey a story. The fact that the click inducement was more compelling than the video itself suggests to me that it could have just as easily been covered through photographs or text.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/03/06/dnt.ok.girl.drunk.at.school.koco
School Bus Story
Lukas Litzsinger
This was a story about seat belts in school buses. That's pretty much it.
Overall I thought that the story was forgettable. Technically, it was proficient. There was some interesting video (a school bus tipping over onto its side and kids flying against the wall), differing opinions, a few statistics and good audio. Unfortunately, the reporter did not do a very good job of setting up the context. It is obvious that we should care about the safety of our children, but is the story timely? No dates were given as to when the events or speeches or interviews in the video happened, and there was nothing concrete about any actual plans to put seat belts in school buses, only people talking about the possibility.
I suppose the story could be construed as an awareness piece, or some type of report that brings a topic to the public's attention. But seeing how there was no information reported about how to get involved or who to talk to if you want to understand more about the debate, it is unlikely that parents will feel the initiative to research it further without some catalyst at a local level.
I also thought that some explanation as to why school buses are so safe right now would have been helpful. We see the interior of a school bus with the reporter, but we are not given any visuals to support the safety claims.
I really don't think that this video would have worked as a text only story. Perhaps some excess details were removed to make it more approachable, and there would be a better sense of the timeliness of the piece and why it matters. If not, though, it would be a strange, abstract feature with no novelty or weird factor to boost it up.
Iraq's School for the Blind - CNN.com Video
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/03/06/phillips.iraq.school.for.blind.cnn
By Kelsey Proud
Visually and through audio, the piece was very nicely put together with good shots that told a story and audio that enhanced understanding rather than distracted from the deeper narratives woven throughout. The use of natural sound and candid shots of the children and families made the school very relatable and seem very comparable to schools in the United States, connecting me to the story once again. The voiceover by Phillips was clear and enthusiastic, tinged with that familiar dramatic tone we are accustomed to hearing in broadcast pieces. The end of the piece bothered me in the respect that Phillips made yet another assumption to add to the emotional resonance of her piece. Her last line is "Because of that love, all these kids see is possibility." This is a grand assumption, and I'd think a rather false one for her to state. She just finished talking about how the war affects the children and then to claim that all of them are happy and filled with anticipation for the future and nothing else is editorializing and trivializing. I understand that Phillips wanted to use a play on words with the word "see" and the subject of blindness, but instead of what she did say, she could have said something like "Maybe because of that love, these kids can see possibility."
Obviously, the elements that make this story interesting would not be possible in a print story. As much as the reporter could write down and describe the scene in detail, the emotion evoked from the subjects telling their own stories and using their own voices on-camera and on-location adds a huge element of authenticity. The detail shots of a child's hands running over a braille book or Ali teaching by holding a braille text and reading to his students aloud from it would be only pictured in the reader's mind from their assumptions and what they already know about blind people. They could get an entirely different picture of what the situation actually is, and the people involved in it.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Journalistic Video
Valerie Chew
‘Aceh: One Year Later – Childless Village’
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/custom/2005/12/22/CU2005122201141.html
This video by Travis Fox on the aftermath of the tsunami is thought provoking. It has excellent shots. However, more interviews with people who have lost their children would serve to paint the situation better. I could not help but wonder what life in this village of Blangme was like before the tsunami. Was the village filled with children? Or was it a small village with little children to start of with? Perhaps a ‘text only’ story could contrast the situation before and after the tsunami better. Then again, without video, we would have missed the expressions on the people’s faces and the sounds (or the lack of) that come from a place without children.
‘Aceh: One Year Later – Childless Village’
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/custom/2005/12/22/CU2005122201141.html
This video by Travis Fox on the aftermath of the tsunami is thought provoking. It has excellent shots. However, more interviews with people who have lost their children would serve to paint the situation better. I could not help but wonder what life in this village of Blangme was like before the tsunami. Was the village filled with children? Or was it a small village with little children to start of with? Perhaps a ‘text only’ story could contrast the situation before and after the tsunami better. Then again, without video, we would have missed the expressions on the people’s faces and the sounds (or the lack of) that come from a place without children.
Video Story
By Carla Schaffer
http://www.suntimes.com/index.html#
The video that I watched was part of the video section of the Chicago Sun Times. The video story is about a man who was killed trying to stop two young adults after they stole from a Starbucks tip jar. The story is starts out as a story about a robbery at Starbucks but quickly turns into a profile of the hero of the story - the man who died trying to stop the robbers. The story works well as a video story, because it includes footage of the events up to, during, and after the robbery. It also shows the man that the story focuses on at the register leading up to the robbery. If this story was done as a newspaper/print story, the reader wouldn't get the same connection with the story as he or she does with the video. With the video story, the reader gains connection with the hero of the story by seeing his last moments before chasing after the robbers. The story could be improved by completing the robbery focus of the story. The video does a great job of profiling the story's hero and talking to friends and family, but it never gives detail about how authorities are planning to catch the robbers that ran the man over in their car. It would have been nice to know if officials were using the footage that they show in the story to find the criminals.
http://www.suntimes.com/index.html#
The video that I watched was part of the video section of the Chicago Sun Times. The video story is about a man who was killed trying to stop two young adults after they stole from a Starbucks tip jar. The story is starts out as a story about a robbery at Starbucks but quickly turns into a profile of the hero of the story - the man who died trying to stop the robbers. The story works well as a video story, because it includes footage of the events up to, during, and after the robbery. It also shows the man that the story focuses on at the register leading up to the robbery. If this story was done as a newspaper/print story, the reader wouldn't get the same connection with the story as he or she does with the video. With the video story, the reader gains connection with the hero of the story by seeing his last moments before chasing after the robbers. The story could be improved by completing the robbery focus of the story. The video does a great job of profiling the story's hero and talking to friends and family, but it never gives detail about how authorities are planning to catch the robbers that ran the man over in their car. It would have been nice to know if officials were using the footage that they show in the story to find the criminals.
A View of Russia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7260000/newsid_7268100/7268170.stm?bw=nb&mp=rm&news=1&bbcws=1#
This story was well-told through the visuals, it would not have been compelling without the visuals. Since it is about how another Cold War could happen as the military of Russia is being slowly rebuilt, it is important to the viewer to see this military, why it is considered strong. Seeing an enormous bomber airplane certainly makes an impression. True, a plane can be given in measurements in text, but seeing is believing to truly understand what there is to fear in a "strong Russia".
I thought the ending of the story was something that could be improved. The journalist decides to offer his opinion on the state of affairs. While I understand it is difficult to leave ones self out of the story just in what is selected to be told, etc., I did not understand why the journalist gave his opinion. Is he an analyst? Is he an expert? The sound quality on the video was also terrible, but I think that was just my internet. It is a shame that the BBC produces high quality things only to have them distorted on a different medium.
This story was well-told through the visuals, it would not have been compelling without the visuals. Since it is about how another Cold War could happen as the military of Russia is being slowly rebuilt, it is important to the viewer to see this military, why it is considered strong. Seeing an enormous bomber airplane certainly makes an impression. True, a plane can be given in measurements in text, but seeing is believing to truly understand what there is to fear in a "strong Russia".
I thought the ending of the story was something that could be improved. The journalist decides to offer his opinion on the state of affairs. While I understand it is difficult to leave ones self out of the story just in what is selected to be told, etc., I did not understand why the journalist gave his opinion. Is he an analyst? Is he an expert? The sound quality on the video was also terrible, but I think that was just my internet. It is a shame that the BBC produces high quality things only to have them distorted on a different medium.
Did A Doctor Rush Death?
by Chelsea Williams
I watched a video on CNN.com that questioned and investigated whether or not a transplant doctor rushed the death of a patient in order to obtain his organs. This video was quite effective because it showed footage of the patient before his death, as well as footage of the boy's mother mourning the loss of her son. These segments definitely triggered the most emotion, and allowed viewers to sympathsize with the boy's family. However, while these clips proved to be powerful, the segments with the accused doctor were fairly non-stimulating. While they spoke with his lawyer, it would have been nice to hear from him. I'm sure for legal reasons this would have been tricky, but they should have just shown less footage of him if we couldn't even hear his voice. There were too many shots of him just staring into space in the courtroom, which leave an impression initially, but lose some of their visual impact as they appear more frequently. A well-respected doctor's ethical judgement was questioned, and we didn't even get to hear what he had to say about it.
Had this been a text-only story, it would have been far more difficult to capture the strong emotion experienced by the mother. It is easy to read that someone is devastated by the potential premature death of her son, but it is downright difficult to see a mother sobbing, then flash to a shot of her son when he was alive. Text-only would limit the varying degrees of emotion that were captured via this video.
I watched a video on CNN.com that questioned and investigated whether or not a transplant doctor rushed the death of a patient in order to obtain his organs. This video was quite effective because it showed footage of the patient before his death, as well as footage of the boy's mother mourning the loss of her son. These segments definitely triggered the most emotion, and allowed viewers to sympathsize with the boy's family. However, while these clips proved to be powerful, the segments with the accused doctor were fairly non-stimulating. While they spoke with his lawyer, it would have been nice to hear from him. I'm sure for legal reasons this would have been tricky, but they should have just shown less footage of him if we couldn't even hear his voice. There were too many shots of him just staring into space in the courtroom, which leave an impression initially, but lose some of their visual impact as they appear more frequently. A well-respected doctor's ethical judgement was questioned, and we didn't even get to hear what he had to say about it.
Had this been a text-only story, it would have been far more difficult to capture the strong emotion experienced by the mother. It is easy to read that someone is devastated by the potential premature death of her son, but it is downright difficult to see a mother sobbing, then flash to a shot of her son when he was alive. Text-only would limit the varying degrees of emotion that were captured via this video.
Video Story
I watched a video on the New York Times webpage about the upcoming democratic primary in Ohio, (this was on Sunday before the primary took place) where an incredibly close race between Clinton and Obama is going on. This video looked at different aspects of their campaigns, as well as their families’ speeches and campaigning. It focused a lot on how each candidate is campaigning and showed footage from each of their advertisements and speeches. This piece worked as a video story because the reporter was able to talk about advertisements, for example, and then is able to literally show a part of the advertisement he was referring to in order to fully emphasize his point. The only problem I had with this story was that I think there could have been a way to make this issue more compelling to the audience, because this is an issue that has been covered and will continue to be covered for months, so it would have been nice if the reporter found a more interesting angle to focus on. This story would be a different story if it were a text story, because many of the aspects that made this piece work would not have been present.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Web video reflection
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/video_and_audio/default.stm
I watched a BBC video on increased Chinese military spending. It began with a series of strong images of the military in action, which continued to be interlaced thought the rest of the piece. Nearly all of the story was voiced-over footage, save for two brief sound bytes from press conferences and a stand-up at the end. The stand-up caught me off-guard because the reporter was standing outside the Forbidden City, with a picture of Mao Ze Dong on the left third of the frame. I felt that to a reader who doesn't understand Chinese history outside of the main figures, that image behind audio about a growing military would have drawn up misleading fears of another Red Scare.
In terms of form, I noticed that the voice-overs were very direct, on the verge of being choppy. I feel that it would have been much more effective as a text story so that the writer could provide more of the context in which the spending increase was occurring rather than presenting what I considered to be a very shallow look at the subject.
I watched a BBC video on increased Chinese military spending. It began with a series of strong images of the military in action, which continued to be interlaced thought the rest of the piece. Nearly all of the story was voiced-over footage, save for two brief sound bytes from press conferences and a stand-up at the end. The stand-up caught me off-guard because the reporter was standing outside the Forbidden City, with a picture of Mao Ze Dong on the left third of the frame. I felt that to a reader who doesn't understand Chinese history outside of the main figures, that image behind audio about a growing military would have drawn up misleading fears of another Red Scare.
In terms of form, I noticed that the voice-overs were very direct, on the verge of being choppy. I feel that it would have been much more effective as a text story so that the writer could provide more of the context in which the spending increase was occurring rather than presenting what I considered to be a very shallow look at the subject.
Video vs. Text
Samantha Liss
“Conflicts Mount in South America”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22370745#23469241
Everyday multi-media journalists have the benefit to decide what tool in their journalism backpack would best tell a specific story.
As a visual learner I followed right along with the “Conflicts Mount in South America” story. I’m introduced with a map panning from North America to South America detailing where the conflict is in comparison to where I live.
The story then highlights and briefly describes the history of each conflicting nation, their current and former standing with one another and the United States. Adding to this sound bite is a picture of each nation’s leader and their written name underneath their individual picture. All the graphics keep me intrigued and allow me to understand a rather complex issue.
If this were in text format in either the web or a newspaper, I regrettably admit I would have given up a few paragraphs in to the article. Unfortunately, I would have become confused with where the event was unfolding in context to my current location and the relationships between each nation.
Although, this is a good piece of journalism and captures my attention, it needs to get to what would be the nut-graph of an article sooner. I need to know more about what exactly sparked tensions. This story’s nut-graph is a bit wordy and is not bold enough for an audience’s ears.
I would’ve like to hear a sentence saying,
“Colombia alleges Ecuador and Venezuela support Colombian rebel fighters.”
Instead of,
“Ecuador and Venezuela both deny Colombia’s allegations they support Columbian rebel fighters.”
It hardly seems like a difference on paper, but when listening to the second sentence in context with the video story it is too passive for my ears.
“Conflicts Mount in South America”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22370745#23469241
Everyday multi-media journalists have the benefit to decide what tool in their journalism backpack would best tell a specific story.
As a visual learner I followed right along with the “Conflicts Mount in South America” story. I’m introduced with a map panning from North America to South America detailing where the conflict is in comparison to where I live.
The story then highlights and briefly describes the history of each conflicting nation, their current and former standing with one another and the United States. Adding to this sound bite is a picture of each nation’s leader and their written name underneath their individual picture. All the graphics keep me intrigued and allow me to understand a rather complex issue.
If this were in text format in either the web or a newspaper, I regrettably admit I would have given up a few paragraphs in to the article. Unfortunately, I would have become confused with where the event was unfolding in context to my current location and the relationships between each nation.
Although, this is a good piece of journalism and captures my attention, it needs to get to what would be the nut-graph of an article sooner. I need to know more about what exactly sparked tensions. This story’s nut-graph is a bit wordy and is not bold enough for an audience’s ears.
I would’ve like to hear a sentence saying,
“Colombia alleges Ecuador and Venezuela support Colombian rebel fighters.”
Instead of,
“Ecuador and Venezuela both deny Colombia’s allegations they support Columbian rebel fighters.”
It hardly seems like a difference on paper, but when listening to the second sentence in context with the video story it is too passive for my ears.
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