Multimedia newbie looking for input

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Permalink Reply by Cyndy Hardy on August 22, 2008 at 7:01am

Just a note -- this video is packaged with a text story that fills in the details of the chapel and its creator, Marguarite Staude.

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Permalink Reply by Don Himsel on September 8, 2008 at 7:26am

Just because we can do video or our bosses want us to that doesn't mean we should. Audio and video are great reporting tools but you have to use them wisely. Take a reader on a journey. Add a subject's voice. Show some action with video or some strong, emotional photography in an audio slideshow. But only if it makes sense for the circumstances at hand.

Talking heads don't make compelling video pieces. I'd like to hear and see more about this place but not in the context of a press conference. A narrative lede can work, sure, but the pair that starts off this package are putting me to sleep. Start with your strongest audio and visuals. It takes me about 2.5 minutes to get a look inside this place.

Editing software is just that. For editing. Just as Word is for word processing, not typing and uploading. It's not really about technology. It's about journalism and storytelling and doing it in a value-added fashion. Multimedia pieces don't have to mimic text pieces. The can and should compliment each other.

There are many places to get tips on how to plan, shoot and edit good online video packages. Try Angela Grant's site. Some basic tips- Shoot to edit. Plan what you need- tight, medium and wide shots. Think visual. Your audio is the bed of your story. What's the story about? The web may be infinite but a reader's time is not. Be brief. Hold still, don't zoom, etc.

Good job in trying out the process.

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Permalink Reply by Ryan Mercer on October 1, 2008 at 8:31pm

Hi Cyndy,

I'm with Don here, and if there is a big push at your organization to generate video content, you should be asking them where development resources will be coming from. Just like journalists are educated, people collecting video will also need at least some base training in what makes compelling video. Granted, lots of good stuff can be found here as Don points out. Also check out the NPPA online site if you are a member, but also check out what other newspapers are doing. There is a lot of good stuff out there to emulate. Also, at your stage, simplify your tools. You'd be surprised what you can do with iMovie or Microsoft Movie Maker if all you need is clean transitions from shot to shot. I know those are very basic tools, but concentrate on solid, compelling story telling first. Once you are established there, start worrying more about presentation and polish and more sophisticated editing tools.
And maybe video is not really what you need right now. But if there is a decided push to make video happen, you should be asking the question "why?". Then ask anyone how they think they will make revenue from it, because most likely they can't, at least nto directly. And that means you'll be spending a lot of time, resources and money producing something that won't love you back. Not that journalists should be consumed by this question, but in today's market it is critical that content and online producers ask themselves is what they are doing is worth the cost? Will it yield traffic or build a community of readership -- more over the long term -- that is worth the investment in resources? Answering these questions is critical when dealing with online content whether you're taking about video or anything else.
Ryan

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Permalink Reply by Cyndy Hardy on October 29, 2008 at 7:44pm

Thanks for the advice, guys.

I'm pursuing video because it seems the way to go to be a marketable freelancer, especially in such a small market as Sedona. Unfortunately I am learning by the seat of my pants, and a shoestring budget.

We don't have local TV news, and I am the only journalist in town who is working with video, so I have an interesting sandbox to play in while I develop visual skills.

Transitioning from a text background to multimedia is challenging for this left-brained wordsmith. Your comments are helpful. I think I'm making progress even if it's slow-going for lack of technological experience.

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