We are the future.
Posted by Tim Gruber | Filed under multimedia, newspapers, photojournalism, state of newspapers
Melissa Worden, a multimedia producer at The Herald Tribune in Sarasota, FL, recently used my clown video to highlight an important point on her blog. In a post titled: If you don’t want to play, move out of the way, she writes:
Watch out reporters and photographers, future journalists set to join newsrooms full time in the next couple of years (if they stick around) are producing some nice online stories.
Her post is mainly directed at staffers working at newspapers, but as students there’s a lot we can take away in what she wrote.
The biggest being that editors at newspapers are going to be looking to us as students to not only understand and know a variety of tools, but quite possibly be able to educate and lead their newsrooms into using these new storytelling mediums. My girlfriend, Jenn, is interning out at The Deseret News in Salt Lake City. She’s the only one there who knows how to shoot and edit video. Here’s a recent piece she shot. Not only is she the only on shooting video, but they’re looking to her to give them advice on the type of equipment they should buy. Sure she can and does capture great still images, but there’s a staff of shooters that can do the same. She’s making a name for herself in the newsroom by having a diverse set of skills that extend beyond the printed page.
For students this isn’t a question of if and when you should be doing video. You should. You can pout, kick, whine and fuss all the way to the editing lab, but unless you have a change of heart quickly you might find yourself selling coffee instead of telling stories. Your new media skills are the biggest commodity you can bring to your resume. The clips and photos in your portfolio no matter how strong they might be will be diminished by the work of students who show diversity and a willingness to use and understand every possible tool at their disposable.
Newsroom staffs are already full of people that use and understand the printed word and photograph well. You’ll never match their experience. What they have on you in experience you can make up for in your willingness to learn and grow.
This was confirmed for me earlier last week when the editor here in Roanoke took all the interns out for lunch. One question I asked was, If you were looking to hire someone today what would you look for in that person? Carole responded by saying she’d want someone with a willingness/hunger to learn and adapt as our industry changes. (not her exact words, but it sums up what she was saying.)
So as students it’s essential that we continue to push ourselves to grow and learn. Isn’t that why we’re in school? We are the future. Embrace it.
Tags: internship, journalism, photojournalism, sta, video
Ugly frame grabs.
Posted by Tim Gruber | Filed under Uncategorized
So I’m all for shooting video. In fact my latest purchase was a Canon XH-A1 instead of a still camera. I’m even up for using video to do frame grabs(it’s all about the story after all, right?) but please make the sure quality holds up to the same visual standards we’ve worked so hard to create. I know there’s always exceptions to this(surveillance tape) This though isn’t an example of where content matter trumps all. The Washington Post a few days ago ran a Travis Fox frame grab(as you know Fox shoots video not stills) on their front page. I know newsprint is extremely forgiving, but even on the web this image looks so pixelated it might as well been shot on a fan’s cellphone. In fact my cellphone probably would of done a better job with it.
I’m all about using whatever tool best tells our subject’s story, but please if you’re going to do something make sure it holds up to the high standards we as visual journalists have worked/fought so hard to create at our papers.
Here’s the image attached to the article as it’s seen on the web:
By Travis Fox — Washington Post.com
Here’s the Washington Post frontpage:
via: Photo Business News and Forum
Tags: journalism, photojournalism, video
My first video at Roanoke.
Posted by Tim Gruber | Filed under Uncategorized
Today I was reminded how small the community is we work in.
First I read Daniel Sato’s blog and one of his recent posts where he talks about the same idea of this small community. He happens to be interning in Saint Cloud, MN. The paper I delivered as a kid. (Nothin beat the days my dad would drive me around and I’d act like Barry Sanders with each stop servin’ as a new down. I’d jump over snow drifts aka linemen to get the paper delivered.) Daniel knows Kainaz who goes to grad school with me at Ohio University.
Later on I was watching the videos Mindy McAdams linked to on her blog about newspapers shooting video. In Chuck Fadley’s portion of the presentation he talked about The Roanoke Times and their use of video; the paper I happen to be interning at. He was talking about the different approaches papers take to doing newspaper video and used Roanoke as an example. Seeing as I’m here for the summer I have my own perspective on things so I was curious to hear his critique.
Before I’m done watching the videos I tab out(short attention span) to check Google Reader and find Chuck had updated his blog with an apology about what he said in his presentation about Roanoke and their use of video.
It also happens my first story/video for the paper ran yesterday on Tony, the circus clown. I wrote the article too. Scary I know.
Here’s the video (turns out you can’t embed Brightcove videos with Wordpress so instead click the image below to see the video):
And a jpg of the section front:
Tags: internship, journalism, photojournalism, Uncategorized, video
Homemade Modest Mouse video
Posted by Tim Gruber | Filed under Uncategorized
Fine example of using multiple mediums here.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogharitmxSc[/youtube]
Myself and a couple have friends have entered the above into the Modest Mouse video competition. Using green screen footage provided by the band we cut a simple music video. We then degraded the images and printed out each frame sequentially. (all 4133 of them) We then nailed each “shot” of 50-100 posters to various structures and posts. Then using a digital SLR camera with a long exposure we frame by frame shot each poster. Oh, and theres a little video projection (again, frame by frame on the SLR) just to mix it up. There is no compositing, no shortcuts, just lots of blood, sweat and tears, and a huge Kinkos bill!
Tags: Uncategorized, video
A few links.
Posted by Tim Gruber | Filed under Uncategorized
A few links I’ve enjoyed this week:
Working with images and sound from Ben Shapiro on Transom:
Notice that when a shot hits, especially in a new setting, there is a beat before the voice starts. This gives the viewer a chance to register the image before having to pay attention to the voiceover. Again, like a person entering a room, the viewer needs a moment to orient themselves—otherwise they literally won’t hear what is being said to them.
As one filmmaker (I cannot recall who) said “I don’t know how the film or even the story will turn out. Why make a film at all if I already know the answer?”
In fact, the voice-over made it hard to focus on what we were seeing—one could listen or watch, but not both. To fix matters, I radically trimmed back the voice, leaving only the bare essentials that I felt were needed to guide the viewer through the images
I love the work of Alec Soth and he’s also from MN so what isn’t there to love, but hear him share a few thoughts on working editorial assignments and portraits:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrNUoZ1ye6Y[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvgg6bLhJE4[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwEAxrmBz64[/youtube]
Ken Burns himself talks about the effect named after him and its use in this Poynter article by Regina McCombs who’s also from MN working at the Star Tribune.
Tags: audio, journalism, photojournalism, Uncategorized, video
Retro TV news promo.
Posted by Tim Gruber | Filed under Uncategorized
Check out this funky 70s news promo clip from a Cleveland TV station. They were rocking the flip-book effect before I was even born. The only thing missing is the shag carpet.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv55lReyf2w[/youtube]
Tags: video
Old media doesn’t make for new media.
Posted by Tim Gruber | Filed under Uncategorized
There’s a nice post over at Shooting by Numbers that highlights the idea that you can’t take content formatted for old media(IE: TV and newsprint) and just throw it online and call it new media.
This snippet is especially true for me of the online viewing experience:
The net is well suited to watching a 2 minute video, stopping to send a link to a friend, responding to an instant message - and then watching another 90 second video. The web is a non-linear interactive medium.
In counterpoint the TV experience is essentially linear and passive. Combining the two creates dissonance. Being passive while we watch TV is fine - we sit back to watch TV. But we sit UP at our computers - its a totally different experience. We want to be clicking.
To have me fully engaged in an online video for more than a few minutes is a challenge. As the site points out watching video on the web isn’t a passive situation like watching TV. You’re vying for my time and if I don’t find your video appealing I’m gone. It’ll be interesting to watch as alternative delivery methods become more mainstream how that changes our viewing habits. AppleTV anyone?
Tags: video
The opportunities are limitless.
Posted by Tim Gruber | Filed under Uncategorized
Michael Rosenblum highlights what’s happening in the newspaper business right now. The rage as we all know is newspapers shooting video. Some are embracing it while others cuss it, but wherever you fall you can’t argue with Michael in that, “those who ‘get it’, the opportunities are limitless.” I couldn’t agree with him more. We as journalists…I say journalists because there are also writers who are shooting video and look out they may not have the eye of a photojournalist yet, but everyday in their writing they’re creating stories with a beginning, middle, and end…a key ingredient in storytelling with video. Now is the time though to be taking these chances.
The video camera is another tool in our bag and as a student many employers are looking to us to come in and help move their staff forward. It happened at my last internship where I was one of a only a few who had audio skills and provided me the opportunity to call out assignments I wanted based on my ability to do audio. Want to land better assignments? Embrace all forms of storytelling and you’ll see your stock rise in the newsroom. When I graduate in a year I hope to be in a position to land a job not only based on my stills, but my overall abilities to tell stories with a range of tools using a variety of mediums.
Tags: photojournalism, video
Storyboarding.
Posted by Tim Gruber | Filed under Uncategorized
I haven’t made use of storyboarding in the few videos I’ve shot, but Ping Magazine does a nice job of profiling 5 different storyboards for us. It provides a nice look into the creative process from beginning to end. I especially like the paint commercial storyboard with it’s amazing detail down to the containers and colors to be used.
Check it out.
Tags: Uncategorized, video
The art of editing.
Posted by Tim Gruber | Filed under Uncategorized
Transitions are the punctuation of your productions. They assist your viewers in interpreting your edit.
http://www.digitaljuice.com
If something isn’t said it isn’t going to be seen. What you show adds weight to what you say. And as Bruce would say people remember more when they can feel something. Most of the emotion in your video is generated with music and images. It’s nonverbal. You can take your edits to a higher level of professionalism by letting your shots do the talking.
http://www.digitaljuice.com
The rest of the videos in his series are also very helpful. They just require you to spend a little time find them. For some reason they built the site with no easy way to navigate the videos of only one show? Despite the nagging usability problems you’ll be sure to uncover a gem or two if you take the time to look around.
The great thing about the site beyond the great content is that they make the videos available in a variety of formats. Want to watch the videos away from your desk? No problem download the .mp4 format. Now only if newspapers would discover the value in giving their audience viewing options. Streaming in a 320px window? No thanks.
Tags: video
