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Intro to Video Journalism

With video, we build on the compositional techniques of photography and the structural, storytelling aspects of audio with one obvious additional element: Motion.

How does video storytelling for the web and mobile differ from TV and film?

• Need to be CLOSER to your subject. Web videos are smaller and more compressed.
• Something like 20 percent of online viewers bail on a video within 10 seconds. So you don’t have a lot of time to grab your viewers and make sure they stick around.

How important is audio?

Good audio is of paramount importance. If you have low-quality video and good audio, the video will still be watchable. If you have gorgeous visuals but terrible audio, it will not.

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Shooting Your Video

There are two main components to any video: your interviews and your B-roll. The rules of composition we learned for photography (thirds, colors, patterns, symmetry, etc.) all apply here, but you also need to keep an eye out for motion. Tracking shots involve following the action with your camera, while static shots involve keeping your camera still, but that doesn’t mean there’s no motion involved; you might just be letting the action go in and out of the frame.

Unless you are shooting video specifically for distribution on mobile devices like phones and tablets, it is hugely important that you DO NOT SHOOT VERTICALLY. 

 

What is B-roll? And what difference does it make?

A big difference.

 

Things to keep in mind while you’re shooting B-roll:

1. Shoot more than you think you’ll need.
2. Get a variety of shots. Close-up, medium, wide, detail shots, static shots, tracking shots.
3. Use a tripod whenever possible. If you don’t have one or you’re shooting in a mobile, chaotic situation, be resourceful about stabilizing your shots.
4. Think about your interviews and let them inform your B-roll shooting decisions. Look for shots that illustrate what the person is talking about.
5. Hold your shot longer than you think you need to. A good rule of thumb is to hold it for at least 10 seconds (AFTER it’s already steady).

 

Things to keep in mind when you’re shooting your interviews:

1. Frame the shot with your subject on one of the thirds, angled so that they’re looking slightly INTO the frame. Have them look at you, not at the camera, so be mindful of where you are sitting. It’s a bit intense when someone looks directly into the camera.
2. If you’re working with a translator, be mindful that the subject will want to look at them, so make sure they are positioned in the ideal place to draw the person’s gaze.
3. Prioritize good audio.
4. Make sure their face is lit, but not too harshly.
5. Think about composing the shot in a way that allows for some negative space where the Lower Third will eventually go.

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When is narration necessary?

Sometimes, you can let the subjects of your video tell the story all on their own — as long as you edit with care, presenting what they’ve told you in a way that makes narrative sense. One benefit of non-narrated videos is that they can feel more organic. There’s no disembodied voice stepping in to tell the story, which keeps the focus on the characters in the story.

But sometimes, for clarity’s sake or for stylistic reasons, narration is necessary, or text.

Narrated videos

https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/americas/100000005277141/the-last-taushiro.html

Text-Narrated videos

These are more and more popular thanks to social media distribution because they automatically start playing as you scroll through your feed and they can be watched without sound.

Non-Narrated videos

Islamic exorcisms used as a ‘cure’ for homosexuality in Indonesia: ‘If I am Muslim, I can’t be gay’

 

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Intro to Photojournalism

Here are some basic rules and guidelines of photo composition to keep in mind as you start developing your eye:

1. The Rule of Thirds.

If you pay attention to only one element of composition, the rule of thirds should be it. If you start shooting with this “rule” in mind, your pictures will begin to look a lot better immediately.

The general idea is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. If you place the main points of interest in your photo where the lines intersect, or along the lines themselves, your image will be far more visually interesting than if you just put the subject smack in the middle. Studies have shown that composing photos this way draws the human eye far more effectively.

2. Use color.

Black and white photography is a beautiful art form, but in photojournalism, most of the time you’ll be shooting in color. It helps to know what combinations of color to look for if you want your images to really pop.

You probably recognize this photo. Known as Afghan Girl, it is one of National Geographic’s most iconic images and was taken by color master Steve McCurry. One of the reasons this relatively simple picture is so stunning and so well-known is the colors: red and green, which fall on opposite sides of the color wheel.

Opposite colors, paired together, can make each other look more vibrant. Notice how the green of the girl’s eyes is picked up by the wall behind her and set off by the rusty red of her scarf.

Images with variations on the same color, known as monochromatic images, can also be quite striking:

3. Capture the decisive moment.

“The decisive moment” is a term that was coined by renowned photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. It refers to that fleeting instant that photographers love to capture: When someone leans in for a kiss, when a soccer player connects with with the ball, or when a protester throws a rock. If you aren’t ready with your finger on the shutter, you’ll miss the moment. If Bresson had taken this photo a split second earlier or later, it would have been a much more ordinary photo of a man splashing through a puddle. These moments don’t need to be that dramatic; for your assignments, it may be as simple as capturing the moment when the food truck owner you’re profiling flips some meat on the grill or hands the food to her customer. Action shots vs static shots tell more of a story.

4. Leading lines.

Leading lines are lines that move the eye from one part of the image to another part, or sometimes out of the image. They add a sense of drama and perspective, so it’s always good to be on the lookout for roads, bridges, fences, shorelines and the like.

5. Symmetry and patterns.

Symmetry and patterns exist everywhere, both in nature and man-made sights. Looking for repetitions and symmetries, while staying alert to things that then break those very patterns (especially on the thirds!) is a sure way to make an arresting image.

6. Layers.

Another great way to make sure your images are visually interesting is to keep an eye out for what’s happening up close, in the middle distance, and far away. Think in layers. If you can frame your shots so that interesting things are happening in the background as well as at your focal point five feet away, you’re onto something.

Layers will be one of your greatest tools as a photojournalist, because layers add context. They tell a story.

This is a famous photograph by South African photojournalist Kevin Carter. He won a Pulitzer Prize for this image, which showed the effects of the 1993 famine in Sudan.

“Photojournalism” means you’re telling a story, not just taking a picture.

Layers are also a great chance to play around with something called depth of field. This refers to the difference in focus between things that are in the foreground vs. the background—if there isn’t much difference, like in the Kevin Carter photo above, then you’re using greater depth of field. When that difference is dramatic, like when your phone is in Portrait Mode, it’s called shallow depth of field. Shallow depth of field also gives you something called bokeh, which turns background lights into warm globes.

Depth of field is affected by a few things: the focal length of your lens, your distance from the thing in focus, and aperture. We’ll talk more about that when we get into camera settings.

7. Light.

Light impacts everything we do as photographers. How much are we working with? Is it natural or artificial? What is the temperature of the light? What direction is it coming from? Is it harsh or diffuse? What time of day is it? Are you using a flash? Many photojournalists prefer to shoot with natural light as much as possible. Portrait photographers and fashion/fine art photographers often use studio lighting to create interesting lighting environments.

Different kinds of light will affect how different people look in photographs depending on their skin tone.

 

8. Get close. Then, get even closer.

Photographer Robert Capa famously said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” Proximity with your subjects makes for more powerful and intimate photos. Don’t be afraid to get right in someone’s face with your camera. It may feel intrusive and strange at first, but a huge part of being a reporter is engaging with people and making them feel comfortable.

What’s that process like? How do you go about shoving a camera in someone’s face?

For analysis: The Week in Photos

A Nursing Student’s Experience with Online Classes and Thoughts on Returning to Campus in The Fall by Natalie Austin

Radio assignment script:

Host Intro (not included): Since March 2020, CUNY students have been taking their classes remotely due to COVID-19. Now that it’s that time of the semester to register for classes again, CUNY students have been informed there are plans to return to campus almost completely with in person and hybrid options being added. Natalie Austin spoke to a CUNY student on her thoughts about returning to campus for the Fall semester.

AMBI: Nursing online homework program called Shadow Health.

TRACK: Saige Davis is a 21-year-old student at Hunter College studying to become a nurse. As she was completing her online nursing homework, she discussed her preference for in person classes.

ACT: SAIGE: I prefer in person classes, just for the sake of being in class and actually interacting with people. On zoom, I could just not turn my camera on, and I could just be on my phone, or I could just daydream. I mean you could do that in person too but, it’s like a different feel from when you’re at home. You’re just on your couch or something, whereas when you’re in class, it’s like okay I’m in class, this is the time to listen to the teacher especially since I traveled all the way there to be in class and pay attention.

TRACK: Davis goes on to speak about her experience going to campus once a week for her lab course.

ACT: SAIGE: I have been on campus for lab classes. At first when this all started, that first semester when they cancelled classes, everything was cancelled. We just were online and that was it, and then last semester, they allowed us to come to campus to go to lab class. It’s like we’re practicing what we are supposed to be doing in clinical.

TRACK: For nursing students, clinical is the hands-on experience in which students apply the things they have been learning at hospitals and nursing homes.

ACT: SAIGE: So, what we’re supposed to do is go to lab, learn the skills, and then go to clinical and practice it on a real patient; but we didn’t get to do that last semester. We just were, uh, basically practicing on the mannequins and that was it.

TRACK: She explained how COVID-19 has limited her clinical experience, making her anxious about becoming a full-time nurse.

ACT: SAIGE: I am very nervous because you should be getting all your experience in clinical. You need to be able to communicate with the patients, first of all. And you have to be comfortable talking to people. That’s something I need more experience with.

TRACK: This semester, Davis has been able to go to clinical, but she is feeling less prepared in comparison to previous graduating classes.

ACT: SAIGE: I was able to go to some clinicals, but due to COVID, it’s a shorter period of time that were allowed to be there. We’re only there for like three hours now. So, I won’t have the usual amount of clinical experience that past graduates have already had. So that’s going to be a challenge.

TRACK: With the new vaccines available, CUNY is preparing to have in person and hybrid classes for the upcoming fall semester.

ACT: SAIGE: I don’t think that things will be ready for the fall. I would not feel comfortable going back to campus in the fall. Um, I don’t think that people are really taking this pandemic seriously and I feel like things are only going to get worse.

TRACK: Davis leaves us with suggestions for CUNY and their students to keep everyone safe.

ACT: SAIGE: A certain amount of time goes by, they might clean or provide masks that people can take. But you know, it’s just too many students. So, I’m not really sure that would really help. What I think should be done is, it’s really up to us students to take this pandemic seriously and do what we have to do at home. Do our part: stay home and, you know, get the vaccine so that when we do come back to campus, there won’t be a virus to spread.

TRACK: For Baruch College, I am Natalie Austin.

The Netflix documentary Extremis was short but very compelling. Overall, I am saddened that this is a reality for not only doctors but many families as well. Life is about choice, therefore, to possibly have your choice taken away is a very scary thought. For others to have to be in the position to make the choice of life and death is an extremely hard thing to do daily. It was tough to see the discomfort the patients were in and hearing the families discuss the possibility of losing their loved ones.

There was an important message about life and family. Selena’s family touched my heart because of their faith. It was difficult to watch her family struggle between their faith and what the doctor was telling them. She had a strong support system that was not going to give up. Selena’s story also brought up a sad truth about financial costs of hospital care. Selena knew she needed to go to the hospital but could not afford the cost of riding in the ambulance so decided to get in her son in laws car instead.

The filmmakers and videographers did an excellent job at capturing the story and emotion of everyone. The close ups on the doctors with the patients, catching painful tearful eyes of families, and the conversation between the circle of doctors helped to fully tell the story. The shots of the hand holding of different patients with their families and doctors caught my eye. It showed a way for the voiceless patients to communicate but, also the support of those holding their hands, essentially holding on to hope.

The doctors have a very tough job! There is a lot of pressure to save lives by making the best decision all while advising families. The documentary showed the relentless effort and patience the doctors have. My heartbreaks for them because there is an emotional toll with their job.  It made me wonder if the doctors ever want to quit How do they cope with all death, the family’s grief/hopelessness, and stress?

 

 

The Giving Garden is a self-sustaining garden located in Westchester, NY at the Port Chester Middle School. Allison Silverman is a teacher at the middle school and started the garden 14 years ago to help her students learn about nutrition and  valuable skills in the kitchen. The garden further blossomed into a local outlet for fighting food insecurity throughout the town.

The Giving Garden also advocates for sustainability; they often work with other organizations such as the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation to make sustainability efforts more accessible for the students.

The Port Chester school district is the first district in the country to be declared “carbon neutral” by a United Nations initiative. With the help from the nonprofit One World, an organization focused on educating students about world issues, the district has been able to offset carbon emissions since 2019.

The Giving Garden supports the carbon neutral initiative and for the past 14 years has advocated for environmental sustainability. The garden’s influence directly contributed to why Port Chester is so passionate about making a global environmental impact. Fourteen years ago, Allison Silverman took the first step toward a more sustainable future for the town of Port Chester.