Month: August 2020

HOST INTRO: While many businesses are suffering during the Corona Virus pandemic, some small businesses are actually seeing an increase in new and returning customers. This has been the case for natural juice company, Griffy’s Organics, who have seen a surge in demand as they find themselves uniquely suited for this crisis. Here is Diane Mon with the story.

 

AMBI: (kitchen blender on)

 

TRACK: I am here today with Avry Griffin, Co-founder and CEO of Griffy’s Organics. We are in his kitchen in Long Branch, New Jersey making green juice with kale and celery. He says the pandemic has made people more conscious of their health.

 

ACT: It actually has been very beneficial to us because when you think about the health and wellness landscape, you have more of an educated consumer now with people having a concern for their immunity, and our juices provide an immunity boost, seeing how they are all natural and raw. Everyone is looking to stay healthy, build their immune system, live a better lifestyle, and an educated consumer means they’re willing to do their research on a quality product.

 

TRACK: The stated aim of Griffy’s Organics has been to keep its customers healthy by helping them build and maintain strong immune systems with their nutrient dense juices. The sizable increase in demand for their products validates the effectiveness of this approach. An integral part of their customer service experience has been to strictly adhere to all the recommended COVID-19 social interaction protocols.

 

ACT: We do take precautions where we do wear a mask when delivering. I also make sure that we social distance when we are delivering. Some people prefer us to leave it at the door. Some people want to actually speak to us, and see us face to face. I think it’s just important to have common courtesy and respect towards everyone, whether they believe in the crisis or not, or whether they are abiding by the rules or not, I think it just shows a sign of respect.

 

TRACK: Wellness trends aren’t the only reason Griffy’s Organics is in the right place at the right time. The social winds appear to be blowing in his direction as well.

 

ACT: Raw, fresh pressed juice is a growing industry. I think Corona Virus definitely helped us in a sense, as well as being a black owned business, with everything with the BLM movement going on. People wanna support black owned businesses, especially local small businesses and things of that nature.

 

TRACK: He has high hopes that this success will continue as people adjust to what he calls a new normal.

 

ACT: Because our customer base is old people, it’s young people, it’s people who have been in the health and wellness space who work out every single day, and it’s people who don’t take care of themselves and who are looking for just something to implement into their day to get them on a positive track. So, I feel like regardless, Griffy’s would thrive.

 

TRACK: Moving forward, Griffy’s Organics will have their B2B model as well as a retail store where people can become members. For Baruch College, this is Diane Mon.

Screening and Discussion

We’ll listen to some of your radio stories and give feedback as a class.

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BREAK

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Practice Video Assignment

Five-shot sequence due on Monday.

The classic sequence that every budding videographer learns when starting out is the five-shot sequence.

 

• Close-up on the hands.
• Close-up on the face.
• Medium shot.
• Over the shoulder shot.
• One additional creative angle.

You won’t always edit things in this exact way when you do a sequence in the real world; sometimes it’ll only be three shots, or it might be ten, and they might be in a different order. But the five-shot sequence is a useful framework for thinking about depicting an activity clearly and engagingly with video.

Editing a Five-Shot Sequence

This can be a very short video: roughly 30 seconds.

Take a short clip of the interview you filmed, linger on the person’s face for about five seconds, add a lower third identifying the person, and layer your sequence of B-roll over the rest of it. You don’t need to include too much of each B-roll shot… but remember that it’s good practice to hold shots for at least 10-15 seconds when filming, even if a lot of the time you might only end up using five seconds of each clip.

Export (Format: H.264) and upload to YouTube or Vimeo, then post on the class blog. (Defaulting to “Match source-high bitrate” is fine; if you’re ever concerned about the file size being too big, the medium bitrate is a good option.)

Upcoming Dates

Monday, August 10: Production on video stories; one-on-one check-ins and feedback.

Wednesday, August 12: Videos due. Screening and feedback as a class.

Here are a couple of videos done by past students to serve as inspiration:

 

Radio Script

 

Host: The sports card business has been a profitable one for decades now. In the last few years the trade in these cards has exploded as the internet allows for easier selling and buying of cards. But since the start of the pandemic, with people having lots of time on their hands, spending most of their lives online, and nostalgia levels through the roof, business is better than ever. Alec Friedman spoke with one of these sellers.

 

TRACK: I’m on the phone with Alex Andelsman who recently sold a ____ card. He has been buying and selling cards on eBay for a few years now but has really taken it up a notch due to lock down.

 

ACT: Since the lock down I’ve done many different things that I never thought that I would be able to do like growing a 1200 follower Instagram account in four months.

 

TRACK: He says there’s been unprecedented growth with new collectors and investors every day.

 

ACT:  Marketplace has had the opportunity to grow massively over the past four months because of the lockdown and everybody being in their house and going through their old cards in their old collections and rediscovering their youth a little bit the market I’ve seen cards that have sold for millions and thousands of dollars just shattering records you know just craziness I’m making four times on a card in two weeks.

 

TRACK: For a lot of people especially Andelsman this isn’t just a casual hobby, it’s a legit business with great opportunity for profit. With a lot of research and dedicating time to listing the cards online there is real money to be made.

 

ACT: I see this as a business because I’m in it to make profit but there are other people out there that just you know seeing athlete that they like and they like to collect their card but yeah for me personally it’s a business and I’m seeing great returns on some of the cards that I buy.

 

NOISE

 

TRACK: That noise you hear is the sound of Andelsman listing cards on eBay

 

ACT: I’m spending about two or three hours a day on Either eBay scrolling through prices or shipping items that I’ve sold or looking to buy new things on the sports card hobby or business has become a daily you know fast moving business basically just like the stock market.

 

TRACK: The sports card business is one that’s been around for over a century now starting in the early 1900s and continuing through today. Back in the early days of the industry you had to go to the ballpark, a newspaper stand or a card store to buy sports cards but with the internet, access is easier than ever. Whether you’re interested in collecting your favorite players or buying and selling like Andelsman the sports card business has never been so convenient, and now in a world on lock down with everyone living their lives from keyboard to monitor the sports card business is seeing growth like never before. For Baruch College, I’m Alec Friedman on Long Island.

Host intro: It’s been over two months since the death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests erupted across all 50 states. Although media reports have dwindled, organized demonstrations for racial justice continue to persist. Lily Sexton spoke to one of the organizers of a New York Protest to get to know more about the movement. 

Fade in: Black Lives Matter Chant from protest 

Lily: I’m here with Ian Ward at the Pulaski Bridge in Brooklyn as he prepares for another protest as a part of the Black Lives Matter movement to fight for racial justice.  Today marks the 66th day of protests and still hundreds of people have come to show their support for the movement. 

Ian: I really believe the current Black Lives Matter protests are going to be a permanent mark on this country. As you can see, just because the media is done reporting we are not done fighting for racial justice. The people are mad. People are waking up and recognizing their privilege and other people are – for the first time – having their voices heard. 

Track: CJ Marine, another protester, also voiced their concerns about what they say is an inaccurate portrayal of the protests by the media. 

CJ:  On both left and right wing networks they’ve only shown the violent parts of the protest and they only focus on the  property being seized, when in reality were fighting for radical change within the system. 

Track: And protester Huge Escobar chimed in as well. 

Hugo: People are so quick to report a storefront but when it comes to a human life, they don’t care. 

CJ: Because they want more eyeballs on the screen and violence attracts eyeballs. 

Track: While media attention would be helpful, it doesn’t hinder these activists efforts to continue to demand change through protests. 

Ian: People are still watching. Everyone is watching. This week the case for Elijah McClain was reopened, who was murdered at the hands of police almost a year ago for getting an iced tea for his brother. And what about Tamir Rice, Tanisha Anderson, Mya Hall, Walter Scott, Sandra Bland. The list goes on and on – and so will this movement. 

Fade in: Power to the People Chant

Track: As they say, they aren’t letting up the protests anytime soon. Just this weekend, there are more protests scheduled for Tiffany Harris at Saint James Park, Anti-Racism March at Brooklyn Borough Hall and a ceremony for Eric Gardner at McCarren Park. For Baruch College, this is Lily Sexton in Brooklyn.

 

Isiah frank

Script.

8/4/20

 

Host intro:  The COVID-19 pandemic has left many college students and recent graduates feeling uncertain about their futures. For those interested in continuing their education at the graduate level, the GRE has always been an in-person exam. But that has recently changed to allow for online testing. Isiah Frank has the story.

 

Ambi: Natural sounds of an online class being taught and natural noises of loud family members

 

Track- I am here in Queens with Dennise Celleri, a college student at St john’s University. Dennise has been living at home during this pandemic but now it’s affecting her future. She is going into her senior year and has been prepping to take the GRE exam. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how she’s preparing for it.

 

Act- in 2018 I knew I was going to take the GRE; I knew I was going to grad school for speech pathology. I went to St johns because I would be going to school for free and just paying my dorm fees. Since March, the school sent us home and my house for the most part isn’t a normal place ill categorize it as a zoo.

 

Track- She’s been trying to deal with the zoo as best she can while forced to study at home.

 

 

Act Dennise- I signed up for online classes to study the GRE material. I am taking a course at Manhattan College. Learning online has it benefits and majors’ disadvantages.  The only benefit I can think of this far into my studies is that I can learn on my own time. Other than that, everything bothers me, especially being home when my family is here too.

 

Track- the things that goes on the household prevents Dennise from focusing on her studies.

 

Ambi: Dog barking sounds

 

Act Dennise- I dorm because I know how my home may get and because of the coronavirus I am stuck in a house where there are Babies crying, dog barking, and people yelling etc. How am I supposed to focus on a test that 1. Cost a lot of money just to take 2. Can decided my future.

 

Track- with her future in sight, the coronavirus pandemic still affecting the city. Dennise looks for ways to pay for GRE testing and studying.

 

Act Dennise- Like I said before the coronavirus benefited me in some way and that way is the unemployment money. With the extra $600 I was able to pay for the online class and still help out at home. Other than that, I feel like this has been the worst couple months I’ve had in some time.

 

Track- This test isn’t a cheap nor is it something you play with

 

Act- To take the test you have to pay $200 per time you take it. The class in Manhattan Prep online is FULL price as to in class tutoring. A whopping $1200. That is the same price if you have a teacher present and I think that is total nonsense it is still full price. We are learning different so it should be cheaper.

 

Track- Dennise feels like this is the perfect time to take the exam.

 

Act- I am going into my senior year and this was what I planned as a freshman when I decided this major. I decided that I was going to prep after I finished my junior year and take the test before the school year and if I do not like my score take it after the semester. This was my original plan. That’s all ruined. I may have to take the test after my semester or before my tutoring classes are still going.

 

Track- Dennise has methods for how she plans on doing her best no matter the situation.

 

Act Dennise- I honestly think people should look at this year specialized test different because it is not the same as kids before or after is going to be. Speech Pathology is my career choice and I need my masters but Covid-19 made it more difficult not impossible. I can listen to my class during the time I have it and study it when I have some online time. (she meant alone)

 

Track- Not only are the GRE prep classes online now, so is the test itself. Denisse, like the other test takers, will need to take the exam over Zoom using a whiteboard to show her answers. For Baruch College, this is Isiah Frank in Queens.

 

 

 

 

Host intro: Under these unusual circumstances that Covid-19 has brought upon the entire world, many people are facing dramatic changes in their lives and finding new ways to spend their time. While traveling across the country, I have had the opportunity to witness how different Covid-19 looks amongst different states. I will be interviewing a local farmer’s market employee regarding how this virus has affected her life in Colorado and how it has been affecting the business.

Ambi1: wind, birds chirping, customers conversing in the background.

Track: I am here at the local farmers’ market in Loveland, Colorado with Addison Castillon, who is helping her father run a farmstand selling produce and flowers. She says she has taken time during the pandemic to really focus on hobbies and other activities that she didn’t have time for before the lockdown.

Act: Yeah, this virus was and still is super scary but I’ve been trying to look at the bright side of things amongst all this craziness. I’ve gotten used to things being shut down and I’m honestly enjoying it. I’m a college student and my classes have been moved online so I have a lot of extra free time that I would normally spend commuting to school.

Track: Addison says that although the pandemic was scary, it has not only given her free time but also brought them a lot of business.

Act: This year was the busiest year we’ve ever had here at this farmer’s market. Since we are a business that is mostly outside and it’s not really an enclosed area, a lot of people feel safer shopping here because of the fresh air. A lot of people are also doing a lot of gardening this year because everything is on lockdown. At first I was really scared that it would negatively affect the business and I would lose my job but thankfully it ended up working out well.

Track: She knows, though, that many people here haven’t been quite so luckly.

Act: A lot of my friends lost their jobs due to Covid and they were struggling for a while financially. Thankfully, they managed and now they are doing well. A lot of people, like myself, have started to find enjoyment outside a lot and do things like camping and hiking. We are lucky to live in such a beautiful state where there are a lot of accessible areas that have stunning hikes and areas to spend outside.

Track: Covid-19 has brought upon a dramatic change throughout many lives. As Addison shares, there have been both positive and negative affects from this virus. From Addison’s experiences with the virus, she demonstrates that even in challenging times, it’s possible to find a bright side to things as well. Covid has taught us all to maintain our patience and faith that things will get better, while also learning how to enjoy the difference in our lives.

Host Intro: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 8 out of 10 COVID-related deaths since the start of the pandemic have been adults aged 65 and older. Nursing homes were hit hard when New York became the epicenter of the outbreak in the spring. Wen Lin has more on how local nursing homes are doing everything they can to keep the virus in check.

ACT: feeding frenzy etc. (Governor Cuomo Press Conference)

TRACK: That was Governor Andrew Cuomo speaking in an late-April Press conference. Today I’m here with Kevin Chiu, a long time employee at The Phoenix Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Brooklyn, New York. As someone whose job is to provide recreation for the patients, his focus these days is on helping them feel connected to the world again.

ACT: Ever since COVID hit, we haven’t really had the opportunity to do things with them. So a lot of what we do now is help the patients contact their family members, because family members aren’t able to actually enter the nursing homes because of the fear that they might actually spread it to the patients.

TRACK: Because these residents are so vulnerable to COVID, Phoenix is taking serious precautions when it comes to keeping the virus in check.

ACT: We constantly have to wear PPE everywhere we go, which stands for Personal Protective Equipment. So we talk about our mask, our faceshield, our gowns, our gloves, hairnet, even shoe protectors. It’s gotten to the point where people are covering up so much that you do even recognize who the person is anymore.

TRACK: Despite all this, the workers in Phoenix are no strangers to seeing death on a daily basis.

ACT: Probably the most terrifying thing is just watching a lot of the patients pass away, because no matter how cautious you could be, it’s hard to really contain the virus. I’ve watched a lot of patients I’ve known, or even patients I didn’t know. I’ve seen them be rolled out in body bags or stretchers, and it is not an easy sight to stomach.

TRACK: Now that cases are in New York, Phoenix is continuing to take precautions to make sure death rates don’t go up again. For Baruch College, this is Wen Lin in Brooklyn.

https://songsong.exposure.co/a-taste-of-the-mediterranean-in-suburban-georgia?source=share-songsong

STORY SLUG: SUFFOLK COUNTY POLICE PROPOSAL

HOST INTRO: Amid the nationwide protests for police reform in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd, activists have pushed for major changes in how we manage resources to help people in our communities. With evidence of police brutality all across social media, more and more people are demanding change. Derek Gutierrez is an activist for police reform in Suffolk County, Long Island. Reporter Steven Hall spoke to him about what possible steps the county can take, and what he is doing to push for legislation.

AMBI: Voicemail

Track: He hopes that his proposal will receive some traction. The basic structure of the board will consist of 3 parts.

AMBI: Writing on paper.

TRACK: A representative from the State Government, such as a legislator. 2 representatives from the Police Department, elected by a majority of Officers, and residents, who will be free to attend hearings of the board in order to directly engage in discussion.

ACT: With this police board initiative, wanted to model off the board of education. There’s the heads of education, there’s the people of the district, some of the state, but the majority comes from the citizens. There’s a select few that voluntarily run for election without any compensation, each meeting holds an audience, an audience of those within the jurisdiction of the school district. So I wanted to model that off and replicate it in a police board initiative, in which citizens have more power in their neighborhoods.

TRACK: Suffolk County is expected to see a deficit of $1.5 billion through 2022 due to the pandemic, so funding the board may be complicated.

ACT: I would fight for more funding from the state, but our argument is that NY is going into debt, we lose billions every year, what I do not like is NY state funding billions into the federal government, in which it’s just going to be used for other states that do not fund, because we have one of the better economies, but the from what I see the goal of that isn’t met with reality.

TRACK: Governor Andrew Cuomo recently pushed a similar action with executive order no.203 which pushes “

AMBI: Cuomo at a press conference.

TRACK: Gutierrez thinks his plan is better.

ACT: It’s better because it involves citizens. No one knows the streets better than the people who live on them. Although we elect officials, I believe they are on the same level as us on what goes on in the neighborhood.

TRACK: As of recording Gutierrez is continuing talks with the Office of Public Safety in the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.

For Baruch College, I’m Steven Hall in Suffolk County, NY.

Host intro: As the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the world, the controversial topic of whether schools should stay closed or open this upcoming fall is constantly brought up. As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, parents aren’t the only ones who are scared, so are the students. 

AMBI1: pressing video game keys

Track: I’m talking with Jason, an upcoming 5th grader. Jason loved going to school pre-pandemic as he was outgoing and enjoyed playing with his friends. Jason how are you adapting to the new normal?

Act: It’s definitely hard. I talk to my friends every day. We call or facetime, we also play video games together. Our favorite is Minecraft right now. 

Track: Do you ever think about going back to school?

Act: Sometimes, just because I miss my friends. I am scared, everyone talks about the coronavirus it’s everywhere on the news, every Youtube video I watch there is an ad for it. It’s hard not to be scared. Mom says I’ll have to wear a mask, so I don’t know how I’m going to do that for 8 hours. 

Track: Was online schooling difficult for you?

Act: Kind of. My sister helped me with a lot of it as you probably know (laugh). But I felt safer being at home. 

Track: Staying safe should be a priority for everyone, as the future is uncertain. From Baruch College this is Angelina Vasilevsky

https://soundcloud.com/user-253892637/radio-audio-project