Going Solo: Doing Videojournalism in the 21st Century

Contents

Contents 1QDE@BD $G@OSDQ
 A Rose by Any Other Name Newspapers Relying on VJs, Too Solo Videojournalists to the Rescue Newspapers and Radio Adopting Solo Videojournalism VJs Setting a Trend How It All Began One Person Getting Closer to the Story Solo Videojournalism Goes Mainstream and Online Solo Videojournalists as the Wave of the Future FOCUS: The “Rosenblum Model” $G@OSDQ


VJ Is Like a Cussword How Does VJ Quality Compare? The Heart of the Controversy VJs Need Total Involvement in the Story Solo Videojournalism as a Stepping-stone A Liberating Experience—or Overworked? One-on-One Can Mean More Rapport FOCUS: A VJ Documentary Experience $G@OSDQ


Preparing to Shoot the VJ Story The VJ’s Clock Never Stops Find a Story That Lends Itself to Being Told on Video xi 1 2 2 4 6 6 8 9 11 14 18 19 20 21 24 26 27 28 32 32 33 viii Contents Find Compelling Characters Look for Nuances in the Characters and Issues Check Out Your Equipment before the Assignment Make Your Mistakes in Private FOCUS: Freedom, Freedom $G@OSDQ


Shoot with Your Eyes and Ears Seek Shots That Have Impact Use Video to Transmit an Experience Sound Is a Major Piece of the Story Puzzle Shoot Natural Sound, not Noise Shoot with Your Ears When Shooting, Listen like a Reporter FOCUS: Converting a Reporter to a VJ $G@OSDQ

Get Closer to Your Subject Put Your Subjects at Ease Have a Conversation Instead of an Interview Pay Attention to the Conversation and the Camera The VJ Interview Technique Get the Two-Shot and Reverse Do an Informal Interview Get Closer to Your Subject Getting More Intimate Interviews Getting an Informal Interview with a Reluctant Subject Swallow Your Trepidation about Getting Close Use a Notebook Find Your Comfort Zone Be Prepared for Your Working Environment FOCUS: Getting the Most out of Her Subjects $G@OSDQ


Be One with Your Equipment Follow the Rules to Get Useable Video Use the Tripod Be Aware of Lighting Limitations Properly Expose the Image Extra Lights May Be Necessary Other Camera Controls for Lighting FOCUS: The VJ’s Equipment Bag 35 36 37 38 40 42 42 44 45 46 48 48 49 53 53 55 56 58 59 59 60 61 61 62 63 63 64 66 71 71 75 77 77 78 79 80 Contents ix $G@OSDQ


Always Write to Get to the Next Piece of Sound Log Your Video Every Story Has a Beginning, Middle, and End The Gateway to the Story Don’t Get Complicated Find Your Story Focus Come “Full Circle” in a Story Sound Is the Skeleton of the Story What Makes Good Sound? The Hierarchy of Sound Bites Writing into and out of Your Sound Bites Punctuate with Natural Sound Using Sound as a Transition Put Muscle on the Skeleton Be an Active-Voice Writer! Cut the Waste Write Literately to the Pictures Surprise Me! Recreate the Mood Clear Your Mind and Take a Fresh Look at Your Work FOCUS: Use a Log Sheet to Find Pieces of the Story Puzzle $G@OSDQ


The Vision Comes Alive Give the Story Meaning with Your Voice Voice It with Appropriate Energy The Vision Comes Alive Make Magic Come Alive Don’t Bounce from Scene to Scene Get into the Rhythm of the Story More Sound Advice Use Effects Judiciously To Narrate? Or not to Narrate? Editing Non-narrated Video Stories Other Web Editing Tricks Make a Final Review FOCUS: When and How to Do Standups $G@OSDQ


Not Your Father’s Video Story Setting Themselves Apart from TV News 83 84 85 86 86 87 88 88 92 92 93 94 94 95 96 97 98 100 100 102 103 107 107 109 110 111 112 112 113 114 114 115 116 116 118 121 121 x Contents Newspapers Add More Video to the Mix Here Come the MoJos MoJos on the Go How Newspaper and TV Video News Differ Newspaper Web Videojournalism Has Different Styles, Too Take Time to Do It Right Developing a Newspaper VJ Style A New Standard to Judge FOCUS: Platypus Profile $G@OSDQ

They’ve Got MoJo, Baby—How VJs Put It All Together Jerry Barlar—WKRN, Nashville Angela Grant—InstantNewsWestU.com, Houston Dan Weaver—KUSA, Denver Christine Lee—From Newspaper to TV FOCUS: Work Smarter by Saving Time $G@OSDQ
 Think Ahead to Beat the Competition and...