Going Solo: Doing Videojournalism in the 21st Century

Chapter 5: Get Closer to Your Subject

53 Chapter 5 Get Closer to Your Subject Never forget that the best stories are about people, not just facts about an issue . You want to build stories around people your audience can relate to. That task begins by choosing good characters for the story and then working to get the best video and sound with them while shooting the story. A solo videojournalist has a built-in disadvantage at this point in the process . Some things are just tougher to do alone than in a crew. Take interviewing, for example; in a two-person crew, the reporter can focus on the questions and getting the most out of the subject, while the photographer can make sure the shot is in focus, the subject is well lit and stays in the frame. Obviously, someone working alone in a video interview has to ask the questions and do the shooting as well. Despite that drawback, there are some things that people working solo on a video interview might actually do better than a pair working to accomplish the same thing. Put Your Subjects at Ease VJs say that it is often easier to get people to open up more, get them to say things they might not have said, when it is just the two of them alone with a small camera. There is something about a threesome with a cumbersome tripod , big camera, and bright lights that sometimes diminishes an interview’s intimacy. “It’s all about your relationship . . . the equipment shouldn’t get in the way of that,” says washingtonpost.com VJ Ben de la Cruz.“So, that’s why these 54 Going Solo small cameras have kind of fueled this solo videojournalism because it’s less imposing.”1 Other VJs have had similar experiences. “There’s no question that working alone you get closer to people,” says Pierre Kattar, formerly with washingtonpost .com. With several years of experience as a videojournalist working both in crews and by himself, he says it is usually better to approach people alone.“It’s all about relationships. It’s all about trust. You have to build that.”2 As a result,VJs may have a natural advantage in putting their subjects at ease. In fact, when setting up a story and trying to find a compelling character, the less intrusive one-on-one may be a selling point to persuade a source who is reluctant to sit down for an interview. “Oh, it’s just me and my little DV camera ,” you can tell the source. “There won’t be a monster photographer with a whale of a camera traipsing through your living room. I won’t even need to set up lights that will make you sweat.” Making interviewees comfortable on camera is one of the VJ’s primary tasks in getting good sound bites for a story. Get Closer to Your Subject 55 The key is to gain the source’s trust. The VJ needs to be sincere, however, and not just fake it. People will see through that. Plus, if you are saying things just to get an interview and video, but don’t follow through on your word, you will lose the source’s trust and respect. To get that trust, as a journalist you need to take an interest in your source’s problem or idea that makes them story-worthy.That does not mean you should become an advocate for their issue. Just promise them that while you are obligated to present a balanced story with multiple perspectives, you will be fair in telling their side. Then stick to that promise. That’s all most people want, just a chance to be heard. If you promise them a fair shot at presenting their story, that will go a long way to establishing a camaraderie with your characters and will help put them at ease for an interview. Have a Conversation Instead of an Interview Award-winning reporter Boyd Huppert of KARE-11 in Minneapolis says he rarely uses the word interview when asking someone to appear on camera. Even someone reluctant to be interviewed, he says, can be engaged in a conversation .“The greatest words in the English language for getting someone to cooperate with me,” Huppert says, are “’would you help me with something?’”3 Whether on the phone setting up an interview or approaching someone in the field, just try to have...