Vid #1: Let's Look At Some Videos!

Okay, so here's the video recap, in order in which video was turned in. I ask that you please look at EACH video and read my comments for EACH video (not just your own!), so we can learn like we've learned from each other throughout this semester.

Overall, I thought we did very, very well on this assignment, especially considering it was a first-time video in this class. Lots of good B-roll, good story flows, ect. Certainly some things that can be tweaked, but that's to be expected. 

Let's look for what worked and what didn't and what we could borrow for the next time and what we need to avoid doing again.

BTW, unless you received an email from me noting a specific grade, your grade for this exercise was a 4.0, with it equaling a practice story in final grade weight. (Future assignments will be evaluated and graded much more specifically based on execution and will be of higher grade weight, though).

Here we go:

Patricia: We needed more B-roll inside of the interview segments, like this: we start with the head shot of someone being interviewed, and then while they are still talking we add B-roll with their voice but minus the head shot, and then while they continue to talk we return to the head shot to close the segment.

We have one audio track, but the visual goes from talking head to B-roll showing what the talking head is talking about and then back to talking head.

Hannah: We lack B-roll with the first interview subject but we do have it for the second. Instead of panning the camera for B-roll, you are better off taking a bunch of shots from different angels and cobbling them together so we can better see things. The pans just made things seem blurry and hard to follow.

I did like how the segment was broken up by question rather than by interview subject. It allowed us to go back-and-forth between speakers, like we would in a real conversation. And, no matter how steady you THINK you're holding the camera, you're better off using a tripod or another firm base to shoot from.

Noah: Let's be sure to follow the rules of journalism as we have learned them: we need sources first identified by first and last names and title; use captions for attribution, etc. And let's make sure our interview subjects don't have their faces cut off, like we do here. That's sloppy shooting.

Plus, when shooting with our phones be sure to shoot horizontally so your image fully fits on a TV or laptop screen, and not vertically like we do here.

Amy: Like many first videos, we are lacking B-roll showing people what they are doing. When we interview the kid and he talks about going to camp and playing soccer and whatever, we need to show him at camp and playing soccer and whatever. Show me; don't just tell me what they are talking about.

Samantha: We don't have to have the person say their name, since the caption already lists it. Let's save audio for what they have to say if the caption is saying who they are.

But we do have lots of B-roll here! Again, be sure if you are shooting with a phone that you do so horizontally (sideways) and not vertically (upright) so the shot fully fits into a horizontal TV or laptop screen.

Lai: The B-roll needed to be used DURING the interview segments, not before or after. We want to show people what they are talking about WHILE they are talking, and it shortens the video as well.

Plus, once again: shoot horizontally, not vertically!

Anthony: LOOK AT THIS VIDEO!!! THIS IS HOW B-ROLL SHOULD BE!!! It's exactly what it should be, and it's placed exactly where it should be: it's showing what the person is talking about, as they talk about it.

One thing is missing, and that's a lede caption showing the audience what they are about to watch a video of: what are you up to this summer? Again, let's not forget the basics of what we learned this summer doing practice stories, and apply those lessons on our video assignments.

That means having good ledes (via captions) solid attribution (again, via captions), good sound bytes (like quotes), etc.

Jacob: Again, shoot horizontally! And we need B-roll!

Carina: Again, we need B-roll while the subject is talking; not before or after. And we need them talking more; get them to go into detail about what they are doing and why and how it's affecting them, good or bad. Just like with print, the heart of a good story comes from thorough interviewing and then sharing as much of the good stuff as possible with your audience.