MM #2: Let's Look At Some Vids And Blog Posts!

Here are some examples of your work. The comments are not being made to pick on anyone, and no grades are being shared beyond me and the person whose work it is. 

But I am sharing comments to help us all get a sense of what we did well, and what we can do better, and how to do that.

So please take a look at EACH piece of work via the hyperlinks below, and see what ideas you can get by reviewing EVERYONE'S work to make your next multimedia assignment go as well as possible.

Off we go:

Dakota H: housing options video and blog posts one and two: Good B-roll over the A-roll so we show while we tell. The blog posts are nicely written, but are entirely missing hyperlinks. We always need hyperlinks to value-added background info related to our posts.

 

Shannon M.: anti-Semitism video and blog posts one and two: Even when we think we're holding the camera super-steady, there is still a bit of wiggle. Use a tripod whenever possible. 

Rachel Y.: recycling video and blog posts one and two: Good variety of B-roll over A-roll.

Katie K: agriculture at MSU video and blog posts one and two: A-roll subject should be framed using the Rule of Thirds. Better B-roll would show activity: people working on plants, people walking and observing plants, etc. Look for activity. The blog posts complement each other without copying the angle: one is an ag student's view; the other is a non-ag student's view.

Audrey P.: "Rape Trail: video and blog posts one and two: Good A-roll with the video, but the B-roll needed to go over the A-roll, not after it. Plus, the two blog posts essentially copy each other: both are about female students being uncomfortable walking there. Having posts that complement but not copy each other would have meant having one post about what students think and the other post about what cops and school officials have to say about it, for example. Or one post about students who feel unsafe there and the other about students who feel safe, regardless of reputation.

Ian K.: students who work video and blog posts one and two: Instead of being stuck on our first B-roll shot here for an extended period, it may have been better to shoot the same machine from different angles and distances, and mix up those differing B-roll perspectives from that same B-roll subject. While the blog posts each involve student views; the posts complement but don't copy each other because the students offer differing views: one student says working is good; the other says it adds stress.

Jabari S.: fitness video and blog posts one and two. Nice B-roll showing the power of different angles of the same thing. Watch our audio. The blog posts were lacking the minimum number of hyperlinks and adherence to AP Style. What do you think would have made good hyperlinks here?

Catherine B.: personal brand video and blog posts one and two. We are better off shooting different angles and distances of B-roll rather than panning. Nice use of still photos for B-roll. Watch your sound and use a tripod to minimize camera shake. The blog posts complement but don't copy each other; while they are both about students, each student offers a different approach to what they are doing. You compare different students doing different things; not different students doing the same thing.

Shannon L.: The "freshman 15" video and blog posts one and two: Good narration and B-roll. The first blog post sets up the second; the first one defines the "freshman 15" and lays out the issue; the second gets student reaction on what they see in their daily lives regarding that.

Jack K.: Getting around campus video and blog posts one and two. With bus shots, shooting the bus from different angles and distances could have helped break up that one static shot from the same angle and distance.

Remington S.: libraries video and blog posts one and two: Make sure your captions show up well and don't blend into the background, like the second one here. The blog posts complement each other, as the two compare what MSU's library is like versus a traditional library. Each post takes one of those angles.

Jared C.: polluted river video and blog posts one and two: Good use of still pics as B-roll. Good hyperlinks on the first blog post, but the second required two different hyperlinks; it just had one, and that one was from the first post.