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About five years ago, when I initially left my job in TV news, I commented that the future of news was a person getting a phone call from a producer at an Internet news site who tells her that there’s been a plane crash outside her window and would she hook her camera up to her computer, point the camera at the crash and describe what she sees. I thought this might take fifteen or twenty years, not five or ten.
The news media are being shaken right down to the taproot…viewers/readers are embracing the Internet and in order to survive, newspapers and television news are trying to transition to web-based content in an effort to keep their audience. Citizen journalists and user generated content/UGC are the buzzwords of the transition. The concern of traditional journalists is that with no oversight, the tradition of unbiased news may be in danger. Citizens who want to define news their way may not present their content from a neutral standpoint…and this will affect the audience, which will suffer because without balanced information it will be unable to make informed decisions…the decisions will be skewed by the information they don’t have as much as what they do have.
I’ve been dreaming up my own model of what the new media news model might look like – allowing for UGC and audience interaction. I’d like you to take a look and add your comments…between you, me, and the lamppost we may be able to create a foundation for the future of news.
Let me define the potential problem areas and then discuss how they might be countered.
First issue with UGC is how much the user determines what news is/will be. There should always be balance between what people want to see and what they need to know in order to be responsible citizens.
Next, what filters will there be to ensure the news is factual and unbiased. This includes both information and video/visuals.
I’m sure you have ideas about what other potential issues there might be – please chime in with your thoughts.
Let’s go back to the original comments at the top of the page – there will always have to be a news central/news room/control room that recieves and then transmits the news. This control room would take all incoming calls (IMs, emails, etc) on events in their region or country. Once the content and visuals were confirmed as valid, the “story” would be posted according to story type (breaking news, gneral news, feature, sports) and by location. A running tab would keep track of what the audience was watching…allowing the producer to request further information/video or possible send a local crew out to cover the situation. At the same time, there would be related sites tailored to specific audiences with different news mixes. The site might even allow a viewer to specify the types of news or stories they want, with the result a mix of stories tailored to the individual.
The key here are the producers – the filtering journalists. The news site would have requirements for submission posted, including contact information….which would detail what requirements a citizen journalist would need to meet in order for their material to be considered. This might include names and contact information for interview subjects, references, names/contact numbers of local authories with law enforcement or other government organizations who could confirm facts. CJs would need to sign an agreement that their material met a list of critera.
There might still be a need for news crews – more than likely videojournalists – who would travel with a laptop and camera kit, ready to respond to big stories in their region. Without the face of a reporter, news would again become all about the story…the people involved…the event…and not the reporter or anchors.
Regional websites make more sense than a national site…small enough to serve individual communities but large enough to support themselves. Speaking of which…yes, there will have to be advertising or membership subscriptions for certain levels of news. Basic news – what happened – should always be free. Individually tailored shows might be subscription.
I know at a gut level there will be the celebrity sites…the conspiracy sites…the special interest sites, each with their own slant on what they see as news. I believe that in order for people to govern themselves, they must be informed in order to make decisions…and getting that information without bias in critical.
I wait for your ideas and comments…and I’ll add in my own as we go along and you stir things up. In a few weeks or a month I’ll try to pull it all together and repost it in some semblance of order.
Just opened an email from a rookie TV videojournalist – his job went up in smoke this past Friday (1/26/07). Santa Rosa television station KFTY has cancelled its two evening news shows and laid off the thirteen staffers who worked on them, according to the Press Demoncrat.
My young friend was grateful for his time on staff (it was his first broadcast news job) and said he’d learned a lot about how fast broadcasting is changing.
The drastic changes echo those taking place in news and media organizations around the country. They are swept by the Internet and related technologies that have revolutionized how people select and exchange news, a process formerly directed largely by staffs at TV and radio stations, newspapers and magazines. (Press Demoncrat 1/27/07)
Adaptation is the name of the game…and I’m sure that VJ’s and other journalists will adapt and find new ways to ensure that what goes out as news adheres to journalistic standards of ethics and neutrality. My hope is that this is not just another case of pandering to the public in an attempt to keep viewers. According to station manager, John Burgess,
“In my opinion, we’re all looking at better ways of truly touching our customers and I think for the television industry, if you’re not engaging your viewers and Web site users in two way-interactivity, you’re not going to be growing, especially over the next three to 10 years.” (Press Democrat 1/27/07)
Plans include a public affairs program, viewer-generated video, and use of “citizen journalists.”
My heart goes out to the staff…I went through a similar situation in 1980 when KQED in San Francisco laid off its entire news staff for the “Evening Edition” and replaced it with a yoga show. In our case it was gut-wrenching, but we all moved on to other jobs in broadcasting. Those who lost their jobs Friday may move on…but will have to keep looking over their shoulders, waiting for the ax to fall again.
I wanted to write about the different nonlinear editing programs, but Andy Dickenson beat me to it. Definitely take a look at his posts. I am a Mac person, slowly learning some PC software and love my Final Cut Express for its ease of use. Andy takes a look at everything from the freebies (Movie Maker and iMovie) to the high end products costing thousands of dollars. (I’d like to put in a plug for another freebie – AVID Free DV, which is a free download from the AVID website.)
Since Andy was an editor and now teaches, he is my guru. You’ll find both some history and recommendations.
I see a lot of hits on my post- Low End Gear Can Do The Job. I wanted to get into what makes it low end first and what specifically you should be looking for/what you need.
Low end to me is less than $500 (probably $450 for camera and another $50 for tax/shipping) for the camera…and less if I can possibly get away with it. The eBay ZR60 was a find at $80. I’ve worked with the Canon ZR series for about 5 years and loved the ZR60 and earlier models…but as the years have gone by and improvements have come out, the camera has become more and more compromised. In the ZR-500 & 600 versions you chose either a mike input or the ability to shoot stills, not both. The LANC control of the original ZR10 (allowed me to control the camera using a tripod handle) is long gone. The ZR10 was a hefty little metal camera…now the ZRs are smaller and plastic. Canon has the Elura 100 which allows both still shooting and mike input. You can see why you need to keep on top of what is out there: the companies constantly improve or “improve” their product.
Once we’ve decided that our maximum budget is $500, we can move on to the technical requirements. I’ve done a lot of Internet surfing, trying to find the best way to compare cameras and B&H Photo has some of the most consistent specification pages – I can see exactly what each camera offers and there is no hype. Generally their prices are competitive, so I usually buy from them – but not always. I do try to support my local stores (see note at end of posting).
So what do you look for? Consider the following:
Format – I’d go with mini-dv. It is nearly universal and you can reuse tapes. Should you find yourself in a breaking news situation, most stations now have a mini-dv deck to play the tape back, so you can sell your story. While I see possibilitiies in the DVD camcorders, they are not universally compatible with all computers (PC vs. Mac) and I am not sure of their ability to withstand rough handling and conditions. I am keeping an eye on the cameras that shoot directly to hard drive…but am waiting to see how they weather everyday use and abuse. Besides, both of the latter tend to cost a bit more and may not have the features you need.
CCD – The CCD/Charged Coupled Device determines the quality of the image. The larger the CCD and more pixels, the better the quality of your image. Cameras in the below $500 range will generally have a single 1/6″ 680,000 pixel CCD. (Higher end cameras have three CCDs)
Zoom – Only look at the optical zoom. Digital zoom is useless. In digital zoom you are zooming in on the image created by your optical zoom, the result is an extremely pixelated image. I would consider a 20X zoom or better.
Mike input – YES! Unless all you plan to shoot is images, this is the one essential feature you cannot do without. You can add on a simple $30 laveliere mike with a 6-10 foot cable and do interviews or go wireless. In either case you’ll get clean audio – and audio is the second most important part of shooting video. The two combined create the final gestalt.
Image Stabilization – yes
AV input/output – This small yellow port allows you to convert your old VHS/analog tapes into digital format (or the reverse). In most cameras it also doubles as the port to plug your headset into when shooting, so that you can monitor sound.
Aperature control – This allows you to control how light/dark your image is. Very useful if you want consistant control without the sudden shifts you usually get when something very bright passes through your shot.
Manual focus – Again, you want to decide what to focus on and not have the camera shifting as it senses other object passing through.
White balance – While not as critical for everyday use, it does give you more flexibility in choosing accurate image color. Today’s auto white balance is excellent. But sometimes I want an orange sunset and the camera white balances so it is cool. With manual white balance I can set the white using a cool white (shady side of a white car or card) and get the warmer tones I want.
Shutter speed – Most of the time the presets in the camera work. However, if you want to shoot sports and have a crisp look or if you plan to slo-mo the video in editing, a fast shutter speed gives you that option. You’ll have to experiment with aperature and shutter speed until you find the combination of speed and depth-of-field that work for you.
Top loader vs. bottom loader – If you use a tripod, get a top loader. If you are a true VJ, you use a tripod. Bottom loaders, like the Canon ZR series, require you to take the camera off the tripod, take off the tripod plate, take out and replace the tape and then put the plate back on and then put the camera on the tripod. (So now you know my dirty little secret – I love the ZR series but am stuck with a bottom loader – and it has caused the occassional problem.)
Firewire/USB – how to import/export your video digitally. You’ll need USB 2 for video. Trust me, if you are purchasing a digital video camera today, it should have one or both of these. (Or at least some other means to export to camera…and hopefully NOT analog.)
All of the other stuff cameras come with – titling, special effects, etc – are not necessary if you are a true videojournalist and plan to edit your video, because you can add effects and titles using the editing program. Plus, one of the best rules is to shoot your video clean (unaltered) and make changes later. If you shoot squirrelly video, you can’t remove whatever effects or titles are already embedded in the video.
I checked out BHPhoto just now (Sunday, January 28 @ around 9am-ish) and there isn’t a lot of choice in the under $500 range. So this is where you get creative and consider purchasing a used camera. And please, be very careful. Sellers at online auctions are not always completely truthful about the condition of their gear. What you need to ask (yourself or the seller): Does the camera power up, record and play back tapes. Do both the LCD and viewfinder work. Does the tape loading mechanism work properly and take in and eject tapes properly. Are there any problems with the lens, including problems with zoom or dings/scratches on the lens. Are there any power problems, including battery problems.
One example is postings that say “camera powers up fine.” This could mean that the camera turns on, but the LCD/viewfinder shows black and/or the camera won’t record or play back tapes. The camera might shoot video but not play back. One of the most common problems (especially with Canon low-end cameras) is the tape carriage not taking in/ejecting tapes properly. Other cameras have menu problems that need to be resolved.
The advantage of buying online is that you can obviously get more for your dollar. For example – the Panasonic PV-GS500 (see review)costs $900, but comes with 3 1/4″ CCDs that are 1.47 megapixels each. It has manual shutter, aperature, white balance, focus but only a 12X zoom. Even though the specs state that it doesn’t have a headset jack, I’d check to see if the AV port doubles as a jack for headsets. Going to eBay I see two models for sale – one new currently at $750 and a used one currently at $520. They will probably go for quite a bit more…with the new one edging up to B&HPhoto’s price and the used one going for more than $750.
The Canon ZR800 is about $350 at B&H and the prices on eBay are in the same ballpark. Do check first before buying online because occassionally you will pay more online than at a store.
Hope this covered the basics – and happy hunting. Final suggestion. If the price, including tax and shipping, is close to what you can get online, try to patronize your local stores. While I like to shop for bargins, I also believe in supporting the local economy whenever possible. Plus there’s the added benefit of local expertise and support (and a friendly place to hang out and look at the latest toys).
Oh – and don’t forget, once you have the camera you’ll need a tripod and mike. And eventually a portable light and reflector. And lots and lots of tape. And storage, i.e., hard drive space. It never ends….
….note added 7/4/10…please be aware that technology is constantly changing and some of the advice given above is outdated. We now had SD card cameras, hard drive cameras, disc cameras. Although the recording format has changed somewhat (mini-dv is still with us) the process remains pretty much the same.
Kathy Newell posted a comment about how to handle difficult interviews…folks who ramble or get off track. When I worked in news the reporter did most of the questioning, although I had my share working alone. Often my job was to rescue the reporter (Craig Prosser) from his own niceness…he was rarely able to walk away from some citizen who trapped him either in an interview or just to talk with him. So I have no problem being politely rude. I’d go up, look the person in the eye and tell them, “We have to go now.” That was Craig’s cue to come with me or tell me to wait while he finished the converstation.
But back to the focus of this post. This does have something to do with handling difficult interviews – the mike you choose to use does matter. Most videojournalists work with three basic types of mikes.
Stick mike – this is an omnidirectional mike (generally picks up sound from all directions). This is the workhorse of the industry. I use an Electrovoice 635 and it is practically indestructable. Can be wired to the camera or used with wireless transmitter. Add a wind sock or mike cube and you’re set to go. Sticks can cost from as low as $10 to hundreds.
Shotgun – an unidirectional mike with a very narrow focus…so if you are in a room full of people, you can pick up converstations from a distance if you aim right at the source. These need a battery and are more expensive than stick mike…costing from several hundred to thousands of dollars.
Lavelier (lapel) mike – omnidirectional tiny mike that you can clip onto clothing. We used to hardwire these, but now almost exclusively used with wireless mikes. Radio Shack has them from about $30 or you can pay hundreds.
I’m not getting into wireless in thos post, except as part of using the mikes.
First – for quick and dirty everyday news, the stick mike is the answer. You hold it, you aim it where you want, you are in control – and this is the beauty of the stick in interviews. You hold up to your mouth, ask a question, and aim at your interview subject. You don’t like the answer, pull it back and ask another question. You are in control of the interview because you control the mike. Sticks are handy if you need to interview people quickly and need to speak with several people at once. With a mike cube (identifying logo) you can approach people and telegraph that you are about to questions them – the mike, cube, and camera make it obvious. Remember to keep the mike up close enough to get your sound. If your interview subject has a quiet voice or there’s a lot of background noise, you will have to push in closer. Generally for most interviews I keep the mike about 12 to 16 inches from the subject’s mouth.
Shotguns are a good substitute for sticks with the advantage of cleaner sound. They aren’t quite as durable, but you can handhold them and still control your interview. Biggest advantage is you don’t have to be as close to the subject…which means no mike in your shot. How often have you watched a news story and the mike is visible? Shotguns can be held fifteen to twenty inches or more away and they are really great if you have three to five people in a group and you’re asking questions all around. Just make sure whoever is holding the mike is aiming carefully, otherwise you’ll get bad or no sound.
With lavs you loose control…you clip the mike onto your subject. They can talk all they want and the only way you can bring them back is by interrupting. Their advantage is that you can hide them to create a more natural setting.
Attach any of these to a wireless system and you have true freedom. My earliest and most embarrassing moment as a news photog was in 1975 when Governor “Moonbeam” Jerry Brown was striding down the halls of the Capital in Sacramento, headed for his office. My reporter and I dashed down the hall so we could get his reaction to the first sit-in at his office. So here we are, running towards the Governor…the reporter reached over me to grab the mike from its holder on the camera, pulling out the cable (this was before wireless mikes). The cable went under my feet, I went down, pulling the reporter down with me. The Governor walked by laughing.
With a wireless the reporter wouldn’t even have to be near me…she could have gone ahead and walked with the Governor and into the office and I would have been able to get one long, stable shot.
Interviewing for a video news story is unlike any other interview. You need to elicit responses, but you need focused and complete sentence answers, not one word answers or partial sentences.
So here we go.
Rule One – relax your subject. Begin with the small talk…and first question on camera should be the ever familiar “say your name and spell it.” This takes care of two problems – pronounciation and proper spelling. You might also add, “what is your official title” in some cases.
Rule Two – don’t talk while the subject is talking. No “uhs” or “yeahs”. Nothing. Anything you say will be recorded and unless you have time to edit out all of your interruptions, just keep quiet and nod your head.
Rule Three – ask questions that require a full answer. Don’t ask questions that draw one word answers.
Example:
BAD – “Do you agree with President Bush about the need for increasing the number of American troops in the Middle East?” An experienced subject will say yes or no and then expand…but you may just get a straight yes or no.
GOOD – “What is your reaction to President Bush’s agenda to increase the number of American troops in the Middle East?” You should get a good response to this one.
BAD – “Do you think the Governor is doing a good job?”
GOOD – “What do you think the Governor is doing right?”
Rule Four – Once you’re through with your agenda, ask one final question: “Do you have anything to add?” or “Is there anything I may not have brought up that you’d like to discuss?” This may take you in a whole new direction (or not), but it does allow your subject to vent or bring up issues you may not know about. In one case you allow them to let off steam (remember, you don’t have to use it) and in the other case you may pick up some critical information.
Rules to shoot interviews:
One: make sure the light is good. If it looks bad in the viewfinder, it is bad.
Two: make sure the audio is good. If you think it sounds good, you’re wrong. It is either good or not good enough. Use a clip-on or stick mike up close and make sure you wear a headset when you check audio.
Three: tripod your interview. Every time you breath, the camera breaths with you, and that’s distracting to the viewer.
Four: have the subject look at you, not the camera
Five: if you have interviews with opposing views, set them up so they are looking in different directions. Subject #1 might look to screen right/Subject #2 might look to screen left. This creates a sense of conflict visually.
Six: if the background is boring, fill the screen with your subject
Seven: if the background is interesting, frame the subject so they fill about one third of the screen with the background framed behind them
Eight – preroll. In other words, start the camera AND THEN start the interview. Allow ten seconds after the interview is over before shutting off the camera. That way you don’t lose any critical sound
IN CONCLUSION:
The purpose of a video interview is to elicit complete responses. Your quesitions most likely will not be used…remember, it is not about you. It is all about the story and information.
The following was left as a comment on Micahel Bazeley’s blog. Began as a comment and grew into a lecture.
Yes, slideshows can be boring…and I think (this is just a guess) it may be because the photographers line up their photos and let the editing program run it. They are not listening to the beat of the music, the cadance and content of the interviews as video folk do.
My biggest fear with still photogs moving over to video is that we will loose something unique and powerful – the vision of great still photographers who are able to define precise slices of time. I hear that some newspapers are looking at handing camcorders over to still photogs and using the video on the website and frame-grabbing from the video for stills. Two things wrong with this: you end up with all horizontal photos and you turn your photo staff into technicians plagiarizing from themselves. (Add-on: let them have two cameras and let them decide which to use/when. Some moments call for a clearly defined single shot. Some stories are driven by moving visuals and sound.)
If newspapers want video, they should look at the many talented videojournalists out there – coming out of college and currently working in the broadcast industry. Why reinvent the wheel? Broadcasting is dying, although not as quickly as print media. We are all going to have to be fully committed to the Internet eventually. (Hint: large papers might consider bringing a videojournalist on staff to provide the expertise…or even host a photographer exchange with a local station. Both sides would benefit.)
Finally…as much as still photographers say they are neutral (and I know they are), often their images evoke an attidute…a position. Too often this comes from knowing that there is a reporterr who will report both sides while the photographer seeks strong images. Too often these images are one-sided because the photographer is covering an event or focusing on a particular issue. Broadcast photogs generally are mandated to get information from both sides to include in stories…interviews and visuals. Not always done, but that is the rule.
Here’s the “track-at-a-time” script I promised from the ML King story Monday. When you’re in a rush, first find your opening sound and then consider your opening shot. I like what Myisha said – and I found a shot of the statue in the plaza that matched.
The first narrator track- is an informational paragraph that sets the stage for Myisha’s call for action.
The second narrator track is a transition between two of Myisha’s sound bites.
The third narrator track introduces Myisha and leads into her next sound bite.
The natural sound of the singing and march breaks the mood from Myisha and brings the viewer back to ML King. The is punctuated by the minister’s call for action.
Singing at the end frames the tag out.
ML King Script/Monday, January 15, 2007
Myisha Patterson (voice only)
“As we pause today to remember the dream of Martin Luther King, the dream he spoke about in 1963, we need to ask ourselves a question: has King’s dream, his vision really become a reality?”
Narrator:
Nearly four decades after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, questions are still raised about his dream of a nation that treats all men equally.
Patterson
“I am here as a messenger to make it clear that we have yet to achieve that vision and we still have work to do.”
Today in Stockton ceremonies marking what would have been his 78th birthday revisited Kings dream.
Patterson
“The truth of the matter is that disparities abound for African Americans in housing to health. from education to economic parity, and we still have a good ways to achieve the vision that Dr. Martin Luther King spoke of.”
Myisha Patterson has ties to both Stockton and Washington, DC, where she is employed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She says that while King’s dream has altered our country, it is not yet complete.
Patterson
“We’ve made a lot of progress since the 60′s, I mean clearly we don’t see the kind of blunt racism that the African American community experienced then, however we are still subject to racism and the effects of racism.”
Natsound
“We shall overcome…”
Narrator
So, once again generations joined hands and marched in support of a dream.
Voice of minister
“Allow us Lord to be a participant in the dream, that it may come to fruition in this world, Father God, in this life that we live.”
Natsound singing
“….I do believe”
Narrator
This is Cyndy Green in Stockton, California
Natsound singing
“…we shall overcome some day.”
Videojournalist Kathy Newell has two blogs that both inspire me and force me to think/rethink my values. klncreations urges us to remember what it was like to be a kid – and see the world afresh. Ever try to do that? Just wake up and say to yourself – wow, what is this bright light coming in the window – look at how it catches the leaves on the tree…everything is brighter and more wonderful than you can remember. I’ve caught myself driving down streets i know by heart and suddenly seeing them for the first time, as a stranger might. Unsettling, but in a way it re-energizes me.
Kathy’s other blog, futurematters is a work in progress, as it should be…her brainchild is exploring our future and our past. Her posts are as spontaneous as she is, and just as eclectic. There is no “same old, same old” but a path that twists and turns.
Kathy, by the way is another pioneer TV photojournalist learning how to navigate the digital world. She can figure anything out and has been a great resource for me.
There’s a lesson here: support your friends, learn from them. When all else changes or goes away, they will be there. They keep you young (and accountable).
See post in Videojournalism category on how this was created. A very quick, very basic general news story which took about three hours total time (one and a half hours to shoot and about the same to write and edit…plus thirty minutes to capture video). Not outstanding…but meat and potatoes. Once again, shot with Canon ZR60 and other low-end gear. After years of the good gear it’s hard to get used to tiny cameras and the public perception that goes with them…no longer NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER!, but old lady with little tiny camera. I missed some shots due to tiny viewfinder/LCD (bright sun) and a very fast moving march…but still, managed to pull it off.
I am fascinated by Myisha Patterson, the young lady who was the keynote speaker. She is a graduate of Lincoln High School in Stockton, went to Stanford and is definitely on a fast track. Our country needs more like her – passionate, intelligent, dedicated.
10:45…Shooting, editing seem to go faster than uploading. I’d estimate it took about 45 minutes to upload a 76mb video file and then another five minutesto get into wordpress.
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