For the past couple of years I’ve been casually working on my “book.” (Yeah Lens…I know. Every journalist has a book inside him – and that’s where it should stay.)
This whole thing began more than five years ago when Larry Nance and I sat down and tried to design a workbook for a class we wanted to put on at our local community college. It has morphed, been field tested, and is expanding to a point where I don’t think we can call it a workbook any more. Now Larry and I are both VERY experienced (read aging) and need to finish our epic within our life spans…and Kathy Newell has hopped on board to help out.
What WAS a workbook about video production in general is now (nearly) a textbook focusing on videojournalism aimed at high schools (maybe a bit higher/maybe a bit lower). It is a combination of hands-on exercises, lessons, and a bit of ethics, history, and law thrown in.
What I need now is some input from you teachers (and learners) out there. Here is (tentatively) what’s in the book, by chapter. YOU tell me what isn’t in there that you want/need.
Controlling Chaos
Objectives
The New Paradigm
Where We’ve Been
- One Minute History of Journalism
- Photojournalism
-A Slice in Time/history of broadcast cameramen
What’s the Law?
- First Amendment
- Hazelwood, Tinker, and Bong Hits 4 Jesus
- Open Forum v. Class
Beyond Law: Ethics
- Overview
- Professional Codes of Ethics
- Scenarios
What changes and what doesn’t (gear vs. process)
Gear
- Tape
- Other media
- Camera(s)
- Tripods
- Mikes
- Lights
- Other accessories
Composition
- Rule of Thirds
- Weighing In On Light and Dark
- Strong Foregrounds
Light
– The Color of Light
– The Hand Trick
– Natural Light
– Supplemental Lights
– Light Experiment
– Light Summary
Audio
– Audio as an Equal Partner
– Mikes
– Nats
– Miking an Interview or Standup
– Listen and Monitor
– Shooting/editing tips to save bad audio
– Highs and Hazards of Music
Shooting
– Procedures
– Basic shots
– Axis Rule
– Sequencing
– Patterns
– Angles
– In-camera editing
– Shooting ratios
– Interview Framing
Shooting Interviews
– Implied consent
– Conducting an interview
– Checklist for interviews
Boring But Gotta Be Done: Logging Tape
Producing Order from Chaos: Writing the Script
- Storytelling
- Beginning/Middle/End
- Hit Audience with Strongest First
- Objective Voice
- VJ Voice
Narration
– Reading narration properly
Editing
– Overview and Media Management
– Editing video
– Editing Sound
– Adding Titles
– Narration
– B-roll
– Covering an Interview
– Using Stills (and Freeze Frames)
Assignments
– Basic shots
– Interview
– Simple assignment
– Field story
– Research PowerPoint
– Data Collection
Forms
Terms and definitions
Resources
Handouts
Basic Camera Diagram/parts
Basic Tripod Diagram/parts
Right now I’m down to the hard stuff (for me)…stuff VJs do every day, but is hard to define – hard to tie down. I’ve been able, through this blog, to analyze a lot of what I did in broadcast news…except the writing. Even production is easier. But it is coming together. I wish I could remember who said that writing cannot be taught – it must be learned. At the time I saw that quote, I felt the same way about shooting and editing.
Tomorrow I meet with my two co-authors/collaborators. We’ll discuss what needs to be done to finish up, what illustrations we’ll need and how to go about acquiring them, how we will publish and distribute.
But we’re keeping our ears open for your input – what do YOU need/want in a textbook. Let us know.
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September 28, 2008 at 2:59 pm
cyndygreen
FYI: I will be doing a final test of this text in my spring term broadcasting class at Ronald E. McNair High School in Lodi, California (with Board blessing pending).
Will update weekly re how it goes.
And thanks for any suggestions, etc.
September 28, 2008 at 4:53 pm
dkzody
Start with the gear section, drop the stuff ahead of it. I wouldn’t use any of that.
September 28, 2008 at 5:29 pm
cyndygreen
Thanks…hmmm. Do you teach that already in a prior class? My intent is
wasto have an all-in-one book,but if enough folks chime in with you, will consider dropping or at least cutting to a page or so.Best thing to do is just skip those sections if you feel you must – but you won’t be teaching VJ without them. In talking with co-authors (and literally banging myself on the head a few times) – the first chapters are the heart of the book. Without the lead-in chapters, the rest is just video production fancied up. Newcomers to to the field need to understand where they came from – the rich history of the past of the two crafts and how they merged. Law and ethics are both protection and a moral compass.
Teaching today’s youth ethics is sometimes like trying to herd cats. They are young, they know it all, and they don’t get it and don’t want lectures on right and wrong. So I thought. First time I taught ethics in a public school the kids hooted. They had their own moral code – basically don’t rat people out. Don’t get caught in the crosshairs. Then when my gear got stolen, their true hidden colors emerged. Two of my hardest cases went on their own to administration with the name of one of the perps.
They want to belong – that’s why gangs get them. They want to feel special – whoa, gangs offer that too. They want a secret code and handshake and the works. We can offer them that in journalism. A code of ethics that lifts them above the rest. Professional recognition. The ability to be a maverick with a cause (and support). The handshake we can’t give them, but I showed them the cameraman bump (a way of saying hi if you’re fully loaded with gear – just bump hips) or the silent head tip that says we know each other, but let’s not make a scene.
September 28, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Christine Stricker
Sounds really interesting and there is definitely a shortage in this area (texts for broadcast journalism). I really struggle to teach my students script writing. I’ve done various types of lessons of scriptwriting, but can’t seem to really get a grip on it. If you could make your scriptwriting section as detailed as possible, that would be a reason for me to buy the book. I would love to have specific examples, like “do say…” and “don’t say…”, organization i.e. what should be covered at the beginning, middle and end of a package script, and even writing anchor scripts.
Thanks for doing this and asking for advice!
Christine Stricker
Broadcast adviser
Clayton High School, Clayton, Mo.
September 28, 2008 at 5:57 pm
cyndygreen
Thanks Christine…
Scriptwriting/producing the script is difficult for me because I’ve been doing it or so long I forget how I learned. (Observation most likely)
And there are so many many ways to produce a story – from most compelling video to most important facts to strong character to traditional beginning-middle-end.
Hopefully I’ll pull this off with enough examples to demonstrate how to do it.
One thing Larry & Kathy & I have been considering is a DVD and/or CD with examples of good/bad and PowerPoint lesson plans.
Would that help? Would teachers prefer completed examples or perhaps also raw video files that students can view and log and then write their own scripts and edit?
September 29, 2008 at 4:15 pm
cyndygreen
Teachers ponder this:
A DVD with raw video clips students could use to learn editing.
Lesson plans in PP with video clips to help illustrate lessons.
Rubrics in both student AND teacher edition?
Standards – now we could easily tie-in with major states like TX, CA, NY or could use national tech standards???
Christine…you brought up something we had in a few sections of one version of the workbook. Good and bad examples, which we are working on for as much of the current book as possible.
Re scripts – there is no single way to write a video news story. There is a lot of judgement on the part of the reporter about how to write the story. So we are tinkering with a few templates that would cover most simple news stories. Will have to teach students to make decisions about what is the strongest element in their story – facts, visuals, sound?
Is there any interest is a consumable workbook or would this work best as a hardcover keeper?
This meeting today brought up more work, although we did generate a list of illustrations and videos we need to shoot.
September 30, 2008 at 5:36 am
Great video book coming soon | News Videographer
[...] Cyndy Green is writing a book about videojournalism, and she’s targeting it to high school kids. But I say, working journalists should get their hands on this to make the leap to video! [...]
September 30, 2008 at 9:15 am
Lisa Parisot
I teach visual storytelling to college students in two courses, Electronic Newsgathering(Broadcast News) and Photojournalism and the web. These students are juniors and seniors and should have had some basic training, however that’s not the case yet. We are revamping the program to add basic classes which students would take prior to the advanced classes.
I do use PowerPoint with video inserted and find the students really appreciate this teaching tool. It reinforces what I am talking about immediately. I use video from the NPPA National contests as well as my own work.
Bob Brandon’s book, “Shoot Like a Pro” is an excellent example of how to teach the basics. While it is aimed at the consumer, I find it helps my students understand some of the technology better than a textbook.
Here’s the link.
http://www.shootlikeapro.tv/insidebook.html
I hope that helps.
September 30, 2008 at 12:18 pm
cyndygreen
I’ve read (and own) Brandon’s book and, yes it is excellent for the basics. Lots of illulstrations and examples.
I use PP w/video a lot in my class…the students hear and see and you are right – they “get it” much faster. I’m trying to generalize/adapt as many of these PPs as possible to include on a CD/DVD with the text.
The key to this book is BASIC and for HIGH SCHOOL. My classes have freshmen through seniors and at the lower end they learn techniques, technology and get a basic understanding of what VJ is all about. The the higher level they see beyond the lesson and what they can to and how far they can take it.
An example – in the first class I ever taught, I had a one week lesson focusing on how a story progresses through the newsroom. Day one I had a local cameraman (Will Heryford with KCRA) shoot a story on campus demographics…I acted as the reporter/field producer. Day two Dennis Shannahan/KOVR came in and showed how to log tape, do a standup, write the story. Day three Anne Bond/KOVR came in and the class/using laptops edited along with her…she showed them how to use the script as a guide to editing the story. Day four had two anchorwomen explain their role in introducing the story and how a news show is produced. Day five I took the class (small – only about 14 students) to KOVR and they observed the noon news.
The upperclassmen loved it. The freshmen asked me why they had to sit through all of the other stuff to go on the field trip…I explained each day how the day’s lesson fit into the total lesson. That’s when I learned that not everyone gets it the same way/at the same time.
October 1, 2008 at 6:25 pm
dkzody
>>A DVD with raw video clips students could use to learn editing.<<
Oooh, I love this idea. Or a website where instructors could go to get the clips. I bought a book on Photoshop layers this year, and it had a great website where I could get photos to use in the examples for the class.
October 3, 2008 at 2:58 pm
C.T. Kruger
At this point, what if you produced an interactive web site rather than a book.
While you continue to gather information and input, and technology continues to change, the site can be corrected, updated and expanded.
You’re targeting the YouTube generation. Will they interact and learn more from a site than a text?
The drawback to the site – how would you be compensated for your effort? A subscription service? Will a school / district go for that?
If you produce a text, will the publisher fairly compensate you for your effort?
For myself, a still photographer heading to videojournalist, I know I would be more inclined to turn to an online source than a book if I’m under deadline pressure. If it’s Friday night and I can’t get the book from Amazon until Wednesday, I’ll break out the credit card and sign up for an online resource.
October 3, 2008 at 3:15 pm
cyndygreen
I know folks would prefer to go online…a lot of what will be in the text is in this blog – although we will have more and obviously be organized.
The text is meant for high school classroom use – not the general public.
We’re still playing with the logistics of making a living.
Right now – the text.
Up next – the website.
If you purchase the text, you would have access to the inner levels of the website (once we get that organized…and that won’t happen soon).
We realize that parts of the book will be outdated as it is written – so are avoiding any possibility of that by sticking with the process of videojournalism and putting the material that is in flux (technology, etc) online.
Our primary audience in in a classroom, mandated to learn…and books make a great carry-everywhere reference. Hmmmm…once again, now THERE’S a thought. On iPods?????
October 24, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Anon
You should put a summary at the end of of each section/chapter. You could also put some review there too.
December 11, 2008 at 11:34 am
Peter Ralph
Is there any “Video Workbook” style text for high school? They are in common use for Math, English , History etc.? Where the book is laid out as a series of lesson plans – with extra notes and suggestions in the teacher’s edition? I can’t see anything on Amazon – but I guess school texts wouldn’t be distributed on Amazon?
I understand the notion of a series of lesson plans on a CD with suggested readings and such, and that approach makes a lot of sense. But it seems that whoever is making purchase decisions at my son’s school favors those honking $90 text books.