Thursday, November 20, 2008

Using Flash

After we learned about flash, I stopped by the futures lab the other day to try and get better at this flash business. It was extremely difficult, but it was worthwhile, because I learned of different ways of making rollover graphics. I am very much going to try to include a flash component in my website.

Ever since I was in college, I recall it was 1998, I was engaged in some kind of online website activity. And ever since, design has been of a very important factor for me when I look at websites. The basic dreamweaver page, although effective, has not been appealing to me at all because it showed lack of effort. I think flash is very important in terms of design, because its size stays the same, it does what it's supposed to do, and basically helps design in a million ways.

However, I think one should be more careful when using flash in journalism, because one could be more focused on how a story looks than what a story has to offer. I think one good example was the parking meter article. Although the subject itself was interesting, I think by using flash and putting too much effort to make it look better, the creator might have overlooked some aspects that could have been better. It would be the same goal for me, to use flash in a way to supplement my story, not become the focus of the story.

Flash

Flash Journalism fresh prospect for online journalism with many possibilities and applications for informational sites.  Rollover info-graphics, creative ads, slideshows, buttons, the options seem endless.  Flash improves both aesthetics and functionality of websites creating a more effective journalistic package.

Flash can engage the viewers senses while allowing for a interactive experience that they will not find in other forms of media such as television.  The audience can also provide feedback and interact with other users fairly easily if the program is implemented correctly.  In addition to that, the article emphasizes adaptivity and modifiability that can easily take place through those who run the site.

However, there needs to be a balance between flash graphics and information, too many graphics can hinder the overall effectiveness of the site and the host could lose users in a maze of interactivity.  The purpose of the site could be lost to fancy gizmos.

Overall, Flash is something that deserves a good look for any journalist wanting a top-tier site.

Flash Journalism

I don't understand Flash, but I appreciate its usefulness in helping people understand a story.  Our reading says, "Journalism, when done right, helps us understand the world.  Sometimes animation provides the best way to tell a story, to make it easy to understand."  This refers to animated infographics and comes after a section that talks about USA Today's interactive graphic after the space shuttle Columbia exploded.  In that case, the graphic didn't necessarily explain why the explosion happened, but it did give a visual representation of what happened.  Sometimes, text is not enough to understand a story, and Flash helps in that understanding.  Whether it is a slideshow or an animated graphic, readers and viewers have to use more senses, making them more engaged in the story.

Finding the Balance

I think Flash is a great tool to utilize in a webpage. It gives the reader a sense of connection to the story, instead of allowing them to read without actually comprehending what they're reading throughout the process. It's like in class, when a teacher is lecturing but has given out the powerpoint slides or the notes or whatever beforehand, so the students don't have to actively participate. We completely zone out and do other things. Interactive graphics not only force the reader to pay attention, but they're also entertaining. It's a more exciting way to receive the information than just reading it in paragraph or bullet form, and I feel like it sticks with me better because I actually payed attention to what I was doing and remember what I clicked on or rolled over to view which piece of information.
Howerever, I do think there has to be a balance. The information can't be complicated or confusing or put in a weird formation, even if that way looks more creative. If a user can't make sense of the graphic then it's not going to do them any good to have it in front of their face.

Flash Gordon... er Journalism

The greatest danger Flash poses to delivering information is implied in its name. Flash is nothing but an extra dazzle. Flash content should not be thought of as a standalone element unless it contains the actual text for the story.

Another reason Flash should be used sparingly is that the text in Flash, although can be set to selectable, is usually not if animated or used dynamically. Also, as an swf, search engines like Google cannot crawl or cache text from your site if it is in the swf. This severely limits your traffic and therefore results in less readership.

The most important thing about using Flash is to use it in a way that is not annoying. If the display makes it harder or more convoluted for the reader to get information, then it is not worth using. I personally like to use Flash to explain a process or instructions that are particularly complex. A moving diagram or chart that is meant to be a visual in the first place is often served well with added Flash capability.

My business deals a lot in Flash, especially in internet advertising. It is best used for those block elements: sidebars, infographs, slide shows, etc. That way it is set aside as a supplemental piece instead of integral to the article, which it shouldn't be. And the reader will know.

Flash improves journalism

Flash is a helpful tool a lot of people can utilize on the internet. I come from a world of visuals. Being a designer, I immediately look for some visual element to any story I read or write, it's just a part of my nature. That's why I like Flash. It gives another layer to journalism by giving a resource to those of us who learn from a visual point-of-view. Being able to use an interactive map can help a person better understand a story and implications on their life. We learn through a variety of ways, and some people are very turned off by a large swath of text. It's like a textbook. People will skip straight over something if it doesn't appeal to them. Flash breaks up the monotony of text and draws a reader in.

But beware of Flash. With the opportunity for visual storytelling, stories can often become convoluted and sensationalized. I feel like people with jazz up a story visually, but that sometimes takes the point of the story out of context. We, as journalists, are obligated to truth (or so Kovach and Rosenstiel say :]). So it's important to do all designing and Flash in the framework of the story itself. Another pitfall of Flash is the tendency to have a graphic overshadow the story itself. Flash is a means to enhance a story, not take away from it.

All in all, Flash proves to be an important tool of journalism if properly applied.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Flash: Uncovering the Layers - Tomeka Weatherspoon

The Internet allows journalists can create layers in their work, allowing for a new kind of depth. Implementing Flash into the stories encourages interactivity for readers. The reader must physically work to uncover all of the story’s contents. I’m not sure what long-term effects programs like Flash will have on stories. 

Right now, development gives the audience something to do rather than just stare at a computer screen. Like with video games and television, flash encourages people to be more engaged in the story. However, also like with video games and television, it has the potential to have unexpected effects on Internet storytelling.

Flash

I think Flash journalism is an great asset to the web.  People love to interact with websites. They like having that sense of control over their experience and it makes them feel a part of what's going on, causing them to stay at the site longer.  The key is that the graph creator must design the graphic to make it enhance the user's experience, not detract from it by making it unclear to the point where the user leaves the entire site frustrated.  The user shouldn't have to put forth too much effort.  The instructions should be clearly and concisely included near the graphic.  The user should be able to to easily discern whether he or she needs to move the mouse over the area, click, or what exactly needs to be done to get the information.

There definitely seems to be places where it is appropriate however.  The graphic should have a specific purpose and shouldn't just be included simply because its a cool feature or fun to make. I think they can be very creative, but should only be included if the creator is going to put one hundred percent effort into making it. 

Flash Journalism!

I really, really like flash journalism! I think it's becoming more and more popular and for good reason. It lays out the ideas in a more clear (depending on how you do it) and memorable way..as long as it's used properly and for the right stories and information. I think it gives website a more professional look. 
The only think I wasn't a huge fan of was figuring out the program. But I think with practice and patience it will come easier! I've always wondered how they put together those graphics on websites.. and now I know. 

Flash Graphics...Great, But Not for Me

I was relatively surprised in a way by the easiness of putting flash graphics on a webpage, but it also was very particular in how you had to do it. They are a great way to get the reader to interact with the content and make a website more fun. There is also more to it than just making something pop up when someone points their mouse towards it. You have to be careful not to cover something else up and that the information goes correctly with your graphic.
Someone brought up a great point in class about what situations you should use a graphic like this and when a map, chart, or simple list would do the job just as well. I think the best time to use this type of graphic is with something like a map or spacial layout because it allows you to look specifically at one thing and keep looking at the whole picture. It really is up to the journalist, but this type of graphic is great at getting the reader to interact with the website and learn about the content in a different way.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Flash Graphics - Kate Chizek

As I look at national and local websites, interactive graphics hook me in. Can I get in and out of the website quickly, but yet still take something away? I think the answer comes down to these "infotoys" as Quealy calls it in his article ": Infographics and Datatoys: Dissecting the purpose of interactivity in Online Journalism." While, I agree with him that analysis is still important, we live in such an interactive world where people need their news NOW! If there is something interactive to draw them in, maybe they will stay on your website longer or at least remember what they saw and share with friends.

As long as they are simple and not too chaotic, I think they serve their purpose. You don't want to confuse the reader by trying to pile up too much information within a graphic. Restrain is key. I completely agree with Quealy that too much information is exactly that . . . TOO MUCH!! It can frustrate the viewer. I think that shows amateur graphic design ability. I am actually working on a interactive infographic for another class, and this is my top fear. I have a lot of information to present, but I am still trying to reduce it down, so you can learn what I want you to learn but not be overwhelmed!

The recent presidential election coverage was made much more interesting with the use of graphics to say who won which state, by how many votes, etc. But I think one important thing I drew from Quealy's article was to make sure your "infotoy" is appropriate to your topic. If it doesn't fit, don't try and make it!


Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Nate Birt - Flash journalism - Nov. 20

Flash journalism is absolutely the future, or at very least one of the stepping stones to getting there.
I have heard numerous people in positions of authority — people who have the power to hire — say that knowing Flash is such a great skill to have in today's job market.
There is so much potential, and it seems as though so few news organizations are using it, even though it has been around for some time. It could be used to present stories in a way that engages the reader, and doesn't just feed them information. Instead, Flash feeds on the notion that readers/viewers/listeners are bent on seeking out information for themselves. Ideally, Flash gives these people the tools for enlightenment.
That's probably a bit idyllic, but that's how I feel about it, and I'm excited to learn more about this program next semester. It would be fun to work for a newspaper and use this to make people feel more informed.
This could have worked well in the recent Missourian story about the man who was Tasered off a bridge. It might be interesting to track the people at various points in time. One might build an interactive timeline showing what happened at Point A, Point B and so on. One might also incorporate audio from the scene.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Good Design

According to John Tollett and Robin Williams' article on design, there are four basic ideas that can help a design novice attain a semblance of expertise on a subject that takes many years to develop and perfect for professional designers.  Those ideas make up the acronym C.R.A.P. or "crap!" as Lynda and Karen call it.

Contrast is the first design idea in the acronym.  Contrast is a tricky thing to work out because it doesn't apply to most situations on a web page.  Designers implement contrast to catch the reader's eyes and direct them toward the meat of the story, i.e. the main material or information in the article.  The idea is to create a so-called "focal point" somewhere at the head of the presentation and use that point to help the reader identify what the goal or focus of the presentation is.  It can throw a consumer of information off if size and other elements are off, throwing their focus to another less important part of the page.  It's imperative to make sure that pages aren't cluttered.  A well-contrasted page will create a hierarchy of information, from the headline, to the article or information itself, to the links and secondary features.

Repetition is the restatement of certain elements within a page, such as repeating a color scheme or a particular font.  The point of Repetition is to tie the entire piece together and make it uniform and easy to follow.

Alignment is the unifying force within a web page.  New designers will often organize their information, links and headlines in a centered fashion that conveys no particular order of importance within the piece.  The idea is to make all text aligned together, preferably on the left, so the page will not look cluttered or unprofessional.  Alignment helps the presentation be organized and projects a certain sophistication.

Finally, Proximity has to do with the relationships two or more items develop when they are close to each other.  Intentional or not, this conveys a general sense of relativity between the two items.  For instance, headlines should be attached to their text as opposed to hovering a space above.  Space should serve a purpose, to detach information from other pieces of information, and not be random.  The goal of Proximity should be to create a unified piece.

The next time I'm working on a web page of my own, I will be considering C.R.A.P. and all of its implications.

Good vs. Bad Design

The most important thing in making a web page seems to be to make it professional looking so that viewers will see it as a credible source of information.  Each bad design offense takes away from the overall credibility of the site.  Something as simple as all-caps text, unncessary line breaks, or bad spelling and grammar can make a big difference.  Likewise, a link that doesn't work, or using straight quotes in a graphic, or making the viewer scroll sideways could make the viewer second guess your professionalism.

These readings offer valuable information to keep in mind.  I didn't realize that it's bad to even have a centered title and flush left text.  Everything should have the same alignment.  As far as proximity, if two items are close they appear to have a relationship.  It is important not to orphan items or make them have inappropriate relationships that don't make sense. Repetition is key to consistency.  It seems to be one of the most important things as far as unifying your website and making strong web pages.  Contrast pulls your eyes in and makes you move them around the page.  A focal point is also key. Something needs to be the boss.  Size can help make this clear, with all other things subordinate to the focal point.  

The checklist at the end of Chapter 6 and the "so-much-better" checklist at the end of Chapter 8 are great to focus on when making your page.  The "not-so-good" checklist at the end of Chapter 8 is also perfect for making sure you avoid the negatives for your pages.


The Power of White Space

Something I wasn't privy to beforehand is just how important alignment is to good design. For instance, the ugliness of center alignment is extremely obvious when put adjacent to a navigation bar that is justified left. I think the main reason for this is justifying the text to the leftmost edge is the most efficient use of white space possible.

White space (or whatever background color) is important because it is the common denominator that is most visible. Depending on the amount of raw white space, a page can look empty, cluttered, sophisticated, or chaotic. Leaving some white space is important so the viewer's eyes aren't strained.

Good design is also dependent on symmetry, repetition, and a common interface that is recognizable throughout the pages. If white space is incredibly different from page to page, it will be visually jarring. I personally prefer a minimalistic design that favors simplicity and sophistication, which mean more white space. The whole tone of the page can be changed with the placement of the dominant element and how the dominant element is framed. I've noticed that bad design has the dominant element closely packed with other columns and pictures and text. It is better if you give the dominant element some breathing room for easy readability.

checklist

I felt that the checklist posted at the end of the Good & Bad Design reading was one of the most helpful, applicable parts of the reading. It kind of summed up what you should and shouldn't do when you're putting together a Web page. What I essentially got out of the reading was that a Web site's design should be based on both function and accessibility. It should be set up to serve the visitor and make it easy for them to access and use all content on the page, as well as move around the site easily. Design should also be pretty simple, allowing for a lot of space. This reading reminded me of Jakob Lodwick. He's a computer programmer responsible for businesses/Web sites like collegehumor.com and bustedtees.com, and used to be really into blogging (who's made fun of quite a bit on Valleywag!). He's always stressed simplicity; how so many Web sites have bought into flashy banners, complicated functions and busy designs, but how that actually makes a site less presentable and hard to read. I've noticed that I love using applications/Web sites with simple designs
Also, I cracked up at little lines like "Oh my gawd. If you're going to set type really little, PLEASE don't make it italic." Cute. Haha.

Ramblings from a designer

A design student myself, I notice a lot of good/bad designs in my daily life while surfing the web. It's a pretty well-known fact that if a site is poorly designed, it attracts less people. If the colors aren't eye-catching, there's no creativity, loads of text, it's a turn off. The saying "less is more" definitely applies to design, as far as I'm concerned. The purpose of design is to compliment and highlight the content, not distract from the content. I've learned this when I designed for newspapers and my high school yearbook.

One good example of web design is in a website called zipatoni.com. The website is dedicated to the Zipatoni business, an advertising agency in St. Louis. Immediately, I was attracted by the design. It is not cluttered, and relies on a simple color scheme, yellow and black. This fulfills the idea of contrast. The words are offset by the stark black background. There are few distracting pictures, allowing the viewer to solely focus on the message of the website. I was impressed by the easy-to-navigate site layout. I could find everything I wanted to know about the company quickly and effectively. I hope to incorporate some of the design on zipatoni.com into my convergence.

Good and Bad Design

I suppose I've always noticed when a website is set up in a "user-friendly" style so that I am able to find my way around it with a limited amount of stress. I've also noticed when a website is really bad, or very basic. But I never really thought much about it, besides being appreciative that my task was made a little easier or annoyed that I had to spend hours searching or finding another website. After reading the chapters and discussing design in class, I now find myself picking every website I come to apart, asking myself if I like or dislike things about it, what seems to be the most user friendly way to do things, or how I would change certain aspects. You have officially ruined my casual web browsing. Thanks.
The biggest thing I've noticed is that simplicity seems to be the best way to go about things. Even the readings suggest that. You can make something look cool, but still keep it basic and probably end up with more people viewing your site because they don't have to hunt for things, or can easily move from page to page and follow the flow of information. I also noticed that a lot of what the book suggests and what I notice seem like they shouldn't have to be pointed out. Things need to line up on the page, don't pick colors that won't contrast, etc, etc. Part of me doesn't understand how someone could make a website and think that doing the opposite of some of these things is ok, even without any training. But I suppose creative genius can't be questioned. Until their business/organization/whatever gets no support because no one can figure out the website.

No joke --- If you have poor website design, I am less likely to return!

As we started talking about website design on Tuesday, I immediately thought of my job this summer; as an intern at a broadcast consulting agency, it was my job to go to stations' websites and finds video clips to digitize and investigative story ideas. While it was kind of fun to surf around the web and see what stations were doing around the country, I quickly came to a conclusion. On many websites, it was impossible to find the link to videos! Often, it would be hidden in page after page. But with time constraints on me, I couldn't always waste time searching for the video - I needed it fast. After all, broadcast stations BROADCAST video on TV. Shouldn't it be easy to find this video on their websites? I quickly found which sites to ignore and which sites I could trust to help me in my task. What did this all boil down to? GOOD DESIGN! These clips would be digitized and send to our clients across the country, but if I couldn't find your clips, you missed out a great marketing technique. Without efficient and "CRAP" design, these news stations missed out!

In reading the excerpts from "How to Recognize Good and Bad Design," I found one statement I particularly agreed with. DON'T MAKE ME SCROLL FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. My usage of computers has always taught me to scroll up to down, and I may miss out on vital information if you make your website scroll sideways as well. I agree with what Daryl said in her post about her 4802 website being amateur. Mine definitely was as well! I would like to get better with my use of design, but there is one especially nice thing about living in 2008 - there are professionals that companies can hire out to assist them in making professional design. I know my design wasn't professional, but maybe I could hire someone out for a better grade . . . ? Just kidding.


While I agree simple design is almost better (for navigation reasons) and following CRAP is important, I will always love the in depth design of Newsmap (http://www.marumushi.com/apps/newsmap/newsmap.cfm). Each story is sized based on it's importance and color coded based on what topic it falls under. Clicking on a story links you to another page, and I love their use of color. (I am a color fanatic!) Viewers can even change the layout from "squarified" to standard. I just love the interactiveness of the website, I always go back because it is easy to understand.

That's the key - do you want Kate Chizek to look at your website? Then make it easy to understand, easy to find what I am looking for, and a little bit colorful. It will keep me coming back!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

It seems good design is now back to being simple

After seeing website design examples and applying concepts in class and after reading chapters written by Robin Williams and John Tollet, I guess I began thinking about good and bad design every time I entered a website. As very reader-friendly and helpful the chapters were, I would like to emphasize one aspect of design I think is most important today: simplicity.

I believe that web users of the 21st century are more familiar with different functions and gadgets of a website than ever. They are pretty aware of what they might have to do next in order to retrieve the information that they want. I think that is why well-made websites these days tend to have portal – sort of like a huge door around a castle wall – for their websites; and the thing is, they have to simple to catch the eyes of the visitors.

News websites, since they have to carry a lot of information from the very start, do not seem to put simplicity first. However, I think as people become more and more familiar with the web environment, the news website will try to evolve into a simpler one. One great example I think is a website called
www.mediastorm.com. This is a website of compilation of different video/photo/slideshow projects, and their website is very simple: A menubar at the top that repeats itself throughout and just five or six photos that are representative photos of projects. The black background and photos, although they do not show much of a contrast, works rather fine because it does not eat up the whole page from side to side. One more thing I like about this website is that it does not require people to scroll down for more information. I think as people now know that they have to click on a menu to find something that they want, this user-unfriendly but simple website can be the answer for a very well designed website for the contemporary world, not to mention the future. I just hope that I can pull something like this off to satisfy the needs of many web surfers out there, but still being able to give them a notion that my website holds a lot of information.

Space management

The most prolific issue in web design is utilizing space properly. The best websites provide their content in a well organized manner. They take advantage of all the space available on the page, whether it is used for providing information or advertising. An excellent example of web design is ESPN.com. The world-wide leader in sports boasts an excellent web page.
ESPN.com has their top stories accompanied by a photograph. They also have a video with one their anchors reading a package about the top story of the day. This is called the Sportscenter minute. The sports center contains the only recognizable flaw that we have addressed in class. The Sportscenter minute plays automatically upon visiting the site. ESPN.com is easy to navigate. It has links to coverage of each sport as well as fantasy sports. The website provides interactivity with one poll on the main page. It also has its own section for polls called sports nation.
On the flip side, one of the worst websites I have seen was the Columbia Tribune’s website. Their website was filled to the brim with white space. Their content was condensed into a narrow space that was centered on the page. The positive of the Tribune’s page was that it was easy to navigate. It had a list of Associated Press stories and a list of local stories.
In conclusion, web design boils down to one crucial factor. That one crucial factor is space management. Space management makes the difference between the world wide leader in sports and a small town paper still lagging in convergence content.

My Page Had the Tale-Tell Signs of a Beginner

         I can honestly say that with only one semester of convergence almost under my belt, I feel more confident with more multi-media equipment than I ever thought I would use.  The website aspect is still my nemesis because it's such unknown territory for me.  One challenge I am honestly not looking forward to designing the website for our group project, and from reading the two chapters, I know there have been some things I've done wrong, but also what I can do to get better.
The four main points of good website design are contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity.   Although I never thought of these while I was starting my first site, these are definitely elements I will keep in mind for my next site.  After reading these chapters, I took the time to take a look at some news websites to see how they were set up and how viewer friendly they were.  The main thing I noticed was consistency on the variety of pages the news organizations had.  Across the board, no matter how deep you went into the website, the main logo and the main choices remained constant.  I would like to have this same element on our page because it's a website standard and it looks very professional.
It's my goal to combine all the elements to create a uniform, but creative medium site for viewers that both pulls them in and informs them without boring them.  One of the main things I can do now is consult with seasoned convergence students to accomplish my creative goals, and not get discouraged when something doesn't come out just right!

Simple is Best - Tomeka Weatherspoon

I think there is a tendency to overdue Web page formatting because we live in such a highly visual culture. Things that capture our attention are visually pleasing, even entertaining. In the design process, it’s tempting to overdo the 'decorations.' When I was making my first Web page, I feared it would be too boring. Viewers naturally wouldn’t pay attention to the content because the page was too dull.

But being sophisticated doesn’t always mean being boring. Being simple and clear doesn’t mean unattractive. Not always.

Playing around on Dreamweaver, I tried to organize things out in unique ways. Then I'd always go back to a more simple layout. I found that it's easier and more appealing when the viewer doesn't have to try to understand the mechanics of your Web page. If they come to the site for information, it's best to give it to them in the way that is most clear. The page will end up looking tidy and professional. It can have some special design elements, but too much tends to make the viewer question the credibility of your information. 

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Good/Bad design blog for Nov. 6

Williams and Tollett's two chapters on good and bad Web design point out an important truth: Communication, not just beautification, is key to good Web design.
Headlines shouldn't be disguised as buttons and vice versa. Headlines should be kept close to their associated text so that people aren't confused about what is connected and what isn't.
Having said that, I disagree with their assertion that Web sites shouldn't include sections that say things like, "This page is best viewed with Internet Explorer 6." This is particularly offensive to me because we're in the news business. It's not our job to hide things from readers. If a Web page would best be viewed in a particular browser, or if a video can only be seen in a particular format (such as Windows Media Player, QuickTime player, etc.), it is not only a good idea but imperative to tell readers about this. Otherwise, you'll lose people very quickly, which means less traffic to your Web site and, in the long run, fewer advertising dollars.
Having said that, the best approach would be to design a Web site in a way that can be viewed across a wide variety of browsers without problems that could be easily fixed. It's a good idea to test a site on several browsers.
I learned that you should align all elements in relatively the same way — all left, all centered and so forth. It's a great idea, simple and effective, and I hadn't really considered how this element could play such an important role before reading these.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

writing for a visual medium

Shook's "Writing the Package," was very helpful in explaining the breakdown of how to write, capture, and prepare for a visual story.  It is important to think of every little detail.  The process might have to be rushed sometimes depending on the story and your job, but if you miss detail it could lead to a poor story.  I like how he explained hte studio lead-in--it shouldn't be an intro to the story about to come, it should be instant intrusive, a dive right into the story.  Afterall, you aren't given much time to tell the story, so you must make hte most of it.
Also, "visual proof" is essential to the story as a whole.  This story relies on the visual, with words to explain and back up what the audience is seeing. The end is especially important.  It should be a visual, if possible, one that you picked out at the beginning when you arrived on scene and that you are working toward as an ending goal.  It should be an obvious end to the story.

Finally, I know I need to work on my planning before I hit the scene.  Shook talks about how you should have a storyboard or ideas about the way the story will be organized, but should always be prepared to have your organizational method or your ideas change on the scene.  Having an idea set in stone before you arrive on scene can lead to laziness.

visual medium writing

When writing for the visual medium it is important to be as detailed as possible. Detailing storyboards before filming is crucial because it mentally prepares the cameraman/camerawoman for the task ahead. It provides the cameraperson with an idea of the types of shots they are going to film and idea of what they will be filming.
Another imperative aspect of writing for the visual medium is organizing the shot sequence for the journalistic piece. Shot sequence determines what story the viewer sees and interprets as news. There are many ideal shot sequences. All of these sequences feature the importance of B roll. B roll is crucial because these cutaways are excellent transitions in between clips. They also provide context to the story. In sports stories they are used as a to break between highlights in the package. This allows the viewer to digest the highlights they just saw. It also prevents the viewers from being bombarded with information. B roll shots should be five seconds long and still add to the story, as opposed to distracting viewers from the real issue.
Writing for a video package is very similar to writing for an audio package. The good journalist wants to provide great sound bites and information. They also want the story to be told by the people for the people. The reporter should only put the story in context.
Writing a good video package is composed of focusing on the shot sequence. storyboarding the filming, good B roll, and letting the interview subjects tell the story.

writing for a visual medium

The readings concerning writing for a visual medium primarily focused on, well, finding a focus. This makes sense, and it's a common theme among writing for all mediums. In the past, most of my experience has been in news writing; I've written a lot of news/arts/etc stories, and the semester I write editorials. And in every one of these writing situations, I've had to find a focus; if you can't come up with one sentence to effectively summarize the point that you're trying to make or the intent you're pursuing with a story, you may need to rethink about whether the story makes sense.
Anyway. There are a lot of things that writing for a visual medium has in common with writing for print, but there are also a lot of key differences. Most of these are structural; when writing for a visual medium, you have to concentrate on making the entire piece engaging, but you don't necessarily have to have the most important fact first. You don't have to follow inverted pyramid structure all the time, as you should with print news stories. A person is more likely to watch an entire 1:30 news package than they are to read a really long story with lots of information, so you can rest assured they'll probably watch the whole thing and you don't have to make the ending/conclusion the least important. However, since you have less time than space to cover your issue, every soundbite, standup and piece of natural sound should have a purpose. And because its a visual medium, every picture should be carefully thought out; every piece of video should be shot for a reason, and should not only add to a story but, really, construct it. It's most important to keep in mind that you're doing the story visually for a reason; do what you couldn't do through just a print story.

Writing for a Visual Medium

When writing for a visual medium, it is important to always think about what images you are going to use to match your words.  The images take precedence in a visual medium and the words are just there to add clarification or to back those images up.  It is important to be concise in your writing since the focus is on the images. People will all too easily zone out if narration and sound bites go on for too long. Language should grab attention and be easy to understand and the images must relate to what the reporter is saying.

Shook gives a blueprint of what your package should look like.  He says that it is first important to find the focus of your story.  From there you can write your studio lead-in and the package lead. At first I was confused about the difference between the lead-in and the lead. I know that the studio needs a lead-in before the package starts, but I believe that you need to be careful so that your studio lead-in and package lead are not too repetitive. They should both convey the central thought of the story, but they also need to be distinct from one another. This part of writing the package seems like a great challenge.   

Integrating dueling elements

Writing for video is essentially an art of combining two mediums. I like to think of the video element as a supplement to the writing because the story still depends on the reporter's lead, transitions, and contextual setup. The sound bytes replace the quotes of a story, which aren't the reporter's creation anyway. So video to me is supplemental to the traditional way of storytelling, not a new way.

Obviously writing for the video will be different. You are limited to the context of the footage you were able to capture and to the time frame of the piece. But the readings give guidelines that mimic the structure of most any guide to writing straight news. Tailoring the video to the story is the challenge I think. It requires intense editing and constant reflection and therefore revision.

Apparently the focus statement is among the most important tasks to achieve in a visual story. It ties in all of the elements and directs the viewer's attention to what will be going on so they can funnel what they see and hear into one coherent concept.

Writing For a Visual Medium


Before taking this class, I thought writing for a visual news story would be a lot easier. I thought since you could see what was happening right before your eyes, that what needs to be said would be obvious. Editing our 30 second clips made me realize that this isn't really the case. Although we didn't have to add voice overs or really write a lot of it on our own, I could tell that adding the voice overs and writing for it wouldn't be as easy as I had imagined. 
For a visual news story, the interviews, b-roll and reporter narration all have to tie together in a way that is clear and meaningful. All of this, along with editing the video clips and making everything follow an order that makes sense can be very challenging. The reporter has almost no control over what sources say in the interview, so until you get their answers to your questions, you can't begin to write in the other parts. When it comes to b-roll, you probably don't want to describe exactly what is going on (because that's obvious if the viewer can see it) but it can be difficult to find something truthful and relevent to say during those clips. Overall, I've realized that writing for a visual story isn't obvious and that there are several things to remember before you start. 

Writing for a Visual Medium

When I first started writing for the different aspects of media on my webpage, I thought it would be the same as writing for print. You sit down, tell the story in a succinct yet informative manner and send it off to be published or printed or whatever you're doing with it. This is not the case at all. Writing for a visual medium requires a reporter to be slightly more creative. You have to be able to make your readers want to view or listen to the story you're trying to tell without giving it completely away, and you don't have much space to grab their attention in. When they're actually viewing your story, you have to know just how much to tell them and just how much to show them without overwhelming them with information, and how to make the different aspects of your story balance so the viewer doesn't feel they're getting all reporter and no interview or vice versa. You still have to be able to get your point across in a succint and informative manner, but you have to remember there are other mediums telling your story besides writing, so it has to be decided what needs to be written out and said and what can be shown. You don't want to make your viewer feel stupid, like you as a journalist are spelling everything out for them, yet you want to make sure you're doing your job and getting the story told. It's a narrow line to walk, and one that's taking me personally lots of practice and experience to figure out the best way to handle different stories.

Break Down the Process - Tomeka Weatherspoon

The readings were especially helpful, in terms of organization and technique when creating video stories. As a viewer, I didn't think to pick a part a video story to see its framework. The process is a lot more complex than it appears. Part of the point is to make the story appear seamless. The viewer shouldn't be able to see the process, just experience the story.

Creating them still a form of storytelling, but they sometimes get a bad reputation for being overly simplified and fragmented. Those are the ones that have not been planned sufficiently. They did not break down the process and give appropriate appreciation for individual components, such as sound. This is one of the benefits of having developmental stages. It gives you a chance to focus your attention. 

Writing for a Visual Medium – Precisely Concise

As I read the different reading materials for class, I couldn’t help but journey back to that moment a couple of weeks ago when I was sitting in front of a computer in the Futures Lab, thinking over how I was going to edit my captured video clips. We weren’t supposed to have any words or captions, but probably as everyone else, I was sort of making ‘unseen’ scripts of my own just to get a glimpse of how my short piece of video would turn out.

The most important thing in visual media is obviously its asset to be able to tell a story. Thus, I believe that writing for a visual medium should be able to focus on the story, basically in the same principle as writing on paper as a reporter. However, unlike writing on paper and guiding people through a story with your mighty pen from the very beginning, I think writing for a visual medium has more to do with getting all the pieces of the puzzle together. By puzzle pieces I mean we as convergence reporters have more tools in our hands to actually “plan” the focus or attention emphasis of readers (viewers). To elaborate, think of a reporter who has a camera or a video camera. This reporter, after getting the footage or photo, has to decide how to use and match this media information with whatever he/she is going to write. Now, I guess that’s how we have been working so far as students of a fundamentals class. Get your media first, and then think about how to make it all work together by editing them. However, I think as skilled convergence reporters, I think we will have a better sense of how to tell the story, and with that blueprint be able to handle all our tools of storytelling to make fit the pieces we need. I believe that the writing part will act as one of the vital pieces of the story, the only catch being it must always be as concise as possible.


I have been writing some kind of piece all my life, whether it is a paper for classes, an essay for the school paper, diaries, letters, you name it. But I have always found myself writing a bit longer than I had hoped to (just like in this blog entry). I think my convergence training and experiences will definitely give me a good lesson in not rambling on and on about a story. I think conciseness and precisely getting to the point is very important in writing for a visual medium, since you are trying to ‘aid’ people who can already ‘see’ parts of your puzzle pieces, like I mentioned earlier. That I would definitely like to get better at.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Making words match your medium

       Writing is essential to great journalism; it's the foundation, the bigger picture, and the main thing that brings a story to life for a reader.  I've always known that writing is the most important thing for papers, but I believe my experience here at MU's J-School has really shown me that writing is important for all types of journalism, including the newest member to the J-family, convergence.
       My main reason for switching to convergence this summer was to gain some extra skills to make myself more marketable as a broadcast journalist upon graduation.  I thought there would be more Internet training and maybe some more use of more different types of equipment.  While we haven't focused heavily on the writing for these different mediums, the examples we've seen in class and our own stories have used more writing than I first assumed.  
       One of the main things I've taken away from this class thus far is that writing for these different journalism mediums is that writing includes so much more than actual words on a paper.  Writing for a story with pictures means taking a scene setter shot, a profile shot, and a close shot to paint a full story.  Writing for an audio story means incorporating natural sound, interesting sound bites, and your own observations to describe a story with only sounds.  As we focus more on our video stories, I am looking forward to the way our pictures, B-roll, and voice overs will help take our viewers to the story.  
     The bottom line is that writing is very important for visual mediums, but that the writing in this sense includes more than just printed words.  Writing for visual or even audio mediums calls for using pictures, sounds, and your imagination to bring a story to life in a creative and interactive way.

Harder than it looks - Kate Chizek

I am going to be honest; before entering journalism school and interning for a broadcast news medium this summer, I thought writing and reporting for a visual medium was relatively easy. I just assumed that reporters could sit down, pinpoint their story, and write the copy easily; the interviews would be easy to get, and most,if not all, would support the story being told. I have quickly found, especially in 4802, this is not the case. First of all, your sources shouldn't support your story; good reporters go in without pre-notions of what they are looking for. They have questions prepared to ask, but they don't only dig for what falls in the scope of their intended story. They ask questions and see the big picture, withholding all bias they may have had.

In the Poynter article, Al Tompkins states that journalists should, "Connect your eye, your heart and body to journalism." Journalists have to be passionate and willing to go the extra step. Finding the perfect words may be hard, but they have to dig to nail a story. I like how Poynter discusses focusing within a "story-in-a-sentence." I think this is wise - if you can't sum up your story in one sentence, your readers will be confused. If there is too much going on with the visual aspects and the copy, no one will be able to follow the story nor will they care.

In our use of natural sound, the reading from Chapter 9 says you must use it "liberally" because it helps establish the news environment. After the NPR radio story, I know I personally have to remember that the natural sound really must fit the story. If I use it just to have natural sound, it may confuse readers. In the visual medium, this natural sound can also be captured with images, making the viewer feel as if he or she is there. Obviously, more thought is necessary for the visual medium than I originally thought!

Thinking Critically

One of the things I had trouble with for the thirty second video assignment was time. I had so many good ideas and strong footage, but not enough time to include everything I wanted. I thought about it some more and it became a real conundrum. How does a multiplatform journalist respect the alotted time without sacrificing content? After reading the Poynter online article, I found the answer is pretty clear.

A multimedia journalist must critically analyze what needs to be in the story, and shorten it into a sentence. We must keep a very narrow focus to our stories, or else run the risk of having a forty minute video. It's easy for us a visual storytellers to get distracted with some of the visual schematics of our job. I think to solve my problem I will more closely scrutinize my stories and go in to a story having done more research.

It's important for us to know what angle we're going for. Again, and I've found this throughout my time in this class so far, journalism is very mental. Once we really know what the stories needs, we can better plan for what we will get. I think by reading these articles, I will know how to better manage my time in videos without abandoning sound videographic principles.

Coherency

A successful journalist will heed the advice of the Visual Edge in Doug White's piece and "focus" on the topic at hand.  The "Focus" itself is covered in both readings, and is defined as a sentence summary, containing the entire story.  If one cannot summarize his or her story like this, it is said to be too long.  It's this nutshell premise that keeps the story easily digestible for viewers.  For instance, it's key to think about the subject and be sure that all possible nooks and crannies are concisely covered.  Interview subjects in ways that challenge them to be creative and open with responses.   Visuals should match the topic of the speaker whether it's the narrator or the interviewee.  Shoot each shot from different angles and make the information as easy to digest as is humanly possible.

"Writing the Package" by Fred Shook is a guided resource for those looking to take the advice above and apply it in easy ways.  Shook's skeleton proceeds as follows; each journalist should lead with a Focus statement/Studio lead-in that highlights the point of the story and captures the viewer's attention, then he or she should proceed to the package lead in a main idea to communicate and a visual to prove it, from there we move to a body or middle segment which should highlight four ideas that compose the topic, finally we have a final visual, closing sound and voice over to cap the story off.

After reading the articles, I've concluded that the most important thing for a story in a visual medium is cohesion, or the perfect union of words, sound and visuals.  Without context, or visual confirmation, words and ideas puzzle an audience.  Or worse, do not register.  Stories need to be coherent to communicate their topic, as do any other type of non-abstract medium.

Kevin Ornduff

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Nate Birt - Writing for Visual Mediums - for Oct. 21

After reading about writing for a visual medium, I am going to make a concerted effort to introduce and close the story I produce by myself without allowing a source to do it for me.
According to the piece titled "Writing the Package," it's important to carefully fuse voiceover content with the actually visual content of the video. If you're talking about people eating chili at a fundraising event, for example, you wouldn't want to show the outside of the building at that time. Instead, you'd want to show the people eating their chili and having a (fun/enjoyable/fill-in-your-choice-of-adjective) time.
I didn't know that so much advanced planning went into a TV news story, though I suppose it's only natural. Even for a breaking news story, this chapter notes, reporters can take the time to get to understand the story and frame it appropriately.
I plan to use the idea of building a script for my piece and writing out the script. It seems like it will be rather difficult to time things — for example, how long it takes to do a particular voiceover and then transition into interview footage, B-roll and so on, but I'm sure that after a few rounds of practice (something we discussed in class), it will go more naturally. I'm also wondering how we will insert a voiceover into our videos, but it's something we'll probably be learning about soon.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Sportscenter minute

ESPN.com is the leader in sports convergence journalism. The world wide leader in sports is also the world wide leader of sports on the web. The ESPN Sportscenter minute is a staple of the successful website. The Sportscenter minute gives a minute or two briefing of up to the minute sports news, complete with highlights and an anchor reading the news.
The Sportscenter minute has an advantage that a written story does not. While a written story only satisfies the visual sense, a video package satisfies both the visual and audio senses. By satisfying more of the basic human senses, the online video package provides a more enjoyable experience to the webpage’s visitors. It also relieves them of the strain of having to read a story.
By providing a brief synopsis of the occurrences in the world of sports, it allows them to know the important facts immediately, without having to spend 10 minutes reading a story. ESPN also provides a story online, if visitors want more information on a particular topic/issue.
I found out that Adam “Pac-man” Jones had once again been suspended indefinitely by the NFL and heard expert opinion on the issue, within one minute of visiting the site. These results are amazing. The internet is truly the best way to find information fast. That is the reason why I am in convergence because it provides information quicker than any other medium.
The Sportscenter minute is a top notch web video that provides information quickly and satisfies more of the five basic senses than a written story. This is the reason why the internet is the top destination for news, and sports highlights.

Chicago may get 'gay-friendly' high school

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/13/gay.friendly.school/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
I watched this story having no idea about whether or not there would be good visual representations, really. I figured that since it was an issue story, it could go either way and it could be difficult to capture appropriate B-roll since the school hadn't already been constructed. I wasn't really surprised to see that the visuals were limited to graphics and to some sporadic B-roll of school-age students and classroom activities, but I was a little disappointed at how visually uninteresting it was. They could have had more footage of students meeting or doing activities as part of a school's GSA, or something, really.
In this case, there was a text version of the story, and though I feel like video can do more to attract the senses and tell stories sometimes, this was not one of those times. The text and a few still photos really told the story better.
In both cases, though, the story was good— but it wasn't meant for a video.

Maher accused of trickery

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/showbiz

A story on Bill Maher's documentary "Religulous" caught my eye since it has a chance of being nominated for an Academy Award. The story reports on subjects of the film who are now complaining about being tricked by Maher into doing interviews that they did not know were connected to his comedic documentary about religion. The man who directed "Borat" also directed "Religulous" which adds credence to the claim that the subjects were tricked. The video's b-roll consists of clips from the movie, which gives viewers an idea of what Maher's documentary is about so that they can follow along with the news report.

The video quotes one subject, Rev. Jeremiah Cummings, but never shows an actual interview with him. I realize that he may not have wanted to be shown on camera, but since he is such a big source in this story, that interview would have been a good addition. I was also disappointed that the report used what looked like an old interview with Maher and the director where they admit to lying to people to get interviews. However, the report pulls only a soundbite from the pair and I think the piece should have at least included an explanation from them on why they lied to subjects. The piece is very one-sided since we don't directly hear from Maher.

I don't think this story would be that hampered by being "text only." The only benefit of video in this case is that the report can show clips from Maher's documentary. Those clips do give us a better idea about the content of the film, but a few sentences in a print story could also clear that up for us.

Asian Stocks Rally

Zach Wade

http://www.cnn.com/video/?iref=videoglobal

In this video, a CNN correspondent in Hong Kong outlines the unprecedented nature of a global economic bailout. The coverage however mainly focused on the market reaction to the economic stimulus plans proposed by G7 governments. The visuals were relevant to the story, but were mundane, cliche and boring. Most of the shots were simply of stock tickers which tell us very little in scope and only repeat the information that the stock market was doing better on the news. There was also some footgae of the NYSE floor, but it was so generic that it might as well have been stock footage.

A little bit of ticker is fine, but I owuld prefer to see something that reveals a little more information. I would have included clips on government meetings and federal reserve shots. Also, the transitions in video were a little odd. The story was about the Asian stocks rallying last night, but occassionally they would include a shot of the NYSE without a clear enough segway. CNN needs to assume the viewer knows nothing about the markets and should explain or imply what they are seeing on the screen.

If the story were written in plain text, it would read fairly choppy. The reporter used a lot of "Well, And, So" transitions that makes sense in speech, but not on paper. The pauses that exist in the audi/video format are necessary, but those who read it straight through in print may find thatwithout the necessary pause, the story is choppy. Obviously written stories and audio stories are two different animals.

It always seems better to be able to ‘watch’ sports news

For the sake of trying something different, I tried searching Korean websites for journalistic videos. One thing I kept in mind in my search was that the journalistic piece should have some merit for being a video-type one. That is why I chose a sports news piece.

Website URL : http://news.naver.com/vod/vod.nhn?office_id=214&article_id=0000082974&section_id=107

This video (a clip from the nine o’clock NewsDesk, an evening news program by one of Korea’s largest nationwide networks MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Company), is titled “The Olympic Heroes Do it Again.” The news story (1:43) is about Korea’s National Athletic Games which is going on right now and Korean olympians who won medals in the Beijing games participating in it. The medalists, including Park Taehwan (swimming) and Jang Miran (weightlifting) were victorious in the domestic games, overcoming their rivals by huge margins.

I think one thing this video story lacks is coverage on some other Olympians who faced strong opponents that struggled. It looked almost as if it was a PR video, one that advertises the two Olympic medalists. There are such athletes who triumphed in the Beijing games but were on the wrong end of an upset from other talented domestic competition. Perhaps this could be whole another story, but for some people who are only able to catch this news video, it might have been more diverse to add about 20 seconds and add that aspect to the story.

If this story was a “text-only story,” I think it might not even have caught the attention of may news spectators, especially because it’s about sports. One great thing about visual coverage of sports is that it is always more exciting and gives you a sense of actually being there. Also, through video and familiar scenes (for example, Park swimming past the leader to finish first) reminiscence of these figures and their accomplishments could be duplicated, thus making it a story with more impact. I think that’s why we have more analysis and projections in the text version of a sports story.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Video Example Critique

I watched a news video on CNN.com entitled "Healthy fast food."  It presented Atlanta Area Fresh 'n Fit Cuisine, a healthy fast food-to-go option, focusing on Tiffany Hoffine's experience with the business.  The reporter interviewed Hoffine and showed clips of her walking out of the a discount nutrition store with the food, getting in her car, bringing it home to her husband, and eating it at the table as a nice meal.  She also interviewed the chef at the company, showing the kitchen and the food being made, along with an interview with a registered dietician.  It was a pretty good video.  I would have liked to see interviews withe more Fresh 'n Fit Cuisine customers.  Does this company just benefit a couple with no kids?  Could a family use this?  Hoffine mentioned that she had already lost ten pounds and the chef said that the company caters to 1,200 and 2,000 calorie diets.  Is this for people who want to lose weight or is that just a side benefit?

As for the B-roll, I feel like it was a little unnecessary to show Hoffine physically walking out of the store with her food, opening her car door, getting into her car, etc.  I think it would have been a better visual to show all of the different food options in the store and show her deciding which to buy.  They also could have included in the story different places were the food is available.

It was a little corny also when Hoffine used lines such as "Honey, I'm home!" when she brought home the food to her husband and "Bon appetit!" when they sat down to eat it.  It seemed unnatural, like she was clearly acting for the camera.  The camera didn't seem to be merely a fly on the wall. 

This story would not have been as strong as a text only story.  People need a visual of food; something they are going to be eating needs to look appealing.  It was also important to get a look into the kitchen.  The food appeared to be high-quality and the fact that the couple sat down in the dining room with the food on their nice plates, drinking wine added an element that would have been harder to pick up on with just words.  If the story was only told in words it would have to rely much more heavily on sensory words and descriptions.  

"The Milkman"

As I went to search for multimedia videos, I found many Associated Press examples or actual clips from a local broadcast news station. I did not want to critique these because they were not solely meant for the web. You could find them on TV, just by turning on the nightly news. Instead, I turned to the St. Louis Post Dispatch and found a video of a story by Elie Gardner - titled "The Milkman."
http://videos.stltoday.com/p/video?id=2279691

This story discusses a male "lactation" counselor at a children's store in St. Louis. While a text narrative could have given us more information about the store and Eric Nemens, the counselor, it would have lost the visual effect of babies being fed by their mothers; with bright eyes and happy faces, it's easier to understand what Nemens is discussing about the bond with a baby. The reporter timed Nemens' questions perfectly about being a father - she added ambience noise of babies cooing and crying, as well as excerpts from Howie Day's song, Collide. It gives a strong visual about the bond between a parent and a newborn.

I wish the reporter would have covered more about the irony of having a male as a "lactation" counselor; this appears to be unique, so how do the mothers feel asking him for advice? Where is their voice within this story? It becomes very one-sided. While we learn about why Nemens enjoys working with children, we completely lose the aspect of the unique situation. I think more interviews would be needed. While these interviews may be in a text form of the story, at least some short clip would have been beneficial.

Additionally, it would be nice to see some interactions between Nemens and the new mothers. As viewers, we can see the mothers conversing with one another, but that isn't what the story is about. We need to see a better visual of Nemens, and I think that would lead to a better overall understanding.

I like the way newspaper websites are trying to stay up-to-date with our modern age. With opportunities for readers to visually see their stories, newspaper corporations can stay alive in our fast paced world!!

Pay It Forward

I found a video article on CNN.com entitled "Man fills strangers gas tanks".  The title is interesting in itself because it leaves the consumer asking questions and therefore increases the probability that they'll click the link.  One may wonder why would a man do such a deed for someone he barely knows in today's self-centered society but questions such as this are immediately answered as "Dave" of Portland, Oregon is revealed in the two-and-a-half-minute clip.

The video tells the tale of a man who fills strangers' tanks randomly on his own time, only asking the recipients to "pay it forward" or "do what they can within their budget for someone else".  What makes this clip work is the fact that the man's actions are so genuine and rare they produce opposite positive emotions.  And hopefully positive actions by the recipients in the future.

I enjoyed this story because it was an easily digestible at 2:37 and offered a complete picture of the situation.  Missing information included David's last name, names of interviewees, among other small things.  But overall, the story is very satisfying and complete.

http://www.cnn.com/video/?JSONLINK=/video/us/2008/10/11/natpkg.or.gas.pay.forward.kgw

Kevin Ornduff

Video Example Critique - Tomeka Weatherspoon

The New York Times has a video story called, "The Women of Parkour," which is on their Web site. Parkour is defined as the art of moving efficiently. The story focuses on a select group of women who have been invading the sport. The men and women practice in a park-like atmosphere, performing various stunts and acrobatic moves.

It is a very visually appealing, while still offering a solid explanation of the sport.

There were weak spots in the interviews and lack of basic information about the story's setting. Though men and women were featured doing stunts, only women were interviewed. Of those only one name was credited. Specifics such as location and date were simply left out. These could have quickly been explained using narration.

The story would not have translated well through text. The most interesting aspect is in how unique their techniques look. It may be impossible to explain those kinds of images using words.

You can find the story here: http://video.on.nytimes.com 

Journalistic Video

To analyze a piece of journalistic video, I chose to view something a little less hard-hitting and impactuful. I chose to watch a short interest story from MSNBC. The story was about a 14-year-old eagle that was captured and raised in captivity. But the owners decided to release the bird into the wild, even though the bird had never flown. The owners trained for a year on hang-gliders and finally released the eagle from the top of a French mountain while gliding alongside it.

The visuals in the story are absolutely stunning. Helicopter shots set the scene around the mountain and a videographer clearly rode in a hang-glider as well to capture some amazing footage. None of the shots lasted for longer than 5 seconds, which kept the audience interested and engage.

The narrator was simple and clearly and concisely told the story in an effective way. I would, however, liked to hear some more original voices in the story. This was meant to be a quick and painless story, and I understand that, but why couldn't the network interviewed at least one person. They had video of the person, so I think a sound bite should have been included. Original voices bring an authenticity to the story I feel is lacking thus far. I would have liked to know the outcome of the flight also. The scene was wonderfully set, but then not really explored through to completion.

I quite enjoyed this brief story, but clearly there is room for improvement.

The link to the video story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27163150#%2327163150

New York Times Video

http://video.on.nytimes.com/

I watched a video on the New York Times website ("Financial Crisis Hits Teens") about a New York City high school. There were interviews with the students and teachers about the economy and how it is starting to affect the younger generations. I thought the story was done well, the interviews with students who had specific examples of seeing their parents try to save money, or discussing things that they always taken for granted but now are not sure about (getting a mortgage on a house like their parents did) helped drive the point of the story home. The principle talked about the students finding money for college, something else I thought was a very real problem that many students are facing. However, this was one private high school, and I think it may have been interesting to also get a look at this from a public school's perspective since it would have been a good opportunity to get even more varied backgrounds.
Had this story been done text only it would have been an interesting story. It would have gotten the point across and given some good quotes from students and teachers experiencing the changing economy. But by doing the story as a video, it made the students people who you could see and relate to. It made them real. You could see how attentive they were in their economy class, knowing how important the lessons would be, and see the worry on their faces as they discussed their options and the changes in their lives.

Video Storytelling

I chose to watch a video on the Detroit Free Press's website about a couple who is losing home due to foreclosure. It's one of three families that the Free Press is focusing on in its short series about the national economic crisis.

The link is: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=VideoNetwork

I really liked the way this short video was done, and the timing was great. It was just long enough so that I felt like I got a true glimpse into this couple's life, but it wasn't so long as to bore me in the process. The Dearborn Heights couple bought the house about three years ago, and they realize now they probably got a better loan than they were afforded. The video features the couple packing up their things, sharing a meal, looking off into the distance, and talking with friends on the front porch. For the most part I really liked it but there were a couple of things I would have done differently.
The pictures and video must have been taken during the evening because at times you can't see the actions very well. This setting works well for some of the photos like when Alona is looking off into the distance or there's a shot of the sunset, but at one point Ernie is working on his car and you can't even see his hands because of the shadow. I would have changed this. Another aspect I might have done differently is the dinner scene. The couple is sitting down at what looks like their living room table to eat KFC for dinner and the following shots show close ups of the coleslaw, cups, forks, etc. while Ernie talks about the appraisal of his house. I thought that these shots and the conversation didn't match, and that I would have shown other shots of the house while he was talking about its appraisal value.
On the other hand, right before that scene was a shot of the couple saying a prayer before they ate. I thought that this was well done and gave an insight into their lives and their mindsets during this difficult process. At one point they prayed for the house and thanked God for their love for one another and the gas in their car. I thought this was very humanistic, and showed an insight to this couple that had nothing to do with the economy. I also liked the close of the piece with Alona talking about not being discouraged being matched with the shot of the sunset. It fit well to tie the story together and end the story on a nice note.
This video story is definitely different than a written one because it gave a lot of great natural sound and video of regular people doing regular things that might not be conveyed in a print story. There's one shot of Alona putting on her shoes and it shows her feet are a little raggedy (no offense) and something like that never would have fit within a print story, but gives some more detail about the life she leads. Again the prayer before they ate was a poignant touch, but in a print story would have probably been edited out. More than anything, this story is more appealing than a text only story because it really personalizes the economic issues that we're having in this country right now. It shows a day in the life of a single family that people can relate to. I think it was a job well done!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Web video blog for Oct. 14

After watching a cooking video at NYTimes.com, I decided to pursue a more news-based post for this particular blog.

I visited the Detroit Free Press' Web site, Freep.com, and watched a video from its "Michigan's Band of Brothers" series.

What struck me most about this particular video, "Remembering a Michigan soldier" (presumably that's what it's called — the site formatting makes it hard to read the whole title), was that many sources, and not once the reporter, told the story:



It's particularly powerful because these videographers had interviewed this Marine, Pfc. Tarryl Hill, on the job, before his death, and used that footage paired with footage from his funeral. Instead of focusing on a memorial video for Hill, the videographers chose to focus on the reactions of people in the audience to the video, which was particularly powerful. Relatives laugh and cry in response to the words they're hearing.

I would recommend just brushing up some of the text at the end of the story so that the viewer can read all of it. Additionally, one might stretch a headline across the top of the video so that it's easier to read. The gunshot near the beginning of the video I thought might have been a bit too loud in comparison with the surrounding audio.

If this were a print story, the reporter likely would have focused on some key thing someone said in a speech at the funeral, and then interview family members and friends in attendance, provide background on Hill and then end it. Video enables the reporter to let the viewer see and hear the person before and after death, as opposed to recounting what this person was like through sources other than the soldier. The video allows us to see what the people in attendance at the funeral saw, as opposed to giving us a summary that's bound by length restrictions.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Avoiding Frauds

It should be obvious to anyone thinking of becoming a journalist that the job entails several important qualities: patience, curiosity, dedication and above all, integrity.  We are employed to go out and capture the truth, whether it be with a pen, camera, video-camera, or a mic.  This requires a certain integrity so that the instinct to "stage" never crosses the journalist's mind.

Staging was described in detail in Dave Wertheimer's article, "Stage, Staging, Stages".  He leads off the article describing a situation in which a journalist was shooting an NFL draft party and a videographer from a local news station showed up and started setting up fraudulent shots of party-goers celebrations.  This is clearly a journalist in the wrong.  Setting up shots for the sake of creating a quasi-authentic situations is unethical. 

The line gets hazier when one considers the fact that most stories are warped when the pressure of the interviewer's presence or camera coerces people into not opening up and giving status-quo answers.  But how does one create authentic shots with advanced photography and video equipment that tends to scare subjects into not acting like their true selves?  Dave offers some good advice that I will take to heart when conducting future interviews.  Look interviewees in the eye, smile, make them feel comfortable, use wireless mics, leave the room if you have to.

Because a story lacking authenticity is a dead story.

Kevin Ornduff

Make the Person Forget the Camera is There

I read the “Staged, Staging, Stages” article by Dave Wertheimer. I had done some video shooting last weekend, so this article acted as a stinging reflection to look back on my experiences with the camera.

By a stinging reflection I mean what is stated in the title of this blog. The trick of the trade, as I have heard many times, was to “make the person forget the camera is there.” However, when I was shooting video at a parking lot where John Crokatt was working, he was so conscious of the camera that he kept looking back and forth to find out whether I thought he was doing a good job. He was willing to do things over and over again, if I told him to.
Although he had agreed to being interviewed, he seemed a bit uncomfortable with the camera at first. I felt very helpless, because there was not much I could do to make him feel more comfortable, more like himself. It could have been because he was an old man (74 years old), but still I wanted to make him feel better, which would obviously make my video story much better, too.

However, after about 20-30 minutes, as we began talking about his family and his job off the record, he really seemed to forget that the wireless microphone was there, and I was able to start shooting with a question to which he gave a smooth answer to. I was really glad that I had developed into such a phase with my interview subject.

Now, here is the question: In that first part of the interview where he was mumbling and pausing, and also was willing to pretend over and over again that it was the first time he heard the question or did something, should I have allowed that for a better quality? I think not, and I am proud of not pulling off such a “stage video” of my own; to work with what I have to make a story will definitely help me more to be a better journalist in the future.

The Psychology of Motion Pictures

Zach Wade

Both the visual and editing chapters were enlightening to me, not just because they demonstrated the correct methods and techniques of capturing and producing visuals, but also because the articles outlined how these practices affect the psychology of the viewer. For instance, the angle of the camera on the subject can either prop up their image or diminish them in the eyes of the audience.

It is apparent that video editing and shooting is much more involved than still camera photography. When you add the dimensions of sound sand movement, there are a million more requirements that must be taken into consideration. I will most likely be overwhelmed with the machine at first when trying to keep all of these tips in mind.

After reading the articles I was left with the impression that the editing process is even more crucial than the initial filming. It states that all people edit reality in their mind, so cutting and pasting a new reality is relatively easy in the editing room and can have incredible impact on the attitudes of the viewership toward the object of interest.

Video Ethics

Editing video for news comes with a different set of video ethics than does editing video for filmmaking. My own background is in editing film which is why I've been finding myself having to be very careful in what we're editing for class so far. In film editing, you have a great deal of freedom to manipulate the images and audio to tell your story and get your desired end result. In editing news, you have to be careful not to manipulate the words or meanings of your subjects even if that would get you a more effective end result.
Even though some ethics differ between news and film, the techniques of film editing can still be employed for news stories. Video Editing: The Invisible Art (Chapter 3) talks about the use of parallel cutting.  Even though this is a device regularly used in film to show simultaneous actions and to add suspense, it can also be used in news such as in hostage situations where many things are happening at the same time. It enhances continuity.

Sean Pooley on video editing

When editing video it is imperative to maintain journalistic integrity. Editing statements to fit the context of the story is acceptable as long as it does not transform the overall message of the person’s statement. A prime example of this would be if someone were to say, “ It’s not like I support the war.” Hypothetically, if a reporter’s story was about people supporting the war, they could edit this statement to say, “I support the war.” However, this would be irresponsible. This reporter could be sued for slander by the interview subject.
Proper journalism is reporting the truth. This is extremely important to remember when editing video. With the editing software available, it is easy to manipulate quotes to fit a story better. When a reporter manipulates or changes quotes they open themselves up to a potential lawsuit. It also hurts their chances of working in the news reporting industry ever again. If they continue to work as a journalist, their reputation is completely damaged. A prime example of this is the New York Times reporter who was faking his stories. It is impossible for people to believe him now. If I were his editor, I would scrutinize everyone of his stories and fact check rigorously to ensure the truth.
In conclusion, it is crucial to ensure journalistic integrity is being upheld when editing video. People need to be able to trust the news they see on television and video editing is a key part of making stories believable.

Staging

The "Staged, Staging, Stages" article was a really good thing to read before we shoot our video clips. Wertheimer gave some really good examples of staging in TV news. I was shocked when he said that even setting up lights in someone's office is considered staging, since it isn't the natural/everyday lighting. It's easy to let yourself do things like that, but the article pointed out the more subtle ones and really explained a lot about how important it is to film events as they happen. 
He also talked about the benefit of using wireless mics. I wasn't sure which mic I would use for my story, but now I'm definitely using the wireless ones because of the natural sound and thoughts you can capture with them. His technique of actually leaving the room and coming back in was really clever, because it gets people to forget they're even wearing the microphone, which produces more natural and truthful thoughts. The more natural the person feels, the more honest they'll be, and the stronger the story will be as well. 

Ethical vs. Commercial Quality - Tomeka Weatherspoon

Delivering news with authenticity requires journalists to be aware of the way they construct stories. The public depends on us to interpret and re-deliver information. The problem becomes keeping our own interpretations and creativity in check. I think when we try to convey what we've learned, there is a natural temptation to explain in a way which is either more interesting or biased. Editing video includes reconstructing for visual coherence. It requires manipulation, but does not have to involve deception. Artificial effects such as speed modification and adding audio add a tone to the story. Adding as little of these as possible is a way to avoid spreading subtle messages to the viewer.

It can be very difficult to avoid these editing techniques because they can make stories more interesting, which many people interpret as higher in quality. The stories that make it to wider audiences, e.g. on TV, are these types. There seems to be a clear distinction between stories that sell and stories that maintain authenticity. I believe the mainstream media approach is one of the reasons Americans are becoming more uninformed. Advancing technologies have only resulted in more manipulation of the news.

Monday, October 6, 2008

seek truth and report it

I think what it all comes down to is "seek truth and report it."
Which means that even when the truth isn't 100% laid out for you to write down, photograph, record or tape, a reporter should be searching for new ways to find or to present information. If a photographic moment has passed, you'll need a replacement photo that shows what happened afterwards; if a source isn't available for a quote or won't answer questions the way you wished they would, you have to make do with what you have and look for other sources elsewhere; if you can't get quality video that captures an ideal moment you have to get creative B-roll from somewhere else. Journalism is about investigation, creativity and thought.
Staging is unacceptable, whether in photos or in video. And if you're taking a picture with lights and other equipment that affects the visual aspects of a situation, its a photo illustration— and should be noted as such in your work.
Journalistic ethics come down to common sense, really— don't mislead the public, and have honest, well-meaning intentions throughout your work. Not staging visuals is a large part of that.

ethical line

These two articles were very helpful in helping define those shades of grey between right and wrong.  Honestly, I can't believe that the photographer mentioned in the "Staged, Staging, Stages" article actually asked the athlete to recreate his exciting moment for the camera.  I would feel embarrassed to do such a thing, although this must be an extreme example. Dave Wertheimer really seems to go above and beyond in making sure he presents the truth.  Giving the truth means going the extra mile even when it is inconvenient and could cost you time, such as when he went back to the flower shop to get the story as it naturally happened.  Basically, it seems like if you have to say to your subject, "Can you do this?" or somehow influence their actions, it is crossing the line.  The subject should never have to recreate an action or feel like they are being told to act in a certain way.  Wertheimer says he tries to be a "fly on the wall" which seems to be the best way to approach it.  You might end up getting some extra footage, but it is all real and not fixed to appear a certain way to match the idea for a story in your head.  

On another note, "Sliding Sound, Altered Images" really hits the note about how the images a photographer presents to the public can dramatically affect the outcomes of events, families, and individuals.  The article talks about using file tapes sparingly and how even altering the lighting or angle of a photo can present the subject as one way or another, such as in the O.J. Simpson example.  When you alter the mood of something it can easily get into the minds of the viewers or listeners and affect them without them even noticing.

I think Al Tompkins presents a perfect way to help the reporter distinguish is he or she has made an ethical blunder.  If you would feel completely comfortable telling your editor (or teacher) exactly how you edited and got the material for the piece, then you are probably ok.  But if you would be wary to truthfully reveal your methods, then you probably crossed the line somewhere.