Summer and Spring Internships at Washingtonpost.com

Let me know if any of you are interested in applying and I'll try to help. You would have to make the case that you plan to learn (or are in the process of learning) Final Cut Pro. The process is very last-minute for them and it sounds like a bit of a scramble. I'm told they would like to have applications by Nov. 1. If you want me to review your materials, send a resume and cover letter to me by Saturday or Sunday morning. Make sure both are free of spelling and grammatical errors. Here are the details a former colleague sent to me:

Washingtonpost.com is seeking interns to work as production assistants for web video in the spring and summer. The spring internship is unpaid, and technically requires only 16 hours/week from the intern.

The summer internship is paid, $750/week compensation.

The following applies to both the spring and summer internships:

Prospective interns must be students currently enrolled in a degree program, and, if selected, must submit one of the following on or before the first day of the internship: 1) documentation showing that academic credit is being received (i.e. a copy of the course registration), or 2) a letter from a professor, department head, or academic advisor stating that the internship significantly contributes to the student's current degree program, or 3) a letter from the school stating that the internship is part of a work-study or independent study program.

Descriptions of positions:

Position 1

Video/Interactivity Intern at washingtonpost.com

The washingtonpost.com's Interactivity team is searching for a video intern to help with day-to-day video production of video programming. Candidate should have flexible hours and must have experience shooting DV/HDV video and editing with Final Cut Pro. Interns are preferred to have coursework or field experience in visual journalism or a related journalism/media degree.

Duties/Responsibilities

-Help with on-location filming for video shows
-Assist in editing and producing videos on deadline
-Must have be proficient shooting DV/HDV video on prosumer/professional cameras
-Must be proficient at editing audio and video in Final Cut Pro
-Must be organized, detail-oriented, and happy to work within a team environment
-Must provide resume and portfolio, including video samples

Contact: Akira Hakuta

Position 2

Documentary Video Intern at washingtonpost.com

The washingtonpost.com's documentary video team is searching for a video intern to work 16 hours/week for the spring semester 2010. The candidate will help shoot, report and edit breaking news, daily and feature video stories as well as assisting with on-location filming for various weekly video shows. Candidate should have flexible hours, including nights and
weekends. A person and must have experience shooting DV/HDV video and editing with Final Cut Pro. Interns are preferred to have coursework or field experience in visual journalism or a related journalism/media degree. Candidates must provide a resume and portfolio, including video samples.

Contact: Ben de la Cruz

Haunted House

Haunted House Rough Cut

Video Sequencing

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-288909

0:53
Wide
In this shot of the gay pride parade where marchers pretended to be dead in order to promote their cause, that HIV services should not be taken away since it would inadvertantly cause the deaths of many homosexuals, the journalist gets a shot of the streetway, the buildings and all the people, with their signs. It creates a crowded, hectic feeling.

0:56
Medium
This shot brings the camera closer to the journalist, with those people immediately near her and the bodies surrounding her at her feet. There are people lined up and their standing figures neatly line the middle-upper portion of the shot, leaving a small line at the top for air. I feel like this is a good medium shot due to that space at the top, which keeps it from feeling crowded.

1:00
Close
The journalist brings it in closer, with standing figures filling and not fitting into the shot, with signs, arms and bodies partially obscuring the vantage point, making it a little bit more difficult to see where everything is. This shot furthers the feeling of the enthusiastic crowd that was emphasized in the wide shot, so I thought that this cohesion was good.

I just layered the audio and video, didn't do any editing yet.

Sequence Rough Cut

Rough Edit: Golf Sequence

Golf Sequence from Jonas Shaffer on Vimeo.

Rough Edit: Step Aerobics

Rough Cut 2 (Sequence)

Rough Cut 1 (Interview)

Really rough sequence cut (Part 2 - Sequence)

Just posting the unedited sequence before noon to show that I did it... will edit both parts together later!

Really rough sequence cut (Part 1 - Interview)

Just posting the interview before noon to show that I did it... will edit later!

Sequence Example from CNN

This clip starts with an interview, but then jumps right into several tight shots. The first tight shot in the sequence that I am referring to runs from :11 to :13. It doesn't feature much movement, but rather pinpoints something that the man in the interview was talking about while the reporter speaks over the footage.

In the next shot, the medium shot, the viewer joins the interviewee on the phone. The view is close enough to him that we have a good view of him and the tension on his face. This shot lasts from about :14 to :21 as we listen in on a phone conversation that the interviewee, Chuck Lane, is having about credit card pay

For the wide shot, the camera moves back a bit so that we can now see Mr. Lane's computer and desk, where he is moving some papers around (likely the ones we saw in the tight shot). In this shot, he is still on the phone, but the viewer isn't listening to his conversation anymore. This shot lasts from :22 to :30 while the reporter narrates and provides an overview of what is going on, and leads into how it is news, without the viewer having to listen to an entire conversation that this man is having on the phone.

Interview and sequence

I have NO idea why it keeps exporting in wide-screen format. I can't figure out how to change the settings, hence the black bars and awkwardly cut-off shots. Help?

This is a CNN clip of good fall vacation spots. Most of the shots are scenic wide shots that show beautiful landscape of the vacation spot, like Jamaica and North Carolina. However, the last vacation place they talk about, Napa Valley, has some good examples of different sequence shots.

They start talking about Napa Valley at 3:30, then show video clips of the place a few seconds later. The sequence begins with a medium shot of a hot air balloon (3:38-3:43). It's a nice shot to see the fun activities to do in Napa Valley before showing some of the more scenic panoramic shots later. The angle is nice for the hot air balloon because you're looking up at it, so you can really see the motion of it floating away from you on the ground towards the sky. In some cases this could be considered a wide shot, however, comparatively speaking with the upcoming shots of scenery it is a medium shot for this sequence.

Following the medium shot of the balloon are a series of wide shots (3:43-3:51). These are all very scenic shots to show the beauty of the place. These shots have the potential to be boring, but because each little scenic shot is short and isn't just static but pans across a large area, the shots work well with the video.

Then there is another medium shot of a train (3:51-3:53). I'm not sure of the exact purpose of this shot or what it does for the story of the piece—at the time they are discussing transportation and activities to do so it goes along with the topic a bit— but what it really does is break up the scenic shots. There are all these gorgeous shots of Napa Valley, but if you have them in succession one after the other that is extremely boring—people can only appreciate scenery for so long. So the scenic shots have been broken up by this medium train shot to add some action and life to all the scenery.

Because sure enough, right after the train shot there is more scenery (3:53-4:15). Again, they work well because they are not static but move across a wide area.

Finally a tight shot is at the very end of the Napa Valley part (4:15). This is a tight shot of a grape vine, showing the plump grapes and leaves. This shot works well with the video because it breaks up the scenic shots and it puts a picture in the viewer's head of the activities they can do in Napa Valley (the audio is discussing how tourists can harvest grapes in the fall). I'm always a fan of tight shots, but I thought this one was really nice. I liked how it came at the end of the sequence, like a cherry on top of a sundae.

Interview and Sequence shots of "living in a sorority house"

Sequence Identification

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4372243

I came across this video this summer when I was searching through ESPN's Outside the Lines section. It is a video that explains the heart and determination of two high school wrestlers, one blind and the other with no legs, through a season and ultimately a life-long friendship.

There are multiple moments in the video where the creator uses sequencing but I'll focus on just one part.

[1:20] The video transitions to a train track station. It is a wide shot, fast forwarded so that the viewer can see time elapse and clouds come in. Then it transitions to a tight shot of the tracks itself. Finally, the video goes to a medium shot of the tracks. These shots all set the mood of the video, but lack any kind of action which is important for sequence shots.

The video then shows the wrestler (2:30) explaining the situation. As he remembers what happens, the video goes back to sequencing at the train tracks. Instead this time there is action. It starts with a train coming from away (wide shot) and then zooms in (medium shot).

"I kind of just slipped and fell under." Right after the wrestler says this line, the video changes to a tight shot of just the track and its wheels. I think this is one of the more effective shots of the entire video, as it captures the point of the story with where it took place.

Finally, the video shows the train moving away from the camera. The sounds of the train quiet as the wrestler becomes silent. It is very powerful.

Sequence Identification

This video from washingtonpost.com of a group performing the "Thriller" dance at Freedom Plaza begins with a sequence of straightforward shots that close in on the group and narrow it from faceless crowd to nameless people to real person, with more detailed tight shots later on.

It begins with a wide shot of the group (:02) that uses the angle of the buildings leading off down the street to the Capitol to bring your eye to the focal point-- the dancers. The shot places the group at the left side of the screen, though, which brings emphasis to the setting and gives a clear view of the Capitol. It's an artsy wide shot that I thought suited the subject, giving a sense not only of what they were doing but where they were.

The medium shot that comes next (:06) does less to invite the viewer. It's exactly the same shot but more focused, with the same emphasis on the Capitol that appeared before. At this point, I wanted to get more of a sense of these people, not of their surroundings. It seemed kind of redundant to essentially zoom in from the same spot. While I realize that's a technique in itself, I didn't think it was particularly illuminating in this video. It just kind of dragged.

The success of the video lies in the series of tight shots that follow, which portray the people, their purpose, and the dance moves. It begins with an interview with one woman (:11), transitions smoothly to an off-center close-up of a few dancers from the shoulders up (:17), goes into another interview (:22), and finishes with a really tight shot of the dancers' feet (:24). I think the flow of this series of shots not only explains what exactly is going on, but gives the impression of getting to know these people, from zoning in on a body part to hearing a childhood anecdote from another. And each of the shots of the group is broken up nicely by a brief but interesting interview.

Interview/Sequence - Knight Hall

Michelle Obama Hula Hoops

I've found that I'm partial to shorter sequences that convey a message quickly and quietly. I feel that if a series of images are sufficient enough to show an audience exactly what is going on without much more than ambient sound, it is stronger than any other type of video. This sequence from CNN demonstrates exactly that. It captures the scene and the feeling without really doing much at all.

The sequence begins with a wide shot (:00-:04 seconds) of Michelle hula hooping that zooms out slightly to become even a bit wider. She is hula hooping with other children, and cheering them on as they try to keep up with her. It's clear from the very first shot that she is working with the children in an effort to heighten their health awareness.

Then, there is a close-up that quickly turns into a medium shot (:05-:12) of Michelle continuing to hula hoop and then clapping in encouragement. This shot is the only one that has faint music in the background. It was fitting to have music behind this shot because it is the middle of the first sequence and it sets the tone for the following shot.

The final shot in this first sequence is a close-up (:13-:19) that runs from Michelle's feet up her body to her face. I really like this shot because it shows her body's full range of motion as she is hula hooping with the children. It makes her seem like a real person and shows that she wasn't just at an event for publicity. This shot definitely sets the tone of the short video because it is detailed visually and shows a range of emotion.

There is a second sequence of the children hula hooping that follows the Michelle sequence. I like the first one better simply because it focuses on the main subject of the video, but also because it was clearly more carefully shot than the next.

Sequence Example: Farmwork

The sequencing in this artfully shot video from washingtonpost.com continues throughout the piece; however, the initial sequence impressed me with its ability to compel me to watch the video although it was very calm and quiet.

From :00-:03 there is a wide shot with the subjects blurred in the background, amongst the field and the tractor. There is little movement and the cattails in the front receive the sharp focus as they move slightly. However, the two people in the background are distinguishable, which lends itself as a transition to the next shot, which I think is very effective.

From :04-:06 there is the tight shot of one of the people in the field weeding through the dirt. Both hands are covered in dirt and actively moving in the shot.

This sequence is completed by a medium shot from :06-:09. The shot consists of one woman partially in the frame on the left side and a good portion of another woman on the right side. Once again, there is focusing that leaves the majority of the frame slightly blurry as the two women tend to the plants and one speaks about her former job.

The wide-tight-medium composition is effective in this example because it establishes a calm, serene setting which is immediately followed by up-close activity that prompts curiosity that is resolved by the medium shot. Also, from the initial wide shot and succeeding tight shot, we do not know for certain that the two individuals are female; stereotyping would lend to the notion that most fieldworkers/farmers are men. The stereotype is defied by the medium shot, when we see women in pastel clothing and feminine straw hats tending the field.

A final aspect of the sequence I liked was the sole presence of ambient sound for most of the first two shots. The natural sounds of the farm (insects, rusting of plants) establishes a calm place that seems relaxing and enjoyable. This good feeling compelled me to keep watching and see what these people were doing because they seemed so at peace.

(Very) Rough Cut of Sequence and Interview

Kate McGonigle Sequence ID

I had planned to use a Washington Post video about young people choosing to farm instead of making $80-$100k a year for this assignment, but it would not let me continually go back and forth to look at time stamps; it kept freezing. Although I was going to criticize the sequencing in that video seen here, because there wasn't really a great distinction between tight, medium and wide shots in it, the other video I'm going to critique for the assignment was much worse.

The video I chose, found on The Baltimore Sun Web site, is about the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania. I would say the sequences in this video are unsuccessful, as is the way that the interview portion of the video is incorporated with the sequences. I tried to embed the video, but the code did not work.

The video begins (at 0:00) with a tight shot of a sign on what I assume is a Hawk Mountain trail. The sign is not completely straight in the frame and the bottom kind of gets cut off when there is a little bit of space at the top to possibly fit the whole sign into the frame. Plus, the sign isn't really that interesting or that strong of a shot.

At -1:35 (the video counts backwards instead of forwards), there is another sort of tight shot of a hawk and the camera kind of pans around the room to look at other hawks in this room. The camera is pretty shaky and the movement around the room is kind of like a bad home movie, not to mention the fact that it is unclear whether this is a tight or medium shot.

At -1:21, there is what would probably be a wide shot of the camera traveling up a rocky path to an area of rocks where people are seated. I'm sure the journalist was trying to show the viewer what Hawk Mountain looked like, but again, the shakiness of the camera (and no definite shot, since there is so much movement) just isn't compelling.

At -1:03, there is an even wider shot taken off of the top of one of the mountains, of one of the hawks flying in the sky. This shot is OK, because it is obviously a wide shot and it's a pretty view.

One other major thing that was unsuccessful about this video, though, is the fact that the video is narrated by Lee Schisler, the president of the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, except his voice sounds odd, like the audio isn't clean, almost as if the interview was done over the phone. But then, at -0:32, you finally see Schisler. Schisler should be shown at the very beginning of the video, introduced via a text screen, and then the rest of the video sequences should be incorporated. This would be much more successful because then we know that even though Schisler's voice sounds odd, the journalist did indeed speak to him in person, and he is the one speaking as we view these other images. It was also confusing that the majority of the video did not relate to what Schisler was talking about.

Sequence Identification

This recent CNN video, entitled "Anti-war march," opens with a very well-crafted sequence.

The sequence begins with a tight shot (0:00-0:01) of Lance Cpl. Joe Glenton, one of the subjects of the video. The sequence follows with a wide shot (0:02-0:05) of the anti-war march in which he and many others are participating, before finishing with a medium shot (0:06-0:13) of Glenton walking in the crowd with several others.

This sequence is very impressive because of how informative and impactful it turned out. With each passing shot, we learn one thing more about the story than we did before. You can turn off the sound and still get a sense of what is actually happening, which I find really telling of this sequence's power.

For instance, the sequence begins with the shot of Glenton, who appears to be on the frontlines of a protest waged against something he simply detests. Seconds later, we see the actual protest from afar. From this shot, we gather that it is the war in Afghanistan which Glenton resents and hopes to put an end to. We can also see from this shot and the forthcoming medium shot that he is certainly not alone in his objections, and that the protest is actually quite well attended.

As important as the first two shots are, I think it is the third shot that really sets the tone for the rest of the video. The shot focuses on Glenton as he marches with other protesters, but he is nearly lost in the shuffle of the masses - a fitting nod to what will be said and shown during the remainder of the video.

Just like in the wide shot, Glenton remains a focus throughout the video, but he is also just one of several characters from both sides of the issue to make their way onto the screen. Despite the early attention paid to him, three other people make on-camera speaking appearances before Glenton retakes his featured spot in the piece.

Sequence Analysis

There are a variety of sequences in this video with the most distinct beginning at 1:18, with what in this case is a wide shot. It is then followed by a medium shot at 1:23 and a tight shot at 1:27. This sequence shows workers tending to a Coast Guard tribute at the Vietnam War Memorial, which is currently being refurbished. It is particularly interesting that the relatively close-up sequence occurs after a standup interview in which the repairmen, who have no visual prominence or reason to draw one's eye, appear in the background. Then, the sequence brings them to the forefront and shows in an in-depth manner their roles in the project.

The sequence itself provides information with each tightening of perspective. First, the wide shot lets the viewer see the workers at their task. Next, the viewer gets to see the reason peopler are buffering the memorial because scratches and blemishes are clearly apparent on it. Finally, the tightest shot conveys that the piece of the memorial being tended to is a tribute to the United States Coast Guard. The only possible problem with the sequence is that the tightest shot's point of view is rotated around the memorial from where the wide and medium looks were shot. However, it does not completely cross the axis and is done with a purpose, to clearly show the Coast Guard emblem on the memorial. Additionally, it is followed by a second wide shot of the workers at their task that is from the same perspective as the tightest shot, lending balance to the sequence as a whole. Overall, the sequence used in this piece is well done and employed functionally.

Final Cut Pro

Just wanted to let you know there is a Mac lab in the Computer and Space Sciences Building that has Final Cut Pro 6 available for students. I thought some of you would want to try it out while editing this week's assignment or while you're working toward your final projects. One word of warning: the servers are cleared every 24 hours, so you would either have to finish editing before that deadline or save your work on an external drive. I would recommend using an external drive -- especially if you're planning to use the lab and Final Cut Pro for the final project.

The Knight Digital Media Center has this helpful Final Cut Pro tutorial, if you are interested in checking it out:

http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/finalcut/

Nina

Billiards Sequence

Billiards Sequence from Lizzie Horne on Vimeo.

Sequences in a Video Post

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/us/26runaway.html

Running in the Shadows is a video accompanying a print article about the lives of homeless youths who have struggled due to financial troubles.

The accompanying video from this New York Times article has sequences at the following:

1:32 close
This shot, the last in a series of stills, shows the living conditions for one of the youths who is squatting after her parents could no longer afford their home. Specifically, this shot is a close up of how she cooks her food - using what appears to be a small skillet and electric grill. I thought that the shots were obviously not beautiful or appealing to the eye, but that they conveyed the subject matter appropriately. The shots, especially this close up, did not attempt to glamourize the youth's situation, and the uncomfortable positioning of the shot helped convey and reflect the experience of squatting, running away, and financial difficulty.

1:53 medium
This shot shows the youth while she speaks about her academic goals and how they set her apart within her family. She is sitting on a couch in an empty room inside the house holding a basketball, and she obviously does not appear happy. I like this shot a lot because it shows the emptiness of living alone, of squatting and being a young person facing so much financial burden and responsibility.

2:38 wide
This last shot shows the youth walking in her neighborhood. It is a wide shot with lots of depth, as the fencing goes far back on both sides, while the subject walks slowly and alone. It reflects again, the loneliness and disparity of her situation, but strangely, I was surprised that she doesn't appear all that different from any other teenager. I thought that was an interesting way to leave this.

Sequence-Related Assignments

You will need to layer audio and video clips when it comes time to edit your interview and sequence assignments. If you are in MovieMaker, you can use the lower track on the timeline for the audio from your interview. Then, you can use the dominant track on top for your visual shots. Whatever is on the top track is what you're going to see when you play the video.

You can adjust the audio levels on either clip by right clicking on them in the timeline and using the volume control, or, by going to the top of your screen, hitting "clip" on your toolbar, and finding the volume adjustment option there. As you probably remember from the audio slice, it is OK to have some ambient noise from your visual clips, even when you're layering them on top of your interview track. Still, when layering visual clips on top of interview clips, the audio from the interview should dominate.

In terms of the week's workflow, I would recommend doing the sequence ID assignment first, and posting it sooner rather than later so you can free yourself up for the interview and sequence combo. For that assignment, I mentioned in class that it might help you to focus on a single subject. One example would be interviewing an athlete about the sport he or she does, shooting video of the athlete in training or competition, and combining it all together in your edit. Other single subject ideas include focusing on a musician, an artist, a chef, a barista -- these are just examples that might make it easier for you to blend material from interviews with relevant sequences of the subjects in action.

Feel free to pursue any of these ideas if you need them but do not focus on friends or roommates. I want you to keep things professional and most of the videos featuring friends and roommates tend to get sloppy.

Both the sequence ID assignment and the sequence/interview assignment are due at noon on Thursday. Both are explained in detail on the syllabus. Feel free to drop me a line if you run into questions.

I'm impressed with your in-class sequences so far. Keep up the good work.

In-Class Sequence

Tight, Medium, Wide Sequence of the ODK Pool

Stamp Sequence

Wide, tight, medium

Erasable ink- Sequence shots

Knight Hall Construction

TerpZone Bowling Sequence

Wide, tight, medium shots.

Sequence: Leafblower Guy

Detail/tight, medium and wide shot

Students walking-- wide, tight, medium

Girl at the South Campus Diner

Wide, Close, Medium Shots

Jim Zorn/'Skins Man on the Street edited

Edited Man on the Street

Man on the Street Edited

Woman-on-the-Street Review of President Obama: Edited.

Edited Man on the Street - Adam Kerlin

Rebecca Noel talks about UMD's 2009 Comedy show

Edited Man on the Street: Thoughts on Balloon Boy

Edited Man-on-the Street Interview

Man on the Street-- Balloon Boy

Reflection on First Class: Final

Though I was sad to leave behind the audio slice section (I had no idea how interesting audio reporting could be), the first class of the video slice really got me excited for the work we will be doing.

In a way, it feels like things have come full circle. I attended the same middle school as Jonas and Lizzie and the emphasis there was on communications. The program we were in had a class called Media we took in sixth, seventh and eighth grade and we produced video work throughout. Even before then I was comfortable with iMovie and would make projects at home.During middle school, I got even more comfortable with the technology and really enjoyed it.However, when I got to high school I immersed myself in print journalism and served as the editor-in-chief of my school’s paper during my senior year. Although I still used iMovie for school projects, I definitely drifted away from the medium as a whole. The point is, I’m excited to start working with video again.

We got to know our instructor and her experience in the field. We watched some pieces she’s created and some by others. I really was impressed by how captivating the clips became and how easily I was felt like I was there, living in that moment. Truthfully, I enjoyed just watching the scene more than listening to the interview clips but the interviews obviously enhance the overall piece’s credibility and message.

The piece I loved was told in first person. As Nina noted, this is an unusual way of telling video; however, how Jim Lo Scalzo put it together came together flawlessly. The piece was educational, transformative and entertaining. I honestly did laugh and cry (or tear up at least).The blend of video and his photography was artful and awe-inspiring.

We then learned the technicalities of working with video. We learned how to properly set up a tripod and as someone said, the room looked like a forest of tripods. We went over the rule of thirds, which divides up a screen into nine sections created by two vertical lines and two horizontal lines. A subject’s eyes should be around the top line. We learned two styles of video shots: the anchor style and the interview style. The anchor style involves a straight on shot, eyes on the upper third line, and a little space above the person’s head. An interview shot requires the subject be off center and facing the person conducting the interview so they do not look directly at the camera.

I’m excited for this class and to learn more!

Crab Fest Goes Zero-Waste

UMD Slogan Change

Man on the Street - Adam K.

Unedited Man-on-the-Street Interview

Man on the Street: Chris Eckard

Maryland Madness: Terps Basketball 2009-2010

(Wo)man-on-the-Street Interview! by Marissa

An interview with Government and Politics major Amanda Pleasant, 19, of Ellicott City, Md.

Man on Street- Rebecca Noel talks about SEE Comedy Show

Man on the Street

Jim Zorn/Skins Man on the street

Unedited Man-on-the-Street Interview

Final Project Proposal

(It looks like my proposal for some reason never actually made it onto the blog's page... Let's try again.)

For my final project, "The Magic School (Shuttle) Bus," I will explore the goings-on aboard one of the university's shuttle buses as it makes the rounds across campus taking students from their dorm rooms to the bars and then back again. On Thursday/Friday/Saturday nights, these buses are a veritable treasure trove of captivating characters and even better stories. I think it would be very interesting to see just what some of this university's students are up to on a random night out on the town. Having ridden on the buses myself, I can safely say that a couple of hours riding around will certainly turn up some classic and unforgettable scenes.

I envision my final project as having a mix of observational and confrontational scenes. I will include, for instance, long shots of the masses of people that crowd the buses during the night's peak hours. But I also plan on including video of actual interviews with bus riders to get a sense of who they are, where they're coming from, where they're going, etc.

Obviously, I do not yet know who I will speak to on the bus for this project. However, I plan on speaking to a diverse assemblage of people to make the piece as universal as possible. I do think it would be interesting to feature the bus's driver as one of the piece's prominent "characters," but that will ultimately depend on what type of person he/she turns out to be.

Since this is a "night in the life"-type story, I hope to achieve all of the recording in one night. However, that may not be possible, and I might need to do several nights' worth of work to make the piece complete. I do not know what exact date I will shoot everything, but I do not plan on covering it near the end of the semester.

As far as media is concerned, I am currently debating whether to produce a video/photo package or an audio slideshow. The former would be more lively and interesting to view, but also a logistical challenge given the cumbersomeness of a camcorder and tripod. An audio slideshow would be a simple but effective way of introducing the stories of several characters, but would obviously lack the impact a video piece could have.

I plan on renting the necessary equipment from Tawes. I own a digital recorder and could also borrow a professional camera from my parents.

Reflection on First Class

Though I was sad to leave behind the audio slice section (I had no idea how interesting audio reporting could be), the first class of the video slice really got me excited for the work we will be doing.

In a way, it feels like things have come full circle. I attended the same middle school as Jonas and Lizzie and the emphasis there was on communications. The program we were in had a class called Media we took in sixth, seventh and eighth grade and we produced video work throughout. Even before then I was comfortable with iMovie and would make projects at home. During middle school, I got even more comfortable with the technology and really enjoyed it. However, when I got to high school I immersed myself in print journalism and served as the editor-in-chief of my school’s paper during my senior year. Although I still used iMovie for school projects, I definitely drifted away from the medium as a whole. The point is, I’m excited to start working with video again.

We got to know our instructor and her experience in the field. We watched some pieces she’s created and some by others. I really was impressed by how captivating the clips became and how easily I was felt like I was there, living in that moment. Truthfully, I enjoyed just watching the scene more than listening to the interview clips but the interviews obviously enhance the overall piece’s credibility and message.

The piece I loved was told in first person. As Nina noted, this is an unusual way of telling video; however, how Jim Lo Scalzo put it together came together flawlessly. The piece was educational, transformative and entertaining. I honestly did laugh and cry (or tear up at least). The blend of video and his photography was artful and awe-inspiring.

We then learned the technicalities of working with video. We learned how to properly set up a tripod and as someone said, the room looked like a forest of tripods. We went over the rule of thirds, which divides up a screen into nine sections created by two vertical lines and two horizontal lines. A subject’s eyes should be around the top line. We learned two styles of video shots: the anchor style and the interview style. The anchor style involves a straight on shot, eyes on the upper third line, and a little space above the person’s head. An interview shot requires the subject be off center and facing the person conducting the interview so they do not look directly at the camera.

I’m excited for this class and to learn more!

I have always felt the most comfortable behind the camera. It wasn’t until college that I even had experience with print journalism. We were required to take a basic journalism class in tenth grade, but it wasn’t nearly as rigorous or realistic as the classes I’ve taken in Merrill. I had my first real taste of print journalism this past summer when I interned for a recycling magazine in Washington, D.C. Though I really enjoyed my time there, I still think I appreciate the work I can do with a camera more than work I do with a pen.

I have been in media programs since sixth grade. In eighth grade, we were required to take a trip to New York where we had to interview a person of our choice and then make a full length documentary about the person and their profession. I followed that experience in middle school with a four-year program in high school that allowed me to get involved with production and editing.

For two years, I produced my own television show for Montgomery County cable. One was character based, but I was able to use my journalism skills by making it educational and interesting. My second show was more journalistic because it was a talk show about issued relevant to the teen community. It would address a new topic each episode and would feature several guests. All of the interviews made for a true piece of journalism because they provided emotion and subjectivity.

Though I feel more comfortable with a camera, I do not feel comfortable speaking. I have terrible stage fright and have never been the talent in front of the camera. I hope to become more comfortable through this class by practicing speaking and working on staying calm when I am the talent. I also hope to gain more creativity by learning how to set up quality shots and deciding what kind of video would best suit the script coinciding with it.

Video Journalism Fears

Hi, I’m Michelle Chan, and video journalism is completely new to me.

I could never say that I’m absolutely sure that journalism is right for me. There are other options out there, ones I haven’t exactly crossed off yet. But for sure, I never planned on being anything in the field of journalism except a print journalist, meant for the newspapers and magazines, but for sure, nothing online.

The main struggle I have with video journalism would have to be the technology. The flip camera is easy enough, but the Canon poses an entirely different challenge. Perhaps it’s just because everything is so new right now, because I’ve never actually done journalism with a Canon video camera. The wires, the zoom, the tripod – it all appears slightly cumbersome, or at least I look cumbersome when I’m using it.

But it’s not just the technology that manages to get me. It’s being on camera. As if I wasn’t conscientious enough, video journalism calls for me, wee little me, to be on camera. The assignment brings to mind a frantic race to the salon, Ulta for some new makeup and a search through my closet for something appropriate and pretty. Because pretty is what all girls want to look like.

In addition, I’m completely unfamiliar with the video editing process. I only recently started editing my photos and literally just learned how to edit audio. I don’t think that it will be impossible to learn by any means, but I do think that it’s an intimidating task to have before me.

As a print journalist, I've always been far more comfortable with a digital recorder in my hands than with a digital camcorder. I enrolled in this course because I knew that it was certainly going to be interesting to practice different mediums, and each such field - video, in particular - has become more and more useful in the changing face of journalism.

I've been involved with newspapers of some kind for more than four years now, but the last time I even got behind a professional camera was ninth grade. I'm not worried about the rigors of video journalism; I'm just not sure what to expect, really. I figure the same concepts that work in print journalism - piecing together insightful clips from a variety of interesting sources - also work in video journalism, but I have no idea how.

From watching the videos shown to us in class last Friday, it seemed to me that the best clips had stuff that didn't really need intervention from a journalist to capture. Those videographers weren't asking questions to grab great quotes. Rather, they were merely training their lenses on what was happening around them and letting the magic happen naturally. Since I don't always enjoy asking the so-called "tough questions," I think that freedom of the field is definitely going to be something I will relish in the coming weeks.

Overall, though, I'm very excited to again get behind a camera and see what I can do. I know I'll take my share of lumps throughout the process, but it's a skill that I nonetheless really hope to acquire, even at its most basic level.

John K. video challenges

While my major’s focus is in print, I do not expect an unusual number of challenges in doing news video for the Web. I have gained my journalism education at a time when the lines are distinctly blurred between news mediums and industry specialties. In my schooling, I have been continuously told that one cannot merely be a print or broadcast journalist for he or she will be called upon to appear on television, write, go on the radio, and combine numerous mediums for publication on the Internet. Additionally, I have grown up in a time where children are immersed in technology their entire lives. They have experience with and are comfortable with the technology that may seem foreign to those of an earlier generation. Thus, I am not a veteran print writer being ambushed by the rise of new technologies that I must incorporate into my work. Using a camera or applying content to the Internet is not something that worries me. Similarly, I have already taken an online journalism class, in which I learned the principles of Web reporting and how different mediums should be combined to complement one another and tell a story. Therefore, from a mental, preparation standpoint, the concept of Internet video journalism is not one that worries me or brings immediate concerns to mind.

I am also familiar with Windows Movie Maker, though not in any academic or professional way. Just for fun one summer, I made a surfing video of myself. While this is not very substantial, it did give me experience editing video and coupling it with music in with the Movie Maker software. So my familiarity with the technology is not too big of a concern.

However, I do see my lack of knowledge about video journalism techniques and terminology being a challenge. As a print major, I do not have the background in video concepts of my broadcast classmates. I feel that this will disadvantage me somewhat and make my learning curve steeper than others. Finally, if a large part of video journalism for the Web is adapting written stories, either in final or conceptualized form, I should not have too many problems because my print background will allow me to clearly frame a story, which will serve as a good basis for my video work. Still, there is something to be said for someone who approaches a subject with a fresh perspective and possibly different ideas and approaches than others. This, in fact, could play to my advantage. Overall, I am excited to learn another way in which to convey news and to become a better reporter.

The Challenges I Face as a Traditional Journalist.

I am severely intimidated with the world of news video. I was, however, also extremely intimidated by radio and the sound of my own disembodied voice before completing the audio portion of the slice class, but now I feel significantly more comfortable about that area.
Like many, I have never been comfortable in front of a camera. So how am I supposed to deliver news while bogged down by own insecurities?
For my whole journalistic career I have relied on words and sentences to be my channel of information to my audience. I have learned how to compose complex ledes, interview my sources and then chop their quotes in exactly the right place to make my story.
In video I’m worried I won’t be able, or won’t know how, to do this. I am a lot more fluid in my writing than in speech, but I want to be able to send a strong message to my video audience just as I have done with my reading audience.
I believe this is where my insecurities in front of the camera stem from. I understand that I am a good writer, but do I look good on camera, do I sound good on camera? These I don’t know. In writing you just have to worry about whether your words sound good to your reader, but in video you have to worry about whether your words sound good, your voice sounds good, and if you look good, too. I’m worried I’ll get overwhelmed by the vanity and lose the real message of news and reporting.
I do, however, love the technology aspect. I don’t know how to use a lot of it, but I am very willing to learn. I agree with the whole goal of the course in the fact that journalism majors should be prepared for all different areas of the profession, so I am excited to get to work with this equipment. From both Nina and Jeff I have heard that the equipment and software we’re using is not the most up-to-date and flashiest out there, which is a little frustrating, but I think I’ll be able to get past that.
Also, I don’t watch a lot of television, nor do I get my news from television or from video clips online. So I am very inexperienced in terms of what to expect in news reports and video. I have no basis for comparison for my own projects that I put together, so I will need to listen and watch closely to the videos we watch in class.

Video Assignment #1

I was recently describing the divisions that the journalism school creates in curriculum and realized that online journalism is increasingly becoming less of a separate discipline. It's unrealistic to go into journalism and think that you're only going to communicate through one medium. The whole point of journalism is to communicate with people, and to spread information. You can't do that by just putting it in the paper anymore, because that's not how people get their information.

Obviously, this will be a challenge. Journalists need to provide information in any way that people get it. The number of ways that people get their information is constantly increasing, so as journalists master the ins, outs, benefits, and disadvantages of each medium, another medium is likely arising.

Another problem is that many new journalists, at least in my experience, are in the field because they like to write, and they like to communicate, not because they're stellar with technology. This may be changing as technology becomes increasingly important to journalists. But towards the beginning of this shift, print journalists struggle with becoming adept at technological things- knowing how to properly record video and audio, and add it to the web, and then how to draw attention to *your* website over someone else's.

The main challenge here is flowing with change. But that's part of what makes journalism so interesting- nothing ever just stays the same. You're at the forefront of the change itself, analyzing and understanding it as you live it.

Video Assignment No. 1

During our first class in the video slice of JOUR203, we learned many of the basics in video journalism.

We began by learning the technical aspects of using our equipment, including our Flipcams and tripods. We also learned how to shoot a video, upload it to the computer through USB and then open it in Windows MovieMaker.

Once we finished with the technical side, we moved on to how video journalism is different from other forms of media and also how it is the same. We viewed clips from the washingtonpost.com and other media sites. In one instance, we critiqued two different videos covering the same basic idea: reaction after Barack Obama was elected as the United States President. One provided great, crisp video while the other lacked lighting and really hurt the overall video.

Finally, we discussed the basics of the rule of thirds. The head of the person in the video should be in the upper third of the video shot. We learned how to do anchor shots (directly centered with eyes focused on camera lens) and interview shots (off-center to the left or right side and gaze off of lens toward someone).

Video Assignment No. 1

I am first and foremost a writer—it’s why I decided to go into journalism in the first place. I figured I needed to make at least some kind of money. While studying journalism has instilled a passion for the news in me, old habits do die hard, and my instinct is to pull out my reporter’s notebook and a pen— not set up a tripod and hook up a camera. I’m not a spatial person and have very little sense of artistic setup, so I think a major challenge is going to be thinking in a totally different way about how to capture an event or a person or a feeling on the scene rather than later on when I’m going through my notes. Video seems a lot more spontaneous, and while I know editing can do a lot, I think there’s a lot less room for error when you’re sent to report with a camera, not a notebook. Being on camera is also going to be a challenge. I worked for the host of a Webcast this summer and operated cameras, did research and came up with editorial content, but as soon as they got me in front of the camera just for a test shot, I felt nauseous. I’m comfortable going up to strangers and interviewing them; I’m definitely not comfortable being the center of attention on camera. I’d like to let the stories speak for themselves in these assignments as much as I can.

Video Assignment No. 1

I am a print, or "traditional," journalism major who is trying to learn multimedia journalism. I am mostly in the class because it is a requirement, but now that I am here, I think it will benefit me a lot as a reporter. I really enjoyed the audio slice of the class, and I think I adapted to and absorbed that medium very well, so hopefully the same will go for video journalism.

That said, making video news will definitely have its challenges for me because print journalism and video journalism are such very different media. One challenge would be getting people to talk to me in front of a video camera, as opposed to talking to me when I have just a pen and paper in my hand. I feel like many people are intimidated about being in front of the camera, including myself, which is one of the reasons I chose print journalism. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised by how willing people are to talk to me on camera about certain issues, but I may also have to learn how to make people more at ease about it.

I am also pretty skeptical about the equipment. Audio was great in that I am used to wielding a digital recorder, but another one of the reasons I didn't go into broadcast is because thinking about all of the new equipment I would have to learn to use just blew my mind. Using a small video camera like we are in class shouldn't be too hard to manage, but I guess I would say I never planned on toting around a tripod, so that will be an adjustment for me.

Another issue will be figuring out how to translate my love for playing with and manipulating words on a page to playing with images instead. I consider myself a writer and I am attempting to use journalism as an outlet for my passion for writing. But with video, I now have to tell stories by just using images, which will be difficult considering how accustomed I am to using words. Nonetheless, I believe learning news video will make me a better, more well-rounded reporter as we enter a new technological era of journalism.


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Final Project Proposal

By Chris Eckard

For my final project in JOUR203, I want to cover the Young Life Fall Weekend in Goshen, Va. The weekend spans from November 13 through November 15.
The camp is located at Rockbridge Alum Springs, which is about three and a half hours away. It is a trip of high school students and Young Life leaders from Montgomery County, including Blake High School and Quince Orchard High School.

Young Life is a non-denominational Christian organization that works with middle school and high school kids. This fall weekend is a time for fun, games and speakers. The person of Jesus Christ is shown through a relationship between the kids and their leaders.

At the camp, there is a lake, hot tub, zip line, blob, ropes course, climbing tower, basketball courts, volleyball courts and much more.

The project will incorporate the fun times of the weekend to an outside audience. I will conduct interviews with leaders, camp directors and kids throughout the weekend.

I will take video, pictures and audio from different camp events and activities.
The video can be geared toward anyone interested in what Young Life is or how it is run. It will also detail what is involved on the campgrounds.

I will do background research before the trip and then I will be apart of the trip. I will bring all of my equipment: Flipcam, tripod, digital camera, and audio recorder.

Final Project Proposal

Morgan Gibson
10-10-09
Maryland Students Forgetting One Night Stands to Find Love in College

Is it possible to find love at the University of Maryland, or at the very least have a decent relationship? Maryland students have learned to accept low standards when it comes to dating, one night stands and awkward morning afters seem to be the norm. Are Maryland students missing out on key experiences in life and love by not learning how to have a proper relationship? Are students happy with these standards? How much does the party school status of Maryland contribute to this?
My audience will be interested in this topic because the dating life of college students is always of interest. Also students will be interested to see that other students are similar to them in the dating world, and are struggling just as much. My story will be relatable and a little risque, so my audience will stay captivated.
I definitely want to use video and audio in my piece. I am not sure about photo but I will probably integrate it. I want to record (both just audio and video) students (one boy and one girl) getting ready to go out, getting ready for dates. I will interview them about the dating scene, successful dates and bad dates they’ve had, where they meet potential lovers and if they hope to. I will also take pictures of couples holdings hands, pictures of the bars on a Saturday night as well as possibly some walk of shame photos. I might have issues with people being open and honest about their dating lives. College students will be interested in this story because it focuses on their dating lives. It will be extremely relatable, interesting, and hopefully a bit humorous.
I will use my Olymbus digital recording device, a Cannon slice camera and tripod from Tawes, as well as my digital camera.

Project proposal

Preserving History in the Computer Age

Anna Isaacs

It’s the 75^th anniversary of the National Archives, and the theme of their latest exhibition is “big”— presenting original documents and records in their full-scale glory in an age where we somehow like seeing things on the smallest screen possible—iPods, BlackBerrys, etc. But this isn’t the only exhibit available: the Archives is home to the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights, as well as the minutiae of our history: telegrams from Abraham Lincoln, letters from George Washington, declassified WWII secrets—even UFO reports. It’s an all-encompassing collection lets us tap back into our roots, even in this modern day of constant change and transformation.

Marvin Pinkert, Director of the National Archives Experience, has given tours to everyone from Alex Trebek to Josh Groban. He knows everything there is to know about the artifacts in the Archives. For my final project, I’d like to do an audio slideshow of everything that goes into a tour—stories behind the items displayed, reactions of an audience, and of course, the artifacts themselves. I’d also like to dig a little with him into why paper records matter in the computer age; I think as much of the narration as possible should be him speaking about the records and why he does what he does.

I think using photography and audio gives a museum-like feel to the piece—something important to accomplish in making it feel a little less modern and a little more timeless, especially considering the theme of the anniversary exhibition. It’s a slow-paced, accessible medium that I think will give a good idea of the feel of the exhibition.

I think it will take just a day to compile all the photos and audio needed—after all, a museum trip is typically a day trip anyway, and I want this to feel as much as possible like a trip to the museum. Editing will obviously be a much longer process. I think students would take an interest because the theme of the exhibition is particularly targeted at the modern American, swept up in technology, reading email and the news in the palms of our hands.

Final Project Proposal

Aspire to fire: the life of a volunteer firefighter

John Kiernan, 10/09/09

For my final project, I would like to do a “day-in-the-life” piece about the College Park fire house. I am familiar with this organization because one of my friends is a volunteer fire fighter there. However, for the purposes of the piece, he would be used only as a point of contact.

To complete this project, I would spend time at the firehouse over a given day or at different times over a span of a few days and document what happens. I am not yet 100% certain what format I want to use to document this, but I believe that an audio slideshow would perhaps work best. Pictures, in the case of a firehouse, have the potential to be extremely rich and full of emotion and color. Additionally, the sound that could be captured at a fire house, both ambient and otherwise, could be excellent and would make a fine combination with pictures. Video may be overkill and would not allow for the “moment-in time” capture.

Viewers would be interested because people love behind-the-scenes accounts of most things. A picture diary of a fire house, especially one in a college town that is largely forgotten by students, would be very revealing. Similarly, because many, if not all, of the fire fighters are volunteers, hearing their insights on their choices would be interesting as well. As much as people hear and talk about College Park being dirty and crime-ridden, a look into one of its positive aspects, that is clearly relevant to and a staple in the community seems appropriate. Therefore, the audience for this piece would be the citizens of College Park and the University of Maryland’s students.

In this picture diary, I would imagine that pictures would capture the every day events of the firefighters, from napping, hanging out, eating, getting ready to go out on calls and them fighting the fires. Interviews would focus what it is like to be a firefighter and to live in the house. Additionally, they will center on why the volunteer and how they balance it with other aspects of their lives. Since I do have a contact in the house, I do not foresee problems with access, save possibly not being allowed to accompany the fire fighters on calls.

This story has until December to be completed. Most of the time will be spent on planning and editing. The actual pictures and interviews will be taken over the course of a few days, at most. There are no other reporters needed, no time restraints on publication, and no costs for the project.