Not every story has great visuals. Sometimes, you'll need to use everything, including the kitchen sink, to make a story more interesting for the viewer. The piece below on a new collection of drawings from the Columbus Museum is a prime example. It's an important story, but obviously doesn't involve car chases and gun battles. So here are a few ideas and things learned:
....Use a variety of camera moves when shooting a static subject. You can pan the camera from side-to-side, as well as tilt it up and down.
....Use your zoom lens to zoom in and out during the shot. Shoot several takes with this technique, adjusting the speed at which you zoom to see which works best.
....Combine the above techniques for more fun and the possible bonus of making your viewer a little dizzy in the process. When doing this, it helps to work backwards for planning purposes. Compose with the closing shot in the viewfinder and zoom out while panning. When you fully zoom out, that's where you'll want to begin.
....Get still photographs and use them in the program. It's easy in iMovie. They can remain stationary or can have the "Ken Burns effect" applied.
....Read the owners manual THOROUGHLY. I put Kristen Zohn, the subject, in the middle of the frame because I didn't realize I could manually focus my Elura camcorder. Next time, I'll use the rule of thirds to compose a nice shot with the subject off center.
....Play with all the transitions you have available. Some will work and some won't. I could probably be accused of going a little overboard, but who cares. You'll learn more by experimenting and failing than timidly never using all the bells and whistles your editing software and camera make available.

I spent ten years living in East Highland and know the issues the neighborhood faces all too well. Doug,the speaker in this interview, was my next door neighbor the entire time. Thus, National Night Out was a great opportunity to "go home" and also work on a video piece. After interviewing Doug, and getting video of him walking down the street, I decided to skip the talking head shot and trust the viewer would understand Doug was the person walking towards us. After that, and a few other shots with him, it wasn't necessary to show him again. I also decided to do a quick "drive-by" through the neighborhood, holding the video camera to get a really bad version of the opening sequence for The Sopranos. Next time, I'll have someone else drive to make the experience a little safer for all those involved. From this piece, I can suggest:
....Definitely shoot your interviews from a tripod. The shot is steadier, and the subject can also speak to a real person, not just a lens.They'll feel more comfortable and you'll get a better interview.
....Take your visual cues from the interview(so when possible, do it first).Doug mentioned the dilapidated homes.It was my cue to shoot some to go with the audio.
....Go early and stay late. Getting there early gave me time to do the interview, mull it over, and look for some matching visuals. Staying late, i.e. doing the driving tour, gave me a little something different to help set the scene.
....Steal ideas from the real pros.If you see a shot you like in the movies or on television, try replicating it. You"ll most likely fall short, but can learn something in the process and learn to appreciate the real artists who create these.

Flying Machines

Today's video is from an unmanned aerial robotics competition at Fort Benning and offers a few ideas for festival/event coverage. First, and foremost, focus your attention narrowly and only try to tell one story. It can be overwhelming to arrive at an event and figure out your first step. A good approach is to not start shooting right away. Walk around, talk to people and determine whose story you want to tell. Then, spend your time doing that. Next, in this case, although I shot the entire flight from the Cal Northridge team, I didn't need to use it all. Once their chopper lifted off, I used cutaways to show other team members doing their part and then cut back to the landing. It saves your viewer's time and makes the video more interesting. Finally, I once again chose to do voiceover but this time mixed in natural sound from the event to help better put the viewer there. It's pretty easy in iMovie to get the right balance between the two audio tracks. Another tip. Do your audio editing in Audacity(freeware). It's, in my opinion, easier to edit precisely in Audacity and then re-import the audio into your video editing software.

Fire at cabinet shop

Ah, spot news! It always happens.....just never when you expect it. So, if you want to get news video, or still photos from those events, you'll need to carry your equipment with you wherever you go. I do and ended up being able to piece together a quick video segment a few hours after returning from the fire. A few things to keep in mind. Even though shooting from a tripod would have yielded steadier shots, sometimes it's impractical to carry one. Just steady the camera as best as possible, using a fence post, car hood, whatever...and shoot away. Shoot several takes of the same scene, holding for 10-20 seconds on each one, and you should get something useable. DV tape is cheap, so don't be bashful. Just remember that the pause button is your best friend. Either that,or you'll have lots of tape to edit through.....in real time. Finally, I had problems getting decent sound. So, I defaulted to using a voice over( the voice is co-worker Robin Trimarchi). It's a relatively quick and painless way to add informative audio. You'll just need to play with the clip lengths to match the total running time of the audio. So, don't do any final trimming until you FIRST get the audio completed to your satisfaction. I also ordered a better external shotgun mic that attaches to the hot shoe on the camcorder. I'll keep you posted on how it does after it arrives.

A few words with Josiel Smith

For years, Josiel Smith has lived in a house that on the best of days would be described as dilapidated. She recently learned her situation will change for the better. I went to interview her with reporter Ben Wright and found myself juggling a still camera and a small video camera. I learned a few valuable lessons. First,whenever possible, let the subject's voice move the viewer through the story. Secondly, shoot off of a tripod whenever possible. I didn't have one and it's apparent in some of the resulting video. Third, when your planning to extract the audio and use it for the spine of the story, make sure you have plenty of "B roll" so the viewer doesn't have to watch a talking head the entire time.