storytelling
360 Video Issue 4
from the editor
HELLO THERE, READER! It seems as if journalists are constantly figuring out better ways to tell stories. One way that has started to grow in popularity is 360 video. 360 video allows for journalists to put the viewer in the situation they are reporting on and gives the full scope of what's happening. In this issue we'll explore how 360 video has become a great new tool for storytellers.
YOURS TRULY, Carol Wright EDITOR IN CHIEF @_CAROL_WRIGHT
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360 Video x Storytelling Writing by Carol WrightÂ
When deciding to shoot in 360 video journalists have to figure out how 360 video enhances the story. Especially since traditional video techniques such as close-ups and cut aways won't work in this medium, as we learned in class. In Kat Duncan's video she explained that just because 360 video is a new format that people wan't to experiment with, that doesn't mean it works for every story, For her particular project she was profiling one person but wanted to make sure that the video she shot captured all aspects of this person's life and 360 video allowed her to do that. Journalists may feel as though they have to use 360 to keep up with the times and that is not the case. In Kat's article she also discussed five things she learned during her 360 video project. Two of the lessons she learned stuck out to me: the viewer sees everything and lower your expectations. When journalists decide to create a 360 video they are not as in control of the narrative as they would be when writing or filming the traditional way. 360 cameras are able to see a full room and because of this the journalist has to be out of the frame while also figuring out the best place to put the camera so it can catch something important. This means that once the video is up and published the audience is also seeing everything the camera caught even if it's not necessarily what the journalist wanted to catch. The second lesson lower your expectations has more to do with camera quality. I hadn't given this much thought in terms of how a journalist would feel to have a 360 project not be in "perfect" quality but I'm sure it is something journalists are upset about. 360 videos themselves tend to be grainy and not as appealing as a traditional video would be, this is something journalists should be prepared to deal with when working on their 360 stories. In another article about 360 video, Simone Kovacs discussed how 360 video changes traditional storytelling but her words echoed Kat Duncan's. She explained that with 360 you are not able to control the viewers gaze and at times it can be difficult to control where the viewer looks. This in turn can make it difficult to keep the viewer engaged and focused on the actual story. In her article Simone also highlighted the positives that come with 360 video such as it preventing filmmaker bias and how it can be more engaging and memorable than regular video. When a journalist is creating a 360 video they are able to do their job and remain objective due to the fact that they cannot move the camera around too often or add effects, anything of that nature. This allows for a truer story to be told due to the lack of camera manipulation. Lastly, she highlighted how 360 video allows for a story to be more engaging than a regular video would be. I can relate this to the stories we viewed during the 360 lecture. Specifically for the war video that we watched where the 360 video showed the soldiers in the tank and during other aspects . There was something about seeing the entirety of the tank, the dessert and the snipers on the roof that made it more powerful then if it was only in writing. Overall 360 seems to be a medium journalists should explore at least to learn new ways to tell stories.
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Applying These Tactics in Real Life Writing by Carol WrightÂ
How I as a budding journalist can use 360 to tell stories: Allows me to show a viewer the full scope of a moment. Gives my viewer the chance to take control of the narrative. Can help me be more innovative in my own storytelling. Pushes me out of my comfort zone in terms of editing regularly formatted videos and relying on editing to help convey certain aspects of a story.
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