y r o t S e o d i e u d G Vi the
alism n r u o j ng i s u r ries o o f t s e l d a i visu s gu ’ g r n e i l l k e a mp iem o v c o e m c A odu r p o t and film
the
Harbinger Online
2010
From the Experts
page 1
From the Experts
page 2
From the Experts
page 3
Things to Avoid. This list is a compilation of reasons why the author believes internet video stories are failing.
From the Experts
page 4
The Top 10 Interview Questions
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10. When can I re-interview you/watch you do what you do?
9. What's next? 8. Who helps you do this? (It's chill if they say no one. In fact, that might work for your story. Follow this up with, May I talk to them? How should I contact them? There's your second/third interview)
7. What else do you do? 6. What inspires you? 5. Take me back to your favorite moment (in this story).
4. Can you walk me through what you do exactly? 3. Why do you do this? (Or Why do you enjoy/not enjoy doing this?)
2. How did that happen? Do you have anything else you would like to add?
The Top 6 to Always Consider
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Timeliness. Did your story happen within the last two weeks? Relevance. Always ask yourself the question “Who cares?” everytime you return to your project. Appeal. Quality is essential. Ask yourself before, during, and after the project, “Would I watch this?” Sources/Information. Comes prepared. Don’t dawdle or fumble when interviewing someone. Make sure you’re reporting the facts, not rumors, by double-checking information you hear from primary sources. Read the questions at the bottom of this page and know that you can never, ever, ask less than 5 questions in one interview. Style. Have your subjects angled during interviews. Beware of backlighting. Use multiple angles tastefully to show, not tell, your story. Make your product visually appealing and attractive. Good Editing. Don’t cop-out and skimp on that missing shot. Shoot everything, and use the best 10% of your footage. Organize your story so that it makes sense to your audience. Be prepared to move videos around even if you didn’t shoot them in that order. Be as clear as possible when editing.
The Top 8 to Never Consider
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DON’T let your subject introduce themselves DON’T go film unprepared (lack of equipment like tapes and batteries) DON’T include your voice in an interview DON’T have unproffessional style (when in doubt, use white, Helvetica text on a black background for titles or anything else). Also, don’t use poor-quality transitions. The more basic, the more simple, the more easy to follow, the best. DON’T cut corners. You can do it. DON’T include external music (example: “Freebird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd during an intro). It will reduce the quality of your package immediately and may enfringe on a copyright. DON’T let your story slow down. Stay alive and active. DON’T behave unproffessionally when filming or when out of the editing room. Your subjects will lost respect for you immediately.
Examples/More Support
http://www.advancingthestory.com/category/06-visual-storytelling/ http://www.advancingthestory.com/2009/06/10/pros-and-cons-of-sharing-news-video/ http://masteringmultimedia.wordpress.com/2010/04/03/video-at-newspapers-needs-to-improve/ http://www.schooltube.com/video/05edc3e8cd784b15895c/Svannahs-Heart-RE http://www.schooltube.com/video/05bda5f107d540568c77/Grown-for-the-Future http://www1.schooltube.com/Organization/OrganizationHome.aspx?oid=138045 http://www.schooltube.com/video/7d79fd0f9e9b4f578788/Obama-Rally http://www.schooltube.com/video/f4074399043b4540bb9f/Waianae-Adventure-Challenge http://www.schooltube.com/video/6d6227a89a90497687f8/Spirit-of-a-Champion http://www.schooltube.com/video/6492b2dda7724a36b2b8/Dream-it-Live-it-Love-it