Lets play video journalism tag

Last few weeks have been some heavy lifting. Hence the lack of a regular postings, which I should be able to pick up soon.

That said I'll be migrating from blog soon to word press as there is I now perceive a greater degree of flexibility and robustness that will help me describe the myriad things crossing my path.

Meanwhile lots and lots of Masters student's thesis/ work to mark and my PhD on Innovation in Journalism is providing some very steep but exhilarating discoveries.

At an event called Camp Video journalism with the ebullient Robb Montgomery I was able to share a few of those with the attendants.

Essentially it involved me demonstrating, using empirical evidence, the art of story telling as it exists now through contemporary and new television and less so because I really didn't want to go too theoritical examining the renaissance masters work.

Why?

Because all the modern day guidelines you hear at journalism colleges and tv studios developed from visual essayists over the years and then broken artists.

Rules such as the 180 degree, crossing the line, and the rule of 2/3s are NOT rules; they're guidelines to help us often get the best from a piece of work.

But if you believe television/cinema/music is a creative medium, then right now you've probably identified a dozen or so people who's work you so admire and the reason often is because they're discarded some of the 'rules" we hold sacrosanct.


Meeting Angela Grant

Angela Grant at News Videographer and one of the engaging, let alone talented video journalists I have come across will be the subject of a 5 minute Q and A.

She inspiring for this new evolving profession, and the new generation having graduated from Uni some two years ago. She reminds me of a colleague Rachel Elllison, now an MBE - a rare title handed down from the Queen for services to people etc - and I wold not be surprised if Angela pretty soon attracted such high praise from public servants higher up in the US.
[NB sorry you can't get and MBE if you're not British]

There are a couple of films we're making and then I'll park a shedload of articles etc on viewmagazine and Camp Videojournalism.co.uk as well as Mrdot.co.uk so please drop by.

One of the areas I'm really keen on talking about is Sports Videojournalism, and from some of my morning runs I'll be talking about some of the creative areas of sports productions using videojournalism.

That's it. Hopefully see you soon. I'm back to cut the promo.

Video Journalism and Camp Video Journalism - Chicago

Front page of Videojournalism site for the UK's first regional newspaper videojournalists. The combination of VJ, site building and multimedia is what David refers to as Integrated Multimedia Video Journalism IMVJ.

More here

I'm in Chicago soon to meet friends, talk and mix it up with practical and theoretical ideas 'bout Video journalism, and exchange views into the small of the night.

I'll be joining Angela Grant whom I've not met but know her work - great stuff - from News Videographer.com and Robb Montgomery from VisualEditors.com in what's been penned as CAMP VIDEOJOURNALISM.

It's something we dreamt up while in Cairo together

I'm hoping to see some of the different styles emerging and see if I can spot some Video journalism trends and trajectories.

There are a range of international VJs/ solo news film makers whose work I so admire: Washington Post's Travis Fox whose film about a bereaved 911 father who helps rebuild the pentagon is a constant source for my students year on year.

Last year one of them rang him up. He missed the call and duly rang her back. Top Bloke!

Then there are the VJ/ solo film makers I've had the privilege of meeting: Naka Nathaniel - awesome a truly nice guy to boot; Scott Rensberger who should frankly stop winning awards; Dutch Ruud Elmendorp - an award winning VJ based in East Africa, and Stephan Bachenheimer whom made Guantanamo Unplugged. Watch it!

There are some things we share in common, some things we do differently but often arrive at the same goal, and some things that are poles apart.

You say Tomato and we say Tomato.

Just as television has its cultural nuances and flows ( see Raymond Williams, the same could be said of video journalism. Though good stuff invariably travels well irrespective.

But as film makers what we do is learn, borrow and God forbid steal visual ideas from each other.

In my career one of the most invaluable pieces of advice was: Listen and Learn. ABC News' style is different from the BBC, which was not the same as defunct agency WTN, which is another kettle of fish to Channel 4 News, which looks to have nothing in common with Channel One TV - a VJ station.

I worked at all of these at some point.

But all provide recombinant DNA for something else, which could either work or be bloody messy.

However there is no prescriptive route to creativity and its execution. We learn assimilate and then take the stabilisers off and find a setting that enables us to replicate, but also surpass those around us.

Tutors teach students whom will likely, very quickly, streak past their tutors own knowledge in this speedy media scape. Experience is crucial, but we also need an injection of the zeitgeist - what's happening now. It also keeps us sprightly.

Traditional film and TV making skills are still crucial - absolutely. TV lets us know what video journalism can do, and multimedia news making when that becomes the norm will thumb its nose at video journalism. Hah!

We have endless debates online about video, video journalism, which are absolutely necessary; the end goal is about a product, so a major solution is to go do.

We'll succeed and fail and do it again and then succeed some more and then find our voice - and when we do that voice will be unique to its author.

After all we are painters with video and you wouldn't expect craftsmen and women to all paint the same.

Promo on Blip

Click To Play

Promo now on Blip TV

Timeline history for producing clip in viewmagazine.tv

Produce clip in FCP> publish to AE> back into FCP> compress export> import CS3 Flash> add Preloader> Add photoshop image treated>export with new parameters>import into CS3 dreamweaver> FTP> check bugs> send out to Blip> facebook etc

The Multimedia Video Journalism Manifesto

Expanding on the popular theme, with an updated manifesto to follow soon, but this is a conceptual visual rep ~ made on FCP.
Many many thanks to Robb Montgomery of visualeditors.com who shot the behind-the-story scene vid and pics and provides the voice clip ( part of a bigger package)

I-Phone in action

The I-phone has hit British shores.

Here's a 40 second clip I shot of Robb Montgomery from Visual Editors during a gig we did in Cairo. Soon after off camera he was practically mobbed.

What Robb is very enthusiastic about is the Iphone as the next generation journalists tool.

He road tested the device to show its many options e.g. Google map, GPS, Video et al

Being a simpleton, I loved that he could take my pic and it manifested full screen tagged to called ID.

Can't tell you the number of times I have been flummoxed by who's on the end of my phone - even when their name comes up.

Now can it make coffee I asked

Three journos UK, US, Egyptian - talking video journalism et al

Colourful chat between three journos UK, US, Egyptian crossing a bridge over the Nile - discussing video journalism, advances in newspaper layout from super newspaper guru Rob Montgomery. Robb was the art director for the Chicago Tribune who came up with some great headlines and photoshoots.

This pod has us discussing a range of issues on media training. I appear to be quite over animated. Apologies about that, but I think we provide a podcast travelogue. Ride with us.

PODCAST HERE

I'm buying an Iphone

I'm not a hard and fast tech geek. I'll often wait for a "safe period" after a product launches so they can iron out any potential glitches. That won't be he case with the iphone. Robb's been demoing his, like a Ferrari driving at 20 mph down Sunset.

It really is something. One facet is taken a picture of a new contact attached to their address, so in 6 months time when that person gives you a fleeting calle and you see: "Jerry" pop up.

Instead of thinking, "damn- can't remember this person- should I?"

Their picture blows up on your screen. Neat.