Saturday, September 06, 2008
Multimedia Mini sessions
On camera tips- sit up straight
- breathe -- think of calming things
- consider a Flip video-- $150 for an hour of video
- Use your nervousness and allow it to keep you excited
- Don't "uptalk" (allowing your voice to trail up), keep your voice steady and speak with authority. Don't question what you say. Believe it.
- Think about three points you want to make -- not about stats. Think soundbites -- those are the things that draw emotion out.
- Make eye contact -- try not to use your notes
- Shut up and listen. Let the silence work for you.
- Have fun!
- Check out NYTimes reporter David Pogue, a technology writer, and his Web casts. Engaging!
- Think about what you're wearing: no sleeveless, no low cut necklines, simple, clean jewelry, DON'T wear black or white, or small intricate patterns.
SOCIAL NETWORKS
- It's the Social Mullet: Business in the Front, party in the back
- Business: LinkedIn -- get recommendations, put resume up and make contacts
- Party: Facebook -- put up those pictures of you at your college kegger, but just be sure to set your settings to 'private' so employers won't see your misdeeds (or your midsection)
- Twitter is like microblogging.
- When blogging, be tasteful and be cautious
- Google yourself! Keep in mind what shows up on your search page
- Always, always, ALWAYS set your privacy settings. Always.
BEHIND THE CAMERA TIPS
- Always white balance -- zoom in on something pure white to correct the color in your videos
- Use manual focus
- Audio check the person and adjust the volume so that you don't get spikes in the volume level when someone speaks
- when doing a 'man on the street,' make sure the mic isn't visible in the shot. Also remember that everything in the screen is a part of the story.
- Gain -- it adjusts light sensitivity on a camera. Can be used to brighten a scene if there is very little light. But be careful, it makes quality grainy (think adjusting the brightness of a photo too much)
- Establishing shots help provide context. If it's an interview, show both people sitting first, then feel free to zoom in on one person or the other.
- Adjust the camera so it moves smoothly and as you pan, zoom in so that it is all in one smooth motion.
- LISTEN -- use your journalistic discretion about when to pan and when to focus. Only zoom or move the camera with a purpose.
- Use a tripod if you can; if you can't, hold your breath while you're taking the shot or use a chair or something to steady your arms on the camera -- or if you have a large camera, sandwich the camera between your shoulders and head (a la broadcast) to help steady it.
- Action -- Never leave the scene without "B-roll" --- those supplemental shots of the subject working or (gasp!) shots of whatever you're talking about actually taking place.
- Get as much video as possible, but have a script of what you want. Do your research and know what the subject will be speaking about. If you can, WRITE DOWN THE TIME CODE when something interesting happens. It'll make it easier to find later as you edit.
WEB SITES TO VISIT:
- Journalism 2.0
- Poynter E-Media tidbits
- IWMF.com
- BNHphotovideo.com (to buy multimedia equipment
There was also a session on Flash, but it's just so complicated, I'm thinking it wouldn't do you any good to get a step by step on how to make a mini slideshow. But, do check out online tutorials at a bunch of places to get a handle on this very important program for multimedia.
Labels: broadcasting, JAWS, seminars/workshops, tech corner, technology
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I unconsciously started holding my breath while filming to keep the picture steady.
The rest of this is very helpful. Thanks.