Here's a little something I noticed in my CPS Europe email newsletter.
Final Cut Pro (Pt. 1): setting up for capture
Final Cut Pro (Pt. 2): capturing footage and formats
The guides look quite informative for new FCP users, but I can't get the videos to play. I even dug into the source code for direct links to the flv files. No luck.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Mr. Pixel and Mrs. Grain
For those needing some help understanding the differences between digital and film, I give you Mr. Pixel and Mrs. Grain.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Student Photo Blogs
It's a new semester and a new class. This time I'm requiring students in my basic photography class to create and maintain a photo blog. Here we go....
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Phenomenal Video Power, Itty-bitty Living Space
KenStone.net has a great tutorial written by Brian Gary: Encoding for YouTube Using Compressor.
And from the KenStone.net archives:
San Jose Mercury News video guru Richard Koci Hernandez has posted a detailed video compression guide: The Dark Art of video compression
.
And from the KenStone.net archives:
- Exporting to the iPod Using Compressor (02/12/2007)
- Compression and Chapter Markers (10/10/2005)
- Encoding WMV Using Compressor/Flip4Mac (02/05/2007)
San Jose Mercury News video guru Richard Koci Hernandez has posted a detailed video compression guide: The Dark Art of video compression
.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Newspaper Video Project
I've pulled all the links for my Dallas Morning News series into one handy list. This is for anyone who want it, but it's mainly for my students...you know who you are.
Newspaper Video Journalism at the Dallas Morning News
Newspaper Video Journalism at the Dallas Morning News
- Part I - On Assignment with David Leeson
- Part II - Fear Factor
- Part III - On Assignment with Randy Eli Grothe
- Part IV - Tools of the Trade
- Part V - On Assignment with Rick Gershon
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
More Sites To Watch
Here are some new sites for your bookmarks list:
- Behind The Lens - The stories behind the photo/video stories at the WashingtonPost.com.
- DocuPyx - Calling itself a broadband documentary channel, DocuPyx looks promising, but might be yet another platform activists.
Friday, December 29, 2006
New & Notable
I'll admit it. I've been kickin' back and doing a whole lot of nothing during the Christmas break. I suppose I got depressed when my capital purchase request for a Sony Z1-U was rejected. I know you understand. But now, I'm ready to roll. I'm gearing up for the new semester and planning the next phase of the ACU video journalism operation. Here is a random list of things on my radar:
- Check out my in-progress list of direct links to newspaper video pages. I'm not linking to papers whose sole source of web video is from the AP or television partnerships. My primary interest is in newspapers offering staff-produced journalistic news videos.
- We all need to keep our eyes on Gannett and what appears to be a top-to-bottom rethinking of its newsgathering operations. Backpack Journalism Program: Gannett's initiative to train and select journalists for "opportunities" in newsrooms.
- The Post-Crescent in Appleton, Wis., (a Gannett property) is transforming its newsroom into an Information Center focused on attracting and retaining readers through multiple platforms.
- Lost Remote's Steve Safran wrote an insightful critique of the state of mass media a few months ago that still warrants revisiting. It all changed: a breakdown by industry and how to win. Good stuff!
- This is "required listening" for my students. Jim Brady (VP/Exec Editor of WashingtonPost.com) delivers the keynote address at the 2005 Conference on Media Convergence at Brigham Young University. Also see this video presentation commemorating the 10th Anniversary of WashingtonPost.com.
- One of my former students, Brady Lane, is blazing a trail with his Visual Revolution blog. Keep it up!
- MultimediaShooter.com is an excellent new site devoted to digital media and visual storytelling.
- Amazing interview with Henri Cartier Bresson on Google Video. (thnx MultimediaShooter.com)
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Newspaper Video Journalism (Part V)
It's encouraging to know that so many people have been following my series on the video journalism initiative at the Dallas Morning News. I'll admit its also fun to check the logs and see who is linking to this blog. I'm honored that fellow educators Mindy McAdams, Doug Fisher and Bryan Murley are keeping up with this project and writing some thought-provoking commentary as well.
Since my last post was on August 3rd (Yikes!), I had a few other items on my plate. Aside from the usual stressors educators face, my department is going up for AEJMC re-acreditation. (We were first accredited in 2001.) The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication puts its stamp of approval on J-School programs through its accrediting body, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, otherwise known as the ACEJMC. The Self Study is finished and now we prepare for the site visit at the end of October. The entire process is certainly worth the effort, but anyone who has ever gone through this process knows how difficult it can be.
As for today, I'm in Columbia, S.C., for the Convergence Media Conference with my colleague Kenneth Pybus. We are presenting a paper detailing the efforts of the ACU student media's exploration into online video journalism. Here are the direct links for your viewing pleasure.
Today's post features a video documenting Dallas Morning News photojournalist Rick Gershon shooting the third day of a roller coaster ride-a-thon at Six Flags over Texas. You might remember him as the 2004 College Photographer of the Year. In the video you get to see Rick work, but you also get to hear about the the DMN philosophy of video journalism.
QuickTime MPEG-4 (m4v) / 4:10 / 20 MB / Get QuickTime
To help demonstrate the excellent quality of the DMN online video, I've listed links to all the video coverage of the ride-a-thon from other media. I'll let you be the judge and tell me what you think.
Rick Gerson
The Dallas Morning News
Aaron Chimbel
WFAA Mojo (Mobile Journalist
Darrell Byres
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
While I'm linking to all these videos I might as well throw in a few more for good measure. Below is a short list of some of my favorite DMN videos.
Since my last post was on August 3rd (Yikes!), I had a few other items on my plate. Aside from the usual stressors educators face, my department is going up for AEJMC re-acreditation. (We were first accredited in 2001.) The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication puts its stamp of approval on J-School programs through its accrediting body, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, otherwise known as the ACEJMC. The Self Study is finished and now we prepare for the site visit at the end of October. The entire process is certainly worth the effort, but anyone who has ever gone through this process knows how difficult it can be.
As for today, I'm in Columbia, S.C., for the Convergence Media Conference with my colleague Kenneth Pybus. We are presenting a paper detailing the efforts of the ACU student media's exploration into online video journalism. Here are the direct links for your viewing pleasure.
Today's post features a video documenting Dallas Morning News photojournalist Rick Gershon shooting the third day of a roller coaster ride-a-thon at Six Flags over Texas. You might remember him as the 2004 College Photographer of the Year. In the video you get to see Rick work, but you also get to hear about the the DMN philosophy of video journalism.
QuickTime MPEG-4 (m4v) / 4:10 / 20 MB / Get QuickTime
To help demonstrate the excellent quality of the DMN online video, I've listed links to all the video coverage of the ride-a-thon from other media. I'll let you be the judge and tell me what you think.
Rick Gerson
The Dallas Morning News
Aaron Chimbel
WFAA Mojo (Mobile Journalist
Darrell Byres
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
While I'm linking to all these videos I might as well throw in a few more for good measure. Below is a short list of some of my favorite DMN videos.
- Unique Vehicle - by David Leeson
- Skateboard Champ - by Rick Gershon
- Kids Cooking Class - by Richard Michael Pruitt
- Chicken Man - Randy Eli Grothe
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Newspaper Video Journalism (Part IV)
Tools of the Trade
"If there's a job worth doing, it's worth doing right." This was one of my father's favorite things to say to my brothers and me while we were growing up. It was true for my father then, and it's true for me today. I now understand what he meant. Don't bother doing something if you're not committed to seeing it through to the end. You have to visualize success, otherwise you're already defeated. It's a mind-set even Yoda understood.
Maybe just as significant as a success-focused mind-set is the importance of choosing the right tools for the job. The information below describes the hardware and software choices made at The Dallas Morning News and is meant to serve as an example of how one newspaper is equipping its video operation. While this article does indeed focus on the 'tools of the trade,' as the title states, I intend to balance the information with a 'craft-focused' article in the near future.
When the DMN launched its video operation in January, several years had already been invested in research and development. One of the first major steps leading to the launch actually occurred in the fall of 2000 when David Leeson was assigned to shoot video on a full-time basis, making him one of the first of his kind in the nation at the time. He would spend the next five years honing his skills in the art of video storytelling. Along the way he would make more than 70 short features and seven documentaries, and rack up numerous awards from newspaper, film and television. (You can read his bio if you want more details.) His research and experiences helped design the operational plan in place today.
DMN Video Equipment Profile
• Sony HVR-Z1U HDV camera
Note: In case you're curious about my current equipment setup, I use a Canon GL2 with a variety of accessories. My main microphone is a Canon DM-50, which is nice because it uses the camera's accessory shoe for power and audio connections. When I need to use a shotgun mic together with a wireless mic on the subject, mix audio sources I use Canon MA-300 on-camera audio source mixer with XLR inputs. Then I can use my audio-technica AT897 shotgun mic with the Azden 100LT wireless lavalier. This setup lets me run the shotgun into one channel and the wireless into the other, which might seem like a lot of trouble to go through for the sake of good audio, but it's worth it. Viewers will look past less than perfect video quality, but they will never forgive bad audio.
Back at the office we use Final Cut Pro on Macintosh G5 workstations with dual Dell UltraSharp 19" LCD monitors. Essentially the same setup as the DMN, but without the Apple Cinema Displays. We use a JVC BR-DV3000U video deck for all video capture. This significantly cuts down on the wear and tear to the camera's tape transport mechanism from too much use as a VTR.
One final thought. Should you even consider buying a SD camera? Should every camera purchase from today forward be HD or HDV? Well, buying an SD camera wouldn't necessarily be a waste of money. If you want to have any chance of using still frame grabs in print, you should go HD. If that aspect doesn't concern you, then you will find a number of excellent deals out there on SD cameras. As I mentioned, the DV camera we use in the ACU journalism program is the GL2. We have several in the department, and with budgets being what they are, we'll probably continue buying SD cameras for another year or two. After that I bet we will completely switch to HD. As for me personally, I can safely say that my next video camera will be HD.
"If there's a job worth doing, it's worth doing right." This was one of my father's favorite things to say to my brothers and me while we were growing up. It was true for my father then, and it's true for me today. I now understand what he meant. Don't bother doing something if you're not committed to seeing it through to the end. You have to visualize success, otherwise you're already defeated. It's a mind-set even Yoda understood.
Maybe just as significant as a success-focused mind-set is the importance of choosing the right tools for the job. The information below describes the hardware and software choices made at The Dallas Morning News and is meant to serve as an example of how one newspaper is equipping its video operation. While this article does indeed focus on the 'tools of the trade,' as the title states, I intend to balance the information with a 'craft-focused' article in the near future.
When the DMN launched its video operation in January, several years had already been invested in research and development. One of the first major steps leading to the launch actually occurred in the fall of 2000 when David Leeson was assigned to shoot video on a full-time basis, making him one of the first of his kind in the nation at the time. He would spend the next five years honing his skills in the art of video storytelling. Along the way he would make more than 70 short features and seven documentaries, and rack up numerous awards from newspaper, film and television. (You can read his bio if you want more details.) His research and experiences helped design the operational plan in place today.
| QuickTime MPEG-4 (m4v) / 0:34 / 3.1 MB / Get QuickTime |
DMN Video Equipment Profile
• Sony HVR-Z1U HDV camera
Leeson selected the Z1U because he liked the camera's performance under low-light conditions, as well as its high-resolution image. (Sony and Canon adhere to the HDV1 standard, which offers a slightly higher resolution compared to the HDV2 standard supported by JVC.) You will want as many pixels as you can get if you plan on using still frame grabs in the newspaper. Ben Waggoner and Adam Wilt both offer extensive information on the HDV format.• Sennheiser ME66 shotgun mic with a Lightwave Audio Systems' Miniscreen
The paper has been quite pleased with the performance and durability of the Sony. There's been some discussion of getting one or two of the smaller HVR-A1U cameras for close-quarters shooting situations.
I highly recommend trying out as many cameras as possible. Do your research and try to work with a local dealer to possibly get loaner cameras to sample. Camera controls and usability varies from one camera to the next, which will probably be a very important factor to the photographer. A little extra effort up front will save you time and money in the long run.
The Sennheiser is a solid performer capable of isolating a subject in a noisy environment. Never underestimate the importance of good audio in a video story. I was always told, "50% of Video is Audio," which is certainly good sticky note material. But posted at one of the DMN video workstations is an equally prophetic statement, "Video Is Audio."• Macintosh G5 workstations, dual Apple Cinema Displays & Final Cut Pro 5 video software
Don't be afraid to use headphones when you shoot. It's actually the best and only way to really know what's being recorded. Know the capabilities and limitations of your microphone. The built-in mics featured on many prosumer cameras pale in comparison to the performance quality of a professional shotgun mic. Ken Stone has written a detailed comparison of moderately-priced shotgun mics. All the mics and accessories used by DMN photojournalists where purchased from Dallas-based Kennedy's ENG.
The editorial department at the DMN has traditionally been a Macintosh-based operation, so it makes sense that their choice for video editing workstations also be Macintosh. From my unscientific observations, this seems to be the hardware/software setup of choice for newspapers venturing into the video arena. We could debate the various reasons for this, but it's probably because most newspapers use Macs for their photo/graphic/design operations. Any newspaper making this move should research all the possibilities and determine what's best for their shop. The issues to consider include, but are not limited to, internal compatibility (company infrastructure), internal technical support, industry standards, and general performance/reliability concerns. Obviously, there's still more to consider when making this kind of purchase, but user preference should also weigh heavily in the decision. Creative types will do their best work when they're using the tools they prefer.• Miscellaneous
Another Mac-compatible title, Avid Xpress Pro, is a legendary brand in the film and broadcast industries. Take a deep breath before you jump in to study the Avid product line. The company offers so many products (hardware and software) and available in so many configurations, it's tough to understand what you need. Their systems (available for both Mac and Windows) are feature-rich and designed to be custom configured around your needs. Avid also comes with a predictably-steep learning curve. There are several worthy software options for the Windows-based operation, including the newly updated Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid-owned Pinnacle Liquid Pro, and Sony Vegas.
- Video files are exported from Final Cut as QuickTime compatible Windows Media (wmv) files, made possible using the Flip4Mac Studio Pro HD plug-in.
- Video is inspected for still frame quality at full-screen resolution on the Apple Cinema Display. Screen shots are processed using Adobe Photoshop CS2.
- Each photojournalist also carries a Lowel professional light kit.
Note: In case you're curious about my current equipment setup, I use a Canon GL2 with a variety of accessories. My main microphone is a Canon DM-50, which is nice because it uses the camera's accessory shoe for power and audio connections. When I need to use a shotgun mic together with a wireless mic on the subject, mix audio sources I use Canon MA-300 on-camera audio source mixer with XLR inputs. Then I can use my audio-technica AT897 shotgun mic with the Azden 100LT wireless lavalier. This setup lets me run the shotgun into one channel and the wireless into the other, which might seem like a lot of trouble to go through for the sake of good audio, but it's worth it. Viewers will look past less than perfect video quality, but they will never forgive bad audio.
Back at the office we use Final Cut Pro on Macintosh G5 workstations with dual Dell UltraSharp 19" LCD monitors. Essentially the same setup as the DMN, but without the Apple Cinema Displays. We use a JVC BR-DV3000U video deck for all video capture. This significantly cuts down on the wear and tear to the camera's tape transport mechanism from too much use as a VTR.
One final thought. Should you even consider buying a SD camera? Should every camera purchase from today forward be HD or HDV? Well, buying an SD camera wouldn't necessarily be a waste of money. If you want to have any chance of using still frame grabs in print, you should go HD. If that aspect doesn't concern you, then you will find a number of excellent deals out there on SD cameras. As I mentioned, the DV camera we use in the ACU journalism program is the GL2. We have several in the department, and with budgets being what they are, we'll probably continue buying SD cameras for another year or two. After that I bet we will completely switch to HD. As for me personally, I can safely say that my next video camera will be HD.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Newspaper Video Journalism (Part III)
On Assignment
For my third installment in this series, I went on assignment with senior staff photographer Randy Eli Grothe, a 31-year DMN veteran who joined the video initiative in January of this year.
The assignment was not anything out of the ordinary by newspaper standards. ...Go to local watering hole (Nellies) and shoot a bartender known for his ability to make flaming drinks. The print edition will use one photo (a video frame grab) as part of their regular Hey Bartender! series. The video will go to DallasNews.com where it will likely find popularity because of its firey content. That's right, videos showing anything burning or exploding are more likely to be popular with viewsers.
I see some important discussion topics here:
For my third installment in this series, I went on assignment with senior staff photographer Randy Eli Grothe, a 31-year DMN veteran who joined the video initiative in January of this year.
The assignment was not anything out of the ordinary by newspaper standards. ...Go to local watering hole (Nellies) and shoot a bartender known for his ability to make flaming drinks. The print edition will use one photo (a video frame grab) as part of their regular Hey Bartender! series. The video will go to DallasNews.com where it will likely find popularity because of its firey content. That's right, videos showing anything burning or exploding are more likely to be popular with viewsers.
| QuickTime MPEG-4 (m4v) / 1:18 / 7.2 MB / Get QuickTime |
I see some important discussion topics here:
- The assignment took about an hour to shoot for video, compared to the 15-20 minutes it might have taken to shoot a still photograph. Will all video assignments take significantly more time to shoot than still assignments? Is this a potential human resource management issue? It's not impossible to shoot a video assignment in a matter of minutes, depending on the subject. But is that really the goal here? Thoughts?
- While this kind of feature content will be buried deep in the print edition, the video will have equal billing with other video stories. Does this pose any potential problems? Will news stories get lost amid the features, or visa versa? I'm referring to the 'videos' page on the website. I don't know how the site is programmed and how long a video stays on the video page before dropping off. I suppose this is merely a programming/user-experience issue. I'm just thinking of the visitors who go to the videos page to look for a specific item or to just browse.
- The flaming drink story is a fun feature that will appeal to a number of readers, and Grothe did an excellent job with a tough shooting situation - dealing with the low light, loud environment, and busy backgrounds. I can't help but worry that as newspapers face an ever-increasing need to boost web traffic, photojournalists will feel pressure to produce more videos with a high predictability of viewser appeal. I can almost see the memo now: "We need more fires and car chases!" An obvious goal for any of the video content at DallasNews.com, or any other news/video site for that matter, is that the content be attractive and spread in viral popularity. The end result is more traffic, more page views, more ad revenue, and (let's be honest) more money, nicer toys, and better working conditions. This is a good thing we should all want. Right? Thoughts?
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Newspaper Video Journalism (Part II)
Fear Factor
The really difficult part of this project is deciding what I need to address next. I'm seeing so many relevant things that I'm literally in the middle of four separate essays on topics ranging from ethics and philosophy to technique and equipment. Fortunately, the answer came with a blog post from one of my students, Gary Rhodes, an ACU senior currently interning at the Odessa (TX) American.
Gary's uneasiness is understandable and not that uncommon in this entire video discussion. You shouldn't think of it as being turned into a videographer. Think of it as your camera is getting a serious upgrade.
We're actually dealing with the ongoing evolution of the camera and the continued expansion of the storyteller's toolset. I'll resist the usual Speed Graphic-to-35mm comparison and point out the great advances this industry made during the 1980s. Who could forget the joys of processing C-41 in the Wing-Lynch and running color prints through the EP2 print processor? Maybe you had a chance to use the grandfather of all neg scanners, the Nikon Coolscan. Maybe your paper had the resources to buy a Kodak RFS 2035 or a Leaf Scan 35. Some early adopters used the bulky Kodak DCS-100 for a while. And if you were really lucky, someone thought you were worth the $17,000 it cost to get you an AP/Kodak NC-2000. Looking back, the period of scanning negatives was very short. Once it became apparent that digital technology would allow us to keep our familiar 35mm SLR form factor, the scanners and chemicals were history.
The transition to video is a unique situation because it presents a significant departure from the current landscape. But I would argue that it's not as different as some might fear, again referring to the current landscape. Many newspapers are publishing still image slideshows on their websites. Often created in Flash or with Soundslides, these packages bring the still image into the rich multimedia environment of sound and motion, typically including natural audio recorded during the assignment or interview. Not only is this great journalism, it's a perfect example of an industry embracing technological innovations and exploiting them for the good of the story. Shooting and editing the video story merely takes the storytelling to the next level.
In today's media marketplace the newspaper is more that just a print product. The Internet, along with partnerships and cross-media ownership, means that content will be used across multiple distribution channels. The content gatherers and producers of the future must be capable of working with whatever new tools the medium demands, or offers, depending on your perspective. This presents economic realities which must be considered. When your employer, that content-creation-distribution-company-formerly-known-as-a-newspaper, wants stills and video from the same assignment, they're not going to send two people. It wouldn't be cost-effective. They will send one person capable of shooting either, or both. Eventually, the only photographers getting hired, or keeping their jobs, will be those willing to expand their toolset.
The video initiative is a well-planned and closely-monitored precursor of what will be a much broader adoption. It's going to happen. And from what has been demonstrated so far, it's being designed in a way which most still shooters would appreciate. As a matter of fact, it's being designed at the Dallas Morning News by still shooters. Among the concerns often expressed is the fear that the photojournalist will be asked to carry a video camera along with his or her still cameras, and be asked to provide a full battery of stills and a two-minute video essay. Unfortunately, this sort of thing did happen in the experimental stages at some publications several years ago, and we know now that compounding the responsibilities only compromises quality.
Photojournalists at the Morning News are not being asked to carry and shoot with two cameras on a single assignment. Nor are they being asked to hang up their Mark-IIs for the Z1U. The tool used is the one that's best for the story. The assignments can come through a variety of channels, but they will typically come out of a collaborative effort between the photojournalist and photo editors. A couple of the more senior video shooters, for example, keep a close watch on the editorial assignment grid looking for story and photo assignments which might produce good video. When I was discussing this very subject with photojournalist Ron Baselice, he informed me how he had a still assignment that very morning and a video assignment in the afternoon. When I asked if it was difficult to 'switch gears' between assignments, he quickly told me there "was no switching...they're both the same." To some, I know this may sound a lot like, "there is no spoon," and maybe it is. But it's also an example of how they're doing things in Dallas. Project director David Leeson draws no distinction between those who shoot video and those who shoot stills. "We're not videographers," Leeson says. "Videographers shoot weddings. We're photojournalists."
The really difficult part of this project is deciding what I need to address next. I'm seeing so many relevant things that I'm literally in the middle of four separate essays on topics ranging from ethics and philosophy to technique and equipment. Fortunately, the answer came with a blog post from one of my students, Gary Rhodes, an ACU senior currently interning at the Odessa (TX) American.
| "I have to admit this scares me. ...I welcome the use of video in conjunction with stills but I don't want to be replaced by or turned into a videographer." - Gary Rhodes |
Gary's uneasiness is understandable and not that uncommon in this entire video discussion. You shouldn't think of it as being turned into a videographer. Think of it as your camera is getting a serious upgrade.
We're actually dealing with the ongoing evolution of the camera and the continued expansion of the storyteller's toolset. I'll resist the usual Speed Graphic-to-35mm comparison and point out the great advances this industry made during the 1980s. Who could forget the joys of processing C-41 in the Wing-Lynch and running color prints through the EP2 print processor? Maybe you had a chance to use the grandfather of all neg scanners, the Nikon Coolscan. Maybe your paper had the resources to buy a Kodak RFS 2035 or a Leaf Scan 35. Some early adopters used the bulky Kodak DCS-100 for a while. And if you were really lucky, someone thought you were worth the $17,000 it cost to get you an AP/Kodak NC-2000. Looking back, the period of scanning negatives was very short. Once it became apparent that digital technology would allow us to keep our familiar 35mm SLR form factor, the scanners and chemicals were history.
The transition to video is a unique situation because it presents a significant departure from the current landscape. But I would argue that it's not as different as some might fear, again referring to the current landscape. Many newspapers are publishing still image slideshows on their websites. Often created in Flash or with Soundslides, these packages bring the still image into the rich multimedia environment of sound and motion, typically including natural audio recorded during the assignment or interview. Not only is this great journalism, it's a perfect example of an industry embracing technological innovations and exploiting them for the good of the story. Shooting and editing the video story merely takes the storytelling to the next level.
In today's media marketplace the newspaper is more that just a print product. The Internet, along with partnerships and cross-media ownership, means that content will be used across multiple distribution channels. The content gatherers and producers of the future must be capable of working with whatever new tools the medium demands, or offers, depending on your perspective. This presents economic realities which must be considered. When your employer, that content-creation-distribution-company-formerly-known-as-a-newspaper, wants stills and video from the same assignment, they're not going to send two people. It wouldn't be cost-effective. They will send one person capable of shooting either, or both. Eventually, the only photographers getting hired, or keeping their jobs, will be those willing to expand their toolset.
The video initiative is a well-planned and closely-monitored precursor of what will be a much broader adoption. It's going to happen. And from what has been demonstrated so far, it's being designed in a way which most still shooters would appreciate. As a matter of fact, it's being designed at the Dallas Morning News by still shooters. Among the concerns often expressed is the fear that the photojournalist will be asked to carry a video camera along with his or her still cameras, and be asked to provide a full battery of stills and a two-minute video essay. Unfortunately, this sort of thing did happen in the experimental stages at some publications several years ago, and we know now that compounding the responsibilities only compromises quality.
Photojournalists at the Morning News are not being asked to carry and shoot with two cameras on a single assignment. Nor are they being asked to hang up their Mark-IIs for the Z1U. The tool used is the one that's best for the story. The assignments can come through a variety of channels, but they will typically come out of a collaborative effort between the photojournalist and photo editors. A couple of the more senior video shooters, for example, keep a close watch on the editorial assignment grid looking for story and photo assignments which might produce good video. When I was discussing this very subject with photojournalist Ron Baselice, he informed me how he had a still assignment that very morning and a video assignment in the afternoon. When I asked if it was difficult to 'switch gears' between assignments, he quickly told me there "was no switching...they're both the same." To some, I know this may sound a lot like, "there is no spoon," and maybe it is. But it's also an example of how they're doing things in Dallas. Project director David Leeson draws no distinction between those who shoot video and those who shoot stills. "We're not videographers," Leeson says. "Videographers shoot weddings. We're photojournalists."
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Newspaper Video Journalism (Part I)
This is the first of what I expect will be several blog entries chronicling my summer research project with the Dallas Morning News. For the next six weeks I will be studying the newspaper's efforts to integrate video journalism into the the company's news mechanism. My focus is both academic and professional. I will report my observations and discoveries in the academic arena through a paper and/or at a yet-to-be-determined academic conference. This blog will serve as a venue where I can share these experiences to a wider professional audience. I hope it's beneficial and welcome the opportunity to contribute to the journalism industry.
Full Disclosure: I teach photojournalism at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, from which I hold a B.A. in Photojournalism (1990) and an M.S. in Digital Media (1998). I have worked for the Temple (TX) Daily Telegram, the Abilene (TX) Reporter-News, and the San Angelo (TX) Standard-Times, where I was a staff photographer for five years.
DMN photojournalist David Leeson, winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize, was instrumental in making this project a reality. I first met David, also a graduate of ACU, when he taught an advanced news photography course there in the summer of 1986, an experience which played a major role in my decision to become a professional news photographer. Since then, we've continued to be good friends and he's always welcomed opportunities to advance the profession. He and DMN photo director William Snyder, understand the significance of their video program and recognize the major impact their work could have on the entire industry. I greatly appreciate the access and the opportunity to document their efforts in this new chapter in visual journalism history.
The buzz this past week was on the subject of video still frame quality and their usability in the printed newspaper. Apparently, San Jose Mercury-News staffer Richard Koci-Hernandez spoke on the subject at the 2006 NPPA National Summit (I did not attend), which was reported by multimedia journalism guru Mindy McAdams and also by Bryan Murley at Reinventing College Media. These blogs are definitely worth reading and generally draw numerous insightful comments from readers. Also on the subject was a Photo District News article written by Daryl Lang, who interviewed David Leeson at length for the article.
Well, so what do we know? We know that at least two newspapers are printing video frame grabs on a regular basis. We know that the high-res HD video format is one reason this is now possible. We're also learning that a quality frame grab requires sharp, well exposed video. Auto iris or auto exposure won't cut it. Shooting on manual exposure with careful attention to shutter speed is paramount. This is a degree of technical precision reminiscent of the days of shooting transparency film.
The DMN video team is constantly looking for ways to increase the efficiency of their workflow and improve quality of their product. One workflow step that has been given a great deal of attention is the post-processing of video frame grabs...and it shows. The still frames are beautiful. They're also big. Leeson's son, David Leeson II, works in the video operation and has developed a unique method of boosting the resolution of the image that's nothing short of magic.
Something else I want to mention is that I am shooting as much video as possible for this project. I have the lofty goal of including a video with every blog post, but...we'll see. Below is the first video installment, which shows David Leeson using his Sony Z1U HDV camera to shoot a photo illustration for the paper. What makes this unique is not the fact that a frame grab would be used in the printed paper, but rather because this was not a video story. Leeson also carried a Canon EOS 1D on the shoot, but as you will see, it was the HDV camera that had the magic.
Full Disclosure: I teach photojournalism at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, from which I hold a B.A. in Photojournalism (1990) and an M.S. in Digital Media (1998). I have worked for the Temple (TX) Daily Telegram, the Abilene (TX) Reporter-News, and the San Angelo (TX) Standard-Times, where I was a staff photographer for five years.
DMN photojournalist David Leeson, winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize, was instrumental in making this project a reality. I first met David, also a graduate of ACU, when he taught an advanced news photography course there in the summer of 1986, an experience which played a major role in my decision to become a professional news photographer. Since then, we've continued to be good friends and he's always welcomed opportunities to advance the profession. He and DMN photo director William Snyder, understand the significance of their video program and recognize the major impact their work could have on the entire industry. I greatly appreciate the access and the opportunity to document their efforts in this new chapter in visual journalism history.
The buzz this past week was on the subject of video still frame quality and their usability in the printed newspaper. Apparently, San Jose Mercury-News staffer Richard Koci-Hernandez spoke on the subject at the 2006 NPPA National Summit (I did not attend), which was reported by multimedia journalism guru Mindy McAdams and also by Bryan Murley at Reinventing College Media. These blogs are definitely worth reading and generally draw numerous insightful comments from readers. Also on the subject was a Photo District News article written by Daryl Lang, who interviewed David Leeson at length for the article.
Well, so what do we know? We know that at least two newspapers are printing video frame grabs on a regular basis. We know that the high-res HD video format is one reason this is now possible. We're also learning that a quality frame grab requires sharp, well exposed video. Auto iris or auto exposure won't cut it. Shooting on manual exposure with careful attention to shutter speed is paramount. This is a degree of technical precision reminiscent of the days of shooting transparency film.
The DMN video team is constantly looking for ways to increase the efficiency of their workflow and improve quality of their product. One workflow step that has been given a great deal of attention is the post-processing of video frame grabs...and it shows. The still frames are beautiful. They're also big. Leeson's son, David Leeson II, works in the video operation and has developed a unique method of boosting the resolution of the image that's nothing short of magic.
Something else I want to mention is that I am shooting as much video as possible for this project. I have the lofty goal of including a video with every blog post, but...we'll see. Below is the first video installment, which shows David Leeson using his Sony Z1U HDV camera to shoot a photo illustration for the paper. What makes this unique is not the fact that a frame grab would be used in the printed paper, but rather because this was not a video story. Leeson also carried a Canon EOS 1D on the shoot, but as you will see, it was the HDV camera that had the magic.
| QuickTime MPEG-4 (m4v) / 2:03 / 11.6 MB / Get QuickTime |
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