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.

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.

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.

• Sennheiser ME66 shotgun mic with a Lightwave Audio Systems' Miniscreen

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."

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.

• Macintosh G5 workstations, dual Apple Cinema Displays & Final Cut Pro 5 video software

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.

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.

• Miscellaneous

• 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.