Sona Patel » Maynard

S-M-A-C-K!

Sona — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:09:17 +0000

Mark Hiland, senior director of digital operations for The Arizona Republic, held a session today on video storytelling.

I’ve learned a lot in the last year about how to shoot online video, but Mark had some great tips that should be used as guiding principles for shooting an interview:

S: Setting/quiet location

M: Microphone (keep it about four inches away from your subject)

A: Audio levels

C: Composition (have something in the foreground of your frame)

K: Keep monitoring audio levels. Wear headphones!

Shooting video for the web

Sona — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:24:56 +0000

So our Tahoe trip has been postponed because of rain. Unfortunately, it has been raining in Reno since we arrived last weekend. Definitely wasn’t expecting that, but I guess we’ll figure out a way to work around it.

We were issued video cameras on Friday to use for our video projects. I didn’t get a chance to test mine out because we don’t have tapes for them yet, but I’m guessing it’ll function similar to the Sony Hard Disk Drive camera I use at home. That said, I don’t have a project idea yet. If you have tips, please share! I’ll probably do a tourist/destination piece on Lake Tahoe and the area where Bonanza! was filmed. I’m looking to get more practice on lighting techniques, setting white balance and learning video settings rather than producing content. Bottom line, I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone!

One of Maynard Fellows, Henry Lopez, Web editor of the Santa Fe New Mexican, shared some tips on some of the key elements it takes to make a good video. I learned a lot of those same tips from two multimedia training courses I attended last year: a multimedia bootcamp at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at the Knight Digital Media training at UC Berkeley. John W. Poole, a producer at NPR, taught us several solid techniques, many of which are included below.

Here’s a list of tips on how to shoot video. Henry wrote most of them, but I’ve tweaked them a little and added a few of my own points, most of which are in parenthesis.

Story idea: Have an idea of what you expect to get out of the project; be ready to change what you think you’re getting out of the project. (You can also expect to be in a different setting than originally anticipated so be prepared for that. Also, make sure to bring a camera cover in case of bad weather. You don’t want to have to worry about whether you’re going to break your $5,000 camera because it’s getting wet!)

Details: Get close enough to your subject to see details. Remember, Web video requires lots of compression in which detail gets lost so get close enough to capture fine detail that survives compression.

Zooming: Don’t rely on zoom. Think positioning of your body first, zoom second. (Also, don’t zoom unless you absolutely have to. Same goes for panning. Both techniques are used for taking home videos, not for work to be posted on your news organization’s Web site! I was taught to do it if you have something to actually zoom on, i.e. don’t do it for the special effect.)

Watch the sun: Don’t get it behind your subject or they’ll be nothing but a silhouette. (Also, don’t underestimate the amount of light in a room. Make sure to have the proper lighting!)

…Watch the sun: Get it behind your subject when you want to create a dramatic silhouette.

Sound: Hush! Nothing will frustrate you more than hearing uh-huh, mm-hmm and yeah on your audio track. (Also make sure to avoid unnecessary background noise. If a car drives by, politely interject and ask the subject to repeat his or her answer. If you’re interviewing inside a home, politely ask if the subject would be willing to turn off, let’s say, the refrigerator, to eliminate any humming, buzzing, or clicking in the background. Also, lapel mics should be fed inside clothing. It’s a bit of an inconvenience for your subject, but it looks so much better on the screen.) Oh, and have a microphone. You. must. have. an. external. microphone!

Get comfortable with your subjects: Talk to your subjects before turning on the camera. Know what they’re going to say, then let them say it on camera. Then shut up! Let them talk until they’re done. (I’ve always politely asked my subjects to repeat the question when they give an answer so as to get a full sound byte I can use. Some people may disagree, but it’s better than coming back with a good soundbyte that I can’t use because it has no context.)

Downtown Reno

Sona — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:42:07 +0000

Ahh, the smell of casinos. A couple Maynard fellows and I walked through downtown Reno this afternoon to get a taste of the city. Not quite like Vegas, but definitely a place for hardcore gambling. I was surprised to see a lot of vacant storefronts surrounded by newer condo complexes. It made me wonder whether the city of Reno has a makeover in the works. Nonetheless, it was fun checking out the cheesy souvenir shops, express wedding chapels and antique stores. I didn’t play any Blackjack or craps today. I don’t plan on gambling, but some of those slot machines looked pretty tempting.

Empowering the minority journalist

Sona — Fri, 29 May 2009 05:51:30 +0000

In two days I’ll be in Reno, getting ready to experience what other journalists have told me will be a truly life-changing experience.

I was recently selected as one of 12 fellows to attend the Maynard Multimedia Editing Program June 1 to July 10 at the University of Nevada.

I found out about the program well after the selection committee opened the application period. I didn’t think my editors would give me six weeks off work to attend, however I figured it was worth a shot. I applied and received a call from Dori Maynard, president and CEO of the Maynard Institute, telling me that I was a good fit for the program considering my potential of becoming The Tribune’s next Online Editor.

After receiving an informal offer for the fellowship, I still hesitated since I’d have to take unpaid time off to attend. And since I completed twi fellowships last year, I didn’t know if I would learn anything different during the Maynard program. But after reading a former fellow’s blog and checking out the curriculum, I truly felt that it would be one of those experiences I wouldn’t regret. I also strongly believe that you can never be an expert on a particular subject no matter how much training you’ve had.

I was also compelled by the story of Robert C. Maynard and his commitment to expanding opportunities for minority journalists at newspapers across the nation.

Maynard was the co-founder of the Institute for Journalism Education. In the past 25 years, the organization has trained hundreds of America’s journalists of color, more than any other organization.

In December 1993, following Maynard’s death, the Institute was renamed the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.

According to the Maynard Web site, Robert C. Maynard was a board member of journalism’s most prestigious organizations including the Pulitzer Prize, The Associated Press, and the American Society of Newspaper Editors. It was his lobbying in the 1970s that nudged the ASNE to adopt the goal of diversifying America’s newsrooms by the year 2000.

While newsrooms have made strides in diversifying their workforces, more must be done, especially at a time when news organizations across the world are focusing on staying afloat and cutting costs while maintaining a sense of strong journalism. Still, newsroom leaders cannot undermine the importance of diversifying their staff. And diversity isn’t just black and white. It’s about using several perspectives to plan news coverage that fits the needs of the community. It’s about valuing diversity and making the print and online product a tool which is valued across the community.

One of the things I hope to learn from the Maynard program is not only the copy editing and multimedia skills necessary to be a good storyteller, but how to cover topics that appeal to a wider range of readers in our (The Tribune’s) demographic.

As an aside, I have to mention another pioneer in the industry who helped push for more minorities in newsroom: John C. “Chipps” Quinn.

Quinn was a newspaper editor and journalist who valued diversity. When he died at the age of 34, his family could think of no better way to honor and remember Chips than a program to encourage newsroom diversity.

The program began in 1991. Since then, more than 1,000 journalists of color have been Scholars during daily newspaper newsroom internships. I was lucky enought to be selected as a Chips Quinn Scholar in May 2006 and was placed as an intern at The Tribune. I’ve been at the paper ever since.

So, to the Maynard Institute and the Chips Quinn Scholars program: Thank you for empowering me to be a better person — and a better journalist.