Video Presentation – Emma Massey – 2nd Video

After the small technical issues today at HSAD, I was extremely concerned that my 2nd attempt at the video editing would be delayed.

I had got in early, well before Newsday, to ensure that I had enough time to get everything done, but with no Macs or PCs available due to server issues, I was left kicking my heels.

Thankfully, the systems came back on, and I was able to copy my raw data across to be able to edit in Premiere Pro and have made the relevant changes to the video, which is available to view here.

I found the feedback I received, extremely helpful from a top video journalist who has years of experience in National and Local news gathering.

Stainforth Railway

Stainforth Main

The assignment has been very enjoyable, and it something that I am looking to work further with as I move towards Year 2.

Video Presentation – Emma Massey – Additional Footage

After the feedback from Emma last week, a couple of the points that needed changing were the number of general video clips to build the scene in and around Hatfield and Stainforth, and also to have another attempt to get Vox Pops from the public.

Screenshot from Colliery Video

Well 1 out of 2, was disappointing, but given the reaction last week, not entirely a surprise.  The general set-up shots of the area were easy to do, even in the blustery wind, but the public were willing to speak to me, but sadly not on camera.

As I’ve now got the necessary set-up background shots, I can head to the edit suite early tomorrow morning to re-jig the video, export it, and send it off to be assessed.

It’s been a learning process to keep on with things, and keep watching news production to learn more about the skills required to do Video Journalism.  I’ve even started to critically analyse any piece on local news to see what they have done, and not done!

How have Television News audiences changed?

The event of 23-hour news, widespread access to the internet and social media, and catchup services have altered the face of the viewing public to all streams of television, and news has certainly not escaped that.

Audiences, on the whole, want interactivity with their news, either commenting, or providing stories and footage for the wider world.

News providers need to bear this in mind:  Find ways to provide news content to those who just want to consume their product, and also to those who want a 2-way relationship with it.

Look North in Hull, along with many other news organisations encourage their audience to get in touch, by telephone, social media, email or by post, and this will continue for the foreseeable future.

By using this interaction, it helps to build a stronger relationship with the audience, in a market that is saturated by news output.

Video Presentation – Emma Massey – Feedback

Having presented my video presentation, there were a number of points that Emma made, so that I can change the film, and create a better finished product, prior to final hand in.

The comments were extremely useful, coming from a Video Journalist of many years experience, and I will work over the next few days to ensure that I have taken the feedback on board, and add to the initial film.

The 10 point plan to work on is:

1. Take out voice introduction of interviewee
2. Break the interview up – Not just 1 minute of straight talking.
3. Try again to get Vox Pops.  This was something that the featured community were reticent to do, but I will attempt again to do this.
4. The extro needs to be extended.
5. Avoid cliches such as “Time will tell” etc.
6. More voice over clips are required.
7. More general video clips to set the scene.
8. Rotate the interview – the end part is stronger than the start point.
9. Think about how the presenter will introduce the piece.
10. Shorter sign off is required – just name and Hull School of Art and Design (HSAD).

There looks a lot of work there, but when you drill down, most of those are easy to remedy, so over the next couple of days, I will return to the community to get more raw material before returning to the edit suite next week.

Video Presentation – Emma Massey

For the Creative Futures assignment, I had to create a video presentation in a similar style to that you would find in local news programming, such as Look North.

I selected a story which features the mining communities of Hatfield and Stainforth, which by the end of the year, will have the only deep mining colliery in the United Kingdom.

Aerial Map of Stainforth

 

People were quite reticent to speak openly on camera, due to the ill feeling regarding the colliery closing a few years ago, and then re-opening but with very few local workers.

Screenshot from Colliery Video

I spoke to many residents to get some background information about the colliery, it’s role within the community, and the future plans for Hatfield and Stainforth.  They were happy to speak off the record, but were unwilling for me to use their attributed quotes.

It was a very humbling experience to speak candidly with people who have been through hard times, but the sense of community spirit still burns brightly, and the residents were happy that they were being featured in a positive way, rather than being looked down upon.

I have uploaded my video to Youtube and is available to view via this link.

My presentation, together with some background information is available via Emma Massey Presentation.

Look North – Video News Packages

I have viewed many editions of BBC Look North, which is broadcast from Hull weeknights at 6.30pm.  It features news from the East Riding and Hull on the north bank of the Humber, and south of the Humber, caters for an audience that stretches from Barton, Grimsby and Scunthorpe, as far south as the Wash, and North Norfolk.

The main presenter of the programme is Peter Levy, who has presented Look North, since the programme split it’s content between Leeds and Hull, late in 2002.

In my opinion, the programme takes the format of being topical with serious news, but also caters for the lighter aspects with a feeling of being comfortable and welcoming the audience, without being patronising and condescending.

After the main news has handed over to the regions, there is a welcome from Peter, who briefly explains what is to come in the next 30 minutes, with little pieces of VT from contributors, which can include members of the public, other journalists in the Look North team, and also a little weather soundbite from the meteorologist.

Once these items have been shown, the main titles roll, which attempt to include all main areas of the region by way of images, and names of the larger towns and cities across the area.

The presenter will then explain the main story of the evening, with a VT in the background, which can include pictures, and infographics.  The presenter will either introduce a piece of pre-recorded VT, or hand over to a presenter in a relevant area for the story.  If the programme uses VT, then it generally plays until the journalist signs off with their name, programme name, and location.  If it is a live link, then the on-site journalist will do a piece to camera, either as a front on shot, with a relevant backdrop, for example, a company that is in the news, or a general location shot, if the news story is about a town/village.

After the VT/Outdoor piece has concluded, the main presenter will continue with their piece to camera, and on occasion, may then bring in another guest for response or comment.

I have noticed many different ways in which the presenter and journalists can approach a story.

A programme can be made up of one or more of the following.

• Main presenter – Seated behind a desk – Front on to camera – Slightly offset on screen.
• Main presenter – Seated behind a desk to one side with screen over left shoulder.
• Main presenter – Stood in front of a large screen, to introduce infographics
• Main presenter – Slightly relaxed, one arm on desk, engaging audience (Social Media etc)
• Main presenter – Slightly relaxed, wider screen shot, (Reading emails, tweets)
• Correspondent – Stood in front of large screen
• Live O/B – Split screen with presenter on left and correspondent on right.
• Live O/B or Pre-recorded V/T- Correspondent in front of location relevant to story – Screen position left/right or centre.
• Live O/B or Pre-recorded V/T- Piece to camera with interviewee(s)
• Pre-recorded V/T – Talking whilst walking towards the camera.
• Pre-recorded V/T – Video of events, combined with interviews and/or correspondent piece to camera.

Different camera angles can be used, for example a close up shot of an interviewee is relevant to a story featuring emotion.  Whereas a wide angle shot, can demonstrate how busy or quiet an area can be.  If children are in shot, such as a story about schools/education, then depending on permissions or the type of story, faces may have to be obscured.

By using a wide variety of the shots highlighted above, makes for a more intimate programme, rather than older news bulletins that talked at the audience, rather than engaging with them.