Among his equipment, professional cameraman and documentary filmmaker Christian Parkinson has a small point and shoot digital camera, which he uses to produce quality films for broadcast. He talks to onMedia about his experience of working with compact cameras.

At the moment, Parkinson is using the Canon S110 (pictured above). It shoots full HD and although it won’t take an external microphone, the audio is “pretty good” if you are standing close to your interviewee, Parkinson says.

That’s good news for journalists who want to start producing video stories and are looking for an affordable equipment.

“The technology is now at a level where someone anywhere in the world with a little bit of money in their pocket can go out and make TV,” he tells onMedia.

While covering Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in 2013 for the BBC, Parkinson used the Canon S110 to produce a short news feature about people attending the service at FNB stadium in Soweto.

The image quality produced by a compact camera obviously isn’t as good as a professional broadcast camera and getting the exposure right in difficult lighting situations can be tricky, Parkionson says. But there are often advantages that outweigh the loss of quality when using a small camera.

“I can be filming with it where I’m not meant to be filming or where people would be very uncomfortable if I pulled out the big camera,” he says. With a small camera, “no one even blinks at me.”

“I can even walk up to people and start talking to them filming. And they might give me a funny look but they are not bothered by it. They don’t think you’re a serious journalist so therefore they are more relaxed and you get a real answer from people.”

Sense of immediacy

In another video filmed in Turkey, Christian guides the audience through the former French embassy in Istanbul. In the opening shot, he films his feet as he walks. In the next shot,  he’s holding the camera out in front of his face and introduces the story directly into the lens, which is  an advantage of a lightweight camera. Straight away you see the difference in this form of video journalism and storytelling – the journalist is more agile and the audience gets a sense that they are right there watching events as they unfold.

Practice makes perfect

Parkinson believes equipment is no longer an obstacle to making films. However, he says, equipment alone isn’t going to make you a filmmaker. You need to learn some basic skills and the best way to do that is get out there and practice with whatever equipment you can get your hands on.

“The technology is not as important as the storytelling experience; knowing what works, how to frame a shot and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the tool that you’re using,” he says.

“I think that is just practice and experience and there is no shortcuts for a lot of this stuff. I wish I could give people a sort of bullet point of shortcuts that will make them brilliant filmmakers but unfortunately it is just trial and error.”

If you are interested in more of Christian’s thoughts on using small cameras, take a look at his website and blog where he writes about camera work and video journalism. Christian has recently published a new e-book Camera Confidential which is packed with advice about working as a camera operator and video journalist.

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Written by Martin Vogl, edited by Guy Degen

A new report, Video Now: The Form, Cost, and Effect of Video Journalism, produced by Professor Duy Linh Tu, of Columbia University’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism, has examined the video production of several American newspapers and online media organisatons.

It’s well worth watching the whole report.

The responses from producers and editors are both candid and insightful, especially regarding time and staff required to produce video and the number of views their pieces attract.

The report is divided into separate chapters that explore video produced at newspapers, digital media outlets such as Mashable and NowThis News and long format video journalism producers such as Vice, Frontline and MediaStorm.

A number of quotes in the report stood out.

Mashable’s Bianca Consunji spoke about producing fun and shareable video to attract high user clicks/views that in turn subsidize the journalism that her colleagues want to do.

“The best way to get more views is to get people to react to it. It’s something that they could either relate to, something that they feel is important that they should share with their friends. And I think that’s really the direction of video right now; it’s about social sharing.”

OnMedia has previously looked at the trend of producing news video for mobile platforms such as Instagram.
Steven Belser of NowThis News sums up why they concentrate on producing for video content for smartphones:

“We wanted to create a product that lived on the platforms that everyone lived on. And so it was targeted for your mobile devices, it was made specifically for the consumer who is kind of on the go. And I think we assessed the landscape and we found that the content that really performs well on those products is short, and it’s to the point.”

And while producing short online video is something we hear a lot about, it’s encouraging to hear how media organizations such as MediaStorm and Vice have clearly demonstrated that quality long form video has a huge online audience.

Vice’s Shane Smith says:

“People want to watch longform video. They don’t want to watch things that are two minutes long. They want to watch things that are 20 minutes long or an hour long.”

Lessons learned

And while this study focuses on US media organizations, it offers some very useful recommendations that could be applied or adapted to newspapers and online media outlets in other countries that are producing web and mobile video.

These include:

– Online video news producers should meet and share their knowledge and experience in dedicated conferences;
– People consume news by subject not by the medium. Video should accompany other content rather than stand alone in a video section;
– Newsrooms should think about producing both long and short videos;
– New viewers should be attracted and engaged through social media such Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vine;
– Newsrooms should try a two team approach to producing video. For example, reporters can shoot and send video with smartphones, while trained VJ’s can produce more sophisticated video stories.

Importantly, the report reminds us that online news video is still evolving.

“It is still early, and video has not reached maturity. This is a great time to experiment. The technology costs are low. The potential continues to grow, and there is no clear leader yet in the field.”

Along with the Video Now report, the Tow Center also hosted a panel discussion The State of Video earlier this week.

Author: Guy Degen

But what about the humble monopod?

From getting a high shot over a crowd to supporting a camera, a monopod is one of the most useful tools that should be in your kit bag.

And whether you’re working with a camcorder, a digital camera or a smarthphone, read on to find out more about using a monopod and adapting it to your filming needs.

What is a monopod?

As an extendable pole with a standard camera mount, monopods don’t really come in vastly different shapes, but more in different sizes.

Monopods are lightweight and usually made from either of carbon fiber or aluminium. Typically the monopod has four or five sections that extend like an antenna or telescope and lock off by twisting or with a lever.

All monopods will have at least the standard 1/4-20 screw to mount a camera or camcorder. This will also give you the option of adding a ball head to tilt or rotate the camera.

If you are intending to use your monopod for video work then it would be worth investing in a good fluid head to attach to your monopod.

Take a look at this introductory video from Lynda tutorials to see more.

Standing tall

Ideally a good professional monopod usually extends to least 170-180 cm which should put a camera, smartphone or camcorder in the range of most people’s eye level.

That’s important for photographers and particularly videographers who might be using monopods to record an interview.

Shorter but just as good

Shorter monopods might not stand as tall as their big brothers, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do the same work.

If you are standing and need your camera to work at eye level, say for an interview, you could simply place the monopod on a chair or table to increase the working height.

Or, you could use a clip-on pouch on a belt which will means you’re starting from around waist height.

A shorter monopod also has the advantage of being lighter and more compact for carrying around.

Using a monopod

The monopod offers you much improved stability over hand held and it’s one of those tools that can be easily adapted to your style of photography or filming to achieve a variety of shots.

Monopod as shoulder spar

Here are some ideas to get started.

Go high – extend your camera above crowds to film over people’s heads.

Hold it steady – support from the ground up to avoid shaky sore arms when filming.

Hand held support – even when collapsed, a monopod offers a simple way of making a camera steady. Try using the monopod as a basic steadycam support.

Shoulder support – with a ball head, a DSLR or camcorder can be tilted back 90 degrees so a monopod can be used as spar to rest on your shoulder, or try tucking the monopod under your arm.

Look at me – VJ’s or mobile journalists can use a monopod for a quick and steady piece to camera. Adjust the monopod and camera to your required height and hold the monopod at arm’s length from you.

For more ideas and shooting tips with monopods, check out this tutorial from the Vimeo Video School.

Monopod Mania from Vimeo Video School on Vimeo.

What else should I know about monopods?

Costs: There are dozens of monopods of all sizes to suit every budget: from 30 – 300 Euro.

Variations: Here a couple of different types of monopods or camera supports to consider.

Manfrotto and Benro produce professional monopods that not only feature a fluid head to mount a camcorder or DLSR but retractable feet – effectively turning the monopod into something like a tripod that can stand up right on its own and support smaller cameras.

And for something completely different, check out the Ballpod.

Filled with a bean-like filler, this silicon bag is not a really a monopod but great variation of a camera bag support. It can be shaped to make a stable support on uneven surfaces or cramped spaces to support either a small DSLR camera or something else such as a LED light.

Author: Guy Degen

Producing online video offers a lot of possibilities for creative visual storytelling – even for news items. But if you’re just starting out, honing your basic camera and editing skills and being able to produce simple formats competently will help you to take the next steps.

So far in our Getting started with video for the web series we’ve introduced you to some standard video equipment and accessories as well as discussed how to produce simple video clips and interviews.

In our final post we’ll take a look at producing short reporter dispatches and get you started with shooting simple video sequences.

Basic report from journalist

In its most basic form, this type of video is simply the reporter speaking directly to the camera from a fixed position. Broadcast journalists might refer to it as an “as live” or extended piece to camera which is aired as their report.

For solo journalists, this format is also possible with a lightweight tripod and making good use of a vantage point. For example, overlooking a demonstration. And as we mentioned in our second post, try to avoid filming either yourself or interviewees against bright backgrounds and making video reports that look like this – it doesn’t look good – either move to another position or use external lighting to correct the exposure on the face.

With a little bit of practice, and knowing how to work within the limitations of a small camcorder or a mobile phone, a journalist can produce these basic reports quickly.

And while turning the camera around and holding it at arms length from your face to record a dispatch is not really ideal for good video quality, it might be a technique to use for quick updates when covering breaking news – either record and upload your report or use a live video stream application on a smartphone such as Bambuser. There are a number of examples of Wall Street Journal reporters using iPhones to record these dispatches in this way.

There are of course variations on this basic format.

If you want to produce something more elaborate that looks more like a short TV package, you’ll need to use your video editing software (or an editing application on a mobile phone) to overlay images of scenes, objects or action that are relevant in your report. Or you could insert a clip from an interview.

Your studio or newsroom could also adapt this technique to a reporter Q&A / two-way from the field. The reporter finds a good vantage point, then records answers to questions they hear through headphones connected to a second mobile phone, or questions set beforehand by the newsroom sent to them by email or SMS. The journalist then compresses and sends the video clip answers back to the newsroom. The anchor/presenter could either record their questions live, if they are directly speaking to reporter by phone, or they could be pre-recorded in studio, and mixed together with the video answers for a bulletin, or as a video Q&A for online coverage.

Some media organizations may use this technique in place of a live two-way interview – “Earlier I spoke to our correspondent…”

Tips

– Find a good vantage point or position, where possible think story context
– Marking your standing position can help when composing and focusing your shot or if you have to move
– Use an external mic if background noise is very loud
– Record a few seconds and playback to check your framing and audio
– Plan the points you want to make, and know the point to end on.

Filming sequences

Watch a film or television news and you will start to see how a scene or some sort of action is often edited together in a sequence using a variety of shots.

If you want to produce short video stories you will need to start practicing how to film sequences – telling your story in pictures.

Wide, medium, close-up, extreme close-up, over the shoulder – these are just some of the terms you might hear from camera operators to describe shots they produce to film a scene or some action.

Here’s a very simple example of filming a variety of shot and matching them together to build a sequence. No it’s not breaking news, just your author launching an internet radio app on his iPad. But try doing something similar at home for practice. You could film anything. Film the process of making a cup of tea, or collecting mail from your letter box. And in the spirit of this web video series where we’ve focused on using small camcorders, we shot and edited this example using an iPhone.

Again, the key thing to remember is to film a variety of shots – when you have a variety of shots you have more options for editing. You’ll often hear trainers refer to filming five shots – in other words, aim to film at least five different shots for each scene, event or action to help you build a sequence.

That’s good advice. But if you have time, shoot five and a couple more. And always look for opportunities to shoot from interesting angles – a shot that surprises your audience will help keep up their interest. If you’re looking for inspiration, we love this example from film maker Philip Bloom.

Tips

– Plan. A little bit of planning always save lots of time
– Make a list of shots you think you will need to tell your story
– Record each shot for at least 10 seconds
– Remember to breath calmly and stay relaxed when filming handheld
– Film a variety of shots. Aim for at least 5 shots in each setting/scene
– Look for interesting angles. Move your feet rather than use the camera zoom
– Be aware of not “crossing the line” when filming a subject
– Be careful to avoid making handling noises that your camcorder or mobile phone mic may pick up

What next?

Keep practicing, and have fun! Developing your camera, editing and video storytelling skills takes time. But once you’ve mastered the basics look for opportunities to be creative. Online video doesn’t have to be the same as TV news. Analyze and deconstruct good examples of video journalism on leading news websites such as the Guardian and New York Times. Borrow and adapt from other visual storytelling genres. For example, take a look at our blog post on different approaches to video vox pops. Or, experiment with innovative web video tools such as Mozilla Popcorn Maker.

And finally, if you want to stay up to date with the latest camcorders, video equipment and discussions about video for the web formats, it’s worth following the hashtag #onlinevideo on Twitter.

Additional resources

Vimeo Video School

Links to DW Akademie blog posts on video

Basic video shooting tips: lynda.com tutorial

Shooting tips for small screen content: lynda.com

Author: Guy Degen

Vox pops are a staple of news gathering but can also be produced in a more creative way.

The vox pop is one of those classic devices in a journalist’s storytelling toolbox. It’s a snapshot of public opinion about a given topic, and more often than not, a controversial one.

But when you take the vox pop online and use it within a multimedia story, or produce web video content, there’s the opportunity to be creative and offer more than just producing a simple series of talking head shots.

Doing something different

50 People, One Question

These are a series of vox pops and are largely what they say they are: a lot of people attempting to answer the same question. As a whole it’s a little bit like a short documentary. And of course, as a vox pop, it’s much longer than what you might normally produce for news programming

The use of shallow depth of field certainly gives the film a more cinematic feel. This can be achieved with a DSLR camera or with a video camera using a lens adapter. It’s playful in the way the subjects are pulled in or out of focus in setting up each interview. I also love the end of the video where we see interviewees leave the frame.

Iraq Votes

This vox pop is part of multimedia package produced by AP Interactive in the lead up to the elections in Iraq in 2010. Click through on the image above to enter the website hosting the package.

From the screenshot you can see that navigating through the multimedia elements is straightforward via the drop down menu across the top. Voter Voices was the first element I clicked on and it instantly launches the video vox pop.

What makes this vox pop different is that it not only gives you a variety of opinions about the elections, but it also shows a slice of everyday life in a nation that is often portrayed through the prism of conflict.

The use of music is subtle, yet it helps convey a sense that we’re about to hear the opinion of ordinary people. Using setting up shots as a subject comes into focus and cutaways of people in the park makes for a very polished production and it suits this more in-depth multimedia feature.

Using a different program for editing

Following the 2011 Global Media Forum in Bonn, the DW Africa blog team had some good feedback from the short video vox pop we produced on the topic of should internet access be a human right. And, we had a lot of questions about how we produced the video – especially the layout and how we added basic animation to the clips.

Internet Access as a Human Right – GMF Vox Pop from DW Akademie – Africa on Vimeo.

Deutsche Welle’s Chiponda Chimbelu filmed all of the video interviews using a small Kodak Zi8 pocket camcorder and a Sennheiser microphone. Using this sort of small “flip cam” adds a bit of pressure in achieving a stable shot and sharp focus. After selecting the best clips to showcase a variety of opinion, we trimmed them very quickly using the open source MPEG Streamclip. We then turned to a program that you might not associate with video production: Keynote – Apple’s version of Window’s PowerPoint.

In Keynote we chose a simple black background for our slide, added some text for the topic, then dragged and dropped each video into the slide and with a little trial and error resized the six video clips. And, we must say that the initial inspiration for this vox pop was the opening titles of the American TV series – the Brady Bunch.

Once we had all our clips in place, we used Keynote’s Inspector tool to create the animated Pop effect and to adjust the timing for each video to pop in on cue. This took a little trial and error, but once that was set we simply exported the slide as a Quicktime movie.

For more details on using Apple Keynote in this way, check out this Larry Jordan tutorial.

Author: Guy Degen