Multimedia Minutes: Top Ten Tips from an MMJ Anchor

October 30th, 2009

Work on tomorrow’s story today is one of the top ten tips from multimedia anchor Marc Schollett of TV7-4/Traverse City, Michigan where he anchors three newscasts a day:

TOP FIVE DO’S

1.)   Plan ahead. Be working on tomorrow’s story today if you can. Spend a few minutes each day making phone calls for stories that are not going to be turned today. It provides a depth to your coverage that would be almost impossible to get in a “day of” piece. This can be a great strategy in dealing with agencies or people that are notorious for being slow in answering media responses. It makes it almost impossible for them to duck your questions, if you don’t give them a deadline they can just let pass.

2.)   Use your tripod.  Legs make things stable. You have two, a tripod has three. It wins every time. Shooting is slower with a tripod, but editing is so much faster.

3.)   Spend a few minutes talking to your interviewee before you start and as you are leaving about anything other than either of your jobs or the story you are working on. You might be surprised this is how some of the best sources are developed. Talk about their motorcycle in the driveway, the deer head hanging on their wall, the kid’s pictures in the family room….anything. They will see you as a person, and not just the person on TV, and be far more likely to call you in the future. I can’t tell you how many people call me and say “you interviewed me about this, but I wanted to let you know about something completely different.”

4.)   When time is tight, keep it simple and clean….and get it done.

5.)   Be excited about your stories. Most of us can watch a story and tell right away if the VJ was excited to do it. How? If they are excited, its well thought out, thorough, creative, and has certain energy. If you are not excited for your stories, find new stories. These days you may be able to have more say in what stories you are doing. It doesn’t mean you will get to do fluff, but enterprise some stories and turn them well, and your news director may give you a little more freedom when it comes to story selection.

If they know you are going to turn a thorough, energetic story that connects with viewers they are more likely to let you do it, even if it falls outside the “normal” stories your station runs.

TOP FIVE DON’TS

1.)   Don’t think of you video as an afterthought. Good video might save a story, but poorly shot wallpaper video will certainly ruin one.

2.)   Don’t complain about carrying gear. There are hundreds of darn good reporters out there who are carrying resumes right now who would kill to be carrying gear.

3.)   Don’t forget what it’s like to be a viewer. See each day’s story as if you were watching it from home. Did you get the take home message across? Did you like video? Did it all make sense? Would you want to watch it again? Would you need too?

4.)   Don’t rush the writing. That’s where real mistakes are made.

5.)   Don’t use being a one man band as a crutch or an excuse. It’s the wave of the future and a great skill to have.

Posted in Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists | 197 Comments »

Multimedia Minute: Tips about an Opening Shot

October 28th, 2009

Here’s a quick tip from a new multimedia journalist, KVOA/Tucson’s Quinn Schuler — a participant in AR&D’s new training program for MMJs. 

I shot this on my iPhone a few minutes ago.

Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 1 Comment »

Multimedia Minutes: Time Management Tips for Journalists

October 22nd, 2009

If you think you’re trying to do too much in less time, maybe you can learn something from TV7-4/Traverse City, Michigan anchor Marc Schollett.

He began as a multimedia journalist in 1997 at a small station with a tiny news operation. He wasn’t just a photojournalist. Within a matter of months, he was also the news director, weatherman, sports anchor and the only reporter and anchor.

While it was challenging, Marc says it forced him to learn every aspect of news gathering and producing. Two years into his career, he moved across town to the NBC affiliate, our client station. While Marc shed some of those responsibilities, shooting his own video was still an expectation.

What’s the “secret” to making time to anchor the 5, 6, and 11 and serve as multimedia journalist?

There are certainly stories where having a photojournalist would be more than a luxury, but I have found with a little creative thinking I can work around most obstacles. I can honestly say that the days when I am thankful that I “one man band” it far outweigh the days when I wish had photojournalist.

With my schedule, every minute counts when I am out in the field. I still need to get back and show prep to anchor the 5, 6, and 11 newscasts. It’s not uncommon for reporters in this market to drive an hour or two each way for a story, so when I am out shooting, I need to be extremely efficient. Having a shooter would free up time in the car, and make shooting things like stand ups and headlines faster. But there are some real benefits to working alone.

I always know exactly what I have shot so I can start writing to my video while I am still on the scene. Sometimes the entire story can be inspired from a single shot of video. Since I know what I have the minute I shot it, I can start writing in my head much sooner than someone who has to get back and take a look at the video.

This has to be challenging.

Sure there have been challenges. Mackinac Island is a huge tourist destination up here. There is an underwater power cable that provides electric service to the island. One summer day, the cable broke, and the island lost power for days. I was sent up to do a story on the repair effort.

It takes 2 hours to drive from the station to the ferry, a 30 minute ferry ride and then I still had to get halfway across the island to the repair site. Did I mention it was pouring rain this day? Did I mention that motorized vehicles are not allowed on the island?

So I get off the ferry with my 35 pound tripod, full size DVC pro cam. and gear bag, and I had to borrow a bike to ride 5 miles to the repair site. Needless to say, the few tourists who ventured out in the rain, got a good chuckle seeing this dripping wet reporter in a suit, with a tripod strapped to his back and cam slung across his shoulder peddling a borrowed three speed bike around the island. That would have been a nice day to have had someone carry gear and shoot video.

You told me that multimedia journalists can score interviews others can’t get.

I get to tell the exceptional stories of everyday people. As any reporter, they will tell you sometimes it’s just plain hard to get people to feel comfortable enough to really talk. I find some of the most amazing people with the most compelling stories are the most reluctant to go in front of camera.

But when I am trying to set something up over the phone, and I can tell the person: “Oh we don’t have a crew that is going to interview you, it’s just me and a camera, and we are just going to talk like we are here on the phone. They relax. It’s not so overwhelming for them. I come in and we can just talk around the kitchen table. Often their family or friends outnumber me, so they feel as if they can let their guard down and be real. Those are the stories that really have impact. Sometimes I think that kind of connection is just not possible if the subject of the story is not at ease.

New multimedia journalists are concerned that something has to suffer, and that’s without anchoring three newscasts. Any insights to help them?

Doing multiple jobs creates concerns that something might slip. That’s for sure. I have found that the only way to get everything done to a standard that I find acceptable is to be extremely efficient and organized. It took awhile to learn just how much video I need to tell a story, too little, and your story falls flat, too much and you waste time.

Ask too many questions in an interview, and you are not only wasting time at the scene. But also when you get back you have way too much to log. So I try to make sure I get the elements I need, and spend more time focusing on the writing. Great video rarely makes the story, but great writing can compensate for cutting a corner here or there if time is of the essence. I have also found that it takes a team to make sure everything gets done right. These days we are all wearing a lot of hats in every newsroom across the country. Prioritize those things that are critical.

Spend time on the difference makers, and reevaluate the need for all the window dressing. We may think something is important in terms of production value, a swoosh or an animation — but the viewer would most likely prefer if that time was spent nailing down some facts or digging a little deeper.

Sure we all have a lot on our plates these days, but if you can prioritize, stay organized, work out more than a day, you might be surprised just how much you can do even with time constraints. I produced, shot, wrote and editing my Murrow winning documentary without missing a single show.

I had a shooter for 30 minutes one day to shoot stand-ups. But other than that it was all done while trying to balance the rest of my workload. It can be done, and sometimes you can surprise yourself with just how much you can get done at a high level if you just keep focused.

Tell us about your “One Touch Rule.”

Juggling is not something I am very good at. I tend to have a one touch rule. If I pick up a tape, I edited it now. If I go shoot an interview, I log it as soon as possible. Things can pile up way to fast. One touch!

If you set it down, it’s too easy to not pick it up again for awhile, and then next you thing you know you are way behind. It’s a cliche, but don’t put off anything you can do now! The key for me is to stay organized and have a plan.

I make phone calls in the morning setting up something to shoot that afternoon. I get to work at noon, then grab gear and go. The story I am shooting that day will air the next. After my shoot, I get back to work, and start logging and editing. I show prep, and anchor the five and six, then finish editing the piece for the next day before the eleven o’clock show. I use that time as well to make promo for the next day.

Since the piece is done, I know exactly how to write promo copy for it. I use that time as well to prepare my web pieces so that everything is all set for the next day before I leave work that night. That way, I am always working a day ahead.

As for Web links to a story: Since our stuff rotates out pretty quickly on our Web page, they can just go to our Fact Finder section on our Web page and see what I am working on that day. I turn a Fact Finder package daily and post them there every night.

Bob’s Note: The Fact Finder page is:

http://www.upnorthlive.com/news/fact_finder.aspx

Marc’s news director at the time this article was written, Doug DeYoung, added these insights from his leadership perspective. They speak to doing more with less:

We have always been a video journalist shop and have always had to be smart and do more with less. From day one a video journalist has to be efficient with time. This means shooting with a purpose in the field, know what you need and what you have before you leave the location.

Use your car time to prepare for the interview, know the top 2 or 3 questions you are going to ask and then follow up from the answers. Chit chat ahead of time, do not spend the time on camera that delays you later in an edit bay.

From my standpoint it really comes down to how you choose to use the resources you have and how you report stories. You can spend a lot of time each day chasing news of the day and get little recognition because every station has the same information. We still cover news of the day but with short clips, video box graphics and maps.

We use our limited resources asking the tough questions, holding people accountable for spending tax dollars and following up on feedback from our viewers. This approach has made our stories stand out and created comments on our website. As the Web has grown, the video journalist has become the Multimedia journalist. They update the web or send information and photos from the field back to the station for posting the latest information we have.

Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 25 Comments »

Multimedia Minutes: Your Story Just Changed Big Time. What Do You Do?

October 21st, 2009

Here are lessons from a multimedia journalist who also provides shooting tips, which we start with.  After you enjoy the story, read below about the story behind it.  You’d never know this by watching the story itself.

TURNING A NEAR DISASTER INTO A GOOD STORY

Here’s a detailed critique by multimedia journalist Galen Culver who faced the challenge.  It’s a great example of how flexible you need to be.  Now Galen in his own words:

I offer this story as an example of how you can salvage a story even when it doesn’t turn out to be quite what you might expect. Everyone who set up this story assumed Lon Hedge’s was turning 100 years old. The makers of his favorite drink were using the occasion to promote its return to the Oklahoma marketplace. The master distiller came all the way from Kentucky. The largest liquor distributor in the state was there and I had a press release telling me that old Lon was to get a specially signed 3 bottle gift from the makers of ’4 Roses Whisky and Bourbon’.

It didn’t turn out that way. Lon was turning 94 not 100 and he’d stopped his drinking at the behest of his wife back in the 1940′s. So is there still a story here? You bet. Sometimes uncomfortable moments also make for great television. It turned out that Lon, if not 100, certainly was a gracious host. He hoisted one back just for his guests, making for a lovely ending to what turned out to be a sweet, memorable story.

As for shooting. There’s a pretty good sequence off the top. Lon is feeding cattle. The shot of the bucket going into the feed and then onto the four-wheeler both come into the frame. He drives it into frame. The next shot is a wide shot of the four wheeler pulling up to the trough. It’s a little bit too short. The next shot is a cutaway of a hungry calf, then he comes into frame again with the feed bucket. I shot that sequence in the space of ten minutes. I tried to put a little sound from him underneath the video but you can’t really tell what he’s saying. I should have taken it out. The next element is a slide show of old pictures with a little sound underneath.. Then we introduce the elixir. I set the bottles up beneath a table lamp. The light gave the bottles a nice, alluring glow. I didn’t use a light during the interview. That same lamp lit one side of Lon’s face while daylight from the porch lit up the other side. I white balanced in between and got a nice result. White balancing can be really tricky in situations where there is a warm, tungsten light mixing with daylight. I re-white balanced several times to make sure I was getting something usable. You can tell the difference in the next two interviews. I shot them at the kitchen table with a window light off to the side and in the back. I framed them so they each had a dark background behind them.

I shot the official giving of the gift then hit with the suprise of the story. Lon doesn’t drink anymore. There’s a nice reaction shot of his wife. I’ve got several uneasy, nervous laughter type shots from the gathered friends and distillers right after he says ‘I give it up.’ There’s a good natured sound bit from Lon where he admits to a nip when he’s sick. Then there’s a transition to the table. I started with a couple of clinking glasses. I got a little lucky with the bottle in the foreground and Lon acting angry about all the fuss. There’s a little sequence of people scooting up to the table, another piece of sound from Lon, tight shot of pouring, wide shot of table, tight of housekeeper, then the toast. The final toast is the payoff. Old Lon drains his shot and then goes after the dregs. The very last shot goes back to the bottle. Pretty good story from what could have been a disaster. Lon Hedges did most of the salvaging but I’m glad I hung around to see what would happen. 

Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 1 Comment »

Multimedia Minutes: How to be a Great Storyteller When You’re Without Video

October 18th, 2009

How can you tell stories effectively on-set?  A great question a multimedia journalist asked recently.  

Of course, it’s far better to use video and communicate the story from the scene rather than back at the station.  But if you’re without video and have valuable information to convey, you can learn a lot from FOX NFL Sunday’s senior writer Jay Glazer. 

For more Learning Videos to improve your storytelling, click on the links to the right.

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Multimedia Minutes: A Simple Secret for Great Shots

October 16th, 2009

Multimedia Minutes provides practical information for multimedia journalists as well as reporters and photographers who are making the transition to MMJs.

For more practical tips to improve your craft, click on the links to the right, “Recent Posts.”

And we invite you to submit your comments and questions to us.

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Multimedia Minutes: The Power of Transparency

October 15th, 2009

How do you hold people in power accountable when they don’t answer your phone calls? 

Some reporters would just drop that very important angle of the story.  But KVAL’s (Eugene, OR) Molly Blancett with encouragement from news director Jennifer Kuglin refused to let the police chief off the hook.  And she did it in a transparent way so viewers could appreciate it.   After all, it was the second fatal crash in a year involving Oakridge police.

Who deserves the credit for this strong example of viewer advocacy and transparency?  News Director Jenny Kluglin responds:

Molly worked with me and my main anchor, Jennifer Winters.  We both talked to her throughout the day to help figure out the best way to write and craft the story.

We find that some reporters find transparency awkward.  Molly made it look natural.  Congratulations to all.

You can learn from many Multimedia Minutes by clicking on the links to the right.

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Multimedia Minutes: Strong Storyteller Reveals Taxpayer Waste

October 14th, 2009

If you want to set yourself apart, you just can’t react to the news of the day.  Let others do that.  It’s a commodity.  Instead, focus on going the extra steps — like multimedia journalist Scott Logan did in his “Truth Squad” report in Boise.

You can’t do this every day.  Just as often as you can.  

Successful multimedia journalists say a best practice is to work on several stories simultaneously as time allows.  The calls you make for information today will start paying off in the next day or two.  And if you’re asking the questions viewers want answered, “No comment” or no response makes for an ever better story. 

Viewers believe government officials have a responsibility to answer questions because they’re spending taxpayer money.  And they want to know who’s keeping secrets and what they have to hide.  So report your extra steps you took to inform the public and the “no comments” you received.

———————-

If you want to set yourself apart, you just can’t react to the news of the day.  Let others do that.  It’s a commodity.  You should focus on going the extra steps — like multimedia journalist Scott Logan did in his “Truth Squad” report.

“Recent Posts” include more valuable information for multimedia media journalists — experienced or just getting started.  Go to the links to the right to learn and put these concepts to work for you.

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Multimedia Minutes: What to Do When You Miss the Big Shot

October 13th, 2009

It’s no secret that you need to be flexible when covering spot news.  In this case, the story about a rescue couldn’t include video of the actual rescue, because it happened out of camera range.  Here are lessons learned when you deal with a tough situation:

 For other Multimedia Minutes, click on the Learning Videos in the column to the right under “Recent Posts.”

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Multimedia Minutes: Storytelling Under Tight Deadline

October 9th, 2009

When you only have 45 minutes to shoot a breaking news story, you can’t be fancy — but you need to manage the fundamentals of storytelling.

From Ken Kobre, photojournalism professor at San Francisco State University and author of Photojournalism:  The Professional’s Approach:

http://kobrechannel.blogspot.com/2009/10/free-tips-from-bob-kaplitzs-multimedia.html

Free Tips from Bob Kaplitz’s Multimedia Minutes

We found a terrific resource for videojournalism instruction — and it’s free!

Bob Kaplitz is a principal and senior strategist for Audience Research & Development (AR&D), a TV news marketing firm which he joined in 1980 after a distinguished career in broadcast journalism, which included reports on the CBS Evening News.

He’s created a slew of excellent short instructional videos that offer tips for improving your video. He offers these “Multimedia Minutes” on his blog.

What makes them especially valuable is that Kaplitz uses actual footage from pros, and has annotated it with superimposed text that crisply points out the attributes and deficits of various aspects of the video and audio, as you’re looking and listening to it.

It’s like having the teacher right there at your side, critiquing it as you watch.

Among his topics:

* How to Use a Hidden Camera
* Creatively Shooting Your Own Standups
* How to Take Control of a Story
* The Most Important Word in Storytelling
* So You Want to Save the Best for Last?
* How to Spice Up a Story
* How to Use Words Sparingly
* Shooting Your Own Standups
* How to Shoot a Story that’s Tough to Shoot
* Asking Better Questions with Facts
* How to Lure Viewers and Hold Them
* Action-Reaction Approach to Strong Storytelling
* From Ho-Hum to Engaging Storytelling
* A Lesson Thanks to Jay Leno & Kanye West

Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 2 Comments »