Off The Written Path

Video is “the most powerful type of visual journalism,” according to Mark Briggs. In Chapter 8 of “Journalism Next” Briggs describes how journalists can get on the video bandwagon.

This might come as a shock to journalism students but apparently quality of the video does not matter. It can be amateur video or some professionally done production, so long as viewers know what they should expect from you. Authenticity, not editing skills, is what counts with video, Briggs says.   

Although quality of video does not matter, content does, Briggs writes. Those are two different things.  You can shoot video on a hand held Flip cam, but it is the content you capture that will matter.  

“Just remember: tell a story,” Briggs writes.

He also doles out advice for all the technical stuff: What cameras are available, what accessories are essential and what lighting equipment you might need.

Other tips he gives on capturing video is using the BBC’s five shot sequence:

1. Close up of hands
2. Close up of face
3. Wide shot
4. Over-the-shoulder shot
5. Creative angle shot

Another important aspect of video is the interview, Briggs mentions. His main tips are to get good lighting,  prepare questions, and make sure your audio is good.

Audio for video is very important, so you have to always check that the person talking can be heard and that there are no background noises ruining your audio. Briggs recommends you wear headphones to hear your audio.

Once you capture your video you must go through the editing process and prepare the video for  the web, which requires compression. And of course learn to market your video to your audience. However, Briggs emphasizes that the most important aspect is still telling a good story.  His steps for telling a good story are:

• Hook the audience
• Have a beginning, middle and end
• Don’t let viewers get bored
• Focus on the story you are trying to tell
• Have interesting characters in your video

Here is a video from YouTube uploaded by jthomas100tube of Briggs talking about video story telling.