This document provides guidance on shooting and editing video content for news organizations. It recommends focusing on short, unedited videos between 30-60 seconds. Topics covered include lighting, composition, interviewing techniques, and basic editing strategies. The document also lists some video editing software tools and provides potential video story ideas.
3. Why shoot video?
News consumers have increasing video appetites
Video will consume 90 percent of consumer traffic online this year
or next
By 2016, 1.2 million video minutes (more than two years worth)
will travel the web every second
Tablet users are more than 3 times more likely to view video than
smartphone users; one in 10 tablet users view video daily
Videos drive better time on site, which is good for advertising.
Sources: Cisco and comScore
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4. Strategy
Focus on short, unedited video
30- to 60-second videos are ideal
Plan to shoot what you’re already covering
Unedited or raw video should make up the bulk of your
production
Reserve edited video, with multiple shots and B-roll, for
special projects
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5. Housekeeping
Charge your camera
•It should be charging when you’re at the
office or home.
Keep a spare card handy
•It’s easy to forget one in a card reader.
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6. Housekeeping
Steady your shot
Use a monopod - it will make
your video smoother, more
professional.
If you can’t get a monopod,
use your environment – desks,
trees, fences, etc. to steady
your shots.
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7. Housekeeping
Get a monopod
“I know what some folks may think, ‘What's the point
of a little camera on a big tri-pod?’ Well, yes, it looks
odd, but your viewers and critics will thank you.
Credibility in this business is measured by a lot of little
things and you don't want to lose online video views
by always having a poor video of jiggling footage just
because your arm gets tired.”
Dominic Genetti
Journalist, Hannibal Courier-Post
10. Housekeeping
Don’t talk while shooting
•Your viewers will not appreciate your
constant verbal prompts
Check your sound quality
•Bad sound will ruin a video
11. Lighting
Don’t backlight your subject
Make sure if you’re interviewing someone, he or she isn’t
standing in front of a light or window.
21. Interviewing
Make your video interviews look professional
Have the person look at
you, not the camera.
Shoot the person at a
slight angle, not a
straight-on shot.
Don’t center your
subject.
22. Interviewing
Make your video interviews look professional
Be aware of the noise
your subject makes.
Let them know what
questions you’ll ask.
Shoot a couple seconds
before the interview
starts.
23. Interviewing
Make your video interviews look professional
If you’re shooting a
person, do a head
shot, or a full body.
Don’t cut someone
off at the knees,
and don’t chop off
tops of heads.
24. Editing basics
Background is good B-roll
Sometimes your subject isn’t the
most interesting thing on the
scene.
Crowd reactions, spectators can
provide color.
“B-roll should advance the story or reflect what the interview subject is
saying. TV likes to use the same old shots of emergency lights on the fire
truck or police car as a cut-away. Your video should do more.”
Chris Young
Photographer, Springfield State Journal-Register
25. Editing basics
Vary your shots
Use some close ups, for
interviews or
demonstrations
Use medium or wide
shots to show the scene.
26. Editing basics
Think in soundbites
Be selective
Most videos should not be more than one minute long
Don’t over pan or zoom
Don’t constantly pan from side to side or zoom in and out.
Get one or two good shots.
OK, so here’s iMovie’s left-side toolbar, which is where you get started. Once you have your camera connected to your laptop, you’re ready to import your clips. To do that, open iMovie and click the camera import button. You can swap out events, or clips, using the swap events button. And the slider there allows you to control the size of your project – how much it takes up on the iMovie screen.
Here’s the center toolbar. On the left you have the edit tool, which allows you to add clips (you can also drag them using your arrow). The favorite tool is used to select a clip you like and know you want to use, and you can unselect it using the unmark button. Then there’s the reject button, which allows you to check off clips you know you won’t use.
These tools are useful, because after you’ve done through and marked everything, you can go to “View” in the top menu, and select an option to only show your favorite clips, without having to delete stuff you might actually want to use later.
Then there’s the voiceover button, which will allow you to record yourself to add narration. The crop button, which we’re talk about later. And then the last button opens the inspector panel, which controls effects like audio, speed, color correction – things like that.
And the right-hand toolbar. You’ve got music and sound effects, which will let you drag in audio files from iTunes. The photo button allows you to pull in photos from iPhoto. If you have photos elsewhere, like on your desktop, you can just drag them in.
The title button allows you to add title screens. You’ve got your transitions button for in-between clips. And lastly there’s a maps tool, which lets you add maps and other backgrounds.
The first step is to import or drag your raw video into iMovie.
To select part of a clip, essentially cropping out the part you don’t want, use your cursor to select where to begin your selection, and drag it along the clip until you want to end your selection.
Once you’ve highlighted the section you want, drag it into the upper panel.
To add a lower third – the text that identifies a person or scene, select the text icon in the right-hand control panel. It will give you many options for adding text. Stick to something simple and professional-looking, like a black gradient.
Drag the title box onto the portion of the clip where you want it to show up. Once you have it in place, you can alter the text on the right-hand screen.
To add a second clip, repeat the first step. Select the portion of the clip you want, then drag it into the upper panel.
If you’d like, you can add a simple transition between clips. Click the transition icon in the right-hand panel. Choose the transition you want – and again, stick to something professional, like a simple black fade. Then drag the transition where you want it – between your two clips.
You can also add a title screen at the end. Start by click on the text icon, like you did when you added the lower-thirds. Select the type you want – I like the “lens flare” because it’s simple and looks nice. Drag it at the end of your project. Then you can edit the text on the right screen.
Once you’re all done, save your project by clicking “File” then “Finalize Project.” Depending on how long your video is, this process could take five, maybe 15 minutes.