Turning print journalists into mobile reporters was the aim of an interesting talk I went to the other day by freelance cameraman Guy Degan. I went because I manage a multimedia department striving for quality and don’t like unexpected surprises.
The younger journalists had downloaded the recommended apps before the talk had finished, while the field journalists, arguably those who would most benefit from mobile reporting, didn’t bother showing up. Incidentally, the recommended apps included all of those you would expect, plus a few I haven’t tried including FiLMiC Pro, Pro Camera and Camera Awesome.
My take is simple. Mobile phone footage should be used:
- In breaking news situations such as the London riots where you don’t want people to know you’re filming.
- In situations where you find yourself in the right place at the right time – think that racist woman on the train.
- In situations where you need to publish immediately.
However, due to the lack of practical multimedia experience within the decision making executives and editorial teams of most large organisations, I believe we’re about to see a huge surge in mobile phone footage shot by print journalists. And we all know what happens next, multimedia producers like you and I get given the footage and asked to turn it into something usable. But you can’t polish a turd can you?
Over the past few years this has been happening more and more. Those occasions where a multimedia producer isn’t available, or the ever frequent scenario where a print journalist doesn’t want you riding on their free ticket and an editor suggests they film it on their mobile phone, flip camera or even a DSLR. We’ve all seen the results and it reflects badly on both the title and the given multimedia team striving for quality.
During his talk Guy cited the film below as an example of a great package shot and edited using mobile apps.
Yes it looks pretty good to me too, but I suspect this was shot by a multimedia producer, not a print journalist. And crucially I think this took a long time to produce and therefore isn’t a realistic example of what will actually be delivered from the timescale editors want spent on a story.
Don’t get me wrong, mobile phones are a very useful tool for both capturing breaking news clips, recording audio and social networking etc. but let’s not start using them as an alternative to quality filmmaking.
Personally I think mobile phone footage should be published on a different platform, perhaps YouTube, Twitvid or within blogposts – therefore making a distinction between the quality video content on the companies digital platforms. That way mobile footage would also reflect the “yesterday’s news” attitude of the dailies.
The way the industry’s headed, a quality product shot by multimedia producers, which can be syndicated and therefore make the company money, could drown in a sea of crap footage. Decision makers need to make the distinction, that we chose broadcast journalism, multimedia journalism or filmmaking as our specialisms. Print journalists chose words.
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In today’s economic climate, cost savings are always going to be looked for and if they have one persone already there covering for the paper then, on their spreadsheet it looks a good idea to get them to do the MM stuff as well.
OK we are talking about a situation where ‘they’ are more likely to spend a million quid on consuultancy fees than £150 on someone who knows which end of a camera is which, but we need to face the fact that the people in charge are incompetent idiots who have no idea how to make good rich media.
These people see that they have ‘Reporters” on their spreadsheets and don’t see why they are not doing the stuff that reporters do on the telly.
Additionally because they only see the reporters on the telly (and not the crew standing out of shot) they assume that said reporter is doing everything. This of course was also confirmed by their pal Giles who used to work at the beeb (in marketing) who knows “EVERYTHING about TV”
Of course all that new technology makes the tv programmes nowadays doesn’t it? So why do you need a cameraop/sound/producer/etc. that’s so last century and anyway we aren’t making this for broadcast so why make it so complicated and expensive.
Meanwhile somewhere in Wapping: “Oh by the way the editor’s on the phone asking why that last clip looks so shit and not like the stuff he sees on BBC News”
In all seriousness, this is going to happen. The kids coming up through the ranks are all going to be doing more of it and the old timers will be dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th century (maybe even the 21st).
The ‘next system’ ™ is going to provide these people the facility to ingest and edit, it’s on the spec sheet.
For now perhaps what we need is an idiot proof way of helping them to capture all the components for a particular type of shoot so your folks can at least assemble something out of the mire.
For example:
Today we are shooting: an interview.
Ok here’s the stuff we need for an interview:
– Releases
– Info: who, what when where
– Shots required:
– Cutaways
– Noddys
– main shot of interviewee
– Voice over
– Credit info
etc
…..and so on for each type of video they are going out to produce.
Then it just comes down to whether they have a decent camera and grip, a Laptop with them or just a phone (the last resort but the best if you have nothing else).
Perhaps you should put a big multicolour banner on mobile shot clips as a way of saying “Yes we know it looks shit but we didn’t have/couldn’t afford/can be arsed to carry anything else”
Posted by BW Flintstone | June 6, 2012, 17:30Having spent all day editing some shaky iPhone footage shot by an exec who couldn’t possibly be offended by knowing what he produced was crap (and 24 hours too late for the news agenda) I wholeheartedly concur. Wobbly, poor footage. 10 shots, all from the same angle and zoom. And I am supposed to make this look good?
I was torn; do I make it good and save this person’s feelings? If I do, it perpetuates the message that a good editor can make a silk purse out of any sow’s ear. But doing a bad job? That goes against the grain.
Fortunately I’m leaving newspapers for the world of broadcast. There, they seem to recognise the breadth of talent, creativity and man hours that go into something worth watching. Maybe newspapers will learn that one day too.
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