Week 3
Jan. 24 * * *
TOPIC: Video shooting techniques. Visual thinking and storytelling. Discussion of Bernard pp. 1-60: exposition, train, theme, story arc, hook, approach, etc.
READ: Bernard Chapter 12 (see Books)
READ: (1) Camera Basics; (2) Sound; (3) Composition & Motion (from Make Internet TV)
WATCH: Red Hot Rails (San Jose Mercury News): Click "Video" at the top and then watch "Introduction." You should really watch all four video segments, but if you only have time for one, watch the intro. Watch it twice. THINK about SHOTS.
DUE: Nothing
Notes * * *
The intro to "Red Hot Rails" is very visual, almost abstract. It might not be the most effective way to tell us what the story is about, but it's very moody, evocative, and conveys a distinct feeling about trains and railroads. Think about how the videographer pointed his camera at visual landscapes that helped to set the tone.
Today's Video * * *
40 Years of R-E-S-P-E-C-T (Detroit Free Press): In class we viewed the main video. I also highly recommend that you watch some of the interviews linked on the right-hand side, especially the last two -- interviews with the reporter and the photojournalist who made this video!
Note that this is a pure documentary video produced entirely by a newspaper newsroom. Even though it is about 7-8 minutes long instead of feature length, many of the principles discussed in your textbook apply to this video.