"Gone are the days of sitting down to dinner while watching a 5 p.m. newscast to catch the day’s top stories. Gone are the days of waiting to read the large print bold headline in tomorrow morning’s paper. News is immediate, thanks to social media."
Those were some of the first words I wrote for my blog posts during Kent State University's Digital Media class. All of my original thoughts solidified, as I learned more about storytelling in the digital age. As journalists, we need to learn how to adapt to this world of technology. However, even as a young multimedia journalist, myself, I find I'm getting stuck in the same routine. Everyday our television story is top priority... then I worry about the rest: social media, web, etc. Digital always came as an after thought, but not anymore.
Through this class, I was able to branch out of my comfort zone. I found there is so much more to storytelling than just a TV news report. Many times, there's a larger audience through social media than there ever is in front of a TV screen.
As difficult as this pandemic may be, people are currently so immersed in news. I have been trying to tell as many positive stories as possible. And, I have found that those stories reach much further than just here in the Capital Region. People from throughout the state of New York, including the NYFD, shared this tweet about a 9/11 responder and Vietnam veteran leaving the hospital after recovering from COVID-19. This story may have gone unseen by so many, if it weren't for the power of social media.
Now, going into this digital media class, I knew video would be my strong suit. As an MMJ, I can quickly and efficiently pump out video packages on the daily. However, I'm still getting the hang of planning lessons in the classroom. I am not yet a teacher, and I'm still learning everyday as a journalist. So for this lesson plan, I wanted to focus on something I'm confident in- video and editing. For me, I was able to take something I'm confident in, and use my solid foundation to transform it into a lesson plan. This is only my second lesson plan I have made, so there's still a big learning curve for me.
Once you have a foundation of video editing, it can easily be transformed to make videos for social media and even be used for editing audio, transforming it into podcasts.
Lesson Plan
My full lesson plan is available for download below:
As found in the lesson plan itself, it will give an overview of the foundation and style of broadcast/digital multimedia storytelling. It will allow students to learn the skills of what it takes to put together a video story.Through this lesson they will develop the skills used in local and digital news. It will allow students to have their hand at storytelling through a visual medium. My focus for the video package is to bring together video footage, with interviews and ambient sound through natural sound stories, or 'natpacks'.
Natural sound brings stories to life. It can be something simple, such as hearing bees buzz or horns honking in a line of traffic. It’s simple, but it’s also very powerful.
While many phones and cameras have built-in microphones to capture ambient sound, sometimes you may have to go the extra mile. I often leave lavalier microphones on my interview subjects, as their off-the-cuff sound is sometime better than the interview itself. The best sound of this week was the reactions from a WWII veteran. Fred Muscanell had the surprise of a lifetime when the community held a parade for his 95th birthday. His reaction allows the viewer to witness the moment as if they were there. Sometimes, less is more. But, in this case, I think more is more. I can't get enough of Fred. (Which is why you may see Fred make a cameo appearance in my Camtasia tutorial below.)
Of course, plenty of times my photographers and I have had to recreate some sound effects. This might mean getting the microphone up close to the subject. Here's a (pretty crappy) example of my photographer, Ritchie, doing the dirty work for a toilet paper crisis story. However, it is important to note, both sound effects and background music should be used sparingly. It can completely distract the viewer from what the reporter or the interviews are saying.
I think some of the best visual packages, whether natural sound packages or reporter packages, all focus around candid and ambient sound. One of my favorite reporters is"On the Road" reporter, Steve Hartman. He invites the viewer into the moment that he is experiencing. I also find that to be true for many other local reporters. Boyd Huppert is a well known local reporter for KARE in Minnesota. He's known for his stories on an unexpected friendship between a WWII veteran and a young boy. Their story stole the hearts of people across the nation, and since then he's done numerous followups with the two during major life moments. What made this story resonate with people (besides Boyd's incredible writing) is the candid sound, especially the young boy, Emmett.
Katie Eastman is another multimedia journalist that knows how to bring reporters into a moment. Katie is a former MMJ at my station, Spectrum News Albany. She's currently working in Denver. While I didn't have the pleasure of working with Katie, I've always heard people talk about her incredible style of storytelling. After looking up her work, she has always succeeded in allowing the viewer to live within a story. Her profile about an Unexepected Match will warm your heart. These are the stories and the journalists I feel will resonate with the students. Their work shows how words from reporters aren't always necessary. It took me a few years to realize that less is more when it comes to reporter voiceovers. Instead, let the subject do the talking and let the sights and sounds shine.
Of course it's important to be able to go through your video and edit. So, I wanted to make a Camtasia tutorial that was user friendly for my students. So, I focused on using final cut pro. Final Cut X is a professional video editing application. It is used in newsrooms across the country, including mine.
Camtasia Studio Video
Full tutorial on video editing is below. My editing program of choice is Final Cut. Grab a snack because it's a long one!
Also, this was my first time using Camtasia studio and I absolutely loved It. It was user friendly. It also had a lot of really cool and useful effects, especially the cursor effects. I will definitely be using Camtasia in the future.
Grading Rubric
Of course, with a lesson plan, you'll also need a grading rubric. Don't worry, I already have that handy. It will allow for easy grading, as well as setting clear expectations for your students.
Download my rubric for the homework assignment below:
The Rubric also comes with a checklist for students so they can double check they have everything before handing in the project.
I hope this can help, or even just spark an idea for some other teachers out there who may not know where to start for incorporating video into their lessons. It's important we as both journalists and teachers understand how to tell different types of stories in the digital age.
Throughout the semester, I found to really enjoy creating these blog posts. Having my own website, is not something I would've ever started on my own. But I think I may stick with "blogging' even after this semester comes to a close. I will forever realize how important digital can be and see storytelling through a 'different lens' because of this digital class.
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