Here's the way newspaper journalists & video used to mix. Thankfully that's changing.In school, I’ve learned that amount of information I get by reading a textbook can't hold a candle to what I absorb going to class. To catch my interest, going visual is your best bet.
That's why I'm excited to see some newspaper editorial writers creating sort of a multimedia mashup by venturing into the world of online video. It gives people like me something to grab onto besides the printed word. What I’ve seen so far is impressive, but coming from a TV background, I also see some easy fixes to improve the end product.
- Write to your pictures. Don't just give me random video related to your topic. Hook your words to your pictures and you'll hook me into your story.
- Keep it simple. Resist the temptation to use video camera special effects. Nothing is harder for a viewer to follow than a zoom or a pan (especially in those tiny Web windows).
- Use a tripod. Don’t create an earthquake. Steady shots by putting the camera on a tripod or other steady surface.
- Hold that shot. You know your video, but your viewers don't. The people watching need time to absorb the images, so no edit should be shorter than three seconds and most should be in the four to six second range.
- Actions speak. Look for the action that's happening and shoot it. It will be much more interesting than that static shot of a building.
- Keep me close. Video can take us there, but not if all the shots are from 50 feet away. Vary your shot distances and don't forget the power in close-ups.