4802 - Video: My thoughts so far

So, I have just submitted my first video piece for 4802, which was an interesting experience. While I have a scattering of experience filming and editing video (I have never been so thankful for the year long Media Production class I did last year at AUT as much as I was last weekend!) I have never filmed a journalistic piece, i've never interviewed someone for video or filmed b-roll for a news piece so it was a new experience for me in many ways.

On the whole, I was suprised at how much I enjoyed filming the women while they practiced as I didn't think I would enjoy it. Two of our readings directed my thoughts as I was shooting, the CNN article and the video techniques from Berkley. A lot of the tips were just common-sense things you don't normally think about and inadvertently do - for example, the Berkley article suggested we make sure our interview subjects don't have poles or anything awkward sticking out of their head, Lucy, the girl I interviewed had exactly that when she stood in front of the camera and I had to move her - if I hadn't read that article I wouldn't have recognised that at all. Related to that was the fact that you're not supposed to talk during shooting b-roll, coming in to this assignment I naively assumed that it wouldn't matter if I talked while I shot b-roll - though I was proved wrong.

I really appreciated the practical tips the CNN article had, one thing I was really worried about was what to film for my b-roll. But the CNN article (along with Lynda's "visual cha cha cha"!) gave me some perspective and I just tried to get as many different wide, mid and close up angles as possible so when I edited I had lots of options and could hopefully create a visually stimulating video. I don't quite know if I got the "cha cha" bit down, but I really tried and it certainly helped once I had to decide on final shots!