January 21, 2009

10 Golden Rules for Video Journalists

As Advancing the Story reports on TV stations replacing two-person reporting teams with “multimedia journalists," Ricochet by Chrys Wu has 10 Golden Rules for Video Journalists from Travis Fox, a video producer for The Washington Post:
  • Get “X-roll.” X-roll is when you get your interviewee’s money quotes in their natural environment.
  • Shoot within 180 degrees around a subject. In other words, don’t walk around your subject when interviewing them.
  • Sequence your video with a variety of detail, tight, medium, wide shots as well as cut away shots. 50 percent of shots will be tight, 25 percent medium and 25 percent wide
  • Remember 80:20 ratio (80 percent should be b-roll and 20 percent should be interviews)
  • Get close to the subject when interviewing them for audio purposes
  • Stay quiet when shooting
  • If you do not get the shot, you do not have it.
  • Do not move the camera when shooting (unless you are an advanced videographer)
  • Hold every shot for 10 seconds
  • Wear headphones

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