Backpack Journalism Workshops with Bruce Jones

Get Those Signed Releases

2010-04-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Get signed releases for property, individuals and materials before you start shooting. On camera releases also helpful, “I John Doe give permission to videotape this interview.” People change after the camera has stopped.

Tips for Formal or Sit-Down Interviews, Pt. 3

2010-04-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

• Where’s the light?
• Make your subject look into the light, and into the compositional space. Subject looking into the dark often means to the viewer that subject is lying or is dishonest.
• Make eye contact.
• Get subject to introduce themselves.
• Look over the viewfinder/screen of the camera when interviewing, helps with eye contact.
• On close ups focus on eye lashes.
• Careful with the background.
• Get clean sound.
• Save the hard interview questions till last.
• Come back at the end and ask the beginning questions again, you will get much better answers, the subject will be more relaxed.

Tips and techniques from Bill Gentile's Backpack Journalism Workshop, check out http://www.billgentile.com/workshops.html for more details

How to Interview a Subject for the Video Journalist, Pt. 1

2010-04-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

• Know what you want from the subject before you engage, have written questions.
• Shoot interview subjects with a little off the top. of their head and a little off the side.
• Shoot cutaways, hands, body parts.
• Don’t cut off the end of the interview, keep rolling, you will get great comments.
• Watch for the numbers to roll in the view finder. (you learn this lesson real quick)
• Go shoot what the subject talks about.
• Rule of Thirds: Leave space for the subject to move into the frame.

Lessons from Bill Gentile's Backpack Journalism Workshop

Basic Video Camera Settings for Backpack Journalist

2010-04-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

• Set shutter speed at 30 sec., gives a film look.
• Set IRIS on auto.
• Set Focus on auto.
• Adjust the white balance on the camera.
• Test all your equipment before going out, batteries, microphones, camera, etc.
• Adjust f stops to change depth of field, f2 will blow out the background then adjust shutter speed to fix the lighting issues.
• Wide angle lenses spread the distance, telephoto lenses compress or crush subjects together, f2 shortest depth of field, f16 longest.

Web Video, Making it Great, Getting it Noticed by Jennie Bourne

2010-04-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

Web Video, Making it Great, Getting it Noticed by Jennie Bourne, I am just finishing up this excellent new book on making and getting your videos out on the web. This book gives you practical, step-by-step instructions on producing your video projects. From techniques for shooting events for the web, interviews, how-to, setting up video blogs, uploading, making it pay. Bourne writes about getting your video to go viral, editing techniques, compression and formatting (does anyone understand this?), distribution and tons of resources scattered throughout. The book also includes advice from many different web video producers who are getting it done right now. I liked all the different sidebars, tips and interviews, lots of great pictures. This book is a must and great resource for all of us emerging video moguls.

Click on the affiliate book above or here to learn more at Amazon.com

Video Shooting Rules Part 2

2010-04-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

Lets continue on with some additional video shooting tips to the Six-Shoot System
• Shoot what you hear: Radio, music, engines.
• Shoot the source of Sound on Tape (SOT).
• Show people where you are, what is the location.
• Shoot a wide shot, a medium shot, and a close up of the location.
• Show people where you are and what the sotry is about, the Controlling Idea.
• Shoot the journey and answer “SO WHAT.”
• Layer your shots with information. If you can add visual information in the foreground do so. Maybe shoot through something.
• Shoot 60 sec. of room sound. This will be vital when you come to editing, you can add it in when you need to fill a hole.
• Shoot shots of subject entering and walking around the place, walk in and out of frame.
• Set a stable stance with your feet when shooting.
• Keep both eyes open when shooting, you just never know when someone will come at you from the side or something is at your feet or there is a hole. Pay attention

These tips were developed from my experience with Bill Gentile and the Backpack Journalism Workshop, To learn about the workshop check out http://www.billgentile.com/workshops.html

Part 1: Bill Gentile on Backpack Journalism, What is the Story

2010-04-13T06:57:00.001-07:00

Bill Gentile is an independent journalist and documentary filmmaker teaching at American University in Washington, DC. His career spans three decades, five continents and nearly every facet of journalism and mass communication, most especially visual communication, or visual storytelling. Gentile discusses the technology and the art of visual storytelling. As a backpack journalist, you should always keep in mind the dramatic arcs of the story.

Adam Westbrook and the 6x6 Project

2010-04-13T05:32:00.000-07:00

Came across a cool web site yesterday, the Adam Westbrook and his 6x6 series of posts. The 6×6 is a series of six blog posts each giving advice in a different skillset the multimedia journalist of the future will need. It includes things like business skills, branding and video. The site covers, branding, video, storytelling, business, audio and making things happen. It also contains a cool pdf book that you can download for free.

1. The branding page covers information on Owning your own name, defining your niche, importance of having a good website with a current information and show reel. Lots of great links and examples.
2. Video covers items like Shoot for the edit, and Mastering the depth of field, break the rules
3. Storytelling, with who is your character?, the narrative arc, conflict and climax, plus some great storytelling techniques.
4. Can't forget business, diversify your skills, pitching your video, finding markets, and bootstrapping
5. Audio, getting a good microphone, letting characters talk, importance of using pauses
6. And finally Making thing happen, have goals, write your ideas down, get messy and maybe most important, don't give up

And all around cool site with nice concise take away information. Check it out.

Shooting Rules - The Six-Shoot System

2010-04-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

Six-Shoot System: Applies to each character in your video and to the important elements that will make up you B roll. B roll are all the extra shots that you take and use to give your video life. It might be a shot of the person's hands, or foot tapping, the flowers sitting on the table, anything that isn't the subject. Shoot lots, you will need it, Shoot 20 second stills of each shot, keep pans and zooms to a minimum. Count of watch the tape counter in our monitor. If you shoot a pan, start with a still, pan, end with a still, repeat the other direction.

1. Close-ups of items
2. Close-ups of subject's face without talking, later get close-ups of face when they are talking. Get eye shots if possible.
3. Medium shots from the side.
4. Medium shots from the front.
5. Shoot over the shoulder of the subject.
6. Master shots of the room, all sides, shoot through doors.

Six Shot Shooting Ratio: Close ups, extra close ups, details and cutaways (50%), Medium shots (25%), Wide shots (25%)

Harness The Power of Video - Backpack Journalism Workshops

2010-04-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

Backpack Journalism Workshops, With Emmy Award Winning Producer and Backpack Journalist Bill Gentile. Gentile brings more than 30 years of field experience to teach the full range of skills essential to making powerful, character-driven stories for television and the Internet. Learn about the Workshops in this new video.

Great Video on Backpack Journalism

2010-04-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

Mara Schiavocampo: Backpack journalism from Edward Delaney on Vimeo.

Very interesting video on backpack journalist Mara Schiavocampo on her gear and technique in the field

Backpack Journalism Workshop Coming to Boston

2010-04-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

One of my interests is video and film production. About a year and half ago I had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC and work with Emmy Award winning producer and one of the pioneers in backpack journalism, Bill Gentile. The 4 day workshop was a thrill and really helped move me along with story telling, and technical skills, skills I now use all the time. Bill is a 30 year veteran journalist, and character driven documentary filmmaker, working with many of the best from PBS, Newsweek, ABC Nightline, the list goes on and on. Bill helped develop the use of hand-held digital cameras with portable PCs in the field that are revolutionizing news gathering and reporting these days.

Backpack Video Journalism Workshop

Bill recently asked me if I would help bring his workshop to the Boston area, I said yes. I am very excited to be able to work with him again and we have the Backpack Journalism Workshop scheduled for June 2-6, 2010. The workshop teaches effective visual storytelling, from conception to shooting to scriptwriting, narrating and editing. If you are interested in story telling and using video, this is a great opportunity to work with one of the best in the business. To learn more about this workshop please give me a call or checkout the Workshop or Backpack Blog pages.

PBS/NOW Backpack Journalism Workshop

2009-01-16T07:15:00.000-08:00

Short behind the scenes video of the Backpack Journalism Workshop held in December in Washington DC, hosted by Bill Gentile. Four days of learning and reaching to new places about video, journalism, story telling and producing. To learn more check out the NOW Backpack Journalism web page

The short film I shot, edited and produced in the four day workshop is below. If anyone is interested in really learning a ton about video and building a story using portable cameras and basic laptop computers in a short time I highly recommend this workshop. Bill is an outstanding teacher and he just moves everyone along through the process. He taught us how to go into a place, shoot all the background shots, become comfortable and let a story come to you, basically bubble up right to, do the interviews, and edit and pull it all together. An amazing experience.

Inspired by Paper

2008-12-16T09:18:00.000-08:00

Film by Bruce Jones, "Inspired by Paper" featuring Elizabeth Parthum and the Pyramid Atlantic Print and Paper studio in Washington DC.

Inspired by Paper

2008-12-14T13:55:00.000-08:00

Latest film by Bruce Jones, "Inspired by Paper" featuring Elizabeth Parthum of Pyramid Atlantic paper and printing studio of Washington DC. Please view above.

Pyramid Atlantic Papermaking Studio

2008-12-14T06:54:00.000-08:00

View from inside the Pyramid Atlantic papermaking studio.

Elizabeth Removing Mold from Screen

2008-12-14T06:53:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth just finishing pulling a sheet of paper

FinalCut Production Still

2008-12-14T06:50:00.000-08:00

Film in production on FinalCut

Elizabeth Being Interviewed

2008-12-14T06:49:00.000-08:00

Interview from the Pyramid Atlantic studios

Elizabeth Pouring Water

2008-12-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth pouring water for the pulp trays

Wayne Street Garage, Sunday Morning

2008-12-14T06:40:00.000-08:00

Hi all, we are down to the last day, Sunday, Dec 14. We are finishing up Bill Gentile's Backpack Journalism Class. It has been a fantastic experience, 11 people in a room, producing 11 different video stories in 4 days starting from nothing. Stories about paper making, cupcakes, hair cutting, recreating a life and helping the homeless. We have been all over the city. Met all kinds of people and made new friends.
AFI in Silver Springs, Maryland has been a great space to work out of and we have eaten enough Panera sandwiches to fill a month. Tomorrow back on the road to home and a lot of new experiences.

2008-12-12T06:14:00.000-08:00

Video post from the Wayne Street Garage before going over to the Backpack Journalism Workshop. Having a little fun with whole process.

2008-12-12T06:13:00.000-08:00

Class photo, Bill Gentile with the rep from Sony showing us the latest equipment.

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Wed Morning from the Red Roof Inn #105

2008-12-10T06:38:00.000-08:00

Live from Room 232 at Red Roof Inn #105 on Route 3 in New Jersey. I picked this hotel because I was going with a Holiday Inn but the phone operator couldn't figure out where it was. So this was the next one on the hotel board at the rest stop on the Garden State Parkway, hey go figure. I can get 8 stations on the TV, people watch a lot of HBO in NJ.

From the Room at the Red Roof Inn

2008-12-10T06:37:00.000-08:00

Looking out the front door of my room.

Parking Lot and Water at Red Roof Inn

2008-12-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

Looking at the parking lot and the waterfront view from my hotel door. Lots of lights everywhere so we don't get robbed. We are very close to Giants Stadium and it all looks like shots from the Soprano Show. I am between two elevated highways.

I ate dinner in an Italian restaurant, excellent. It was a bring your own beer kind of place so I had to go to a liquor store, buy a bottle of wine and then walk back to the restaurant. I had Vintners Blend, Ravens Wood, Merlot, a fine California wine from 2006, for $10.00.

Room 232 at Red Roof Inn #105

2008-12-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

Here is my messy room with the TV on, it is pouring outside and I have 200+ miles to drive to DC

Pictures from the Red Roof Inn #105

2008-12-10T06:28:00.000-08:00

Bruce with his notebook sitting in room 232