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Cancer Care by John O’Boyle
This is a piece by Newark Star Ledger VJ John O’Boyle.
He shot it, wrote it, voiced it, produced it, and edited it alone.
We are now three weeks out from the bootcamp.
This is as good as anything on network television news, and we are only just getting started.
Congrats, John, and the whole staff of the Star Ledger.
10 Comments
meltaylor June 20, 2008
very, very well done. indeed……tv should be concerned about how quickly newspapers VJ’s can produce this type of quality. now it’s up to guys like me, and other sales types, to figure out the best revenue strategies to support and monetize these efforts.
Cliff Etzel June 17, 2008
Pete – inflection is one of those skills that one typically isn’t taught initially. I know you come from broadcasting and I myself have had some experience in radio broadcasting so I understand what you are saying. The skill of inflection initially is a conscious decision and takes practice, but it does eventually become second nature.
As VJ’s get a better sense of what they are doing, additional skills like proper inflection when narrating will be added to VJ training and will eventually become another tool in their arsenal.
Pete Liebengood June 17, 2008
Nice work. Excellent use of natural sound. But, Michael, teach your clients how to read copy. Inflection. Inflection. Inflection. It’s as important as shooting, writing or editing. It’s a common shortcoming with all your beginning vjs.
$ June 16, 2008
Work has been posted by many like me Cliff.
You know it but want to ignore it.
Just like you ignore the fact no one wants tohire you to do anything unless you will work for free.
pencilgod June 16, 2008
Its good work. There were some iris issues and steadiness of the low shots but in all good work. Two quick tips. When you are doing a portrait style of lighting make a reporter sandwich with the key light (camera/reporter/key light) that way you light the far side of the face, without going into the reasons why… it just looks better. Also when you use an underwater camera rub potato juice on the lens and it helps stop the water beading on the lens when it comes out of the water.
Cliff how may times do I have to post my stuff?
Comment on it or STFU.
Cliff Etzel June 16, 2008
I’ve been asking for that for months – I seriously doubt that will happen.
The detractors seem to be all about spouting off how great they are – with no evidence to date to back up their claims.
Again I say – put up or shut up.
eb June 16, 2008
That is a very nice piece. A lot of good solid pictures and natural sounds. So the pictures were good, and the sounds were good too. Whenever you have a visual story – with nice sounds to work with – it makes it easier to actually produce a story with more texture. So the fact that there was japanese music being performed…. allowed the VJ to use that as a background. The same with editing using the strokes of the paddles.
The story line was a bit vanilla. Which is fine…because it is what it is. But I try to say… find the story within the story. The VJ picked a story – but it could have been focused even more. Do a bit more research, and perhaps find a real gem – to focus on – instead of a general wide angle look at this subject, or this race. This is a very common mistake for us all – we find what we think is a story… but it too often is too general. So dig deeper.
There is no doubt that video jouralists at newspaper websites are just getting started. Yet over time, they will definately improve. Their use of multimedia – stills/video/audio/graphics – seems to be taking a more “visual” approach than TV news. I think TV news needs to approach their product more with visuals in mind too. The competition is just beginning on the web. This was a decent story, with nice video.
It did mention two people in the credits, not just one single VJ?
rosenblumtv June 16, 2008
Here’s a link to The Star Ledger’s website and a category they call ‘news videos”
http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/new_jersey_news/
knock yourself out.
What would make you happy? A fire?
How hard is it to point a video camera at a fire?
No matter what they produce, you’ve always got some problem with it. I thought the above piece was pretty spectacular for three weeks out.
What do you want, vo/sots?
how hard is that?
Why don’t you send me the link to your station so I can compare and post both?
$ June 16, 2008
Another feature that could run anytime, anywhere.
What about NEWS?
Or is that to hard to cover and get to the public in a timely manner?
How about showing some NEWS coverage from this project instead of cute little features?
Cliff Etzel June 16, 2008
Very solid piece – The derisive statements by the various detractors about the lack of quality training you provide Michael have been refuted – YET AGAIN.
Great use of natural sound.
Congrats to John O’Boyle for a great video piece.