Category Creating Media Tips and Tricks

Jan 18 2012

Using Sony Handicams and Importing to FCP

Instructions courtesy of Stephen Elliott.  Cronkite News Service Director

USING SONY HD HANDYCAMS AND GETTING VIDEO INTO FINALCUT

Take a Deep Breath

Seriously – I want you to take a deep breath. Close your eyes and find a place of zen. Envision yourself turning on the camera, pointing it at something or someone you want to document, hitting the record button and capturing crisp video. Believe it or not, most video cameras today are this easy to use. This doesn’t make it easier to choose the right scenes and subjects, frame properly, etc., but it makes things a lot easier before you do. The camera you will use in this class also has a hard drive, making exporting video much easier than a camera recording on tape.

Camera Basics

Here is a rough representation of the business end of the Handycam, focusing on the few features you need to understand to make it work.

  1. This wheel turns the camcorder off and on.
  2. This button stops and starts recording.
  3. Here’s the viewscreen. Flip it out from the side of the camera.
  4. The battery goes here. It’s secured by a latch underneath.
  5. Direct view into lens. Just forget this exists. Use the viewscreen.
  6. These are various items on the viewscreen that it helps to know.
  7. Zoom lever. Continue reading →
Oct 6 2010

Put the Big Rocks in First

Managing your workflow in a pressure packed digital environment doesn’t have to be as difficult as herding cats in a windstorm. Most problems occur due to a lack of planning, failure to understand the process and keeping an eye on the “end game.”

Here are some very basic steps that work and can make the difference between meeting and failing to meet a deadline. Continue reading →

Oct 5 2010

Who Are You Anyway

As we each learn how to be citizen journalists maybe we should think about who we are and what our journalistic personality or motivation might me.

Here are some descriptive words to consider. Are you an:
Aggregator – Someone who collects information from other people or an Analyst who interprets what others say and do?

Perhaps you are an Activist – someone who believes in and promotes a cause or an Agitator – someone who creates and fuels controversy for some political or personal agenda.

Maybe Adviser – someone who recommends a course of action or perhaps an Observer – I ran out of words that start with “A.”

Understand who you are and your motivation then be yourself. You are your greatest asset.

Media professionals assume multiple roles either consciously or unconsciously based on what we believe others want us to be. It is far more important to embrace who we are and understand what motivates us in order to effectively sell ourselves to a discerning audience.

Creating the Brand of You

YOU
VOCUS_-_Branding_Rules
Oct 5 2010

Video Tips and Tricks

People always seem to make the same mistakes when shooting video.
•Making a subject appear as if they are in the witness protection plan because the background is too bright.
•Positioning a person in such a way it looks like a tree is growing out of his/her head.
•Shooting boring shots of buildings with no action.
•Placing a subject in front of a background that is the same color as their clothing.

We’ve all seen them so why do they keep happening? Here are a few tips to help you shoot better video. Continue reading →

Apr 27 2009

Cronkite News Watch

If you haven’t checked out Cronkite News Watch, it is well worth your time.
http://cronkite.asu.edu/experience/newswatch

Apr 27 2009

High school students cover JEA/NSPA convention

10 of my former Arcadia High School students covered the JEA/NSPA national convention and produced a convention daily online multi-media web site. They each filed 3 news packages and a blog daily. Great job guys. Here is the link: http://stardust.jmc.asu.edu/Phxpost/The_Phoenix_Post/Home.html