Couponing for a cause

[Photojournalgist]

I had quite a bit more planned for this package, but the day-side producers said they wanted me to just go with a feature on her using what I had. I pushed a little, but with two producers and an executive producer saying not to worry about it, "We think it will be fine as a feature with what you have," I decided not to start an all out war about it.

My biggest issue right off the bat was the difficulty I had achieving the framing on the interview. I've set up subjects with meaningful objects in the foreground and background on several occasions, but I just couldn't get it to work for me this time out. Admittedly, I let the amount of time I was spending setting it up get to me and against my better judgment I gave up and went with the disaster that is the framing of the interview in the package.

Clipping coupons: 'Who wouldn't want to save money?'

Our web department is always on the lookout for extra footage that we can provide, so I posted the raw walk through of her stockpile. Why they like us to add raw footage I'm not sure.

 

[cyndygreen1]

Sometimes you're shoved in a corner and have to do with what you have. The story flows nicely...I see what you mean by potential. The potential was there. With the interview framing...you're right. White wall and objects of interest in the bottom of the frame. Sometimes backing off and going tele works - camera higher on tripod/throw objects of interest in background out of focus. I also generally like the lighted half of the face to be the smaller side. So rather than having your interview face left, have her face right...the smaller light side weighs in about the same as a larger dark half.
Also...re light. on board camera light could have been diffused or moved off camera.
Unless you are in a rush or going for an effect, moving the camera around to show "lots of stuff" is almost a lazy way to get it done. A series of shots generally works better. If you must, try going macro...moving over the coupons...and then slow-moing a bit. Maybe try some extreme CUs and get a "snip-snip-snip" effect (fast edits).
Final comment...@ 2:07 the track states, "besides the obstacles she keeps on clipping." You have a rack focus from newspapers (a natural lead-out from her sound bite before) to more coupons. In hindsight...a rack from the newspapers to her clipping would have been great.
You know what your problems were with this...next time out experiment more with shots and work on lighting.

 

[Latin Lens]

So yeah there was some great potential here...you realized that but unfortunately nobody else at the station really cared so you are stuck with this....and its okay. I think you really need to start turning those writing wheels in your brain a little bit better. Get a little more creative storytelling wise to draw us in. Because the story is all about drawing the viewer in...setting them up and giving them info then knocking them down. Draw me in with pretty pics and sound and audio wise with your track. Practice, practice, practice. Shadows on intvs need to be camera side so she should have been turned the opposite way...it was a cool look but I'd say light it so the half and half wasn't so prominent...to dramatic for a coupon feature. I think you need to mess around with stucture so things flow better. For example..."So she asked her boss and she started clipping...(clipping nats)"...while I think a better flow is "So she asked her boss...(clipping nats) and she started (clipping nats again?) clipping". I say this because if you have a better structure and build a flow around a sound theme or visual theme then you can set the pace better...either faster or slower depending on the action. I would have gone faster on this because of the amount of coupons she seems to cut. And it seems you pretty much just pigeon-holed yourself while shooting because you literally just seemed to stay in that corner...move around the hole office space to find cool shots or video oppurtunities. Don't limit yourself...move all over because you'll never know what you'll find. You won't improve unless you get your worked critiqued so keep posting.

 

[Photojournalgist]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Lighting has always been a challenge. I've only been able to use a light kit a handful of times in the last several years. With that said I should be more used to using natural light and should have known to turn her to get the light on the correct side of her face. I honestly think I was too consumed with my foreground/background issues and failed to execute the basics. Great reminder.

I Definitely don't want to make excuses, but one of the reasons I didn't move around the location too much, staying in the corner, was to avoid the fact that we were in her pawn shop. The story was about the foster care facility she worked for (the job she has in addition to the pawn shop), but it wasn't an option as a shooting location and neither was her house. The only option she gave me was the shop ... it nearly left me searching for another person to do the story with, but instead I decided to try and avoid showing the shop. Unfortunately, like you said we ended up stuck in that corner. It might have helped to simply address the fact in the story, but I wasn't sure if it would complicate things since mentioning her ownership of the pawn shop would have only been relevant to explain our location and not the story. Any suggestions about that kind of situation? It was the first time I've run into a challenge like that.

I'll definitely keep that nat advice in mind. I've been really limiting myself on the nat pops since I started doing MMJ stuff, and I'm not entirely sure why that is.

 

[cyndygreen1]

Yeah...remember those days when I worked the night shift and wasn't given a light of any kind. Had to beg every day. There'll come a day when the basics (light, audio, framing) will become automatic and you can focus on the story...generally takes two to four years to get so used to doing it daily before it hits that point (and ya have to keep working on it even then).

A pawn shop is a place of business...loan shop...recycling shop...many different things to many people. Pawn shops have a rich tradition of being there to help (or rip off depending on your view) those who are desperate. It could have become part of the story easily and given your visuals more texture rather than flat walls and a sterile environment.

And limiting on nats...kinda natural (excuse the pun) when working alone and the only other person is the subject. A reporter does help in some ways by making banter and drawing people out. Maybe have her describe what she is clipping as she works and how that product might be of help...or how much it might save.

Good luck on your next one!