Nasser Abdo Guns Galore

[pwshelton]

http://vimeo.com/27074738

This pkg is a little short due to our reporters splitting this story up into a few different parts. This is my second post so any shot critiques would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Latin Lens]

Yes this is a rather quick one...but taken as it is this another example of just missing the boat. You are obviously in a starters market and it shows from the story, the reporting, but thats why you're here...asking for a critique to get better? So I can tell that you have some skill...some shots are cool but you're making visual mistakes when it comes to editing. You're also doing some pans and movements that I think are unnecessary at this point. You need to be practicing sequences...you need to get steady shots...in time you'll understand because when you go into the edit bay you need to have it all for yourself and for your reporter to come up with the best possible story. Those visual mistakes I was referring to were in the track where Abdo pays for his purchase....you are showing other soldiers cocking a gun...while thats not bad you don't want to confuse the public with that guy and Abdo....so instead you're talking about money...so a cash register or numbers for the price are better video for that part. You need to understand the concept of the track in order to get the proper video edited and understand the story to get the proper video in the field.

 

[pwshelton]

Ozkar,

Hey man thanks once again for the critique. You are correct about being in a starters market, both the reporter and myself are first timers. This story was really rushed, and we didn't know what angle we were going for going into it

For this story I was trying to keep sequencing in mind, and despite trying to do this every time I shoot, it has been really difficult for me to pull off successfully.

Here was my thinking when shooting this:
In this case I tried to get sequences with the wide and tight shot of the building, the track mentions the gun store owner, so I show him, varying my shots between wides, mediums and tights as we interview. The track mentions "six canisters of gunpower, shotgun shells, and a magazine for a semiautomatic pistol" ...I have these shots in my raw footage but thought the tilt shot looked better, was less rushed, and kind of included most of the products she is mentioning anyways. When she says "What is smokeless powder" I also made sure to get a wide of the powder, then a close up...
A medium and a close up again for the soldiers, intentionally not showing their face so the audience doesn't confuse them with Abdo.
I was also thinking I needed to shoot some video of security cameras and mirrors, so the video could kind of match the track when she mentions him.


I guess what would be the most helpful is if you could answer these basic questions for me.....
What is the best way to make sure you both get what you want out of the story when you're working with your reporter?
What exactly makes something a sequence, Is it a wide, medium, tight? Or would my medium shot then close ups be considered sequences??
Do you always have to match the video exactly to the track?

I know that was a long response but yeah man I'm trying to get the best at what I do. I think this site is really helping me with that. Thanks again for your help.

 

[Sore Shoulder]

The track mentions "six canisters of gunpower, shotgun shells, and a magazine for a semiautomatic pistol" ...I have these shots in my raw footage but thought the tilt shot looked better, was less rushed, and kind of included most of the products she is mentioning anyways. When she says "What is smokeless powder" I also made sure to get a wide of the powder, then a close up...

I guess what would be the most helpful is if you could answer these basic questions for me.....
What is the best way to make sure you both get what you want out of the story when you're working with your reporter?
What exactly makes something a sequence, Is it a wide, medium, tight? Or would my medium shot then close ups be considered sequences??
Do you always have to match the video exactly to the track?

I know that was a long response but yeah man I'm trying to get the best at what I do. I think this site is really helping me with that. Thanks again for your help.

In the tilting shot I didn't see the individual items you were showing. I kept wondering where the tight shots of the items were. Remember you know your video, you know what you shot, the viewer only has one chance to see what you are showing. And remember tight shots are your friend. You can go anywhere from a tight shot. I always say you can never have too many tight shots.

To get the most out of the video for you and your reporter; I always try to do the interview first. Then I know what b-roll is needed. Listen to the interview and start thinking about what will work for what is said.

A sequence is not a string of wide, medium and tight shots (these are a just a style of shots). A sequence is a series of shots--usually three or more--that show an action in the order it occurs. Like kid climbs slide, kid slides down slide, kid falls in dirt at bottom of slide. For a good sequence you would not want them all to be wide shots, but all tight can look good.

Yes, if you have video to match the track it should always match. It can be confusing if the words and pictures don't match.

You have some good solid shots in your piece. Just keep listening and looking.

 

[Latin Lens]

So here's the long and short to all your questions:

1. Communication. On the drive to location start talking to your reporter about the story...what you might find...maybe bounce ideas off eachother about how to attack the story...but also be flexible and be ready for any curveballs or interesting suprises that may take the story in an entirely different direction. But you must communicate before, during and after. Its a team effort...but each needs to do their individual part.

2. Yes and no. Visually its a sequence...but storywise its not. Think of any action...lets say a pitcher pitching a ball...is the proper sequence a wide shot of him pitching to a medium shot of him pitching to a tight shot of him pitching? Of course not...the sequence is getting the sign from the cathcer...him accepting the call...getting ready to pitch...starting the windup...pitching the ball...the follow thru after releasing...thats the sequence...and shooting each action in the sequence wide, medium, tight is call variation and you use variation in the edit bay to tell the overall story of the pitcher or the game...but you need to understand the differance. Every action there's a sequence...find the sequence...shoot it...edit the story...is that any help? Does that make sense?

3. Yes and no. Your reporter needs to write to the video you get (communication in the field leads to this)...but sometimes young photogs can take this almost too literal...because the shop owner is mentioned depending on the track you may or may not actually show him...it depends on the editing structure and can you stress a concept over actually showing him thats more powerful. But thats also how reporters and photogs need to work together to come up with the best lines for the best story. Had the track said...."owner Mike Smith sees a lot of military come in to his shop"...do I want to see Mike Smith? Or would I rather see a shot of a military uniform entering the store? Which is more powerful? Which gets the point of the track across better? If there's a specific need than yes of course show the object or whatever...or if they purposefully write "this house" or "these court documents"...of course you show the object...but you need to understand the concept of the track and put together the best sequence with variation that explains it.