How many ways can you walk the dog?

woodsiecam

Well-known member
I've probably done a dozen of these walking stories. Luckily this one had a decent character. But I'm looking for new ideas/tricks/etc on how to shoot a creative story on someone "walking for the cure".

[b-rollTV]1192[/b-rollTV]

Critiques on the story itself also welcome.
 

Deft Depth

Active member
How funny, I watched this story yesterday before you'd even posted it (a friend of my girlfriend's in KC sent this to her)!

First off, nice hustle. That shoot definately required patience, caution, and nerves of steel going against on-coming traffic like that. Given all that, you really had some great shots.

The story was very well-paced both in terms of editing and writing. I'm not sure if it was you or the reporter on a lot of those nat-sound bytes of the walking coach, but they were very effective and kept the piece moving along nicely. Loved the "Good Ole' Boys" pop, it was funny but also poignant and within context!

A lot of times b-rollers will harrass you for the number of dissolves put into packages. But here I think they worked really well. I had no problems with them.

My only critique would have been to hear more exchange from the kid with autism and the walking coach. The coach had such great bites, and they left me wondering what the kid had said or asked him which illicted those great bites. Maybe there's a fair explanation in there.

Once more, great job. I loved it when I saw it yesterday, and loved it even more today.
 

NEWSSHOOTER3

Well-known member
Wonderful

First off, I think this is a wonderful piece that reminds me that we work for the people we serve, telling STORIES! :)

Secondly, I was a little bothered by the dissolves, mostly early. It was cut, cut, cut... dissolve? I just didn't understand the motivation?

I LOVED the effort involved in gathering this story. It is not easy to stay ahead of a mic'd subject, but it was WELL worth the effort that you put into it!

I'm going to leave it at that, only saying this-

IF YOU ARE WATCHING THIS STORY, PLEASE GIVE A CRITIQUE!!! AND THEN, POST SOMETHING!!! IT DOES MATTER, IT MAKES ALL OF US BETTER FOR THE EFFORT!!! :)

THEN, GO CRITIQUE JUST ONE MORE...
 

Go Daddy

Well-known member
GREAT piece.

The quick cuts worked where they were, and for me the dissolves all but one, worked where they were. The haul a$$ that it took to get that done was obvious. Well done and was interesting and informative to watch. I suspect not hearing the kid talk which would have made the piece even better, was because with autism he just doesn't do much talking or we would have heard him.

Nice work.
 

woodsiecam

Well-known member
thanks for the feedback!

Thanks for all the feedback, keep it coming!!!


I was a little bothered by the dissolves, mostly early. It was cut, cut, cut... dissolve? I just didn't understand the motivation?
me too... basically, it was a way to get from one natbite to the next. I used every shot I had of them walking in or out of frame, which is usually how I get out of using dissolves. At first I tried using cuts to roadsigns or other cut-aways, but it felt even more out-of-place/distracting than using dissolves. I probably got 20+ passing motorists on camera as they drove by the walkers, but only had two that even gave them a second look, and both those shots were shakey and soft-focus.

Actually, this brings up a good question... anyone have tips/tricks on how to get from one similar looking natbite to the next without using dissolves, and with little or no relevant cutaways?

I suspect not hearing the kid talk which would have made the piece even better, was because with autism he just doesn't do much talking or we would have heard him.
Bingo. Yeah, even with the kid progressing as well as he has, the sound just wasn't usable. We even did a standard interview with him, and basically got one-word answers.

Thanks again for the comments! Keep the critiques coming!
 

Deft Depth

Active member
Actually, this brings up a good question... anyone have tips/tricks on how to get from one similar looking natbite to the next without using dissolves, and with little or no relevant cutaways?
You could have kept going with the natural wipes of fast-moving cars speeding by perhaps? That would have been a real nice element to keep consistent throughout the piece. And although I know it's beyond dangerous, but how cool would it have looked to have been getting those wipes from across the other lane of the highway?

Wow! That's awesome, had no idea it had hit the web that quickly! Thanks for the feedback!
I'm gonna have to check with her on how she found it...I think it was through facebook. You may even know the person that fowarded it to my girlfriend because she (my girlfriend) is a reporter down here and has been in contact with two stations in KC recently.
 

newsMcgee

Member
Nice job. I thought most of the dissolves were well placed. You clearly busted your ass to get those shots.
 

woodsiecam

Well-known member
good point

You could have kept going with the natural wipes of fast-moving cars speeding by perhaps? That would have been a real nice element to keep consistent throughout the piece.
I like it... but I wonder how that would have affected the pacing? It is a feature story after all, and constantly going back to natural wipes of speeding cars might have given the story an unneccesary fast-paced feel. But it also would be a good way to get out of the need for dissolves.
 

Latin Lens

Well-known member
I have to be one of those brollers...I don't like dissolves but you did use them effectively....those shots probably could have been cuts if you trimmed them right on the editing side.

Anyways...great job. Those can be tough stories but you had good variation, pacing and excellent nat pops. Too bad we couldn't hear from the kid.

I was a little taken aback by the interview of the Dad....I know you were limited but you I thought you might've done a little more with that. The rest of the story is so beautiful that particular interview just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Let the reporter help you...you could've placed the wireless lav on and when you were ready you go over there...besides you might have gotten another two or three nat pops from the Dad to pepper your story with.
 

svp

Well-known member
Any chance you could lose the stick mic and mic flag and let the reporter use the lapel for the standup? Also didn't like the mic in the shot for the father's sots. That's my only complaint. Otherwise, great job.
 

nguyen.jason

Active member
Great Job. I don't really have anything anyone else said. I thought the dissolves worked and I do agree with the stick mic comments. The only think I could think of that might have helped is maybe a couple real close shots of there faces, you might have had them in there I just don't remember seeing it. I try to write these with only seeing something once cause thats all the viewer has to see them. Anyways good job man :)
 

woodsiecam

Well-known member
i hear ya

Any chance you could lose the stick mic and mic flag and let the reporter use the lapel for the standup? Also didn't like the mic in the shot for the father's sots.
I would have LOVED to use a lav mic for the standup, but I only have one and it was on the walkers. I could have stopped the walkers to grab it, use it for the standup and the dad, then put it back on the walkers... but the coach was giving such good sound, I didn't want to remind him that he had the mic on and possibly ruin all the great bites he was giving. This would have been a great time to have a hard-wire lav mic... I hate using the stick.
 
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