Originally posted by <anon>:
"Management" is under the impression that shakey, unproffesional video will draw viewers apparently.
While I think it's a stupid idea to mandate a style for local news, I think I understand the concept. It isn't unprofessional video they're after. They just want it to move, the way a Darrel Barton piece moves. They want you to run up and show the audience the closeup instead of cutting to a static shot of the closeup. They want you to catch reactions as they're happening by swinging the camera around when the subject responds. They want you to make the viewer feel like he's really there instead of watching individual little pictures change inside a frame to piece together what's happening.
They may even want it a little more "edgy," with the swish pans and snap zooms thrown in, but I doubt that's really the ultimate goal. They just want energy.
The problem is that many photogs just aren't suited to that style. Some physically can't do it, either because of a lack of skill or stamina. Others just don't think that way. Still others can shoot that style but play hell editing it, especially in a 1:10 format, and end up with something really sloppy to keep from missing slot. Then there are stories that just don't lend themselves to this kind of work.
The result will be some good stuff from a couple of the people who really get this kind of thing, some crazy horrible stuff from one or two who take it to a bizarre dutch angled extreme, and the rest will be mediocre, shaky, jumpy and unpleasant to watch. Management will look at it, have no idea why it's not working overall, and just think that their photogs suck, when in reality they just aren't getting proper direction.
Okay. For any of you folks who work there, if you're really interested in making this experiment work, ask your news director to please bring an example of the kind of work he would like to see. Then emulate that. The problem with other stations I've seen do this is that the only instruction the photogs are given is "no tripods!" without any guidance toward a particular style. Your news director is probably going by what a consultant says and has no idea of a style in mind.
If your ND won't or can't define a style, get together with your chief and define one as a group, watching examples of work that fits the style you think will work with your station. There are examples of this kind of work on the NPPA tapes occasionally, in between the kung fu edited machine gun nat pieces. Or, grab some of Darryl Barton's work off the tube and rip that. If all else fails, try some of the reality shows that use a lot of handheld camerawork. Pick a style and figure out how to make it work in short package form.
Of course, if you want it to fail outright in the hope that management will reconsider, ignore that advice.
