Tips for Journalist to be better video storytellers

1. Tips for Journalists
to be better
Video Storytellers
MCJ 335

2. 9 Elements of Visual
Storytelling
 Video stories, whether features, spot news or
documentaries, tend to rely on the same set of
elements to inform and engage viewers.
 Determine a story’s video potential.
 Plan a video story, from overall structure to specific
shot selections.
 Evaluate the effectiveness of the video stories you and
others create.
 Capturing B-Roll

3. Emotion
 Emotion is a powerful storytelling tool.
 It gives audiences a reason to care and a way to
connect to a story, sometimes in a very personal way.
 And emotion gives storytellers a larger palette, making
it possible to show not just concrete facts but the
abstract reality of the human experience.
 Daughter’s pain

4. Visual Appeal
 Video stories need visual appeal. Some places, people and
things are inherently more visually interesting.
 However, visual appeal comes in both obvious and
unexpected ways. We don't want to avoid certain stories
because they don't appear to have strong visuals.
 Discover the appeal that might be hidden. Even everyday
locations and activities can spring to life with fresh
perspectives, angles and composition.
 Thailand

5. Action and Movement
 Processes, sequences and motions are made for
video.
 Whether it's someone using, operating, creating or
destroying something, video can reveal exactly what
the process looks like and precisely how it works.

6. Audio
 Audio is often the backbone of a video story, setting the
tempo and, in many cases, informing how and when shots
are edited together.
 Surprisingly, video is often edited to match audio, not the
other way around.
 Interview soundbites tell us what the people in our stories
are thinking and feeling. Narration ties everything together.
 Ambient, or location, sound creates a sense of place.
Natural sound punctuates actions and important moments.
 Veterans Day

7. Events and Moments
 Video offers an unrivaled way to document unique
moments in time, and video storytellers are always
looking for ways to capture the things that only happen
once.
 Obama March in Selma

8. Characters
 The most interesting stories involve people. The most
interesting video stories show people in conflict with
each other, themselves or some force in their worlds.
 Storytellers have used characters to advance plot lines,
provide a point of view and gives audiences someone
to cheer or jeer. Through interviews and live shots,
video stories can achieve these same ends.
 Some subjects are natural characters. They shine on
camera, and they draw viewers into their worlds.

9. Newsworthiness
 Journalistic video stories need to show something new,
noteworthy, unusual or timely.
 Factors include:
Conflict Scandal
Local David vs Goliath
Incident Incompetence
Extremes/ Superlatives Surprising/ shock value
New Hypocrisy
Timely/ Relevant Titillation component

10. Settings and Locations
 We can quickly establish a sense of place with video. Wide
shots -- the sweeping views that establish a scene -- can tell
us where a story takes place and convey the size and
purpose of a location.
 Medium shots and close-ups can reveal detail and texture,
providing a sense of a location’s age, condition, energy and
character.
 Coupled with strong audio, shots that depict a location can
transport our audience to another place and show them
exactly what it’s like to be there.
 Story for Tomorrow

11. Focus
 The best video stories rely on a central premise to push
them forward. We can think about this premise in terms
of what’s happening -- someone doing something.
 This approach to focus gives us two familiar elements:
plot and theme, which are the basis of countless video
productions, whether three-hour cinematic epics or 30-
second TV commercials.
 Video storytellers have a few precious moments to
establish a scene, introduce characters, advance a plot
line and inform, surprise or entertain.