Val Hoeppner prepared this handout to accompany a presentation on shooting smarter video with your smartphone at Muncie NewsTrain on March 24, 2018. Hoeppner is the director of the Center for Innovation in Media at Middle Tennessee State University. It addresses what sorts of scenes to shoot when using video to tell news stories. NewsTrain is a training initiative of Associated Press Media Editors (APME). More info: http://bit.ly/NewsTrain

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Mobile-video cheat sheet
Val Hoeppner | @vhoeppner | valhoeppner@gmail.com
What to shoot when using video to tell stories:
•Sequences - Small stories that help tell the whole story.
o Wide, medium and tight shots that give the illusion of continuous action.
o Look for repetitive actions that allow you to shoot 10 seconds of wide, 10
medium, 10 tight. Actions like folding a paper airplane, playing the piano,
doing push-ups are good beginner sequences.
•Action and reaction – Help viewers understand the emotion of the video by
shooting not only action but also how the crowd, bystanders or customers react.
•3:1 rule – Add visual variety to your video and avoid messy jump cuts when
editing by shooting plenty of medium and tight shots. For each wide shot, shoot
three medium and tight shots.
•Clean entries and exits – Make sure you show people how the subject gets in the
frame by shooting them coming into and leaving the frame. Do not pan or track
subjects.
•Use opening shots that grab the viewer – Look for your best three-shot
sequence that will captivate your viewers. Do not open with talking heads or
building exteriors. It’s just boring!
•Principles of photojournalism – Use the rule of thirds, framing and details to
make your video more cinematic and appealing to mobile audiences.
•Tight interview shots – Remember that most viewers are watching on a
smartphone and that interview shots should be tight and use the rule of thirds.
Make sure your subject is looking just to the right or left of the camera, not
directly into the lens.