When it comes to going out in the field for journalism, things can very difficult involving your sources. People aren’t as eager to talk to you as you’d think they would be. In terms of my experience in the field, I’ve had some pretty interesting encounters. Looking back, there are a lot of learning experiences and things to take away headed into the future.
In terms of shooting, you always have to make sure you’re getting something interesting and relevant to the story. Following the rule of thirds is so important. Shooting a news story should be the same way one shoots a movie. Lighting, frame composition, character placement, and sounds all need to be taken into account when shooting for films as well as shooting for the news. It seems like like a lot to take into when sitting down for just a few minutes, but they’re important aspects of filming. If you don’t follow the basic rules of film, you can have a broken broadcast that will lose viewers. People will notice shaky cams and poor editing. The audience will notice all the bad lighting and all the bad character placement. As a film connoisseur, I study all when it comes to film. The knowledge I’ve gained in film classes and watching a lot of movies have extended my viewpoints on news and TV as well. As I said above, if all the elements are taken into account, you don’t have to worry about doing it right. The information you film becomes better when shot correctly.
My abilities in interviews don’t scare me. I’m very confident when it comes to reporting. I’m not scared when it comes to talking to strangers. But when it comes to strangers, they’re scared of talking to you. When you see a big fat confident guy walking towards you with a camera, notepad, and messenger bag, it can be a little intimidating. I get that. Long before I wanted to become a journalist, I was definitely scared about talking to random people. Hell, I was uneasy about speaking to my family members sometimes. But I turned a corner. Sociability is one of the best traits one can have. If you know how to work with all kinds of people, you can go places with reporting. I knew I wanted to be a reporter when I realized I could combine my writing with my emotions and my ability to connect with others.
In my “journeys” as a reporter, I’ve learned that you can’t always be the confident fat guy. Sometimes, you’ve got to be a timid fat guy. You almost have to make the subject become the interviewer in a way. Meanwhile, you’re in total control. They think they’re dominating the interview by just talking about what they want to talk about, but you’ve forced them to do so. You have to be able to tell how an interview is going to be before you get yourself into it. You have to get somebody to be emotional towards the subject of the interview. An emotion carries the importance of the a story.
That’s all I really have from experience. But, my experience may differ from others. It’s all a matter of comfort level. To be a reporter, you have to be comfortable with exiting your comfort zone. Also, to create a great visual story, you have to use all the right aspects of film. That’s all I’ve got this week.
~DS
The Danny Diaries 