Growing as an Individual

The first semester of my senior year is unfortunately coming to a halt. It's tough to think that my adolescent years flew by quicker than I thought, but growing up is out of my control. I can honestly say that the class I'll miss the most when I go off to Kansas University, will be my Convergence Journalism E-communications class.

Semester 1 Developments 

Just over the past year, my technological skills as a journalist have progressively improved. My storytelling artistry's have enhanced immensely and I couldn't be happier about it. Last year, while being a junior, I never thought about the big idea of storytelling. Now that I've been taught how to do so, I feel like my works reach out and touch people. With that being said, I don't like to make videos because I "have to". I like to create videos because it's a passion of mine, and it gives me the opportunity to reach out to my viewers. Here is a link to a video I produced that gave people the emotional appeal:

My next skill that I have improved with this semester is sequencing. Another phase for the word sequencing is the 6 Shot System. After being taught this journalist approach from my teacher Mr. Allam, I really bought in after this semester. I've incorporated the 6 shot system into all of my recent works, and I've noticed that I've been receiving a lot of praising comments from the outside world. I've had parents come up to me about my productions and say nothing but nice things about them. It's fleeting to think about how a few little comments can turn my day around. Here is another video I made that imbeds the sequencing theory: 

Lastly, I think I've become a better writer. My junior year I was a descent writer, but I think after a few years of experience I've grown a bit. Just this semester my vocabulary has expanded, I have few grammar errors, and my articles give off morals. By giving off morals, I'm talking about making the article worth reading or having a specific purpose to creating it. I'm a published poet so I've been called "intellectual" so I figured I better keep that reputable. Here is an example of an article I've written that hopefully gives the viewer a sense of inspiration: 

Colin Couch: An Inspiration to all

Hopes for Semester 2

It's finally here; my last semester of high school. It's a tad bittersweet but like I said before, growing up is out of my control. To be completely honest, I don't at all feel like a senior. In my eyes and I'm sure my peers eyes, I still look like a freshman. The only thing I can do with the short amount of time I have left, is make my mark. 

This next semester, I'd like to make it known that I'm a great writer. It might not be true, but it's still a goal that I have endured. When I'm gone I want people to say, "he may not of said much, but that kid could sure write." It may be a simplistic goal and I know the probability of someone saying that are slim to none, but a boy can only hope. 

My next goal is to improve the way Olathe Northwest sees the Convergence Journalism class. We have worked our butts off over the years and are just now getting the wanted results. My freshman and sophomore year, the weekly showing was a complete joke. The student viewers laughed every time they saw ONW NOW, and it was really disappointing to see. Now that we have received a new tri-caster, the weekly showing is a lot more respected. My job as a senior is to keep things the way they are and pass the respect down to the current junior class. Here is our latest showing that was put on last Wednesday: 

Signing Day Process

After having an acquaintance sign to the University of Oklahoma to play baseball, I decided I wanted to learn more about it. I didn’t necessarily want to make this a featured story; I wanted to make the story about the signing process in general.

At first, my partner and I planned to interview several different people who have experienced the endorsement process. That obviously didn’t go as planned and we only ended up with two interviews. Our other planned subjects had busy schedules and they weren’t at all available. It was disappointing and could have added to our story, but rolling with the punches is a part of being a journalist.

The biggest issue we faced was coming up with the story idea itself. Not much was happening in my school that week, so I really had to get creative. Another issue my partner and I faced was finding quality b-roll opportunities. We couldn’t revive any of the baseball footage we had of Austin last year, so we basically started from scratch.

Our first interview went pretty mediocre. Our subject was Austin Hansen at the time, and it was a struggle to get him to open up. He’s not a huge fan of fame so it was obvious that he’s not comfortable on camera. I tried to edit to make it seem like he was comfortable, but if you look closely
you’ll see that he looks down and he slurs his words.

The second subject was the school counselor Mrs. Saliva, and she wasn’t at all shy. Every question I asked she answered clearly and thoroughly, (that’s a journalists dream by the way). I’m going to be completely honest and say that I wasn’t at all prepared for this interview. Mrs. Saliva is a busy woman so I had to get an interview with her when she had the time. After waiting a few days for a response back, she finally contacted me at the most inconvenient time.

Overall, I feel like my editing was top notch. I engrained sequencing and all the components of storytelling into this package. I have a beginning, middle, and end, but I’m lacking a conflict. I think the story turned out well without one, so I’m going to leave the final product the way it is.

Dipping My Feet In Entertainment

Even though my expertises are in the Convergence Journalism strand, I figured I’d dip my feet in the entertainment strand as well. My next project is going to be a short documentary about the week in a life of a wrestler. I decided to put together a story proposal as well, which is posted below:

Title: Men of the Mat

Producers: Quen Barkyoumb & Tyler Soetaert

My documentary is about a week in the life of a high school wrestler. They seem to endure a lot and I feel like they deserve more credit than they’ve been given. The main conflict is between how much wrestlers sacrifice or the fear of all the hard work not paying off. Ultimately, I want the audience to feel intrigued and to understand the personal sacrifices these wrestlers make. I also want to make the audience appreciate what all it takes to experience the sport itself.

Characters:

Doug Newcomb- Senior wrestler, 3 time state placer, Wrestling team Captain.

Mrs. Newcomb- Doug’s Mother, involved parent, and a contributor to the Olathe Northwest wrestling booster club.

Will Whitaker – Junior wrestler, state runner up at 106 pounds, one of the team leaders.

Coach Mesa- Head coach of the wrestling team, huge role model, wrestled in college.

Coach Rodden- Assistant wrestling coach, former Olathe Northwest wrestler.

Conflict:

These young men put forth every once of energy towards this sport, and it must be fearful to think that all of the hard work won’t pay off.

Climax: Doug placing at a wrestling tournament, or one of the Olathe Northwest wrestlers getting his hand waved after a match.

Plot Diagram:

Every drop of sweat, every painful workout, and every blow of the whistle will capture viewers.

Act 1 will entail the beginning of the week, right after a meet in the end preparing for a new week, as well as winning. I picture a rush of events and then it finally stops and enters with an interview to begin Act 1. It will quickly and surely reel in an audience.

Act 2 will be composed of midweeks work leading to a dual. This is the juice of the story and it will hit viewers hard. It will eventually lead to the dual and the climax will be about reached.

Act 3 will be composed of the actual meet and what Doug Newcomb and every other wrestler had been working towards the whole week.

The film will have all come to this. It will leave the audience with an interview by Doug finally explaining how he truly feels about it all and the hand being raised. The smile from ear to ear, the feeling of sheer satisfaction and then, the story will drop. It will finally meet the end with how the beginning started.

Filming will begin over the upcoming winter break, cutting weight and avoiding holiday meals as part of the sacrifice. The meat of the filming will take place when we return and of course the first the meet or dual back after break.

Analyzing Professionals

After reading this article, Digital Innovation and the Future of Storytelling: A New Golden Age, I realize how creative the entertainment industry really is.  Bill Kanarick, the author of the article, explains the importance of how a storyline is the most important essential when creating a film.

Kanarick mentions how Netflix is currently the most popular channel out there because of the storylines engrained. There may not be any evidence to back that opinion up, but the guy makes a great point. I completely agree with him, because nobody wants to watch a movie or a TV show if it has a poor storyline. People and viewers want to watch something that gives them one of the human appeals. Those include: ethos, pathos and rhetoric. All of which are the purposes for a creating a film.

The other point the writer did a great job focusing on was the growth of technology. Nowadays we can watch films on mobile phones, tablets, televisions, and many other technological portable devices. With that being said, film creators have to redefine storytelling because more and more viewers are needing to be entertained. “While technology is creating opportunities to change the way stories get created, experienced and shared, the story itself has been and always will be what connects us,” he said.

The topic of the article was never brought to my attention before I read it. That means it's not brought up in society and it's not something that's all over the internet. I'm always up to date with what's going on in the outside world, and I've never heard or read anything like this. There is said to be an issue or a controversial topic, but I still have yet to see the author address it. The main things I took out of this article were the importances of creation and storytelling. 

Further reading, I noticed the article is a commentary piece. The author shows little evidence and gives his opinion on technology throughout the whole thing. For some, I'm sure this article is tough to comprehend because of the complex vocabulary, but I think Kanarick got his point across. I truly enjoyed this piece of writing, and I look up to this writer because of his convoluted approach.

Here is the link to the article:
http://www.wired.com/2014/10/digital-innovation-golden-age/

Colin Couch: An Inspiration to all

Colin Couch is one of those people who refuses to throw in the towel. He may have cerebral palsy, but showing heart is the one thing his disease can’t take away from him.

“If you told me you needed me to, I would strap on a helmet and run down the field with you as fast as my broken legs would take me,” Couch said.

After writing a speech to his senior brothers about his incapabilities, the football team shed tears.

“When I read his speech aloud, the team was just in awe. Nobody said a word and Colin definitely earned our respect,” said senior football player Manny Psihountas.

If it’s not obvious already, Colin doesn’t go to the football games to be a spectator. In not only his eyes but also the football teams eyes, Colin Couch is a player.

“We treat him like he’s one of us,” Psihountas said.

Colin has to fight and overcome adversity everyday, but his disease never seems to get the best of him.

“The kid always has a smile on his face. I’ve never seen him down on himself and he’s a huge inspiration to me,” teammate Mitch Holsinger said.

When you choose to feel down on yourself because life isn’t going your way, think about Colin. Think about how much the kid goes through on a day-to-day basis, and think about how he never looses hope.

Below is the exact speech Colin Couch wrote to his teammates:

Dear Olathe Northwest Ravens Football Family,

I am writing this letter to say “Thank You” to ALL of you for allowing me to be your teammate and your friend and to participate in something so unique and special that many of you may not realize it’s impact and importance until many years later. Thanks to the Coaches and Administrators. Thank you to your Parents who have treated me like their own son. It has been my honor and privilege to stand by your side during times of prosperity and times of adversity. Whether you realize it or not, you all have enriched my life in ways that I cannot fully describe. Yes, I said teammate. You all know that a teammate is someone you can rely on and someone who also has YOUR back.  That’s what teammates do. Nobody messes with My Teammates / My Brothers or they will have to deal with me. When you need me, know that I’m there for you. I would take a bullet for each and every one of you. If you told me you needed me to, I would strap on a helmet and run down the field with you as fast as my broken legs would take me. I would hit every person on that field who was wearing a different colored jersey, no matter how much it hurt me because I care that much for my team.  I know I’m never going to be a great athlete like you all are, but nobody would ever try harder. I am not as fast as you all are, but God gave me a big heart and a lot of determination. I would run and continue to run until it killed me. Please remember that when adversity shows up. The day I was born, the doctors at the hospital told my parents that I wouldn’t make it through the night. Well, they were wrong. I fought through it because God gave me the will to survive. As a team we can get through any adversity if we have the will to look at the guy next to you and know that we are going to do more than survive, we are going to thrive! 

If something seems insurmountable, come find me on the sidelines, and look me in the eyes and tell me something is too hard. I guess what I’m saying is, I don’t see obstacles in my life. I see opportunities. I see challenges that need to be overcome but NOTHING will ever be too hard for me because I BELIEVE that I can overcome ANYTHING. If I can do it with my circumstances, so can all of you!! You’re My Teammates, My Brothers, and My Friends and I appreciate every single one of you. SENIORS – We’ve been together since Elementary school and you’ve helped make me who I am. I hope that each of you has taken something away from knowing me and letting me be your teammate.  I hope I have had some impact on you as well. Be there for each other and stand beside each other and with me as we take the field of battle and in life. Family Over Everything! 

Your Teammate, Brother and Friend – 

Colin Couch (Raven for Life) 

The Interview Process

When creating a video that contains a storyline, your interview is the most important part. If you have a good interview with quality sound bites, this will make your life easier when creating the package. If your interviewee is comfortable and you come off as personable, everything will go as planned.

There are several things that will go into a good interview. I created a list to show my personal opinions on which are most important. These tips will include pre-interview, present interview, and post-interview. 

1. Your setup

Your chosen spot for an interview can mean a lot of things. It needs to have some correlation to your story, but it also needs to be quiet. If you're in a public place with a bunch of people, the chances of your interviewee opening up to you are slim. If the setting is quiet and it's just the two of you, then you have a high chance of getting a good interview.

2. Prepare your technology

 Prepare everything that you'll need to conduct an interview. Make sure your camera angle is on point, audio is at the right level, your computer is charged, the lights are in the right spots, and every setting is at its correct degree. This will give your interviewee a sense of importance because you're all ready to proceed without any distractions. If you're messing around with your technology during the interview, then your respondent is likely to be annoyed.

3. Warm Up To Each other

Have you ever met somebody that can open up to a complete stranger? Neither have I. At the start of your interview, ask your person some warm up questions. Ask how their day is going and make yourself seem personable. Hopefully by the end of this step your interviewee is comfortable enough to inform you on additions to your story. Without this step, you may never break the ice with your subject.

4. The Questions Being Asked

Obviously your questions need to be relevant to the story you're trying to tell. If they aren't, then you honestly just wasted your time. Also, the questions you're asking need be at least level two worthy. This means asking your interviewee a non yes or no question. Hopefully the person isn't too shy and gives you soundbites other than "Yes" or "No". The yes and no answers are the hardest to incorporate in your story... their essentially a journalists nightmare.

5. Following up

After a couple weeks go by, try and get in touch with your respondent. It shows them that you actually care about what's going on in their life, and it also makes you seem amiable. You're basically building a relationship with the person, so it's always nice to follow up with your interviewee a couple weeks after the actual interview. Besides, getting to know others is never a bad idea.

ONW Now- Behind The Scenes

After scrambling and trying to come up with a story idea, my partner and I pulled this one out of our back pocket. Nothing too interesting is happening at our school right now, so producing a story this week was tough. Tyler and I like to create stories that make a difference; stories that catch peoples attention. By showing others how much preparation goes into our weekly shows, I've been told that this was a great story.

Even though we had two weeks to finish the product above, I feel like the quality of the package is high.We incorporated the 6 shot system, sequencing, and a storyline. All of which are good elements in creating a journalistic package. The camera we chose to use was a canon 60D, and it just so happens to be my personal favorite. The lens captures an HD view and can blur out the background like no other.

The biggest "law or rule" we broke was not having a sit down interview. Obviously we were aware of this, we just wanted to create something distinctive. In my opinion, the stand up interview actually added to the package. The title "behind the scenes" makes the package seem informal, and by not having a formal interview, the stand up made sense to consolidate.

In my works, I enjoy giving off morals. If the story doesn't give people a moral, then what's the point of creating it? Authors incorporate morals into their books and writings, so I feel the need to do the same. Out of everything I have in this life, serving others gives me the loudest sense of joy. The moral I tried to embed in this work was togetherness. I hope I made it somewhat clear.

The 6 Shot System

After critiquing news packages as a class, my teacher taught us the "6 shot system". With this new arrangement, I think that my packages will increase in quality. The system is known to capture a dominant visual story, and help identify the important subjects that are featured in your story. Professional news stations use this B-roll technique in their packages, and it's safe to say that I will incorporate this system into my works as well.

The biggest conclusion I gained from the 6 shot system was sequencing. I discovered how well I can tell a story just by using visual shots. If I were to take out all of the background noise from my packages, my viewers should still be able to tell what my story is about.

1. CU or close up of items- This rule is self explanatory but long story short, your camera angle should be close and in focus of a relevant item that's applicable to your story.
Ex:

2. CU or close up of subjects- This rule allows you to get up close and personal to your interviewee's face or hands. If you can, try and acquire some sort of movement from your subject.
Ex:

3. MS or medium shot- The medium shot angle demands a brief background view along with your subject in action.
Ex:

4. WS or wide shot- The wide shot perspective includes your subject in action as well, but includes more of a background view. This will let your viewer see the big picture.
Ex:

5. OTS or over the shoulder- The camera angle should be placed over your subjects shoulder and should provide a unique shot of your subjects behaviors.
Ex:

6. XWS or extra wide shot- The XWS is close to the medium and wide shot, but it is just bit more extensive than the two. This will capture the entire background and the panning technique is encouraged.
Ex:

Analyze Web vs. TV Stories

Check out these three videos about the same subject: a soccer freestylist. Two were produced for the web (ESPN), and one was produced for a local TV station.

Web


Web #2


TV

My favorite version of the story was definitely web #2. The main reason being was the overall quality and it really informs the viewer on the subjects’ storyline. For example, I really enjoyed how Cowies parents were in the picture during this version. Their interview makes it clear that they're on their daughters’ side and are really supportive of her goals. 

All 3 videos contain B-roll of the character juggling or "free styling", and of course Indie Cowie herself. Seems like she gives good answers to the camera on all three interviews, and all producers made her love for soccer clear. The only difference that's visible from my eyes is the shot variety. The ESPN version contains a GoPro camera angle and I believe that's what makes this version of the story unique. The New York Times version (Web #2), incorporates a longer storyline and what Indies free time entails. The TV form gives a summary of where soccer free styling has taken Indie Cowie. All of which have different angles while going on about the featured story. 


After watching the three versions of this story, I noticed the gap between TV and Web stories. It seems as if web stories contain a higher HD quality, better shots, and an overall better storyline. Most of the stories being shown on TV aren't as long and are expected to be aired in the next few hours. This leads to the creator rushing through the story not thinking about the quality of the all around product. I'm basically saying that Web versions of stories are a lot better than TV versions because of the amounts of time issued. 


I really enjoyed the 6 shot system that was integrated in these video stories. I saw both close up shots, two medium shots, and a great deal of wide shots. I think it'd be really cool to put all 6 shots into a video story of my own. I have only put an average of 4-5 of these shots in my work and that's just because of the time crunch I'm always under. If I could put all 6 of these shots in my next package, then my next story would be considered "textbook" quality.