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. 

Q&A with Manny Psihountas

As a high school football player, Manny Psihountas is not only a captain, he's also a standout athlete in the Sunflower League. After being recognized for one of the best receivers in Olathe, Psihountas is determined to make his team better.

The Olathe Northwest Ravens are 2-2 as of right now. The goal is to make the playoffs, and maybe even the state tournament. Lets hope that the rest of the season goes as planned and Psihountas can lead the way to a victorious season.

How do you think the Olathe Northwest football team has been performing this year?

We are clearly better than we have been in the past, but we need to develop a consistency. Performance is all about the preparation. Our practices are pretty consistent I'd say, but we need to be more focused and more tuned in during pre-game.

How close are the seniors that are on the football team?

We're definitely brothers. We've been playing together since 3rd grade and I really feel like we take the team under our wings.

What do the seniors do outside of football as a team?

We have breakfast on game days, go out to dinner through the week, and this Friday we're going to see the movie "When The Game Stands Tall". Coach Sherman thinks it's a great movie for us to experience as a team, and I really feel like it'll make us that much closer.

How do you think you're doing as an individual?

I would like to say that I'm not perfect. I've dropped a few balls, but I'll always give maximum effort. I'll always do what I can to advance the play and lead the team.

What is your goal to finish out the season individually?

As of right now I don't have any personal goals. As an individual I want to do my part in helping the team advance, and I want to make my senior year count.

What is your goal to finish out the season as a team?

The main goal is to go as far as we can. If that means making it to the playoffs or leaving everything we've got on the field then so be it.

Do you have anything to say about Kansas journalist's calling the ravens the "olathe rag dolls"?

I obviously don't believe it now, but in the past he's not lying. We've only beat Olathe North twice in the history of this school and have yet to beat Olathe East and South. I believe in my heart that this year we will not be the Olathe ragdoll.

How are you guys different from other senior classes?

The biggest difference is that we are not worried about our individual stats. The last senior class focused on how many touchdowns, interceptions, and tackles they had. This year we are out on the field to play as a team and do the best we can.

Is there anything else you'd like to add about the team?

Yes, I would say we have a lot of interesting characters this year. I have good teammates not only on the field, but off the field too. We have great leadership and we push each other to get better everyday.