JEM 222

Working with video/audio onlineVoice Overs

Sept. 30, 2008

How audio is used online

Audio slide show continuously in the background with

photos timed and changing throughout In synch with photos and they change

together - Interview Video

Voice over (VO) Background noises or "Natural sound"

(Nat sound) Reporter stand up

Audio online cont.

Audio link Police recording or 9-11 tape Song or MP3 Interesting interview, something that

makes you want to click on it Note: Do not use boring science guy

chatting away as an audio link. It has to be worth the click!

Audio equipment

Digital audio recorder Headphones - use 'em! Microphones - lavalier (interview),

stick mic (wind, outside) Rule of thumb: Any mic is better

than no mic!

VO Definition

VO = Voice Over Read by “anchor” Video can incorporate:

Full-screen graphic B-roll

Short! :20,:30, 1:30

VO/SOT Definition

Voice Over/Sound on Tape Usual order:

“Anchor” intro Sound bite “Anchor” ends on camera

When to use VOs

When the sound bytes (quote) don’t add to the story

No real "issue" (need for two sides) Limited interesting information from the

scene of the story Add context or explanation When the audio is unintelligible or the

person stutters and stammers We never want to purposefully make someone

sound stupid. Some people are bad quotes

VO/SOT Examples

UT honors Military Alumni (TNJN.com) Area competitors head to Lawrence for Horse S

how (Sunflower Channel 6, Lawrence, KS) How safe is the new Highly Enriched Uranium

Materials Facility?

Tips/things to watch out for

Natural sound (“Nat sound”) = good Background noise

echo from recording in small room hum of the air conditioner background chatter in a noisy

environment Standing too near a speaker –

especially when recording a band or music

Audio tips cont.

ALWAYS use a microphone and headphones

Direct the microphone at your subject and isolate them if it’s a noisy area

Capture the natural sound from the environment Dogs barking – Mardi Growl Parade Fans cheering – Super Bowl stories Police sirens and sounds – crime scene stories

Video Terminology

B-roll: Action video used to illustrate what’s being said in the audio track of a video story.

A-roll: Audio captured (can be interviewee talking, nat sound, etc.)

Nat sound: Any sound occurring naturally in the background. Helps setup the scene.

Stand-up: Reporter on camera

Voice

Energy Urgency Authority Sensitivity

Video equipment

Video camera Tripod Tapes and batteries Headphones Microphones - lavalier, stick mic USB cord, firewire cable Notepad and pen

Prep-Work

Batteries charged Camera, tripod, mic packed Headphones White sheet of paper (for white

balance) Notepad

Must-get Shots

Set up of scene - usually wide or two shot

Over the shoulder of reporter while interviewing

Two shot of reporter and interviewee

*Use these as cutaways

Must-get shots cont.

Get 10 seconds of steady b-roll Four types of b-roll shots

“Wide shot” is the establishing shot “Medium shot” shows a person from

the waist up “Close-up shot” is just the person’s

face, a sign on a building, a flower “Extremely close-up” can be someone

drawing or their hand playing an instrument

Shooting tips

Never zoom in and out or “pan” Be aware of background noises and other

contributors of bad sound Avoid back-lighting, which is when a

bright source of light is behind your subject and makes the subject look like a shadow.

Do not interrupt the interviewee - Ask your question and stay quiet Stick to 10 seconds of every b-roll shot and you’ll avoid getting b-roll that is too short to use Get close for better visuals/audio

Shooting tips cont.

Avoid “shaky-cam syndrome” and keep cam steady

Make sure your subject is not too complex to be told in video

Avoid shooting and walking – this contributes to “shaky-cam syndrome” and makes it likely you’ll be shooting the back of something

Frame your subject correctly Get interview separate from b-roll

B-roll

#1 thing to remember - there’s never enough. Strive for varies shots and lots of them.

Talking heads - boring Once you’ve established a shot of

person being interviewed, cover with video

Sound

Use natural sound (nat sound) when you can - esp. to lead into a clip or end

Make sure it’s not peaking - you can always increase volume

Use stick mic outside (better with wind)

Use lavalier for interviews

Tips after Shoot

Ingest video as soon as possible Log your video so you know what

time on tape shots are Think about the story you want to

tell with words and visuals

Scripts

Write in present tense Put pauses in (…) to help you remember

to stop and pause Write to video Touch and go Conversational Spell out numbers 1-11 Read aloud the copy and time yourself

ahead of time

Scripts, cont.

Clear, simple, short sentences Avoid clauses: (who, which, that) Action verbs Still attribute information where

needed

Editing Tips

Leave second of padding at beginning and about 10 at end

End on a static shot - not a moving one

First and last shots should be your best

Don’t confuse viewer - jump cuts

For Thursday’s in-class video assignment:

Split into pairs or groups Get a video camera from the school

library or JEM office Charge your camera Have batteries and mini DV tape Bring complete camera kit to class,

including all cords Bring headphones