Hoosier State Press Association - The Indiana Publisher
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/626803
Page 6 January 14, 2016 W e talk about apps and frames, quick tosocial and betweencasts. And we talk about when we should and shouldn't use mobile devices for journalism. Well, let's stop talking about application and talk for a few minutes about execu tion. Let's go back to basics with a few mobile journalism tips to make your life easier, regardless of the equipment you're using. The inspiration here is the number of outlets that are having reporters shoot video on phones and the resulting number of videos that are painful to watch. First basic Hold the phone sideways. You want video that fills up the 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio of the device your audience is using to watch your video. Portrait (that is, vertical) video doesn't work except in limited circumstances such as SnapChat and the startup VerVid's site. Will we eventually go to more vertical video and be less annoyed with it? Yes. But as long as TVs are rect angles, narrow upanddown video with black bars or gen erator graphics around them are going to be ugly. Besides, video is about immersion and showing, not telling; you should use every inch of the screen that you can. Second basic Put the phone in airplane mode. This sounds simple, and yet many videos are marred by the ding or vibra tion of incoming mail, text or calls. This obviously makes a dif ference when you're recording audio, but the phone's vibra tion can jar video, too. Third basic Remember the microphones really aren't that great. The fact that we can record on a phone is pretty impressive in itself, but the microphones aren't professional quality. They tend to be in the wrong place, and they pick up everything in the room because they're omnidirec tional. And because the micro phones are in the phone case, they're susceptible to han dling noise. So take a few common sense precautions: • Make sure the micro- phone is pointed directly at the sound source you want to record. If you're recording audio on the iPhone, that means pointing the bottom of the phone at whatever you want to record. If you're recording video, the rear microphone is located right next to the camera lens. Android phones vary, but a quick Google search should get you an answer. • Get close. If you're shooting video without a supplementary lens, you'll want to be within about 3 feet of your subject anyway. Be as close as you can without freaking out the person. And make sure there's min imal noise between you and them, since the mic will pick it up. Block the wind with your body, for example. • Don't cuddle the phone in your hand. The proper way to hold a microphone is three fin gertips on one side and the thumb tip on the opposite side. It keeps the movement of your hand from being transmitted through the mic body. It's the same thing with your phone, which is even more prone to handling noise when you have a case on it. Hold the phone like an egg; watch the sound quality go up. Fourth basic Pay attention to light. This is a basic rule for all pho tography and videography, but the sensor size on mobile phones is small enough that it intensifies the exposure gap between light and dark much more than would a DSLR or mirrorless camera. A few commonsense pre cautions will make shooting mobile easier: • Be aware of where the strongest light is, and don't be opposite from it. Think of a halfcircle extend ing from your shoulders to behind you. If the strongest light source in the room is along that 180degree arc, you'll be fine. Shooting outdoors? If you can feel the sun on your back, you're in the right shooting position. • Don't be afraid to posi- tion people for lighting purposes if you have to. We could go into a whole thing on how to fake a three point lighting set up out in the field, but you don't want to read that. Remember this: The strongest light should be facing the interview sub ject, the secondstrongest light should be from the side and the third strongest should be from behind. Want welllit interviews while inside? Bring your interview subject toward a window and have him or her face it. Then stand in front of them, offset about 20 to 30 degrees. Natural light will fill their face, your phone's sensor will be happy, life will be grand. Fifth basic Stabilize to the extent you can. Because we're not talk ing about mobile kits here, let's assume all you have to stabilize your phonethat weighslessthanasandwich is your body. Since you're holding the phone horizontally (right?), you should have a thumb and forefinger on either end of the phone. Tuck your elbows into your body. That'll provide some stability. Try and shoot lean ing up against a wall. If there are no walls, make yourself stable by placing your feet shoulder width apart with the back of your dominant foot about 12 inch es ahead of the toe of your back foot. None of these tips are rocket science. They just bear repeating. We can connect $1,500 of lenses, frames and sound equipment to our mobile equipment. But if it's narrow video or video with audio that's unbearably soft or has weird "you've got mail" sounds in the middle of it, all we will have done is annoy the audi ence. Take five: mobile journalism tips Reynolds Journalism Institute report When recording video with your phone, don't cuddle the device in your hand. Hold it delicately for improved sound quality. So you think you know Indiana? Layouts provided! Your staff can just place it on the page. Text and photos supplied if you prefer local layouts. Mark Indiana's bicentennial in your newspaper with a free 15-part series from HSPA Foundation Watch your email for download information later this month