Zach Wise is currently a multimedia producer for the New York Times. Before going to the Times, he was the senior multimedia producer for the Las Vegas Sun. Before he left the Sun he finished this great multimedia piece on Nevada’s water woes. Great navigation, interactive elements throughout and great reporting are all part of this report. Click on the image above or go to the story, and then read about how Zach put it all together.

2 Week Documentary Workshop in The Mississippi Delta
Start Date:  February 15th, 2009

This 2-week DV workshop is designed for photojournalists who are looking to make the move to videojournalism and the web, new documentary filmmakers who want to launch their careers in web and television documentaries and for those with experience in some aspects of filmmaking that are looking to expand their skill, understanding and mastery of the whole process.  Producers, cinematographers, editors and writers with narrative experience who are considering working in non-fiction filmmaking are also encouraged to enroll.

Students will learn all aspects of the process including the importance of the still image, DV camera, compact lighting methods, field sound, field editing and how to weave the story.  To view an extended version of the course description, visit our website at www.barefootworkshops.org.

Link to last year’s videos:
http://www.barefootworkshops.org/alumni_gallery/MS101(2007)/MS101(2007).html

This is one of many workshops that Barefoot will be running in 2009.  In addition to the Mississippi Delta, check out our website to learn more about our workshops in Africa and how you can participate.

Homepage: www.barefootworkshops.org
Contact: chandler@barefootworkshops.org <mailto:chandler@barefootworkshops.org>
Tuition: $2,250.00 (includes tuition, housing and food)

Past Equipment Sponsors:  Apple, Canon, Tekserve, Bogen, Gitzo, Kata, Tiffen, Sennheiser, Anton Bauer, Lowel, D&M Professional

Barefoot Workshops is a New York City-based not-for-profit 501(c)3, founded by Chandler Griffin in 2004, that offers short, intensive workshops around the world in narrative and documentary filmmaking. We assist organizations and individuals to use media, music and the arts, to accelerate progress and program goals in areas such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, conflict resolution, resettlement, youth empowerment, civil rights, and democracy building. We have worked with partners as diverse as UNESCO, Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, The U.S. State Department and The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), to pioneer new formats and “media templates” that reinforce citizen-led, community-owned solutions to these challenges.

The main goal of Barefoot Workshops is to equip students with the knowledge and confidence to use sophisticated equipment while having a foundation that allows a person to create beautiful images regardless of the tools. At Barefoot, growing and learning as a filmmaker means growing and learning as an individual.

James Nachtwey, one of the greatest living photojournalists today, just released this story as part of an effort to spread the word on XDRTB through TED. For more information go to the XDRTB website.

Here is a link to Canon Global and some great examples of video shot with the new camera. (http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/eos5dm2/02.html#01)

I’ve been reading all the flurry of activity over the new Canon EOS 5D MII that will be available near the end of November. Vincent Laforet, a New York based commercial and editorial photographer, was given a prototype to use for 72 hours. His report and the stills he has been able to show are nothing short of amazing. The video is forthcoming, but from the promise is better than the Red One cinema camera and could change how we are approaching some assignments. The cost is even better, around $2,700 retail. For sound the camera has a mono mic input, but I’m sure BeachTek will have a solution with XLR inputs for the camera at some point. Check out Rob Galbraith’s evaluation with more images of the sensor and inputs. Check out these sample images from Canon Global as well as their specifications and other data on the camera. Here are some sample videos from Canon Global.

The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, the Norwegian government-owned radio and public broadcasting company, has also tested the 5D and has put up its’ analysis of the video on their NRKbeta technology site. Here is an excerpt:

The clips are standard MOV-files that will open directly in QuickTime. We also tried with the latest version of VLC. That worked fine on Mac and not in Windows. In iMovie the clip was imported fine, but converted like any other MPEG4-clip will be in that program. In Final Cut Pro the clips could be dropped right into the program with no conversion. And it was possible to start editing right away. Visually they look better than HDV. Something that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the specifications. HDV is 25 mbit/s MPEG2. The clips from the 5D is 40 mbit/s MPEG4. The H.264 codec used in the 5D is in some conditions regarded roughly 50% better than MPEG2. When you add the bandwidth in the 5D that is nearly twice the bandwidth of HDV you get video footage with less compression artifacts. Hard panning in the clips looks good and it seems like Canon have managed the timing of the shutter very well. It looks like the GOP-structure of the clips are one I-frame for each 15 P-frame. No B-frames. Read more

Here is an excerpt from Canon’s press release:

Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today introduced the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera, the long-awaited successor to Canon’s highly popular EOS 5D, introduced in 2005. Building upon the qualities that made the EOS 5D camera so successful, Canon has coupled the creative power of a full-frame CMOS sensor in a relatively compact and affordable camera body, together with groundbreaking HD video capture that opens the door to a much wider range of imaging possibilities for photographers. Along with the ability to capture full HD video clips at 1920 x 1080 resolution, Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera features a 21.1-megapixel full frame 24 x 36mm CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 imaging processor and significantly lower noise, with an expanded sensitivity range from ISO 50 to ISO 25,600. Read more

The 25 Top Film Festivals For Documentaries

“You’ve just completed your film. Now it’s time to decide which festivals to target. Maybe all along you were planning on Sundance. Hell, you built your entire post-production schedule around the Sundance deadlines! Maybe you get in. Maybe you don’t. Either way, you’re about to make your next festival decision, and another and another. And beyond the big ticket festivals, the ones where acceptance is supposed to be worth its weight in distribution gold, there’s an endless stream of festivals to navigate. Where should your second screening be? Should you wait to hear from Tribeca? And what about that random festival that you’ve never heard of but assures you a great time and a free ride?”

ATTENTION: ALL WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS/MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS

Reel Venus is seeking entries of short films, photography/multimedia slideshow presentations for its 5th Annual showcase which is set to take place October 2,3 & 4 2008.

Reel Venus is an eclectic 3-day showcase of alternative and mainstream film/video shorts (30 minutes or less) photography and multimedia presentations directed/photographed by WOMEN filmmakers, video artists and photographers from the U.S. and abroad. Works must have been completed after July 2007. Go to www.reelvenus.com for more information.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: August 30, 2008 – $20.00.

email: reelvenus.submissions08@gmail.com
phone: 212-714-8375

Melissa Fowler
Reel Venus Film Festival
Founder/Director/Curator

I think the course was well worth it. There were only 4 people in the course learning (2 photogs & 2 editors) and 5 people teaching. The tutors put in as much time as we needed & stayed working with us at night till we all couldn’t stay awake (not an exaggeration.) The time on the course was superbly budgeted – classroom learning was kept to a minimum; it was all about learning-by-doing supplemented by notes you could read in more detail at a later point. I think MediaStorm is doing some of the best multimedia out there, so just picking up their way of doing things was valuable in itself… There’s no correct formula with a lot of stuff, so it’s good to have someone who really knows what they’re doing give you a formula to start with + all their notes on Final Cut Pro settings to use etc which are appropriate for web journalism. I’d read documentary filmmaking, final cut pro, cinematography, film editing, radio production, BBC TV training books in the last year in an effort to try to get up to speed with the skills I might need for the future. This course really pulled it all together for me in a way which made sense & gave me a lot of confidence – not that I know a lot, but that I have a lot to learn & at least I think I’m on the right track for now! Hopefully I’ll be able to get a chance to do some more multimedia in between the day-to-day necessary parts of my job.

From the website: “At War” is a documentary film shot and directed by Scott Kesterson, who spent a year embedded with US forces in Afghanistan. The film is produced and edited by David Leeson, Pulitzer Prize recipient and currently Executive Producer – Video and New Media for The Dallas Morning News. The film is subject-driven storytelling, allowing the truth of the moment to speak in the tradition of ethical still photojournalism. At War explores the timeless nature of war and conflict, and ultimately challenges us to look at ourselves as beings filled with love and hate, fear and courage, passion and chaos.

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From the Barefoot Workshops website:

CONTENT
This 2-week delta workshop is designed for new documentary filmmakers who want to launch their careers in film and television documentaries or for those with experience in some aspects of filmmaking that are looking to expand their skill, understanding and mastery of the whole process. producers, cinematographers, editors and writers with narrative experience who are considering working in non-fiction filmmaking are also encouraged to enroll. This workshop is ideal for working professionals who want to develop important skills, which will allow them to work with other filmmakers.

In this unique workshop, students will explore every aspect of documentary filmmaking. Cinematographer, Chandler Griffin, will help you develop an understanding for the visual structure, style, and production requirements of a wide variety of documentaries along with storytelling and the art of writing and directing. This will include laying a visual foundation by spending many hours exploring how light, composition, and emotion make up the image. Many different lighting techniques and styles will be covered. Chandler will also be covering all editing demos using Final Cut Pro. Using case studies along with student’s ideas, the goal of the course is to provide an intense overview of the art of documentary productions. Every student will learn how to evaluate non-fiction ideas, create their own ideas and develop an understanding of documentary film aesthetics and the storytelling process.<

THE PROGRAM
The workshop meets formally 6 days each week. There will be lectures, screenings, presentations, technical demos, a review and critique of all dailies, supervised editing sessions, discussion of documentaries, and individual meetings with the Chandler. The workshop combines lectures and presentations with supervised and formal instruction in production laboratories (camera, lighting, sound, editing), shooting on location, transcribing, screening and discussion of current and classic documentaries, meetings with visiting filmmakers and written assignments. Students will write and develop proposals for future projects.

PRODUCTION
The workshop will break into groups with each group producing a completed 7 to 10 minute piece shot on digital video and edited with Final Cut Pro. Students will meet and scout their subjects and write treatments and outlines to guide their production. from there they will conduct interviews, tape B-roll and coverage for a sequence, record sound and take their material into post-production. There they will be instructed in creating first an edit on paper, then on the computer, where after assembly into a final edit, they will color correct, mix sound and add titles to their finished work. The projects will encompass the diversity of documentary styles and allow the individual the chance to problem-solve by learning to work as a team.

PRESENTATION
On the last night of the workshops the documentaries will be screened for the community to enjoy. The filmmakers are encouraged to invite family and friends. Because of the full support of The Mississippi Film Commission, documentaries produced with Barefoot Images are automatically accepted for a special screening at the Crossroads International Film & Video Festival in Jackson, Mississippi, and students are encouraged to submit to other festivals around the world.

Chandler Griffin/Barefoot Workshops
917-385-9343
chandler@barefootworkshops.com
Brooke Bassin/Barefoot Workshops
Brooke.bassin@barefootworkshops.org

I just got back from Dallas after interviewing David Leeson at the Dallas Morning News. David is always inspirational and I’m so pleased he has agreed to be part of my research and documentary. He is currently working on his film “At War” with Scott Kesterson and teaching video to photojournalists at the paper. Earlier in the week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Eli Reed and interviewing him as well. Eli is teaching at the University of Texas Austin and is also working on a documentary. And just a few weeks ago I was able to interview Billy Calzada at the San Antonio Express News. Billy is at the forefront of the changes going on in photojournalism today and, like all of us, is struggling with adapting to this new way of telling stories.

A thread that has been consistent from each person is that multimedia is here to stay. That it is time to get over the battle that has raged over whether it is a good thing or not. The people we are trying to reach with our stories are using this technology and we need to adapt to this trend. It doesn’t mean that we abandon anything about who we are as storytellers. If anything, multimedia gives our stories tremendous depth and allows us to explore issues in greater detail. Technology, whether a still camera or a video camera, is just that, technology. It is what we do with that tool to tell compelling stories that is most important.

Technology has always been there. For the past thirty years we have made tremendous leaps forward in what our equipment can do and how we distribute the news. The constant is our ability tell stories in a way that grabs the reader by the throat and doesn’t let go. Video does not change that.

At War is a documentary film shot and directed by Scott Kesterson, who spent a year embedded with US forces in Afghanistan. The film is produced and edited by David Leeson, Pulitzer Prize recipient and currently Executive Producer – Video and New Media for The Dallas Morning News. The film is subject-driven storytelling, allowing the truth of the moment to speak in the tradition of ethical still photojournalism. It explores the timeless nature of war and conflict, and ultimately challenges us to look at ourselves as beings filled with love and hate, fear and courage, passion and chaos.

Great article this month in Digital Photo Pro Magazine by Harlon Mitchell on photojournalist Ed Kashi and his take on the changes in multimedia today.

Photojournalism Now
For freelance photojournalists, these are chaotic times. But in chaos there’s opportunity if you have the daring to go for it.
By Harlon Mitchell

The age of traditional freelance photojournalism is no more. Newspaper and magazine markets are shrinking. Editorial budgets are at an all-time low. Assignments and opportunities have decreased dramatically, even for the top-tier photographers. The glory days of months-long assignments with large advances and a big chunk of magazine space waiting at the end of the job are gone, too. In these changing times, freelance photojournalists can still make a living and fulfill the calling to get the story out by adapting to a new paradigm. Publishing content in cyberspace is the future of media across the board. Everyone is going to the Web. To flourish in this new marketplace, it’s time to develop some new skills. By learning to tell stories in a different way, with a variety of media beyond still photography, you’ll be positioning yourself well. - more

Now on the MediaStorm site: Photojournalist Brenda Ann Kenneally, originally on assignment for The New York Times Magazine, documents the seemingly endless struggles some families face as they set about Finding the Way Home: Two Years After Katrina.

I want to talk first about the recent presentation made by Pauline Lubens at the Women in Photojournalism conference in Austin a few weeks ago. To me, Pauline had the most compelling story to tell about the changes we are facing and its relevance to her current documentary work.

Pauline has been a staff photographer for the San Jose Mercury News since 2000. She was at the Detroit Free Press for seventeen years before that. Pauline has covered the war in Iraq twice, focusing on the impact of the war on Iraqi civilians. She was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist twice — in 1991 for a team entry documenting the U.S. visit of South African leader Nelson Mandela and in 2004 for a team entry covering the California Recall election.

Pauline started off her presentation with a comparison of old and new ways of presenting stories. A picture of gaffer-tapped black boards with prints mounted to them flashed up on the screen and she made the point that this was only a few years ago and that, “Now three years later, the evolutionary arc has shot straight up vertical.”

After starting to use sound with her photography presentations a few years ago she now feels that the element that has been missing from her previous work (sound) has now become integral to the way she tells stories. However, she said that the one thing that hasn’t changed, even though we do audio, video, we have new gadgets, and new presentation platforms, is great storytelling.

“It can be pretty daunting, but for me the key is still about storytelling. My approach hasn’t changed, how I do stories, how I get access hasn’t changed. How I think about my approach for what tools I’m going to use has changed,” she said.

She said that some people in photojournalism are wedded to their identities and feel that, “I’m a still photographer, I don’t shoot video, I wasn’t hired to record audio or do interviews.” Pauline is always surprised by statements like that. She says that she feels completely rejuvenated by doing multimedia.

“I’m 51-years-old and I feel like a kid again. That’s good news and bad news. I feel more energized about work than I have in along time. Everything seems really new and I also get to be a workaholic again. I feel like I have a whole lot to learn and it has been very exciting. It is a creative feast. But it can be really scary,” she said.

Pauline said that for her multimedia has given her new elements that she can add to her stories that give them greater depth. “Not only can I put a human face on stories that I have a passion to tell I can give them a human voice as well.” However, despite all the changes with multimedia Pauline hasn’t strayed far from her roots. Most of her work still contains about 70 percent stills and 30 percent video—only shooting video when it’s called for. One of the things she loves about multimedia is the control she is able to exercise over her work.

“Photographers are always complaining that we don’t have control over how our pictures get used. Well, I get to do it all myself and I don’t play well with other children,” she joked. Pauline’s latest story on U.S. Army Sgt. Frank Sandoval titled “Frank’s Fight” had a profound effect on everyone in the room. (A shout out to Richard Koci Hernandez as well who did much of the technical work on the site). It is the story of an Army survivor of a roadside bomb attack in Iraq who had severe brain trauma and his personal and family struggles to regain his life. The story took a recent tragic turn when Frank Sandoval passed away after another surgery to repair his battered body.

The story had a tremendous personal impact on Pauline—and everyone in the audience. The story is powerful and shows the ability of stills, video and sound to bring greater depth to our storytelling capabilities.

“Multimedia is a wonderful evolving thing. Photojournalists for the first time are taking the lead. What we are doing for the web now is visually driven. This is a very interesting time and I encourage you to take the lead, take control, and take the leap into it,” Pauline concluded.

One of the more interesting parts that I drew from Pauline’s talk and her work was the power that we have as visual storytellers. One of the most talked about directions and benchmarks for our new work in multimedia is to emulate the television news model with a few tweaks. To use shorter pieces and cover more breaking news to cater to an audience that has a short attention span.

I disagree. I feel we should be going more toward the documentary filmmaking model. To create longer more in-depth pieces like Pauline’s that use a combination of video and stills to tell a story that develops over time and explores the human condition. There will always be a need for the shorter pieces, but many of them could easily be told with a few still images and audio. However, it’s the long form documentary that has the power to hold a person’s attention and keep them watching until the end. My ten cents worth of opinion but you’ll probably see more stories here that help us to explore this issue in greater depth.

I’ll post a second piece on the workshop as soon as time and work constraints permit.

The Cutting Edge IX: The Order of the Edit
Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee
September 8th 2007

Less than a 2 weeks before the Cutting Edge IX: Order of the Edit, the annual NPPA workshop with an emphasis in editing, lands in Nashville Tennessee. Belmont University ‘s New Century Journalism Program has graciously offered the Bunch Multimedia Hall, 2nd Floor Library, as the location for the seminar. It will be a place to gather, to learn, to meet fellow journalists and to listen to The Cutting Edge Faculty of Matt Rafferty, Lou Davis and Shawn Montano as they discuss: The Art of Natural Sound, Opening and Closing Shots, Keeping Your Editing Sharp and Separating Yourself from the Group. Matt, Shawn and Lou will bring insight to each topic. The seminar will kick off with a meet and greet Friday night, September 7th. Then on Saturday we start the seminar at 8am and go to 9pm. Critique sessions will be offered throughout the day. There will be a 2 hour lunch in which there will be breakout sessions. Our host hotel is The Courtyard Nashville Marriott, 2508 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville TN 37214 Call 615-883-9500 by August 17th and ask for NPPA Room Block rate of $90.00. For more information contact Shawn Montano, Director of The Cutting Edge, at shawnmontano@gmail.com.
You can also read more about the seminar at: http://nppa.org/professional_development/workshops_and_seminars/cutting_edge/

and check out the Cutting Edge blog at: http://cuttingedgeix.bloggerarea.com/