13 Dec Marinka Gamtsemlidze- Critical explication
Marinka Gamtsemlidze – Critical Explication
For my critical explication essay, I decided to analyze the YouTube broadcast on November 29th by Journalism London. I was assigned the role of a social bulletin editor for the programme and a reporter for a VT package.
To produce a VT package about the film “Blue Story”, my group and I visited the Cineworld cinema in Piccadilly Circus in order to get vox pops and interviews from people who attended the screening.
I think this broadcast segment is a good example for the discussion, as it demonstrates the technical difficulties, we faced during creating the VT package. The main issues during the taping were camera skills, audio quality, and location.
The knowledge and skills we gained during the class gave us an understanding of how to divide the roles and work together in the newsroom to produce interesting content for students of LSBU.
The main challenge we experienced was the sound when using the radio mic. During the segment, the reporter was standing near the camera, and her voice was clear and easily understood. But the voices of the respondents are fuzzy. Even though the audio is in sync with the video, it is a little shaky and disrupted by the background noise, which makes feedback hard to hear.
I believe the main reason for the audio fuzziness was incorrect signal and frequency. We were not able to identify the problem on time and adjust the signal appropriately to get a clear sound. The overcrowded Piccadilly Circus made it very difficult to check the sound even with headphones. Also, not many people agreed to provide their feedback on “Blue Story”, because of the controversy surrounding the film. By the time we identified the issue with the audio, it was too late to return to the location and re-shoot the segment.
Audio is one of the most important parts of the VT package and it is vital to ensure the audio quality during the recording. We could have avoided audio related issues by creating a quiet environment and setting up the microphone correctly. For future segments, it is better to check the audio after each respondent to make sure that the voice is clear and background noise is not too loud. It would also be helpful to review the whole recording on the spot, before leaving the location. In this manner, we can identify the audio-video related issues and re-shoot the segment if necessary. If the audio does not have a high quality, we can still modify it and fix with the help of software such as “Adobe Audition” or “Adobe Premiere”. However, it is always good to prevent audio problems, since fixing them after recording is much more problematic and time-consuming.
I will now discuss the video production skills shown in the VT package. Overall, l the interview was well recorded and handled. The respondent had an interesting opinion and feedback on the movie. In addition, the whole segment is shot in a high quality and vox pops are recorded from two different angles.
One of the major mistakes during video recording was not noticing the cable in the lower right corner of the frame. We were not able to detect the cable during the shooting and could not zoom in the video post-production, as it would significantly reduce the frame and leave out the main subject of the video. Another issue we faced was a miscommunication with the respondents. They were looking around during the vox pops, instead of looking at the reporter.
One way to avoid the issues during video production was to pay attention to details and make sure unwanted objects are not in the frame. In the future, it is better to plan ahead and double-check all the equipment before starting the interview or a vox pop. It is important to have enough time to place the tripod and set up the camera, including deciding on how we want to frame the shot and adjusting focus/white balance, frame size, etc.
The respondents were looking around because they did not have clear instructions from the reporter. As a reporter, it was my job to communicate with the respondents and give them directions on where to look during the vox pop. In the future, I would ensure they have clear instructions and will focus on the reporter during the whole shoot.
Another issue worth discussing is the location for our VT package. We decided to record and interview people in front of the Cineworld cinema at the Piccadilly circus. At first, this seemed like a good idea, since we could get feedback from people right after they saw the movie. However, we did not realize that the background of the shot could distract the viewers from the main subject. The lights of the cinema were too flashy and people walking can easily result in the audience shifting their attention to the background.
Choosing a shooting location is very important, as it helps us deliver our story. To select the right locations, we need to envision the final video and set the scene without distractions. It is ideal to have some control over our surroundings when shooting the video, so that we can adjust the light and audio to capture only the sounds we want to hear. Although, we should try to reduce distractions to keep the audience focused on the programme, choosing a relevant background plays a huge role, as it sets the scene and helps with the narrative.
Overall, the main takeaway for me is to pay attention to details. It concerns not only the reporting aspect of production, but video and the audio recording as well. There are many aspects that need to be checked before starting the shoot. Although, I had carefully planned the interview and vox pops, the incorrect setup of audio signal and frequency significantly diminished the quality of the video. The VT package helped me realize that I need to keep working on my technical skills, especially when it comes to the audio recording. It is also beneficial to visualize shooting scenes in advance, consider all challenges production team might face and ensure we have the right equipment to overcome these challenges.
