How To Shoot Safe In The Time of Covid-19

Posted April 14, 2020

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There is no quetion that these are dangerous times for TV and video journalists.

While print and radio journalists can work at home, the TV journalist has to go to where the story is.

If you are working for a network and you have a crew and millions of dollars for sound people with boom mics and camera people with long lenses, you are relatively, but not completely safe.

if, however, you are an MMJ or a VJ or working MoJo, you are in danger.

And even if you keep to a safe distance, and work with selfie sticks, it's still dangerous.

Keep away from the subject, but you stil have to be on a location, at their home, in their office, or in the ER.  There are surface areas. There are dangers all around.

What can you do to stay safe?

I have another idea entirely, but it is a bit radical

Let the subject shoot that part of the story that takes place on location.

And why not?

Everyone has an iPhone or a smart phone, and that's all it takes.

That and a bit of instruction.

Here's an example of how this works.

Spectrum1 MMJ Itay Hod (LA) produced this entire story without leaving home.

I call this Hybrid Journalism

And I think it is going to not only work, but also outlive the virus.

If you are interested in taking a crack at this yourself, get in touch and I am happy to explain all.