EmailNiki Griswold is an MMJ with Spectrum News 1 in Texas.
Last week she took one of our week long virtual video storytelling bootcamps and shot a lovely story about two professional ballet dancers in Austin who are coping with the Covid lockdown.
They are continuing to dance, but in their small apartment - with their dog.
The story is great, as are the visuals - all shot with an iPhone, as usual.
Take a look at the pointing on toes!
BUT - small differences in editing and pacing can make an enormous difference in the story.
Take a look at the two versions here.
In the first, the narrative is breathless and unrelenting - a problem we often find in local TV news stories. It's the Breaking News! mentality.
Now take a look at the recut.
Notice how she lets the story breathe.
So much better.
Featured Courses
Recent Posts
The Uber-ization of Content
May 26, 2023
The world of television before cable had been limited to 3 networks and a handful of local TV stations. But the advent of cable meant that suddenly there were 60, 70 soon to be 100 or more new channels. And all of those channels needed content. But where were they going to get it from? A huge market for content had just opened up.
What TV News Can Learn From Netflix
May 22, 2023
Q: What do TV news and Netflix have in common? A: They both appear on the same screen. They both tell stories.
No News is Bad News
May 15, 2023
This morning, I went out early to buy my copy of the weekend FT — a great newspaper, by the way. I was a bit surprised to see that my regular newsstand, on 6th Avenue and 55th Street, had exactly 3 newspapers for sale — one copy of Baron’s and two copies of The New York Post. That was it. No FT, no NY Times, no Washington Post, no… nothing.