EmailThis week we are in Brussels, Belgium running one of our bootcamps for newspaper journalists. We have been working in Belgium for over a decade and have seen the technology come a long way in that time. In just a decade we have gone from small HD cameras and edit softwares on laptops, to now doing everything on a smartphone.
Smartphones have revolutionized the way we produce and consume video. Every phone has become a node of production capable of broadcast quality content, that in turn will be consumed on a phone.
For the very first time, the journalist has all that they need in terms of gear with them all the time. They never have to worry about, ‘where is the camera? Did you bring it?) and so they are free to produce stories anywhere, any time.
Newspaper journalists make often make a great conversion to video journalism, as they already know how to find and report a story. They are also used to working along. The idea that a newspaper reporter would take a ‘crew’ along with them (or a ‘professional’ to ‘hold the pencil’), is, of course, insane. And so is the idea that you need an extra pair of hands to ‘hold the camera’.
The astonishing thing that we always see at these bootcamps is the ability of someone who has never shot video before to make a compelling story on their first or second attempt. You can do this too. If you have a smartphone you already have the tools you need, now you just need a little instruction. Fortunately you are here at TheVJ.com.
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.