Awkward Assumptions And Mistaken Sexuality

If you ever played a fighting game and thought to yourself "Ya know what this game needs more of? Immortal Cat Girls who can dismember their body parts at will and use them as weapons" 

First I shall say, that is incredibly specific and secondly, come check out my players guide to such a character from the cast of the indie-fighter Skullgirls!

Thoughts and observations: Slash and Burn

I didn't go into college with the aim of being a journalist. My major was English. I read all the classics: Shakespeare, Dickens, Sinclair. My writing was largely influenced by their huge sweeping prose. When I wrote, my hands flew all over the keys like a drug-addled bird. Word count? What is that? Run-on sentences? I'll put whatever I want for however long I want! I was mad with power. 

Then I started writing for my college's newspaper. I still remember the first article I sent to the editor. He took it and in about fifteen minutes, I got it back with a over half of the damned thing covered in red ink. Whole grafs wiped out. Sentences, cut off at the knees. 

But after the initial shock and gnashing of teeth, I realized something -- the article got a lot better.

The reading followed that same discipline to a greater degree. What was most fascinating, was the sheer amount of information she had. Mountains of notebooks, notes, interviews, research, and more transcripts I could barely fathom. Amassing such a trove of information is both inspiring and absolutely horrifying when you realize you actually have to make sense of all that stuff afterwards. 

A lesson in organization is a key method for any journalist. Not only does it help make things easier to sort, but also subconsciously sorts it all out in your head. Slowly but surely, it all comes down to the twofold "about." What is the story about? and what is the story really about. Anything you include, anything you write or fashion should be towards making that core of the story come to light. Anything that impedes that light you must ruthlessly cut away. Show no mercy to fluff or extra wordage. 

Your writing will be the better for it. 

Weekend Update

Well, after a bit of a rough start of lacking interview subjects, my partner and I finally nailed our first (of now many) interviews! Our first subject was Domenick Cimino, an Afghanistan war vet who did two tours. He was pretty open and candid about his time there and especially about how it felt like to be back home after being gone for so long.

Overall, with this being our first time working on a video, I was pretty satisfied with it. My only gripes are the jump cut in the middle and possibly could put up more of a dynamic background next time. But as far as first forays into video recording and video editing go, not too shabby.

We got another set of interviews slated for this week and we just wrapped up the rough footage of our second subject Jonathon Shay, a leading researcher in the field of Post Traumatic Stress in soldiers and its effects. He was a definite font of information and the whole interview took two battery packs and two memory cards to complete. All in all, we got a lot to work with. 

Developing Ideas: Notes & Observations

To be honest, I was never one for public affairs or even public speaking. The very thought of it filled me with such dread. That is why I liked writing so much, the words on the page would speak for me, and I was safe to sit aside far and away from the crowd. And now, oddly enough, I'm working to be a journalist. A job where one of its primary tenants is talking to strangers. But here I am, and here we are. 

I took to print over broadcast because for much of the same reasons. The words would speak for me and I was protected from the eyes of the camera and the viewers. However, using video and images also afford certain strengths that words cannot express. A poignant interview or video package can form a development far more striking than lone words can convey at times. So using them together can create very powerful journalism.

In the reading Developing Ideas, the focus was on forming a focus for documentary film making. However, the core ideals can still resonate with developing a video piece. Aside from the technical things like "B roll" (footage to keep the scene rolling along), it also gave some nuggets of advice that really stuck with me. 

The Idea is only the Catalyst

You must keep a curious mind, a sharp eye, and a listening ear to the world around you. The thing that may trigger within you a thought or idea may come from the most infinitesimal thing. Many times "[the] inspiration...can come from anywhere" (pg. 7). 

Taking it Beyond Curiosity

Be prepared to watch your initial idea change and shift right before your eyes as you develop it. Sometimes it's because of what a subject said or did, a certain fact you discovered, or your present idea just isn't working out as you wanted it to. There is a chance that your focus can morph into something utterly unrecognizable. The key is to be adaptive to any change. Stubbornness is the killer.

Do you have a Passion for the Topic?

A professor of mine once said in order to grasp something you're working on you have to "go to school on it." In order to better understand the subject you're working, you must be willing to do the research, the homework, the interviews to really get it down. But in order to do that with any quantum of effectiveness you have the desire to dive right into it and dig deep into the foundations of your topic. You must "...assess how deeply this topic touches you" (pg. 7).

Thoughts and Musings: Aim for the Heart

The primary thing I took away with me through these readings is the facet of writing and reporting, at least the good ones, is that they all "aim for the heart" of the audience. As mentioned in my last post, if one is able to resonate with the audience on an emotional level, that story will sink deeper into their consciousness. For another theme repeated throughout the segments is that people remember what they feel a whole lot longer than what they knew. 

So, in order to achieve this, the first thing the reporter has to do when working on a project is attain an understanding of the two-levels of "what's the story about?"

As my professor Ted Gup would always drill into us, every article that's written has two meanings when you ask what the story is about: the first is the basic overview, the spark-notes of the piece. Meanwhile the second, deeper definition concerns itself with what the story truly represents, what moral or theme is it trying to convey? For example a story of a boy playing adopting a stray at first is just about a boy and his dog. The second level could be about the bonds between man and animal, or the dangers of overpopulation among pets, .etc

To get to this core meaning, you're gonna have to work at it through interviews and research.

When interviewing a subject, being a good listener is ESSENTIAL. The goal of any interview is to try and get the subject to be as comfortable and trusting around you as possible. To make them open up to you is the first and hardest step of any interview. Sometimes, the person is open and talkative, others are as tight as a clam shell. Regardless, if you can establish that intimacy, it will make the whole process a whole lot easier for yourself.

If the subject thinks you don't care, or believes you see them only as a font of information and not a human being, they can and will shut down before you. And at that point, trying to get anything out of them is like trying to ice skate uphill.

Getting to the second level of About, comes from good interviews. And you cannot have a good interview without good characters. The people you choose and the things they say that you include are the lifeblood of the piece. Any good story has good characters that bring the color to it. Finding the right subject and asking the right questions are a two-fold skill to have in the field. 

In terms of interviewing practices the central lesson is "less is more."

When talking to people, approach with an naive air. Ask a lot of questions to break through the jargon and get to the core of what they're saying. Ask basic open ended questions, it's up to the interviewee to fill in the silence. Make them work for it a bit. And when it comes to the tough questions, don't be afraid to ask them. Lastly, ask ONE question at a time. Keeping a tight and focused reign on your thoughts and questions leads to a simple path and less of a chance for your subject to dodge the question.

(Belated) Weekend Update: Beginning of the End

Everything is coming together for us this coming week. But also everything is drawing to a huge close. It's sort of like the ships in Star Trek being pulled into the black hole and there's nothing that can be done to escape its pull. 

That's what the end of the semester feels like. 

The video piece is well on its way and should be wrapped up in the next day or two. In addition, the article is also coming along. In time, it should all come together. 

I think the key is to make sure you manage the time you have. Putting things off will not solve anything. Because no matter what you may think or want, those deadlines will still be on their way. So just do yourself a favor and get your stuff done!

Thoughts and Observations: Kramer vs. Tompkins (vs. Kramer)

The readings from the last few sessions of Tompkins and Kramer really worked well together for me. 

Essentially in chapters 9-12 of Aim for the Heart the importance of B roll and variety of shots became the tantamount elements for video journalism and when doing interviews. Images can add so much more to a news report or feature piece than words alone. Plus, having different shots and angles gives the viewer a greater sense of the world you are introducing them to.

When doing the interview, try to display the items and activities that help describe who the subject is. This can also be provided in the B roll. The support video showing action and movement to liven up the piece. This B roll can be hobbies or activities, sights and sounds, or even just some busy work. Over all the sense of the person must be best portrayed throughout. 

This all segways rather handily into Kramer's section. The focus was primarily on how to set up the frame work for a story. Organization is key for any writing job - be it a hard news lede or grand magazine article. Setting up that rough skeleton is key to a good body of work. Secondly, don't think that your first draft is going to be gold from the start. There is always going to be something to tweak, something to tighten, something to add or take away.

The central thing to bear in mind so you don't become obsessive over it is that you're out there to make the best thing you can in the time you have. If you can honestly say that, then you've done a damned good job. 

A Journalist's Progress: Vid Interview (part deux)

This past Friday marked a couple major advancements for our project. We finally nabbed our second interview session with our subject and even better he said "I'm used to the camera now." Which was true from his whole demeanor throughout the session. He was more natural and fluid, not as conscious of the machinery recording him and focused more on us. His quotes and the pics he provided were very deep and interesting to have.

It always amazes me how much a person can get used to people over such a short time period. Considering how shy and awkward I am at almost any given moment in my life, the act of talking to a stranger about some of the most personal stuff you can get into with someone is an act of insanity as far as I'm concerned.

I think it has to do with being able to watch the slow transformation from strangers to acquaintanceship -- that delicate and steady progression as we talk like normal people and not a good cop bad cop scenario or interrogation. Despite the initial horror I feel at every outset, being able to bear witness to that shift makes it worth it. Every single time.  

Saturday Updates: What's going on thus far...

As of now, not much has come to pass. I have finally found my topic for capstone. Focusing on war veterans having to adjust to civilian life and all the challenges that entails: psychological, economical, social - all these things intertwine with one another. Overall, this makes for a subject that can touch a broad range of topics and themes. 

I'm embarking on the report packet as we speak. It looks to be a daunting task but it's a necessary process to undertake. 

The core facets I need will definitely be a wide range of experts: possibly those in the psych field, rehabilitation disciplines, or most importantly returning veterans. 

The final subject may be the most challenging for obvious reasons. But I think if I and my partner can approach it in the right light, we can definitely make some headway. 

That's the latest and greatest for now. Stay tuned next week for another exciting installment of Saturday updates.

One time I ate probably way too many mushrooms and I could feel my trip going bad. So, I turned to my roommate and I said something along the lines of,

"I feel amazing but I feel like this sensation has a price and I'm about to pay it."

To which he responded, "What are you, catholic?" And that knocked me so firmly out of my mental state that the rest of the trip was hands down the best time I ever did mushrooms.