Smartphone Reporting
Smartphone reporting allows you to find, shoot, and edit a variety of stories all from your mobile device. This information is to help you get to know the camera and apps so you can get to work creating video stories. There are a few essential items you'll need that are listed below in the Smartphone Reporting Essentials list.
To get started, you'll need to study the tutorials for FiLMiC Pro and LumaFusion and the Video Shooting Basics section below.
SMARTPHONE ESSENTIALS
*A Smartphone, iPad or similar device
*Video App for shooting
>FiLMiC Pro*(Preferred)
Video App for Editing
>LumaFusion* (Preferred)
FiLMiC Pro is the preferred app for shooting high-quality video. Here is a link to FiLMiC Pro tutorials to get you up to speed:
LumaFusion is the preferred app for high-quality, multi-track editing. Here is a link to LumaFusion tutorials:
Smartphone Accessories
You can get by with just your phone and the apps, but to really make your videos have a professional quality, you'll need a few accessories.
Just like anything, the prices and quality of accessories vary greatly. I've tested out some entry-level products that produce good results and don't break the budget.
Smartphone Tripod Mount
Smartphone Tripod
Smartphone Light
VIDEO PROJECTS
Video Postcard
A video postcard is a great project to practice the mobile journalism skills of shooting and editing with a smartphone. Shoot a variety of wide, medium and tight shots and edit them into a story. The video can be of an event, location, etc. The final video should be between 45 to 70 seconds long. Watch the example of "Winter Wonderland" as an example.
Suggested Elements:
-Time: 45-70 seconds
-Clips: A minimum of 6 clips
-Music: Creative Commons music with proper attribution
-Natural Sound: Include properly balanced natural sound as appropriate to the video.
-Story: Video should convey a story and demonstrate the atmosphere of the place, event, etc.
Video Export Settings:
Export video in an HD YouTube quality setting. For FiLMiC Pro, export the video at:
Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
Frame Rate: 30fps
Video Quality: 32Mbps
Fast Facts Video
This project is designed to take the next step with your mobile journalism skills of shooting and editing with a smartphone.
Similar to the "Video Postcard" project, you will shoot a variety of wide, medium and tight shots and edit them into a story. For the "Fast Facts" project, you will include text with descriptive numbers and/or statistics.
The video can be of an event, location, topic, etc. You'll need to do some research to find the information you will need to tell the story through numbers and video.
Suggested Elements:
-Time: 45-70 seconds
-Clips: A minimum of 6 clips
-Music: Creative Commons music with proper attribution
-Natural Sound: Include properly balanced natural sound as appropriate to the video.
-Story: Video should convey a story and demonstrate the atmosphere of the place, event, etc.
-Text: Three to seven text overlays or graphics facts and numbers/stats to tell your story.
Video Export Settings:
Export video as an HD YouTube quality setting. For FiLMiC Pro, export the video at:
Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
Frame Rate: 30fps
Video Quality: 32Mbps
Event Interview with B-Roll Video
For this project, you'll need to search for an event. The event can be any type of organized activity that is relevant to your target audience.
For this project, you'll need to do some research on the event and find someone who is in charge or closely associated with the event to interview.
Shoot the interview at the event along with all of the b-roll you will need. Remember to shoot a variety of wide, medium and tight shots for b-roll that you can edit into the story.
Use sound bites from the interview to tell the story. It is important that you shoot sequences and use the b-roll to tell the story. We should see the person being interviewed, but not too much. Use b-roll effectively.
Suggested Elements:
-Time: 45-70 seconds
-Clips: A minimum of 8 clips and interview
-Music: Creative Commons music with proper attribution.
-Natural Sound: Include properly balanced natural sound as appropriate to the video.
-Interview Sound Bites: Properly edited sound bites that have appropriate levels and tell the story.
-Story: Video should convey a story and support the content of the interview sound bites.
-Text: Lower-thirds or graphics as appropriate for the story.
Video Export Settings: Export video as an HD YouTube quality setting. For FiLMiC Pro, export the video at:
Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
Frame Rate: 30fps
Video Quality: 32Mbps
News Package Video
This project is a traditional news package like you see on local television news.
A news package can be on any topic, event or issue. It typically includes a reporter voice track, interview sound bites, b-roll video, and natural sound.
Once you decide on the topic of your story, you'll need to find appropriate people to interview. Depending on the topic of the story, you may shoot the interviews first and then b-roll that complements the sound bites, or b-roll and then interviews. Remember to shoot a variety of wide, medium and tight shots for b-roll that you can edit into the story.
Use sound bites from the interviews to effectively tell the story. It is important that you shoot sequences and use the b-roll to tell the story. We should see the person being interviewed, but not too much. Use b-roll effectively.
Suggested Elements:
-Time: 60-90 seconds
-Clips: Eight to fifteen clips and interview
-Music: Creative Commons music with proper attribution (music is optional)
-Natural Sound: Include properly balanced natural sound as appropriate to the video.
-Interview Sound Bites: Properly edited sound bites that have appropriate levels and tell the story.
-Story: Video should convey a story and support the content of the interview sound bites.
-Text: Lower-thirds or graphics as appropriate for the story.
Video Export Settings:
Export video as an HD YouTube quality setting. For LumaFusion, export the video at:
Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
Frame Rate: 30fps
Video Quality: 32Mbps
Profile Video
For this project, you'll need to find an individual that does something visual that you can profile. Once you decide who to profile, I suggest doing a pre-interview. A pre-interview is an informal discussion with your profile subject to talk over your story concept.
Based on the pre-interview, you'll have formulated good questions that will lead to sound bites for which you will be able to shoot b-roll footage. Make sure to use the rule of thirds to frame up your interview and use proper lighting.
It is important that you shoot sequences and use the b-roll to tell the story. We should see the person being interviewed, but not too much. Use b-roll effectively.
You will not us a voice track, but will edit the interview in a manner so the profile subject tells his or her own story. We should see the person being interviewed, but not too much. Use b-roll effectively.
Suggested Elements:
-Time: 45-90 seconds
-Clips: Approximately 8 to 15 clips and an interview
-Music: Creative Commons music with proper attribution.
-Natural Sound: Include properly balanced natural sound as appropriate to the video.
-Interview Sound Bites: Properly edited sound bites that have appropriate levels and tell the story.
-Story: Video should convey a story and support the content of the interview sound bites.
-Text: Lower-thirds or graphics as appropriate for the story.
Video Export Settings:
Export video as an HD YouTube quality setting. For LumaFusion, export the video at:
Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
Frame Rate: 30fps
Video Quality: 32Mbps
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