Maine South Football: The Next Season - ID# 398
Maine South
Natural Audio News Package
Entry Description
Players on the Maine South Sophomore football team reflect on the 2021 season and their hopes and dreams for the future of the football program.
Copyright Info
Recent Teacher Comments
- 4/10 2:02 pm - While that introduction was creative, I feel that it dragged on for a bit. While they are talking about the football team, be sure the radio aspect of things ties in with your story. The visuals weren't really anything to look at during that time. Jackson's audio is very low and is only in one channel. When editing, be sure that the audio is coming out of both the left and right sides unless there is a very specific reason for it only being one channel of audio. Remember what this category is - it's the Natural Audio News Package. So how can you use the natural audio in this story to help tell the story? It should not be just the sound bytes that tell the story. It's the natural audio - whether that be the music in the background, people talking, mic'ing up a player or coach - that's what needs to help tell the story in this category. Otherwise, it's just a news package with no reporter track. Bring that natural audio up full and let it be heard for 4-5 seconds in spots.
- 3/14 9:40 pm - I am not sure if this should be disqualified, because it is not exactly reporter driven… but because you begin your story with a “reporter” style introduction and that same “reporter” is wrapping it up at the end, it felt like there was a reporter/narrator. I think your introduction by itself would have been fine, I actually liked it because it was a creative way to introduce the story but when the radio anchor came back on at the end it made me think twice. Also over 25 percent of your story (the first 35 seconds) was introduction with nothing really to look at. Like I said it was a novel idea and I liked it, but it went on too long, and made the video start to drag. Your B-Roll was really good, sharp, full of special effects to enhance moments you did a great job with it, but the problem was sometimes I found myself more focused on the highlight than what was being said. There is a little bit of an art to control what the audience is focused on, if you want them to focus on what is being said, be careful not to visually blitz them with something that will distract them from the message / story you want to tell. I am not suggesting all boring b-roll, but rather spend a little more time before a ball is about to be hiked so the viewer is forced to focus on what they are hearing, then reinforce the teamwork or excellence visually by watching the play unfold as the sound bite ends. You kind of did both at the same time and the audio and visual were competing for my attention. The visual usually won, which means I really didn’t hear what was being said as much. I didn’t feel like there was a lot of synergy between the b-roll and what was being said, yes I know they were talking about being undefeated and watching great plays but on the same token I could have taken all the interviews out, dropped in some cool music and got the same general idea. Your B-Roll should have been more intentional when you are talking about working as one, or helping each other out, show me what that looks like, not just more great plays but what happens off the field to make that happen. (all of your b-roll was game footage). Small stumbling block for me: you see the quarterback throw the ball at 52 seconds, then a whip transition to a punt returner picking up a bouncing ball and running with it. What it looks like is a pass that would be dead because it touches the ground, I understand you are editing two pieces together, but it just looks wrong (at least to me). What happens as a result I am trying to figure out what happened, and now not listening to the interviewee as closely. Your sound between the two interviewers was definitely off, it could have been in the recording, but I am guessing it could have been fixed in post but honestly it was distracting to move between the two interviews, and this held your piece back from some of the others for me. Finally it is a natural sound package, I hear the underlying bed of crowd, ref whistles, etc. however what I felt like was missing was the focus on the sounds of the game. If you were using footage someone shot for the game, that would explain why those shots were missing because you were repurposing the footage, if you went to create a nat sound package story, make sure you get those shots of just the coach yelling, the crowd cheering, the ref blowing a whistle, a ball being kicked. Those types of quick shots make great punctuation marks as you move in-between topics within your story.
Judge 1
Positives:
Improvements:
Judge 2
Positives:
Improvements:
Judge 3
Positives:
Improvements:
Judge 4
Positives:
Improvements: