MHS Strength Training Class - ID# 505
Mundelein
Natural Audio News Package
Entry Description
Natural Sound Package highlighting what the class is all about and why students enjoy it.
Copyright Info
Recent Teacher Comments
- 4/30 4:00 pm - Strengths: You included a wide variety of b-roll and natural sounds, which made the story engaging. I also liked that you featured both student and teacher interviews, giving multiple perspectives. The story itself was clear and easy to follow. Areas of Growth: Some of the interviews were difficult to hear due to background noise, so adjusting audio levels or minimizing distractions could help. The teacher interview could benefit from slightly more headroom, and make sure students are not looking directly at the camera when speaking. While the story is strong, there were a few technical issues that made the project feel less polished overall. Addressing these details will help the final piece feel more professional.
- 4/29 6:47 am - Good variety of b-roll shots for this story and good sound bites from the people who were interviewed. Why was the teacher interviewed in a subdivision rather than at the school? Interviews should, whenever possible, be done in the location of where the story takes place. In this case, that is the weight room. Also, put a wireless mic on the coach and let’s hear him working with students. A good natural audio news package let’s you hear not only the natural audio from the b-roll, but also let’s you hear what happens in that news package from the people that are directly involved. Could put a wireless mic on a student as well and record them while they are going through their workouts.
Judge 1
Positives: 1. Good job making sure some of your shots showed some sort of action, like when the weights were dropping or when the students were in the squat rack. That helps liven your stories up and make them more interesting. 2. Also, good work making sure the b-roll shots you used were stable and level so as to not take attention away from what you were covering. Shaky shots can overpower what you're reporting on.
Improvements: 1. In the future, try to make sure your natural sound pieces start off with sound the viewer can clearly hear, not just ambient noise of the entire setting. Short, little pops of sound get the viewer's attention, progress your piece, and make it move faster. For, example, the weights dropping, or the part where the coach yelled "Avery, add weight" would have been great ways to start your story. Additionally, it's best these periods of sound last no longer than 3-4 seconds tops. Starting with the visual of the computer screen and then 15 sound of ambient noise kind of made it hard to follow what was going on. 2. Always remember the rule of thirds when composing your interview subjects. Place them to either the left or right of the screen, and not the center, to avoid them taking a dominant/intimidating position to your viewer.
Judge 2
Positives: Good job getting lots of broll Good job interviewing the teacher and also getting students in class
Improvements: Very confusing start to the piece. You started in black and then went to a class list. Show me what I'm hearing. Why did you interview the teacher outside and not inside the classroom? I saw a lot of students laughing but didn't hear any laughter. It would have been great to have a sot explaining how to setup a squat rack and barbell from 1:08-1:15, or what a box jump is at 1:29. Nat pkgs only work if you have interviews to tell a story. If you don't have that, then you need a reporter track. Be intentional with your nat pops. I want to actually hear something.
Judge 3
Positives: You have plenty of footage of the strength training class. This is a class that offers a lot of natural sound options.
Improvements: Outside of background noise and a screen recording, the first SOT didn't begin for 15 seconds. The intro didn't have me hooked into the piece. Consider using a pop of natural audio or a really captivating SOT to snag your audiences attention next time. An example of a nat pop could be the bar You can weave interviews in and out of each other. Since you have lower thirds, you don't need to have your interviewees introduce themselves. I should be able to hear sound the entire time of the same quality. Make sure your interviewees have their mics tucked in. These little mishaps can dull the overall presentation of your package. Certain interviews and VO become more comical as the package went on. While this piece doesn't need to be super serious, make sure those you're taking the time to interview and film take your time and work seriously too. Don't be afraid to re-ask questions for new answers during an interview or go back and get additional footage.
Judge 4
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Judge 5
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