The Last Lifeboat - ID# 7
Geneva
News Package
Entry Description
A behind the scenes look at the GHS Spring play
Copyright Info
Recent Teacher Comments
- 4/25 9:27 pm - Interesting piece and the way you led into it. Some really nice broll throughout. A couple shots of your interview subjects were reversed focus. Meaning...the background was in focus and your subject was slightly out of focus. Nice intertwining of reporting telling the story intermixed with your subjects telling the story. Also, whenever you use footage that isn't yours, make sure to always cite the source with an on-screen credit.
Judge 1
Positives: Good job adding nat pops from the production. I like how you showed the actual production and behind the scenes. It was great incorporating students from all parts of the show.
Improvements: Putting the CBS Mornings logo in the corner is not a proper source. Sources should go in an upper corner so people can see where you got the video. You need to source all the video you did not shoot yourself, including movies and underwater titanic video. Be careful with your lighting. Look at the interview at 1:11. She's really washed out and blurry from the giant spotlight. Move if it doesn't look good. You don't need to shoot every interview in a wide shot if there is nothing to show behind people or nothing interesting.
Judge 2
Positives: -Good use of natural sound to transition between clips -Lots of creative video angles that kept the piece moving. The interview subjects were also framed well.
Improvements: -I liked that you tried to tie in the real world events to the piece, however, I think that could have been introduced later in the pkg. You have such good video and sound with the actors on stage. That should be the focus of the piece at the beginning... then you can explain why the play is timely, considering the real events happening around the world. -I would've liked to see a reporter stand-up to show you were there to gather all the video and elements to bring the story together.
Judge 3
Positives: - This is one of the better written stories I've seen at the high school level, so well done! You teed up your soundbites in a way that leads the viewer to them, instead of just repeating what the person will say. It flows really well with history at the beginning (make sure you courtesy the video next time.. copyright could be a huge issue in the real world). You did well matching some of your video, like with the life boat part in the play. Overall, it's a great piece! - I like how you incorporated some natural sound from the play practices. This isn't just a way to break up your reporter track. It helps the viewer feel like they really are behind the scenes with you.
Improvements: - While I can imagine shooting video of a play practice and set build is challenging, I was hoping for more of a variety of b-roll. Some sequences (wide shots, medium shots, tight shots) would have gone a long way in helping bring flow to your story. There are jump cuts of the students while they act. Try to look for cutaways (their feet moving, a teacher watching nearby, etc.) that will help you get to the next 'scene' without the jump cut. - Two quick notes on sound. Use more natural sound! When the students are painting the boat, get your lavalier mic right up there so we can hear the paintbrush. It adds a great element of depth to your story. And secondly, because you are using a lavalier mic (great choice), make sure your interviewee hides the wire either under a jacket or beneath their top. It looks a little sloppy from a viewer's point of view.
Judge 4
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Judge 5
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