I have never understood the need for these type of last class "this is what I learned" type of assignments. It could be 2-3 years before I use any of this stuff or I may never use it. Technologies changes so rapidly that we are always at its mercy.
I spent each and every class, like a tired and battered pugilist on his last legs in the 15th and final round of championship fight, waiting for the final bell. At times the constant watching and critiquing of videos, felt like punishment for a past wrongdoing. Indeed, I was in a journalistic inferno. Video is not my passion.
In a United States of America where only 60 percent of the population has high-speed Internet and 10 percent have no Internet connection at all, I asked, "why bother with High Definition video?" Unlike my classmates I never felt at peace with the Nikon D300s as video tool. Video to me it is like a kryptonite crucifix to a vampire Superman. It is my weakness and something I had to work twice as hard to comprehend.
I never felt the need to film things from attention grabbing angles. I just want to tell stories. Go ahead and call me a fossil or a relic of a forgotten past, but that is what I want to do. But the strange thing is I want my stories to be visible on the Internet in digital form.
But I did learn something from the class and that was how to push myself to do things that I do not want to do. I disliked every moment I held that DSLR. Every step I took through mid-town Manhattan holding the tripod was painful. I kept repeating Bruce Lee's words, "be like water," but adapting was never easy.
I was not happy with my work because I had to concentrate so hard on the video that I never had any fun with the technology. I also forgot about doing what I like to do the most, tell stories.
My final criticism of the class is that it focused too much on the videos of other journalist around the country than it did on the videos of the people in the classroom.
If I regret one thing about the class, it was that I personally did not have the time to go to the instructor for extra help. I had to learn as much as I could from other sources just to get by. I think this course would benefit from a shorter class period and an added lab period to work on the technical aspects of shooting with a DSLR.
If I regret one thing about the class, it was that I personally did not have the time to go to the instructor for extra help. I had to learn as much as I could from other sources just to get by. I think this course would benefit from a shorter class period and an added lab period to work on the technical aspects of shooting with a DSLR.
I must also add that I did enjoy the constant disagreement about the essence of journalism with Professor Ahmad.
You raise an excellent point about Internet access in this country. Why bother creating hi-def videos that can only appeal to the upper crust of society? At the same time, I wonder how accessible a top journalistic medium has ever really been to the working class--after all, with the NYTimes at $2 and now the demise of free online access, how do we ensure the democracy of our industry?
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I think this post exceptionally captured your dislike of video.
epic
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that such a sports-oriented guy like yourself could really dislike shooting video so much...but you're right, there is much to be said for the impact of written stories. Great point w/ regard to Internet access across the country, my counter-point would be to ask: why not create the best and most complete projects possible now when we have access to all the tools to do it.
ReplyDeleteThe web access question, I'll admit, does have much more troubling implications when applied to the discipline of journalism and its purpose as a whole.
Najee I agree with your point of taking advantage of the tools. I think the reason I prefer a written piece to video is because I grew up reading the great boxing stories of Hemingway and Budd Schulberg. These sports journalist capture moments in written word that could never be capture by video I know Wasim would argue with that statement. But here is my case. You can watch an amazing sports play on replay a 1,000 times and eventually it loses its luster because the context is minimal at best, but I can read Schulbergs story about a fight that happened 15 years ago and be taken right back to the moment with greater context. Some of the best sports video that come from ESPN today are retrospective documentaries that is something I may want to try in the future and 380 did provide me with those skills.
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