Sound stressful? It is, especially at first. And as a multi-media journalist, you're going to make a lot of mistakes at first. The best thing is, you're going to learn from each embarrassing moment.
Speaking of, I have an arsenal of them from my first few summers as a "one-woman band," as we're often called. I'll share a few anecdotal musings.
1. Forgetting to press record during an interview, and having to ask this person to repeat the entire process.
2. Having equipment malfunction at the worst times, microphones not connecting to the equipment, having equipment that belongs to another camera, etc.
I could go on and on. But the overall point of these stories is that everyone makes mistakes, but mastering the balancing act of being a multimedia journalist definitely gets easier as time goes on. Here are some tips from video journalist Anne Herbst, who has some helpful tips when it comes to preparing your story before you leave the newsroom.
1. Have a Mental Checklist Before/During/After Shoots
This tip proved especially helpful for me. In the beginning, there were certain things I would tend to forget: extra batteries, necessary notes and contact information for sources, and directions. I would also forget to ask certain things in interviews, I would forget to white balance the camera, to get wide, medium and tight shots, etc. After awhile, I learned to ask myself a series of questions before/during/after shoots. Here's an example of a mental checklist that would run through my head
Before: Do I have extra batteries, notes, a pen and paper, both microphones, P2 cards (how we transferred footage from camera to computer), tri-pod, light kit, etc?
During: Did I white balance the camera? Am I in auto, or manual focus? Is the tri-pod balanced? Is my interview back-lit? Can you see my reflection in the background of this shot? Am I getting enough wide, medium, and tight shots? Do I have action shots of the people I interviewed? Are my shots varied and interesting? Did I take the microphone off of my interview?
After: Do I have all of my equipment? Is there anyone else I need to talk to?
2. Double-Check. Everything. Now Do It Again.
This might sound a little excessive and repetitive, but trust me, you will never regret pulling over to the side of the road and double-checking that you have your P2 cards, microphones, and tri-pod. Doing this only takes 45 seconds. Driving back to your shoot to look for lost items could take so much longer, and could cause you to miss a deadline.
3. Contact Your Producer/Assignment Editor
This is so important. When you think you've gathered everything in the field necessary for your story, call your assignment editor/producer and let them know. Then, ask them if they need you to get anything else. This is a very broad question, but it shows that you're taking initiative to step up to the plate and help out in any way you can. Who knows, there may be a car crash or street protest happening near you that you could cover. The more experience, the better.
4. Manage Your Time Efficiently
As a multi-media journalist, you are doing the same amount of work that is usually given to two people (photographer and reporter). Simply put, this means you have less time to get your things together than most people. In no way am I saying that this means you should cut corners on your stories, simply because you have less time. Rather, you just have to be hyper-aware of how much time you have for each step of your story. Know your limits. For instance, as a "one-woman band," I knew that for an average story, it would take me at least 2-3 hours to transfer my footage, log my interviews, write my script, have it revised by my editors, voice my script, and finally edit my footage. This means if my story was supposed to air for the 6:00 newscast, I needed to be back at the studio by 3:00 or 4:00. Of course, limits can always be pushed, and there are always exceptions when it comes to breaking news, but having that general timeline is very important.
5. Account For Traffic/Travel
This point sort of falls under the category of managing time efficiently, but it is still very important. You have to be very conscious of how long of a drive you have in front of you for each story, (and if you live in a highly-populated area with a lot of traffic, you have to account for travel time, even if your story is within the city).
For example: this summer, my story assignment on a particular day took me to Flandreau, SD. From the station in Sioux Falls to Flandreau is about an hour-long drive. Let's say I left at 10:00 am. That gets me to my destination around 11:00 am. This leaves me with about two hours to gather my information/interviews and shoot my footage before I need to get back to Sioux Falls. This loose timeline puts me back at home base around 2:00. Like I've said before, this is an ideal situation, and sometimes, OK, most times, things don't work out like this. But it's still important to keep a general timeline in your head while you're out on a shoot.
6. Dress for Success... But Comfort Too
In an industry where you never really know what the day is going to throw at you, this is a hard skill to master. But as a multi-media journalist, you always have to remember that you're not just reporting on the news as a professional, but you're carrying copious amounts of equipment and gadgets with you at the same time. So, it doesn't matter if you have super cute 3-inch heels that go perfectly with your outfit: you should probably leave them in the newsroom, and switch them out for a pair of flats.
When purchasing clothes, or dressing yourself for the day, always remember that you're going to be carrying a lot of items, bending over, picking things up, stretching your arms, and possibly running during your shoots. So make sure your dresses are long enough, your blouses are high enough, and your blazers don't restrict your arm movements.
That being said, always account for the weather. I used to constantly carry an umbrella around with me, just in case I had to shoot in the rain. It's also smart to keep a pair of jeans, a company-branded polo and jacket, and rain/snow at your desk, since you never know when you're going to be covering a flood or blizzard (especially in South Dakota).
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