French photo agency Gamma, which rose to fame documenting the May 1968 uprising in Paris and the Vietnam War, said Tuesday its survival was in doubt, the latest victim of a crisis hurting traditional media. Read more

Zach Wise is currently a multimedia producer for the New York Times. Before going to the Times, he was the senior multimedia producer for the Las Vegas Sun. Before he left the Sun he finished this great multimedia piece on Nevada’s water woes. Great navigation, interactive elements throughout and great reporting are all part of this report. Click on the image above or go to the story, and then read about how Zach put it all together.

2 Week Documentary Workshop in The Mississippi Delta
Start Date:  February 15th, 2009

This 2-week DV workshop is designed for photojournalists who are looking to make the move to videojournalism and the web, new documentary filmmakers who want to launch their careers in web and television documentaries and for those with experience in some aspects of filmmaking that are looking to expand their skill, understanding and mastery of the whole process.  Producers, cinematographers, editors and writers with narrative experience who are considering working in non-fiction filmmaking are also encouraged to enroll.

Students will learn all aspects of the process including the importance of the still image, DV camera, compact lighting methods, field sound, field editing and how to weave the story.  To view an extended version of the course description, visit our website at www.barefootworkshops.org.

Link to last year’s videos:
http://www.barefootworkshops.org/alumni_gallery/MS101(2007)/MS101(2007).html

This is one of many workshops that Barefoot will be running in 2009.  In addition to the Mississippi Delta, check out our website to learn more about our workshops in Africa and how you can participate.

Homepage: www.barefootworkshops.org
Contact: chandler@barefootworkshops.org <mailto:chandler@barefootworkshops.org>
Tuition: $2,250.00 (includes tuition, housing and food)

Past Equipment Sponsors:  Apple, Canon, Tekserve, Bogen, Gitzo, Kata, Tiffen, Sennheiser, Anton Bauer, Lowel, D&M Professional

Barefoot Workshops is a New York City-based not-for-profit 501(c)3, founded by Chandler Griffin in 2004, that offers short, intensive workshops around the world in narrative and documentary filmmaking. We assist organizations and individuals to use media, music and the arts, to accelerate progress and program goals in areas such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, conflict resolution, resettlement, youth empowerment, civil rights, and democracy building. We have worked with partners as diverse as UNESCO, Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, The U.S. State Department and The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), to pioneer new formats and “media templates” that reinforce citizen-led, community-owned solutions to these challenges.

The main goal of Barefoot Workshops is to equip students with the knowledge and confidence to use sophisticated equipment while having a foundation that allows a person to create beautiful images regardless of the tools. At Barefoot, growing and learning as a filmmaker means growing and learning as an individual.

It is a week-long training sessions for mid-career journalists wishing to advance their multimedia skills. The workshops combine instruction in multimedia storytelling and hands-on multimedia news production. There are a total of 40 fellowship positions available (20 per workshop) for the sessions being offered in January and March 2008. Applicants may apply to one or both workshops. Applicants are encouraged to apply for multiple workshops to increase their chances of being accepted into one of them. COMPLETED APPLICATIONS FOR BOTH WORKSHOPS MUST BE RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 14, 2008.

The fellowship covers all lodging, meals and instruction costs. Cost of travel to the workshop must be paid by the applicant’s news organization. An online application form and instructions are available at: http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/training
]]> http://multimediaevangelist.wordpress.com/2008/11/11/multimedia-reporting-and-convergence-workshop/feed/ 0 digitalethics http://multimediaevangelist.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/james-nachtwey-releases-latest-story-xdrtb/ http://multimediaevangelist.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/james-nachtwey-releases-latest-story-xdrtb/#comments Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:00:19 +0000 David Nolan http://multimediaevangelist.wordpress.com/?p=273 ]]>

James Nachtwey, one of the greatest living photojournalists today, just released this story as part of an effort to spread the word on XDRTB through TED. For more information go to the XDRTB website.

At long last, even though it’s been only a few days, here is the video from Vincent Laforet that was shot entirely on the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II. The footage was not enhanced in any way and was dropped into Final Cut for editing. This is the raw footage and it is nothing short of amazing. Check out Vincent’s Blog and a “Behind the Scenes” video clip.

Sony is coming out with the HVR-Z5U camcorder this December. It has native 24P recording and other professional features—all for less than $5,000—as well as tapeless recording capability through an optional CompactFlash adapter. There are few details yet but a few words from Sony are available:

“Professionals need features like balanced audio, XLR inputs, timecode and more,” said Bob Ott, vice president of professional audio and video products at Sony Electronics. “They also need access to technical resources to help them with issues like integrating with non-linear editing systems. This is where a professional solution like the HVR-Z5U is an appropriate choice.” The HVR-Z5U camcorder offers the addition of several features specifically designed for professional video production, such as progressive scan shooting at 1080/24P and 30P, DVCAM recording, timecode support and two XLR balanced audio inputs. Professionals can record the native 24P/30P signal on to the videotape used in the camcorder or to CompactFlash cards – simultaneously or separately – with the optional HVR-MRC1K recording unit. This unit attaches directly to the back of the camcorder, eliminates the need for cables and automatically synchronizes with the recording action of the camcorder. The recording unit can be directly attached to the new HVR-Z5U camera, as well as to Sony’s HVR-Z7U and HVR-S270U models. It will also work with other HDV camcorders using a supplied iLINK (IEEE-1394) cable and shoe adapter. The camcorder, and the HVR-MRC1K adapter will be compatible with Sony’s Professional 306x CompactFlash card. The recording times on an 8 and 16 GB CompactFlash card in HDV, DVCAM and DV format are approximately 36 and 72 minutes, respectively. The HVR-Z5U professional camera suggested list price is $4950. The HVR-MRC1K recording unit should be out in October for a suggested list price of $940.

Here are a few more links to sample images, video, reviews and specifications on the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II:

Gizmodo: Canon 5D Mark II Rumored Specs and Details

Gizmodo: Unconfirmed: More Canon EOS 5D Mark II Specs Leak, Lookin’ Good

Canon USA: EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR Camera

Digital Photography Review: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Hands-on Preview

Digital Photography Review: Canon EOS 5D Mark II: 21MP and HD movies

Digital Photography Review: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Samples Gallery (Preview)

Lovegrove Consulting: Canon 5D Mk2 high ISO pictures

Lovegrove Consulting: Canon 5D mk2 150 frame first findings

Rob Galbraith: Canon EOS 5D Mark II – 21.03 million image pixels, 1080p video

Here is a link to Canon Global and some great examples of video shot with the new camera. (http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/eos5dm2/02.html#01)

I’ve been reading all the flurry of activity over the new Canon EOS 5D MII that will be available near the end of November. Vincent Laforet, a New York based commercial and editorial photographer, was given a prototype to use for 72 hours. His report and the stills he has been able to show are nothing short of amazing. The video is forthcoming, but from the promise is better than the Red One cinema camera and could change how we are approaching some assignments. The cost is even better, around $2,700 retail. For sound the camera has a mono mic input, but I’m sure BeachTek will have a solution with XLR inputs for the camera at some point. Check out Rob Galbraith’s evaluation with more images of the sensor and inputs. Check out these sample images from Canon Global as well as their specifications and other data on the camera. Here are some sample videos from Canon Global.

The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, the Norwegian government-owned radio and public broadcasting company, has also tested the 5D and has put up its’ analysis of the video on their NRKbeta technology site. Here is an excerpt:

The clips are standard MOV-files that will open directly in QuickTime. We also tried with the latest version of VLC. That worked fine on Mac and not in Windows. In iMovie the clip was imported fine, but converted like any other MPEG4-clip will be in that program. In Final Cut Pro the clips could be dropped right into the program with no conversion. And it was possible to start editing right away. Visually they look better than HDV. Something that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the specifications. HDV is 25 mbit/s MPEG2. The clips from the 5D is 40 mbit/s MPEG4. The H.264 codec used in the 5D is in some conditions regarded roughly 50% better than MPEG2. When you add the bandwidth in the 5D that is nearly twice the bandwidth of HDV you get video footage with less compression artifacts. Hard panning in the clips looks good and it seems like Canon have managed the timing of the shutter very well. It looks like the GOP-structure of the clips are one I-frame for each 15 P-frame. No B-frames. Read more

Here is an excerpt from Canon’s press release:

Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today introduced the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera, the long-awaited successor to Canon’s highly popular EOS 5D, introduced in 2005. Building upon the qualities that made the EOS 5D camera so successful, Canon has coupled the creative power of a full-frame CMOS sensor in a relatively compact and affordable camera body, together with groundbreaking HD video capture that opens the door to a much wider range of imaging possibilities for photographers. Along with the ability to capture full HD video clips at 1920 x 1080 resolution, Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera features a 21.1-megapixel full frame 24 x 36mm CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 imaging processor and significantly lower noise, with an expanded sensitivity range from ISO 50 to ISO 25,600. Read more

The 25 Top Film Festivals For Documentaries

“You’ve just completed your film. Now it’s time to decide which festivals to target. Maybe all along you were planning on Sundance. Hell, you built your entire post-production schedule around the Sundance deadlines! Maybe you get in. Maybe you don’t. Either way, you’re about to make your next festival decision, and another and another. And beyond the big ticket festivals, the ones where acceptance is supposed to be worth its weight in distribution gold, there’s an endless stream of festivals to navigate. Where should your second screening be? Should you wait to hear from Tribeca? And what about that random festival that you’ve never heard of but assures you a great time and a free ride?”

ATTENTION: ALL WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS/MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS

Reel Venus is seeking entries of short films, photography/multimedia slideshow presentations for its 5th Annual showcase which is set to take place October 2,3 & 4 2008.

Reel Venus is an eclectic 3-day showcase of alternative and mainstream film/video shorts (30 minutes or less) photography and multimedia presentations directed/photographed by WOMEN filmmakers, video artists and photographers from the U.S. and abroad. Works must have been completed after July 2007. Go to www.reelvenus.com for more information.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: August 30, 2008 – $20.00.

email: reelvenus.submissions08@gmail.com
phone: 212-714-8375

Melissa Fowler
Reel Venus Film Festival
Founder/Director/Curator

I think the course was well worth it. There were only 4 people in the course learning (2 photogs & 2 editors) and 5 people teaching. The tutors put in as much time as we needed & stayed working with us at night till we all couldn’t stay awake (not an exaggeration.) The time on the course was superbly budgeted – classroom learning was kept to a minimum; it was all about learning-by-doing supplemented by notes you could read in more detail at a later point. I think MediaStorm is doing some of the best multimedia out there, so just picking up their way of doing things was valuable in itself… There’s no correct formula with a lot of stuff, so it’s good to have someone who really knows what they’re doing give you a formula to start with + all their notes on Final Cut Pro settings to use etc which are appropriate for web journalism. I’d read documentary filmmaking, final cut pro, cinematography, film editing, radio production, BBC TV training books in the last year in an effort to try to get up to speed with the skills I might need for the future. This course really pulled it all together for me in a way which made sense & gave me a lot of confidence – not that I know a lot, but that I have a lot to learn & at least I think I’m on the right track for now! Hopefully I’ll be able to get a chance to do some more multimedia in between the day-to-day necessary parts of my job.

From the website: “At War” is a documentary film shot and directed by Scott Kesterson, who spent a year embedded with US forces in Afghanistan. The film is produced and edited by David Leeson, Pulitzer Prize recipient and currently Executive Producer – Video and New Media for The Dallas Morning News. The film is subject-driven storytelling, allowing the truth of the moment to speak in the tradition of ethical still photojournalism. At War explores the timeless nature of war and conflict, and ultimately challenges us to look at ourselves as beings filled with love and hate, fear and courage, passion and chaos.

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The New York Times has a New, Integrated Newsroom

The New York Times has moved into a Renzo Piano-designed building on Eighth Avenue. Begun in April, the move is now complete. Beyond the new design and functionality of the place, which is reviewed today in the paper, the new building has an integrated newsroom. It combines the “print” editorial operations, previously in the paper’s headquarters on West 43rd Street, and the digital news operations, which were some 7 blocks away. A video about the integrated newsroom has been posted to The New York Times Company corporate Web Site. – more

From the Barefoot Workshops website:

CONTENT
This 2-week delta workshop is designed for new documentary filmmakers who want to launch their careers in film and television documentaries or for those with experience in some aspects of filmmaking that are looking to expand their skill, understanding and mastery of the whole process. producers, cinematographers, editors and writers with narrative experience who are considering working in non-fiction filmmaking are also encouraged to enroll. This workshop is ideal for working professionals who want to develop important skills, which will allow them to work with other filmmakers.

In this unique workshop, students will explore every aspect of documentary filmmaking. Cinematographer, Chandler Griffin, will help you develop an understanding for the visual structure, style, and production requirements of a wide variety of documentaries along with storytelling and the art of writing and directing. This will include laying a visual foundation by spending many hours exploring how light, composition, and emotion make up the image. Many different lighting techniques and styles will be covered. Chandler will also be covering all editing demos using Final Cut Pro. Using case studies along with student’s ideas, the goal of the course is to provide an intense overview of the art of documentary productions. Every student will learn how to evaluate non-fiction ideas, create their own ideas and develop an understanding of documentary film aesthetics and the storytelling process.<

THE PROGRAM
The workshop meets formally 6 days each week. There will be lectures, screenings, presentations, technical demos, a review and critique of all dailies, supervised editing sessions, discussion of documentaries, and individual meetings with the Chandler. The workshop combines lectures and presentations with supervised and formal instruction in production laboratories (camera, lighting, sound, editing), shooting on location, transcribing, screening and discussion of current and classic documentaries, meetings with visiting filmmakers and written assignments. Students will write and develop proposals for future projects.

PRODUCTION
The workshop will break into groups with each group producing a completed 7 to 10 minute piece shot on digital video and edited with Final Cut Pro. Students will meet and scout their subjects and write treatments and outlines to guide their production. from there they will conduct interviews, tape B-roll and coverage for a sequence, record sound and take their material into post-production. There they will be instructed in creating first an edit on paper, then on the computer, where after assembly into a final edit, they will color correct, mix sound and add titles to their finished work. The projects will encompass the diversity of documentary styles and allow the individual the chance to problem-solve by learning to work as a team.

PRESENTATION
On the last night of the workshops the documentaries will be screened for the community to enjoy. The filmmakers are encouraged to invite family and friends. Because of the full support of The Mississippi Film Commission, documentaries produced with Barefoot Images are automatically accepted for a special screening at the Crossroads International Film & Video Festival in Jackson, Mississippi, and students are encouraged to submit to other festivals around the world.

Chandler Griffin/Barefoot Workshops
917-385-9343
chandler@barefootworkshops.com
Brooke Bassin/Barefoot Workshops
Brooke.bassin@barefootworkshops.org

Panasonic’s new HD camera, due for release in April of next year, will reportedly go for around $2,000. Definitely within reach of most people. From Panasonic:

PANASONIC EXPANDS PROFESSIONAL AVCHD PRODUCT LINE WITH THE NEW AG-HMC70 SHOULDER-MOUNT CAMCORDER
* Affordable, Point-and-Shoot HD Camcorder Offers Benefits of SD Card
* Solid-state Recording with Professional Audio Flexibility
Panasonic announced the expansion of its professional AVCHD product line with the introduction of the AG-HMC70 AVCHD camcorder. As the industry’s first shoulder-mount AVCHD camcorder, the HMC70 records high-quality 1080i images onto readily available SD/SDHC memory cards. Like Panasonic’s full production quality solid-state P2 HD recording system, this AVCHD camcorder eliminates the need for and cost of a special deck, as well as the time required to transfer content from a tape or optical disc to a PC for editing or content distribution. Since it uses a standard SD or SDHC card, the HMC70’s recording capacity will increase and media cost decrease as the industry announces new higher capacity cards. The HMC70 features three native16:9 progressive ¼” CCDs to record, or provide a live feed of, widescreen 1440 x 1080 HD resolution images of weddings, sports, concerts, or other events. It can be used by law enforcement agencies for training or surveillance, by schools for use in video production, live staging and documentation, or by broadcasters and newspapers for web journalism. The camcorder is equipped with a 12X 38.5mm to 462mm* Leica wide-angle zoom lens, one-push auto focus, and integrated Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) that ensures stable images, which are most critical when displaying high definition video. The camera also provides excellent color reproduction and inherits the exceptional color rendition of Panasonic’s other professional HD cameras. -more