MOBILE JOURNALISM MASTERCLASS

This outline is drawn from a self-directed online course from the Smart Film School

It features a pedagogical flow for building a syllabus. This lesson sequence has been proven in pilot programs to build comprehensive skill set for mobile journalism.

The course materials listed below feature broadcast-quality video lectures, demonstrations, case studies, exercises, assignments, reading, projects, feedback, assessments and progress-tracking.

This course pack is used for:

- Self-study courses

- Professional development certification

- Classroom instruction

- TOT - Training of Trainers

Starting in 2015, completion of this course is mandatary for all first year students at the journalism schools where Robb Montgomery teaches.

(Other University instructors are only allowed to screen and assign these materials under a classroom or site license.)

Students must pass this course to be eligible to check out bigger cameras and filmmaking kits.

All contents and descriptions ©2014-2018,Robb Montgomery & the Smart Film School

GETTING STARTED

Introduction

Gear

10 quick tips

The Mobile Newsroom

Designing a mobile-first newsroom

CAMERA SETUP - iPHONE

Airplane mode

OS camera settings

Native camera

Intro to FilmicPro

Filmic Pro settings

When to film at 25 fps

Filmic advanced controls

MoviePro app

Exercise Preset 25p

Links to apps

ANDROID SETUP

Apps in the Google Play store

Filmic Pro Evaluator

Filmic 25p settings

Cinema FV-5 25p settings

Cinema FV-5 focus & exposure

Exercise Test clip

Verify audio

TRENDS AND STORY FORMATS

Social video trends

Story formats

CASE STUDY: Extreme mobile journalism

Case Study: Breaking news

PROJECT 1: A Place

CASE STUDY: 12 Mojo reporters

SHOTS FOR SEQUENCES

Can you tell a story in 30 seconds?

Analysis: What did you actually see?

FILMING THE SHOTS

How to use the camera to film video

The six-shot pattern

Exercise - Six Shot Pattern

Narrative motion vs. camera motion

PROJECT 2: Show a Process

VIDEO EDITING 1010

Edit a short video with this free app

Quickly edit a silent, square video (Android and iOS)

Edit in Vlogit app

Edit video on Android, Windows Phone or iPhone with this app

PROJECT 3: Explainer

DEMO: TEXT OVER VIDEO

Filming the shots

1: Edit photos and clips into a visual sentence

2: Manage audio tracks

3: Add text layers

4: Create a title card

5. Add more visuals

Example: Final kinogram news story

Exercise: Make a short silent video

PROJECT 4: Take a ride

LIVE VIDEO

How journalists are live streaming

Live strategy

Breaking News

CASE STUDY: AJ Plus

CASE STUDY: Fire in Berlin

ANALYSIS: What went right? What went wrong?

Gear for livestreaming

Live on Facebook

Getting started

Live video quality

What are you seeing?

Live demo

Metrics, replays and followers

Saving video

PRO GEAR

Intro to mics

Small Microphones

Stick Mics

TEST: Sennheiser HandMic Digital

TEST - Rode i-XLR

Test: Rotolight sound & light kit

Power Bank

INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES

Stability

Background

Lighting

Framing

Eye Level

Look space

Angles

Interview Kit

The Trust Bubble

Pre-interview checklist

Interview questions

Tips from a TV pro - Carol Marin

CASE STUDY: Video story told entirely with sound bites

PROJECT 5: Report with interview sound bites

PERSONALITY PROFILE

Case Study: Ice swimming in Helsinki

EXAMPLE: Ice Swim - Quik

Backstory of the filmmaking

EXAMPLE: Ice Swim Final

PROJECT 6: Character profile

TIPS: Personality profile

VIDEO EDITING ON DEADLINE

Export Clips from Filmic Pro

Log and Capture

Build a shot list

Storyboarding

Video editing in iMovie

J cuts in iMovie

Compressing time with a sequence

Turn photos into a video clip

Crop to a square video

CREATIVE SHOTS

Creative Shots Intro

Timelapse

iPhone setting

Slo-motion for face shots

Filmic Pro settings

Motion shots

PIECE TO CAMERA

READING: The TV network that went 100% MOJO

Framing the standup

Types of standups

Sample gear

Example of standup - The calorie walk

PROJECT 7: Piece-to-camera

WALKING SHOTS

WHY Walking shotS?

Walking shots examples

The 180 degree rule

Edit the shots

EXERCISE Walking shots

VERTICAL VIDEO STORIES

IGTV

Instastories

12 tips for shooting and editing Vertical Video

PROJECT 8: Vertical Video

STORYBOARDING

Log and Capture

Build a shot list

Sample storyboards

PROJECT 9: Walkthrough

SCRIPT WRITING

Writing to Pictures- Master lesson

Script formats and writing style

Script writing tips

NARRATION

Recording Voice-over narration

Audio edits in iMovie

A digital mic for clean voice-overs

MINI-DOCUMENTARY

Intro to The Treehouse - FINALIST in the ONE WORLD FIM CONTEST

Treehouse film.mov

BTS: Treehouse Explained - How this was shot and edited in the treehouse

PROJECT 10: Final Project

----------- NOTES ABOUT CAPSTONE PROJECT

 By yourself, produce a short, original video story between one and three minutes in length.

  A few sample story ideas:  1) A character study of a person that can be shown visually  2) Introduce a favorite location and use interview sound bites. 3) Take a viewer on a journey. 4) Event coverage - a political rally, music festival, etc   To get top marks your story must show a high level of effort in the visual reporting and identify significant details and meaningful connections.   All great stories have a beginning middle and end. Great stories introduce an obstacle, challenge or conflict.  Your visuals must answer story questions.    The final project will be graded on the following criteria.

•Visual Reporting

•Attention to detail

•Storytelling

•Meaningful connections

•Originality

•Emotional quality

•ORIGINALITY

•PRODUCTION VALUES

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