Reverse Angle

The New Producers - Part 3: 8 things you need to know to create free content that people pay you to make!

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 11:01:00 +0000

Video equipment is cheap, and access to eyeballs has never been easier. But getting a sustainable return on the effort and cost of creating content is one big problem that has been killing traditional publishers. So, who is making free content that people will pay for, how do you actually monetise that content, and how do you create free content that people will pay you to make? This three part article looks at these questions.

Part 1 - Who is making paying content for free?
Part 2 - How do you monetise free content?
Part 3 - 8 things you need to know to create free content that people pay you to make!

Without a story, a film is just a collection of disparate shots. And no matter how pretty, they are just some shots. But to attract a following, a channel's films must make some sort of point. So it’s worth understanding something about the nature of story itself.

Here we are then, at the third and final article in this series. There is a lot of advice around to do with making video, and usually it is to tell a story. This is quite right and, unsurprisingly, great stories happen mainly to people who can tell them.

Very few articles get around to exploring what a story actually is beyond: stories have a beginning, middle and end. My car has a beginning, middle and an end, therefore my car is a story. So that's dealt with that then!

1 Know what a story is

So let’s be different. Let’s explore a definition of story that is actually useful. It’s the audience that controls meaning but, no matter how hard you try, you cannot have absolute control of what goes on in the audiences’ heads. Stories are composed of messages, and these are what the author does control. It is these that get turned into meaning.

A complete story is a collection of messages that the author hopes will impact an audience in such a way that they think and possibly do a particular something afterwards. Therefore, you could say that a story makes an argument. Since the point of an enduring story is that it works without requiring the author's presence, you could say that it makes a mind’s argument for the solution to a problem. There it is then, a definition of story that covers just about everything from a novel, through plays to films, poems and successful raconteurism. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice makes her argument for how to marry well. Bowling for Columbine is Michael Moore’s argument for better gun control in the US.

2 A problem?

I'm strong on definitions. So what is a problem in the context of story? I can't eat fish? No, that's not a problem. Not eating fish is only a problem in a story where there is no other food. Stories without problems are not terrifically interesting. They are like those interminable anecdotes that tail off into something completely forgettable. So at the heart of a great story there lurks some sort of inequity. Only fish to eat - can't eat fish. The problem in Pride & Prejudice was the inheritance system that would have impoverished unmarried Bennet females on their father's death. Michael Moore generally looks at what he sees as big problems to do with Conservatives running things in the USA.

Everybody faces them, so exploring life's inevitable problems, the people involved, and how they go about resolving them will always capture audience interest - it's personal. Stories often involve a conflict between two people and the best way to solve the problem. This is all about different perspectives. Problems put people in one place while they need to be in another, and this is the source of emotion.

This film makes the point well. At the end Elayna explains her solution for a good and successful resolution.

3 Good Subjects for films

Interesting travel films are about the places and people encountered an journey. People are usually nice to sailors, they spend money and don’t stay too long. It’s really interesting to see a location dramatised. The activities and interactions of people in their familiar daily lives can all be explored visually.

Like the crews of many YouTube yachts, Riley and Elayna make films about the places they visit, their sailing life, the friends they make and the low times as well as the fun. This is important if they are to honestly present their adventure. Authenticity is important.

Films can also be how-tos. Boats require maintenance, repair and modification from time to time. Explaining different rules about visas, entry and clearance requirements can be very useful. These are all good candidate subjects for a film.

Food is an almost inexhaustible subject. New veg, fruit and recipes will be wherever you go - alcoholic and other drinks too. And while on passage there will be the fresh bread and fish. Maintaining a healthy diet on long passages is always a potential issue so there is loads to explore.

4 Shoot sequences, not shots

Film is a show, not a tell medium, so it’s no good doing a piece to camera about the scary storm last night. Actual footage of the storm and you being scared is so much better. Some of the yachts fall into this trap and don’t show, they sit in the cockpit and tell the camera about the things that happened, things that should really be on film.

When shooting we tend to think in shots. And we put a lot of effort into ensuring they are well framed and exposed. But when we come to edit we have to make sequences that do the heavy lift of storytelling. So it’s worth thinking about sequences when shooting. To do that you need to know what messages you are trying to convey - so you need to know what the story is about.

So when planning a sequence, it's worth thinking about the supporting footage that says: 'we went ashore in our dinghy'. This might include launching the inflatable, getting in, starting the motor, speeding through the other anchored boats, finding a place to tie up, getting out of the boat and making fast before walking off. How many shots do you need? That depends on how much voiceover or dialogue you need to cover. If it's a short sequence then quick fire shots of getting in, motor start, speeding along, and bumping into a pontoon might be enough before cutting to the shopping trip sequence.

Incidentally, if you are making a podcast then, in a similar way, you would record sound effects to augment the dialogue and narration.

5 Equipment

There is an old saying amongst TV cameramen: the best camera is the one you have on you when you need one. You need a camera that can shoot HD video and it’s hard to find one that doesn’t today. You also need to shoot stills. It’s worth finding one that shoots video in a format that is easy to edit. There is a wide range of mirrorless cameras, DSLRs and camcorders that will do just fine. Pick one that has a connection for an external mic. With a good zoom lens and a decent microphone you are set up for pieces to camera, interviews and general shots.

For sailing films GoPros and drones have become essential. The DJI Phantom 3 Pro has been the mainstay, but there are plenty, some even waterproof, to choose from. I like the Lumix GH range of mirrorless cameras and you can get underwater housings for them that really make snorkelling and diving expeditions. I'll be compiling an equipment list in my research document.

Sound is massively important. Probably 80% of the value of a film is in a well crafted soundtrack. Well recorded sound is all about signal versus noise. You need to record plenty of signal and the minimum of noise, you can't easily remove unwanted noise in the edit. In fact, try to avoid the whole notion of fixing things in the edit, it's lazy. Recording clean sound will mean placing a mic as close to the speaker as is possible. It might mean having a mic on an extension cable or even on a separate sound recorder. You might also need a muffler or dead cat to reduce wind noise on the mic. Audio recording is a craft skill that makes all the difference. I cannot overstate the importance of managing sound consistently and well throughout your films.

6 Editing

To engage an audience, videos must be well edited. There should always be a front title sequence that identifies the channel. Editing is the last writing process that is done to a film, it’s all about grammar and vocabulary. This means that the structure and pace are all the editor's responsibility.

There are so many options for editing. At the simplest I like the iPhone app LumaFusion. But there is so many free and paid edit software for PC, Mac and Linux that something is bound to suit. I like Final Cut Pro X on the Mac as it makes editing really fast and works conceptually more like film than videotape. But the choice is yours. And again, there is plenty of training to be had.

There are masses of online tutorials on the subject. Look at some, find the app you prefer and then look at some more tutorials. You might also sign up for a training course. Again there are many sources, I have used and can recommend LarryJordan.com, Lindy.com and RippleTraining.com for all the major software.

I mentioned before that channels must be consistent. You need to establish a look and feel for your videos. If the channel is about sailing around the world, meeting new people and visiting new places then it should stick to that - in the main. That is to say, the films should not be too different, but certainly not formulaic repetitions.

Editing is a huge subject, and a skill that is more about intuition than a set process. The best advice is to look at films you like and work out how they were put together. Then emulate them.

7 Music

Videos are not complete without music. It embodies the feelings in a film. But it can be extremely expensive to buy a license for well known songs. So SoundCloud has a useful advanced search capability that allows you to filter results by Creative Commons licenses that can even allow commercial use, with attribution. In addition to that, Soundcloud musicians often allow their music to be used for free on popular YouTube channels. It never hurts to ask.

You can do a search on CreativeCommons.org for all sorts of free to use media. Some requires attribution and others don't. But it's well worth getting to know the various resources. In addition, some composers on YouTube and SoundCloud will let you use their music for free if you ask nicely. If you make good films then some will appreciate the exposure in a different marketplace.

8 Part of a publishing portfolio

Just making and uploading videos to YouTube or Vimeo is not enough to get found. Linking together a blog, a Patreon site, a Facebook page and a YouTube channel is a fundamental requirement. Additional sites like Twitter, Instagram and Flickr are useful too. Podcasts are a really good idea for delivering content to people when reading or viewing is impractical. Good audio pieces expand your audience dramatically. Podcasts can be hosted on many sites, some are free and others are paid. There are many of these and you can put the podcasts onto iTunes and Google Play for free. They should, like videos, be embedded in blogs to maximise exposure.

An important requirement is that the films be easy to find. For this they should be in appropriate playlists, have useful tags and keywords as well as catchy titles. A good thumbnail works well as does putting lots of links in the description. Also put links in the films themselves and the YouTube channel banner, it's all important.

A regularly updated blog is probably the best place to make central to your publishing efforts. It's also a good starting point for acquiring subscriber details so that you can build a good list - the size of your list is critical to much commercial activity on the web. Social Marketing through Instagram and Twitter etc can also lead people to your blog. The Patreon site will allow you to restrict early releases of films, photos and podcasts etc to paying supporters.

Conclusion

Amongst the deluge of cats, music, and expressions of teenage angst on YouTube there are plenty of very high quality films too. I find it fascinating how so much stuff is given away for free and how audiences will be happy to contribute to fund the creators' continuing efforts. This is a big disruption of the traditional entertainment model where the gifted few are granted the privilege of communicating with the rest of us.

You might level a criticism that I have only used examples from a very narrow niche. But that is the point. You never get to see this stuff on TV because the audience is deemed too small. The limited space on a broadcast channel means that better (commercial) use can be made by serving a wider demographic. But here is a way for niche interests to be served with some hope of support. You just have to look for them; there, Google is your friend.

If you'd like to know more about the theory of story that I find most useful then explore the Dramatica website. The theory is quite academic so be prepared for some work. But I have found it the only theory that is from the author's perspective - and this makes it very useful. It is supported by a very clever piece of software and a host of free training material. Also look around Melanie Anne Phillips' site, Story Mind, and Jim Hull's Narrative First site.

As more people discover that the skills required for making engaging films aren't so hard to learn, I reckon that the broadcast model will have to change. I propose keeping these articles up to date and will add relevant links from time to time.

The New Producers Part 2 - How do you monetise free content?

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 13:52:00 +0000

Video equipment is cheap, and access to eyeballs has never been easier. But getting a sustainable return on the effort and cost of creating content is one big problem that has been killing traditional publishers. So, who is making free content that people will pay for, how do you actually monetise that content, and how do you create free content that people will pay you to make? This three part article looks at these questions.

Part 1 - Who is making paying content for free?
Part 2 - How do you monetise free content?
Part 3 - 8 things you need to know to create free content that people pay you to make!

Video is an engaging storytelling medium, and it’s extremely popular. But doing it well and often requires resources. But these can be expensive, particularly when making long-form content. So, how exactly do you go about acquiring the funding to continue making these films in a sustainable way?

Generally speaking, channels and not individual films are what gain audience loyalty. People like channels because they offer consistent content. We’ll talk about what makes a channel in part 3. For now, the question is: “where does the money come from?”. Setting up a YouTube channel with the partner programme will enable it to make money from AdSense adverts, either pre, post or during a film. YouTube pays for ad views, but at $2 or so per thousand views you need an awful lot of them to generate significant funds. It’s a start, and I’ll show you how to estimate the income from a YouTube channel later in this article.

Unless you have millions of views you’ll need a portfolio of funding models, and what is working seems to be a funding portfolio. Crowdfunding, affiliate links, merchandising and so forth. For example, there’s a chap called Casey Neistat. He does really well with subscribers and views. His channel generates quite a lot of revenue because his celebrity status attracts lots of attention. But achieving celebrity status is not available to us all.

Patreon is a four year old (in 2017) crowdfunding site designed to work for creators. Money is pledged in various amounts of cash that are given either on a time basis or on the production of something tangible. There are various tiers of contribution and the creator delivers rewards at each level. These might be early access to new or special content, or could be film credits, or even opportunities to visit the creator. There is another benefit from Patreon, it is good for the relationship between patrons and creators. It enables patrons to be a part of the process, and inclusion is evidently good. It is through their more than 1400 patrons that Riley and Elayna are potentially generating a reasonable budget for their films - although I am sure it's not a dead cert nor as bountiful as the glib estimates suggest. In terms of relationship, well, they take patrons sailing every now and again.

With a thousand or more patrons it's quite within the bounds of reason to develop significant income; some creators are apparently pledged many thousands of dollars per video. And if you make a video a week and have lots of followers who watched the ads as well, then you can make an income.

Many creators are quite open about their revenues on Patreon, it’s there on their page. And there are tools like Socialblade that will give an idea of how much Youtube channels might make in revenue. I just entered the identifier for a channel called Active Self Protection. It was quite a surprise to discover that the revenue estimate is between £31.8k and £508.5k. I suppose that it depends upon how many ads are watched fully. But you get the idea...

Going back to Riley and Elayna. They have quite a body of work on YouTube, over 100 episodes at the time of writing. The videos average about 15 minutes each and provide an insight into their happy lives and travels. Views average between 200k and 400k. You can look them up on Socialblade to see what that means.

As I have mentioned before, filmmaking kit is no longer hugely expensive. GoPro’s, DSLRs, camcorders, drones and some audio kit come in for as little as £3-4k for the lot. The production tools on La Vagabonde are sensibly simple. A couple of good quality still/video cameras, A GoPro, and a drone. The drone delivers excellent footage of sailing and exotic locations. It’s great to see aerial footage from mid-ocean. This contributes an essential part of the films, which are becoming ever better travel documentaries as skills improve. And this goes for many of the other yachts doing this. We’ll talk more about that in the third and final article in the series.

And this is where one future of documentary can be glimpsed. Travel film for TV is expensive. It also requires celebrity and lots of expensive flights, carnets and agreements. For people following this Australian Odyssey, there is a well rendered view of the planet from an optimistic perspective. They have a pretty solid following for their franchise that will just keep giving, so long as they do. There is a lot to be said for making films about the life you live. The film part is a lot easier than the living bit.

The Volvo Ocean Race involves several multi-million pound campaigns racing around the world. It is very exciting for the participants but much of the best footage came from the in-port racing and not the ocean legs. During the race, everybody is concerned with coaxing the last fraction of a knot from the boat. Winning the race is the overriding objective and historically films came a long way second. So very little footage of the main race was captured in the yachts.

In an attempt to address this, the race organisers invented the role of media crew member. Their job is not to sail the yacht but to make films about the pith and moment of day to day life aboard, which in itself often gets quite very exciting. But I’ll let Rick Deppe tell you about the life of the media crew member in a film we made a few years ago.

There are many couples voyaging and making films. Riley and Elena are by no means unique. Many yachts are crewed by people with widely varying experiences, but they are telling stories that are very engaging for a significant audience.

Traditional navigation can be quite a complex mix of maths and measurement with tricky instruments, tables and graphical techniques. A mix of art and science that takes practise to become even relatively accurate. If you are interested in this then 'Emergency Navigation' by Peter Burch is the book to read. Really useful stuff to know when the electronics have all died. BTW, I’ve put a link to this book on Amazon at the end of this article - a paltry attempt at monetisation.

Part of what makes this nomadic lifestyle possible comes from the computerisation and digitalisation of yachts and ships. The arrival of GPS, small computers, and chart plotters has simplified things dramatically, Navigation and pilotage can even be carried out with a smartphone, and at a fraction of the cost of paper charts. Not only are they easy to use but they are a useful source of illustrative graphics too. Today, with modern communication systems, a vessel can remain entirely up to date with weather data, chart corrections and even email.

This unprecedented connectivity and capability is not restricted to yachts in salty orbit of the planet. There are many mobile people, digital nomads, creating content of all sorts and being supported on Patreon.

And the following is powerful. When the list has grown, at least some of it will help with bigger, one off projects on Kickstarter and the like.

All of this really empowers niche interest groups lying in the long tail of interest. Unlike the limited shelf space of broadcast, the Internet is effectively infinite. If there is an audience, no matter how diffuse, then it can be served. No more dumbing down for average.

Broadcast’s limited shelf space has another impact. In order to attract attention, it's content must have the widest appeal. So, inevitably, scheduling becomes ratings driven. The consequence of this is content that must not humiliate the lowest common denominator, and that means it can only be average.

As audio and video literacy become more commonplace, so production standards will improve. The yachts and their crew are making ever better, and more sophisticated stories that really are competing with TV, even in production value.

So where does this leave things? It's an exciting prospect for anyone already skilled in audio and video storytelling. Serving a niche with a constant supply of fresh and engaging content is becoming ever more sustainable.

This content is an interesting phenomenon. It’s not all simple entertainment designed for escaping the world. Some of it is about exploration too. And what is fascinating is that if you give the product away for free then there are sufficient people who will contribute towards your expenses. In the next article, part 3, we’ll look at the sort of content that generates this loyalty.

The New Producers Part 1 - Who is making paying content for free?

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 15:08:00 +0000

A while ago, video was mainly the domain of the pro. And getting seen by a wide audience was next to impossible for amateurs. But now, traditional gatekeepers are losing their grip as prices for kit plummet. So, who is making free content that actually earns cash repeatably and reliably?

A new wave of documentary is being made sustainable by social funding and free distribution to the consumer. For generations, media production has been the prerogative of gatekeepers such as TV and film studios. High price middle men have been controlling what we see, who makes it, and who makes most out of it. But this is all changing.

There are plenty of examples of projects successfully generating income with online media. From self-protection, through fishing to investment advice, there are people funding their film making. I am going to base these three articles around something that is close to my heart - enjoying one of the last freedoms. Sailing the world as a digital nomad and being able to sustain the lifestyle is very satisfactory. I am keeping a close eye on emerging methods of creating value. Then we’ll look at how to make use of them and then I’ll explore methods of actually earning an income from creating content.

But first, an observation on the last thirty years or so: Computers have been insinuated into almost all industries. The product, or at least a part of it, has become digitalised. I am being quite specific in my use of the word “digitalise”. Here it means to convert to digital part or all of the product and the process of making of something. And after a process becomes digital then a chain of inevitable changes disrupt things forever. The industry, or part of it, first becomes decentralised and then networked. In the last thirty years this has happened to graphics, photography, personal assistants and even estate agency, to name just a few. These were frequently centralised departments within corporations but now are bought-in services. Everything is getting Ubered.

Whilst some skilled jobs are increasingly done by machines, many of us are marking time, trapped by debt; credit cards, bank loans, and mortgages. We’re told we’re better off, but it comes at a cost. You get stuck, held fast by commitments to others. Escaping the rut becomes highly aspirational - but we know that it's only a dream, of course it is. After all, money is the oxygen of the 21^st century. So when we see others who have cashed in, jumped off, and are enjoying a life of apparent freedom, then we are as intrigued as we are attracted. And so an audience now exists for something that breaks free from the machine.

How might this breaking free look? These three articles are a case study of an approach taken not by just one or two individuals, but by an increasing number of people. I make no apology for the example, as I said, this is where my own aspirations are leading me.

So let me tell a story, it goes something like this: A few years ago, in Australia, a young millennial dreamed of sailing around the world on his own boat. He worked hard and saved diligently for a number of years until he built up enough capital to buy a suitable yacht.

Discovering that second hand prices were lower in Europe than those at home, he found and bought a yacht in Italy. Pretty soon he fitted her out ready for the big voyages he had in mind. And then, wisely, he set about learning how to sail her.

Meanwhile, in Western Australia, a young girl had finished school. She had decided not to go straight to University and instead spent time harvesting grain. She then went backpacking around Europe, lived in a van in Australia, and dive mastering in both Greece and at home. An engaging and creative girl, she was offered work performing music in Greece. And after a while, Riley and she met. To cut to the chase, they threw their lot in with each other and set off together. But sailing a yacht around the world is not cheap. Evidence of this is to be found in many exotic and otherwise locations, where failed dreams are laid up ashore for sale or to rot.

Riley and Elayna sailed around the Mediterranean, increasing their skills and confidence; then she discovered a camera onboard that could also shoot video. They began to make films and upload them to YouTube - you can see the history of this on their channel.

An attractive and engaging couple, they soon built up a loyal following made happy by seeing the world through their eyes. If you are stuck as a wage slave then this is a compelling vicarious escape. Fast forward 3 or 4 years and something extraordinary has happened. They have sailed across the Atlantic ocean, around the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal and then on to the Galapagos archipelago. From there they sailed to exotic Pacific islands, made lots of increasingly good films, and eventually wound up in New Zealand. This is where they put their boat, La Vagabonde, up for sale. You can find it all on YouTube.

Selling their yacht was not the extraordinary thing, nor was it due to things going wrong. Quite the reverse, things went very well for them. Their following on YouTube now numbers over 320,000. Quite a few of these are contributing, via a crowdfunding site, to every movie they make. The income from this and other sources has made it possible for them to buy a brand new catamaran, which they are currently commissioning whilst cruising the Mediterranean. They continue to document their travelling lifestyle in films that are improving all the time. Significantly, they are competing for eyeballs more used to TV than YT, and in part 2 we’ll see how they succeeded and what it could mean.

The interesting thing is that this phenomenon is not that uncommon, nor restricted to yachts. It seems that as long as the content meets a few basic requirements for audience engagement, high production value is not needed. But a sense of story and telling really is.

If you care to see some other world cruisers I am slowly developing a Paper.Li called Global Liveaboard Voyaging. It aggregates video, blog, Twitter and other feeds to make a daily publication about the salty nomads who I find quite compelling. In the interests of transparency I am also making my main research document available. You’ll find lots of useful and related information there. Please feel free to add comments and let me know what I have missed. In part 2 we’ll look at some of the ways in which content can be monetised.

Journalism - why can't it be more objective?

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 14:10:00 +0000

The simple answer is that journalism is in the same test-tube as the rest of the experiment. Emile Zola defined art as a corner of reality viewed through a temperament. That describes journalism pretty well too. After all, when you look at something, you have to look at it from somewhere. There really is no ultimately objective position from which we can view our current planetary reality; and if we’re honest, fences are too thin to sit on. So expecting any entity that is bound by space, time, matter and energy to be objective is a forlorn hope. But not all is lost in this existential subjectivity.

William Cobbett

Thomas Paine

There are things to which journalism can aspire. Good examples of this emerged from late eighteenth century inequity. William Cobbett and Thomas Paine blogged in print about the sins of the system and those who manipulated it. Inspired by their sense of injustice, both pamphleteers lowered the water level on social issues - and suffered the consequences. Cobbett spent time in prison for treasonous libel. Paine’s writing got him expelled from government service, almost executed by the revolting French, and got him prosecuted by HMG for writing the Age of Reason. Blogging is no new phenomenon, nor are the penalties for speaking uncomfortable truth to power. Incidentally, Paine died in the USA and Cobbett wound up with his bones, fully intending to repatriate them.

Eighteenth Century Press

About a century after Cobbett and Paine swung their presses of justice a phenomenon called yellow journalism became apparent. It’s manifestation in the US was largely down to Pulitzer and Hearst. These two late nineteenth century publishers competed for circulation with sensationalist column inches. Whilst these urine tinted dying days of the Victorian era ebbed away, the New York Times was not in good health. Then up pops Adloph Ochs, a newspaper man from way back. He bought his first paper at the age of nineteen with $250 he borrowed from his family. At the age of 38 he borrowed some more money and purchased the New York Times. He set about saving it, and his new motto "all the news that’s fit to print" swept away the stain of yellow and the NYT became arguably the preeminent newspaper of the world. Times square was less than a decade away and Ochs added more banners to his collection whilst observing that 50% of what is spent on advertising is wasted.

Adolph Ochs

William Randolph Hearst

Joseph Pulitzer

There then followed another century during which journalism dipped in and out of sinfulness. The lurid red tops of the UK rediscovered the selling power of sensation; aliens got involved in agriculture whilst politicians had affairs and large fronted young women provided page three readers with vicarious gratification. This phase didn’t did not pass, but then in the late 1990s, a group of journalists, publishers and media owners in the US formed the Committee for Concerned Journalists. Worried about the state of journalism and its future, their objective was to start a national discussion about its nature and purpose. Founded by Bill Kovach and Ted Rosenstiel, the Committee established conversations and forums to aggregate the thinking of the industry. Their work established consensus on a single purpose for journalism: to enable free citizens to make informed choices. From this admirable and singular purpose there follow some ten simple principles.

Journalism's first obligation is to the truth. We are constantly discovering that what we thought was the objective truth is, in fact, an oversimplification at best or a misunderstanding at worst. Remember all that stuff about space, time, matter and energy? The first three verses in the first chapter of Genesis go into this in some detail. Science takes us ever closer to the truth without actually touching it - ever. If you are in doubt about any of this then read Douglas Adams, who will deepen that doubt for you. But all that notwithstanding, good journalism ensures people have the most reliable and accurate facts available.

Its first loyalty is to the Citizen. In the soup of vested interests that constitute publishing there has to be an understanding by all that the ultimate allegiance is to the audience. Journalism’s credibility is dependant upon this principle, if it fails then the medium has no value to citizens and therefore to advertising or to its owners.

Its essence is a discipline of verification. There are no standards for this, but journalists with integrity will seek multiple sources; particularly as the stakes increase. Without this verification, journalism becomes no better than advertising, PR and propaganda.

Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover. Without this foundation principle the editorial agenda is suspect. It often put journalists into a difficult and sometimes dangerous position. Sometimes it takes great courage to maintain.

It must serve as an independent monitor of power. This is the principle recognised by Cobbett and Paine, and what got them into trouble with that power. The four estates of society each must watch over the others without fear or favour. Journalism can and must carefully watch the powerful few and ensure that any corruption comes to light. The first principle often makes it the last resort for protecting citizens.

It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise. Unless society's various perspectives and interests are fairly represented then there is a danger that only the most spectacular conflicts will form the basis of choice. If we want to prevent governance by fiat then following this principle ensures that the discussion takes place in the open and all voices are heard. Through this, journalism earns its right to subsidy in the form of the airwaves, Internet bandwidth and postal costs that news generally enjoys.

It must strive to keep the significant interesting and relevant. It makes great TV to wade through the emotional mire of sensational events - especially when there are dramatic pictures. It is common for news to focus on the stories that capture public attention. These are not always the things to which we should be paying most attention. A British special adviser to government called described September 11th as a very good day to bury bad news. She inadvertently highlighted the dangers when news becomes a victory of sensation over significance. She lost her job because of the dangerous truth of succumbing to bread and circuses.

It must strive to keep the news comprehensive and proportional. Linked to the previous principle, this one describes the first draft of history. This charts society and is vital in helping citizens and communities to navigate it. Any map that is incomplete or whose proportions are inaccurate is of little use.

Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience. Journalism is emergent of inequity. People who are offended morally and ethically by things that they see are often driven to action of some kind. Everyone has a perspective and journalists should be driven by their consciences, both externally in their work and internally in the newsroom. In this way the integrity of their overall work is preserved.

Citizens, too have rights and responsibilities when it comes to the news. The digitalisation of production has democratised access to publishing. This has disrupted the industry where once the publishers were the gatekeepers who decide what people should and should not know. First came computers, then the industry became digitalised and that washed away the barriers to entry. Cobbett and Paine had to rent or buy an expensive press. Today, a blog can be set up for no cost at all. The consequence is that anyone can look like a journalist. Anyone can manipulate the news in the service of their special agenda. Fake news spreads when verification is wanting.

The research of the Committee for Concerned Journalists resulted in a book, The Elements of Journalism. This is a vital read for anyone interested in creating or consuming journalism.

The journey from digitalisation to disruption - what happens after things get computerised?

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 12:01:00 +0000

Anyone with a few skills can now make a website that looks like a global corporate.

I’ve seen several activities and professions confront digitalisation. When I started at the BBC, computers were expensive and required a lot of knowledge to operate. In the 1980s we used BBC micros to automate several time consuming operations to make animated computer graphics, until the IBM PC took over. This was a process of computerisation and was not very disruptive - it was not really accessible to many. Adequate knowledge and skills were quite hard to acquire. We needed the expertise of broadcast engineers And we didn’t dream in digital yet.

Moore’s Law has allowed ever smaller processors to take over analogue processes. As time has gone by, the spread of computers into just about everything has forced many activities to a digital domain; now they have become digitalised. In broadcast, giant videotape machines began to get smaller, smarter and contained computers. By 1980 there were machines that no longer required a highly trained engineer to operate them. Film editors, confronting the move to video tape and the initial reduction in options, began to cry out in protest: “I have spent my career working on silver, I see no reason to convert to rust!”.

In the early 90s, desktop publishing appeared on computers with word processors, and secretaries began to demonstrate the need for a degree in graphic design if you are going to do it properly. Traditional graphic designers began to sweat whilst artworkers learned to operate systems like Quark and Pagemaker etc. Luddites everywhere consigned themselves to history. The bedrooms of youth began to get computerised. It started with games.

Meanwhile, camera manufacturers were developing better and cheaper video sensors and began integrating smarter processors. Cameras changed and the workflow was complemented by capable digital edit systems, which started to appear in broadcast edit departments. By the end of the 90s, equipment began to plummet in price. In a very few years, almost anyone could afford a digital camera and a computer powerful enough to edit with.

Business began to feel increasing impact. Ever cheaper digital communication and transport, in the form of the Internet, has rendered traditional centralisation less relevant for many industries. Look at how the financial sector has changed. As barriers to entry drop so many benefits of being gatekeepers evaporate. Pressure to decentralise increased. Universities ran increasingly popular trade training thinly disguised as degrees producing an oversupply of labour in the process. The gatekeepers pretty much stopped in-career training.

In the mid-90s I had run away to sea. I spent some time as a race yacht navigator and delivery skipper - until all the money had gone that is. And here too the effects of computerisation and digitalisation were being felt. Decca Navigator had become pervasive as prices of receivers dropped and their capability increased. Navigation software began to appear and laptops won their place on chart tables. Charts were digitised and other yacht instruments became integrated with computers. Navigators began to believe to three decimal places the calculations of machines.

Commercial marine was a little behind the curve, but as soon as GPS became globally available for free then ship navigation, like that of land and aviation, became the domain of black box systems that we use without question. Surprise was everywhere, lorries began to get stuck under low bridges, ships and yachts ran aground on things that only high resolution charts could warn them about. Digital has a downside too, it can’t extrapolate stuff - yet.

The technology is wonderful, empowering even. But the downsides need addressing. Online graphics are superb, but online typography is often not. The craft skills of typography takes years to master. And generally, some skills and experience are needed to direct the digital artisan.

To be a good designer the ability to draw analytically, by hand, on paper is actually vital. It shows you can draw what you see in front of you. If you can do that then you can draw what is in your mind. If you can’t communicate what you see in front of you then how can you demonstrate that you actually visualise a solution? Is that solution simply a serendipity of playing with a digital tool?

The bedrooms of youth are now very technological. They are decentralised factories fronted by glitzy websites that give an erroneous impression. Consider this: modern cameras can produce very pretty video almost by themselves. Edit systems are simple to operate too. The traditional filmmaking is a lot more than operating a camera and an edit software. What often gets left out in all this creative democratisation are the basics. In the case of video the ‘creative’ effort is put into the acquisition of pretty pictures and to cut them to music along with almost voyeuristic emotion. Even Hollywood makes nonsense films. The single most common point of failure in all this is simple - the story.

In the rush to make a film almost any script will do. The burgeoning deluge of short films - for which there is no market I might add - demonstrate an accent on emotion and shallow depth of field. All driven by nothing. These are a victory of style over substance, something to which Holly, and the other woods, are not immune.

When I worked for the BBC in the 70s and 80s I was aware of no brand, at least from inside the corporation. There were several internal production companies, feral by nature, that were largely trusted to get on with having and implementing good ideas. Management's job was to facilitate them. Excellence resulted from this self policing system.

As years went by so accountants started to look at value along the single dimension of money. Idiotic practises like total costing meant it was cheaper to buy a CD on the high street than to hire it from the internal record library. And some of us thought the BBC had become less of a great place to work. My point is that agile collaborative groups with high standards can turn barely sufficient resources into excellent products. When behemoths own value chains they are driven by different rules and tend towards letting ratings dictate the output. This produces a feedback loop in which more of the same replaces innovations.

I see evidence of groups that are emerging on the Internet of a new and potentially fertile ground for linking different creative perspectives and skills into collaborations that will revitalise a content landscape that has become lacklustre and at best a victory of style over substance.

Rent-A-Producer

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Sat, 27 May 2017 10:50:00 +0000

Video is irrefutably one of the most compelling communication media. It works particularly well in channels, but it quickly becomes expensive in bulk. Therefore hire a part time producer to minimise costs and retain the essential skills.

Here is the problem confronting a lots of organisations. Everybody knows that video is possibly the most powerful of all communication media. Testimony to this lies in the deluge of video swamping almost every aspect of life. Nobody spends much time randomly seeking out things to watch; we tend to rely on two main approaches. Consensus. If lots of people share a video then it will be more easily found. The other way is to follow channels. Channels publish content that have some consistency. The audience gets to know the sort of stuff that a broadcaster puts out and this narrows the filter. Finding something agreeable to watch on Netflix can take a lot longer, unless the recommendation system works for you.

A channel requires regular and frequent addition of fresh material. Brands are slowly doing this. If you are interested in extreme sports then Red Bull TV is the place to go. But this is only practical for the biggest brands.

Video works well when it's well constructed and gets seen by the target audience. For it to work you need experienced writers and directors etc. To get it seen, you either need a large following or you need a channel. So here is the problem for smaller brands, video that engages and compels is generally expensive to make. One recent solution has been to conflate roles and to run on minimum crews. This is fine for the simplest promos, but even then those involved have to be experienced. It just doesn't work for more complex work, the sort that engages and compels audiences. So if you don't have a full war chest then that's you out of the game. Or is it?

What really makes video expensive? Like anything, good productions require skilled people. They need somewhere to work and they need top keep a roof over their head and bread on the table. Brands don't want to set up a production company as a business unit because they don't have full time work for it. Hiring a production company on demand is cheaper, but still expensive as the price of work has to cover all their infrastructure and cost of doing business as well as profit. So we're back to expensive video again.

However...

When someone has been in the film and video business, particularly TV, for a long time, then they get to know all the various tasks and how they work together, a lot of good people, in fact the entire end to end production process. And one of the jobs where this must happen effectively is that of producer. They bring another benefit too, the high standards that were a feature of the environment in which they took their first steps.

First and foremost a producer is a project manager. Their main skill is being able to pull together and manage the resources needed for a production both effectively and efficiently. They get to know a lot about all the various roles needed to make a film. As time goes by they build a wealth of craft and other contacts upon whom they can depend.

So, there are a couple of forces in play. A pressure on almost every organisation to produce films, and a pressure to reduce costs in order to maximise content in a channel. A new phenomenon is emerging. Brands are beginning to discover that they only need employ one central role: a producer. And even then they only need to do so part time. Everything else follows from there.

What to do? If you are a producer look at the ads on LinkedIn amongst other places. Advertisements for experienced producers in part-time roles are slowly increasing. If you are an organisation then look for experienced producers who may have retired and become bored. They are not so hard to find. In the UK, amongst the membership of the Royal Television Society and other organisations there are retired employees. Many of these people miss the buzz of productions. People who have all the skills to ensure that any video has the best chance of achieving its objective.

Brands are clearly beginning to take this approach. It helps any organisation maximise effective output at minimum cost.

Story. Lens and looking glass.

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 13:37:00 +0000

I barely watch broadcast television any more - and all too often even the news is a victory of prominence over significance. I don't know about you but making an appointment with a TV in order to be informed, educated and entertained seems like a ludicrous thing to do in this age. Netflix and other online, on-demand providers enjoy an unlimited shelf space that makes enduring works available at a time convenient to me. Why do I want to enjoy these works? For the story of course. The dual purpose of entertainment has always been to both escape and explore reality.

There is a second problem, and it also applies to the film industry. Over sensitive to ratings, insipid commissioning is prone to choosing remakes over reinvention. There is a chasm of difference between the process by which great works are made and simply re-making great works. The latter is often doomed to obscurity because we just misunderstand story. We think of it as a manifestation of some creative aethereal flux, mystical even. Why does Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice endure so well? Could it be that it makes an argument for solving a problem that every generation faces - how to marry well? In his film Sicko, Michael Moore argues for a better healthcare system for America. Both are stories. Argument is not a word we often associate with story.

It is one of our oldest cultural artefacts, we humans are wired for story. Yet it is one for which familiarity has not brought great comprehension. Some of us appear to be born with a innate storytelling ability. For many of us it is an enjoyable mystery. Understanding its nature should encompass both factual and fictional stories within a single and comprehensive definition.

For a long time Astrology was a model of reality, a lens used to explore various facets of the Universe and their causal impact on life. Today, if we wish to make cosmological predictions then we generally turn to the science of Astronomy. Newton's insights into gravitation produced a theoretical description we could use to make useful predictions about things like how to fly machines around our solar system.

How might we usefully define story? Stories contain messages. Messages are nuggets designed to impact a mind. A story is a collection of messages encoded in a robust structure that retains its integrity through time, language and retelling. If a story is to stand alone and last then the intention must be to impact minds without recourse to the author.

We might define a complete story as a mind's argument for the solution to a problem. The power of complete story is thus immediately clear; it allows audiences to explore a problem and its solution in a way that is as natural as it is compelling. We continue to need stories just as we always have. They allow us to rehearse our own response to the inequities of existence and make them as our own.

There is a rabbit hole. I suggest jumping in here, here and the comic book here.

News, fast and furious...

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:18:00 +0000

Smartphones are increasingly being used to capture audio and video. Whilst it's true they are getting very much better, they have limitations which prevent them from achieving the best of their capabilities:

they are so light it's hard to hold them still
they have very small lenses which limit the amount of light reaching the sensor
their built-in microphones often face a different direction from the camera and cannot get close enough for good interview sound.

Much of the footage that they generate is used simply because it can be made and it's broadcast only when there is no alternative. We have become used to the footage from Egypt, Libya, Syria and the London riots.

But smartphones are also computers, and very powerful ones. They can run programmes which are able to interact with sound, stills and video. Editing apps are becoming very common and they can take the footage and turn it into the same sort of packages produced by the long established equipment and processes available to broadcast television. What's more, they can also upload these packages directly to a newsroom server.

This ability to edit and upload what has been shot gives them a singular advantage in the news acquisition process. It's possible to reduce the time taken from shoot to distribution - massively in some cases.

If these devices were to continue to be limited by the quality of sound and image then the results would remain consigned to occasional and emergency use. However, there have been some innovative developments.

To reduce shaky video the camera needs more mass. To improve the image quality, the sensor needs more light. A solution exists in the form of the Owle Bubo. This is an aluminium billet which has been milled to take the iPhone and an accessory lens; in fact it can take a variety of accessory lenses. It also has a number of accessory attachment points and can be mounted on a mono or tripod. The original Owle has been replaced by Phocus and ALM's Mcam. In my opinion, the original shape is the best as it's easiest to hold and has more attachment points.

We forgive poor images long before we accept poor sound. It is vital to record the best quality sound possible. The iPhone is capable of recording at better than CD quality but to do this it needs better microphones. There are a couple of options, first is a small microphone on a short hinged boom which plugs into the earphone socket. This can be pointed in the direction of the lens and the sound quality is much improved. But there is more. Good mics are generally connected by XLR plugs. An adapter cable which also plugs into the earphone socket is the way to make use of these mics.

So now we have a more stable platform which can record images better than we had in the late 1970s, and close to broadcast sound. Reasonable footage can now be recorded but also edited and uploaded.

The most compelling reason for using these devices is the speed at which stories can be turned around. The process is disruptively fast. The footage is stored in the camera which means it's instantly available to the editing software. A package can be turned around, and online, within thirty minutes.

The iPhone shooting kit is small and light. You don't need a carnet to move it around the world and it's comparatively cheap so you can dump it and run if things get hot. When you consider the costs of maintaining a traditional crew and the time taken to turn round a 90sec package then this has to be a winner. A journalist can turn around half a dozen packages and have them ready for distribution in the tome it takes to make one by traditional means. As budgets get lighter so this is going to become a significant way of working.

Reality of iPhone Reporting

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 23:00:00 +0000

There are three main areas of concern over using iPhone as a tool for mobile journalism:

• Video quality. Here is a side by side test of the 4S and the Canon 5D Mk II -http://vimeo.com/30606785 shows them hard to tell apart. But there are reasonable criticisms; shaky images and a tiny lens. To address these issues there is a device which holds an large accessory lens, weighs more and has many extra points of attachment for accessories and mono/tripods. The Owle Bubo now sells under another name but is still available.

• Sound. There is an extremely expensive app, Lucie Live is Skype on steroids, which is currently used by broadcasters like the BBC. It can use the iPhone internal mic, which produces broadcastable sound. But, with an impedance matching cable from VeriCorder you can use unpowered or self powered XLR broadcast quality mics. The iPhone handles sound at above broadcast specs. If you need Phantom power then there are pre-amps you can get. I regularly use reporter, radio mics and rifle mics in my work.

• Power. There is one rule, always be charging. However, I carry a 12v battery from an alarm system which keeps going all day.

There are some great apps you can use. Best of all for journalists are from VeriCorder (http://vericorder.com). 1st Video and Voddio are $10 at entry level and provide stunningly good in-app editing. Two video and two audio channels for films and four audio channels for radio. These apps are designed to integrate with news servers as well as FTP and hosting sites like Soundcloud and YouTube etc. They can compress edits for practical filing of packages over cellular data or WiFi from the field. Bambuser and Ustream etc are good for streaming content.

You should not underestimate the ability to edit/finish in the phone. It makes turn around times incredibly fast. I covered the Digital Medi Europe 2012 conference as the sole reporter and turned out 23 interviews (55 mins total) in three days. Each package was online generally within 30 mins of the interview. I had to attend the presentation, construct and execute an interview and then upload while attending the next presentation. Not me being clever, I had a little help from a spotter, but there was no other kit I could have used to do this. http://wan-ifra.icmbusinessvideo.co.uk/

Filmic is one of the best camera apps. It provides a range of frame rates and allows control over focus, white balance and aperture. It's very easy to feed the clips into an iPad or laptop, or transfer them to VeriCorder's app.

There are other benefits to using such tools. You don't need a carnet to travel with an iPhone shooting kit, including lights. You don't need to look like a journalist when it's either dangerous or inconvenient. The camera is one of the least intimidating I have ever used. In extremis, the kit is very cheap to replace and a new phone can be brought online really fast. Newsrooms can turn stringers into their own journalists remotely - all they need do is download an app and they're up and running.

I have noticed something else too. The fact that these are very simple cameras and edit packages means that you have to get all your impact through good storytelling - and the more you do, the better you get. This translates well to bigger, better gear.

This is not the only solution for multimedia journalism - but if you have the kit and have practised using it then you have increased your range. It has its place.

The New News

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:00:00 +0000

News has many paths to get from event to edit. From a phone to a satellite link covers a lot of different technology and technique. It also depends on what is being covered, how it is being covered, and for how long.

The traditional broadcast ENG workflow is expensive. A lot of online and print newsrooms try to emulate the broadcasters, but with cheaper equipment to control costs. Sony A1 and PD150 instead of 570 DV Cam and XDCAM HD cameras etc. The model involves some research, a shoot then back to base for an edit - or on laptop if freelance. And it's fine, but slow.

The reason for working like that is the traditional limitations of tape based workflow and the fact that the edit equipment is separate from the camera. But technology has mitigated these limitations. If you have a camera, audio, computer and data connectivity on the same device then you can shoot, edit and deliver complete packages very quickly. Here is our coverage of WAN-IFRA's Digital Media Europe 2012 conference in London.

For nearly two years I have been using the Voddio and 1st Video apps, from VeriCorder, on iPhones to do just this. The 4S shoots full HD and the image is better than ENG cameras of just a few years ago - accessories are cheap to give broadcast sound and steady pictures. When on my pace, I can turn 90 sec packages around in 20 mins or so. At the DME conference, our reports were published on our site around 30 mins or so after the speaker finished.

But this way of working does have limitations too. I'd not like to have to wade through long interviews and masses of B-Roll for an edit on the phone. This kit is best for short packages - maybe 90 secs to 2.5 mins. Beyond that the story inevitably become either boring or more complex, and you can't hold it all in your head.

So there is need for a change in the approach to story too. My solution is to have the story worked out so well in advance that I am effectively acquiring a shot list defined by what came from research, pre-interviews and an hypothesis. I also use a carefully structured set of questions to ensure I have covered everything . They are a variant on Kipling's six honest serving-men. In this way I know that I am getting a story which is complete.

Framing Questions for Interviews

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 14:51:00 +0000

The fourteenth century is not one which the English celebrate with any great pride - if, indeed, at all. The population had been halved by the Black Death, two kings wrested from their throne, and English dreams of empire had crumbled in the attrition of the hundred years war. Not quite the end of the world, but you could definitely see it from there.

In the candlelit Kentish dark, and with his quill on vellum, the then Clerk of Romney wrote up his Register. Daniel Rough added a short epigram which may well have been his critique on the times in which he lived:

Si sapiens fore vis sex servus qui tibi mando
Quid dicas et ubi, de quo, cur, quomodo, quando.

If you wish to be wise I commend to you six servants
Ask what, where, about what, why, how, when.

Some six hundred years later, the relationship with France was healing, the British Empire far exceeded expectations, and a journalist called Rudyard Kipling had a story published in a womens' magazine. The Elephant's Child was the tale of an oft beaten individual with a 'satiable curiosity. It explored how prosecuting his inquiry into crocodillian nutrition, with an avuncular snake, resulted in a new and longer nose for pachyderms.

At the end, of what became a Just So story, Kipling was moved to add an epigramatic poem which may, or may not, have been inspired by Rough's excellent Latin admonishment penned more than half a millennium earlier. In any case, the sense of the piece was taken to heart by journalists; ever since they are like to refer to Kipling's poem, six honest serving men, and ask 'What and Where and When And How and Why and Who' to teach them all they know.

A century ticked exponentially by, adding more stories to the historical archive. Another century about which we humans have mixed feelings. Technically, it was great but we had some spectacular issues getting along with one another. We also worked hard on story, took film to the stars, and invented several media to which we are now addicted.

Story is probably the oldest human cultural artefact - yet it is rare to find a single definition or understanding of it - even amongst its most celebrated practitioners. Flannery O'Connor, an often quoted writer, once remarked:

"I find that most people know what a story is until they sit down to write one."

Kipling's Six Honest Serving Men, or if you prefer the six latin questions, served us well, they're good but, for reasons I'll explain, they're incomplete. In the 1980s, two writers with ambitions to create Hollywood screenplays set out to understand the concept of story in a new way, a scientific way.

The upshot of Melanie Ann Phillips' and Chris Huntley's work is a 'scientific' theory of story. Dramatica Theory makes useful predictions rather than admonishments. I don't propose to attempt an explanation as it is very deep, would take a long time, and I don't understand it well enough. But I can explain some basics which I use on a daily basis.

So where do stories happen? I am aware of two things: the myself and, beyond that, something I choose to call the Universe. In both places situations and activities are found:

A situation in me is a state of mind, a prejudice or an attitude
An activity in me is a mental activity is a process of mind, a manipulation or way of thinking.
A situation in the Universe might be a depression
An activity in the Universe might be a supernova.

Thus there are four useful places to consider where the workings of story can be found. And when you think about it, complete stories explore all four.

In the case of journalism, we are dealing aspirationally with what we like to call the real world; the world of truth and fact. A major process of journalism is to ask questions, so what questions would we ask about each of those four places? A situation in the Universe would inspire a question about its nature while an activity or process would get us wondering how it works. In our minds, a situation or state of mind concerns impact or what it means while a process of mind gets us wondering about importance.

We have developed interviews within four categories of questions: what/where is it? - how does it work? - what does it mean? - why is it important? When answered in relevant proportion they give, what feels like, a complete insight into something.

Going back to Kipling and Rough it is interesting to see how these two sets of questions compare.
What, Where, When and Who are all questions about a situation in the Universe.How is about activity in the Universe. That leaves two areas of story formally unaccounted for. Watch or read the news and you'll notice that they often get in when the interview isn't of the banal "What does it feel like...?" type.
Why is an interesting question, to which there is generally no answer. For most of us, it goes like this:

Why do do I have to go to bed? Because you need your sleep! Why do I need my sleep? You'll be tired at school tomorrow! Why do I have to go to school?...

The most useful discourse I can find on the question 'why' was written, nearly two and a half millennia ago, by Aristotle. He argued that there are four causes for anything, and they map rather well to the questions about the four locations in which stories tend to happen:

Material Cause concerns substance, what it's made of and the subject of the change. This seems to map well to a situation in the Universe, a what/where is it question.
Effective/Efficient Cause is about process. This is an activity in the Universe. A how does it work sort of question.
Final Cause is about the purpose or required impact. This is the domain of state of mind, a what does it mean question.
Formal Cause is concerns the plan. It's a reasoned design and therefore sits best in the area of mental process, a why it's important question.

Why does a house exist?

A house, made of brick, cement, wood and plaster...
...by the skills of trained craftsmen...
... is a dwelling place...
... that protects its occupants!

The way to arrive at the most appropriate four questions for an interview is to frame them during research. First decide the dominant domain. It has to be an situation or activity in the mind or in the Universe. Coverage of a flower show is likely to be about the blooms so clearly this is a situation and you'll concentrate on the what/where questions. The others are needed too. The successful process for growing a winning plant, the impact of that success - far better than "how does it feel?" and what mental process is involved fill out the interview.

There is no single story to tell about something. That flower show could be the backdrop to a new relationship, a scientific breakthrough, an act of espionage, a murder or deep political corruption. It could be the truth or it could be a fiction. The rules of story don't differentiate, they just require that a story be coherent with the rules of its particular world.

I used this technique to question Nick Fraser, Editor of the BBC's Storyville documentary strand. One benefit to package turnaround is that editing is minimal.

Finally, what I have described is fine if the interviewee is willing, reasonable and has nothing to hide. Other situations may arise where answers are incomplete, evasive, or an attempt to mislead. In these cases use the technique devised by Socrates and confront rhetoric with researched facts. Socratic Questioning is easy to research online.

It's not Groundhog Day, it's oscillating between the horns of a dilemma

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:33:00 +0000

There is a central dichotomy for news media organisations. Doing the news properly is very expensive. To do the news properly means being completely independent. Funding the news generally depends upon advertising revenue. Advertising requires a relationship with the advertiser. This is a conflict because how can you have an independent activity when it is dependent, for its function, on precisely those from whom it should be independent in the first place? If you see what I mean.

Al Jazeera is probably the most respected news service in the world - it will remain so long as it gets its funding from a hands-off benefactor. Second in reputation to AJ is the BBC's news service. It is funded by public license fee and is quickly in trouble with which ever government is in power at any given time. It's mandated to speak truth to power.

It seems these things go in cycles. In 1896, Adolph Ochs bought and saved the New York Times by focusing on excellent and principled journalism. This worked out very well for a long time.

The trouble is that when a news organisation is a public corporation then it has a financial responsibility to its shareholders to maximise the return on their investment. This means maximising advertising revenue. If your journalists go after those whom you need as advertisers, then there is a conflict and you'll probably put on the pressure to go easy.

Almost exactly one hundred years after Ochs saved the NYT, a group calling themselves the Committee of Concerned Journalists met to answer fundamental questions about journalism. The results of their various studies and cogitation were published in a book, 'The Elements of Journalism'. Summarised as a set of guiding principles at http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles these are pretty much what Ochs used as a successful business model.

Earlier this year I interviewed senior people from various parts of the industry and I found the common message that they wanted to see a future predicated on excellent journalism. Interviews here: http://wan-ifra.icmbusinessvideo.co.uk/

The cycle seems to start with journalism, rich in integrity, which develops the trust of its audience. This is the bedrock of its success. Reaching a wide audience makes it attractive to advertisers. Pretty soon there is serious money flowing and a Mafia offer is made for the publication. It then becomes like other public corporations and must, by law, focus on ROI. This inevitably means encroaching on the integrity which made it a success in the first place. It compromises and uses sensationalism to retain its audience, but like class A drugs, the consumers become used to the sensational. Then things happen, and then a judge like Leveson gets involved. From the flames of what became corrupt, a new and honest journalism is born.

The reality is that serving the audience well and optimising revenue are activities which must be kept isolated from one another.

Trimming the taproot, St Malo Corsairs and the Falklands Islands

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:18:00 +0000

For years I have spurned holidays as inefficient, stressful and self-indulgent uses of time. I must now suppose that there really is some good in them after all.

A few days boating around the armpit of the Cherbourg peninsula had a surprisingly regenerative effect. Usually, I speed through to a more southerly destination, but St Malo is a treasure worth exploring. It is also the eponymous origin of the 'other' name for the Falkland Islands. The Malouines have been largely ignored by an English history still smarting from the tribute squeezed out of British shipping by these swashbuckling Frankish brigands. Corsairs who made the Îles Malouines their base of operations for a fleeting period of South Atlantic supremacy.

In a St Malo moment of serendipity we met the delightful Kapiten Musiker Erling Matz of the yacht Elisa. He once jammed with ABBA in the early days. Now he lives the dream as a writer and journalist who often works with his photographer wife Corina. They make beautiful books together.

We repaired to the yacht club and consumed Pelforth beer in the heat of the day and long beyond. Whilst quite intoxicated, I made a short film on my iPhone to commemorate the occasion. I should point out that Erling might also have been a trifle less than legally sober at some point during the day. We left him next morning, waiting for his family to rejoin ship before resuming their sea gypsy odyssey once again.

The next day, Guernsey proved easy and quick to find. In short order we were again ashore and, like gulls, demanding drink and food. Patient natives supplied us with both, it was this which fortified us for the short but carefully navigated haul to Cherbourg. Even in the relaxed state in which very early morning found us, we saw no sea monsters or, sadly, sirens.

If you discover yourself to be hungry and thirsty in Cherbourg then there is no better specific than Le Mistral with its spécialités italiennes, its moules-frites and its incomparably friendly staff (24, Quai Caligny, +332 33 43 17 39).

At an almost unbelievable 05:30 on the last morning we pulled out of Cherbourg in the wake of a seriously fast French Frigate. We wafted across a very calm Channel watching Gannet being very very clever. A long time later, and after a strangely German diet, Weymouth Harbour appeared exactly where the Hydrographic Office suggested it could be found. After some brief and salty housekeeping, a train bore us thirstily away from the sea. A holiday!

What seems like ages ago I used to be a sea beastie. The best of it was meeting people, like Erling, who have great stories to tell. It was possible to make a small fortune navigating race yachts and delivery skippering - but you need a large one to start with, so my career was brief. I had forgotten just how much I love that life though.

It's not always beautiful. By contrast this return trip was very different from the delivery to St Malo the week before. Crossing the Channel first in a gale then in thick fog is not for those with any imagination at all. Our scary story was of a close encounter in the darkest part of the night.

The increasing thrash of a big screw heard dimly through the fragile hull of our boat announced a new trial. Not the howling wind and rain of the English side of the Channel but a new threat in the black fog bubble we were traversing. Over the starboard quarter, where earlier Joseph had puked into the turbulent night, a dull glow began to appear. It swelled into a giant and furiously bright cargo ship in thirty seconds.

Whilst those on 'watch below' lay in their bunks frozen in rigid attention, I spent these seemingly ultimate seconds with one hand over the engine start switch, searching the glow for her navigation lights, and any clue to her course. The thundering leviathan passed us less than a hundred metres off. Another thirty seconds and she was lost in the murk and presumably back to guard the gates of hell.

Everyone can hold their breath for a minute. Suddenly it was as if she had never been and we breathed again. In these situations it is vital to keep your attention on what is happening outside, rather than inside the yacht. I think that the makers of sailing trousers might consider the colour brown.

The fog closed back around our silent bubble, but slowly burned away after a dawn which changed the pace for the last of the leg to Cherbourg where we topped off the fuel tank. The rest of the voyage to St Malo was splendid. We watched a jelly-like sun rise in the far distance over the rocky teeth of the Minquieres, which prudently, we left far to the east.

I suppose that I must set about cutting that taproot properly. Erling's lifestyle is very appealing and mobile communications are so good. No excuse...

Naked Bike Ride Southampton - A film

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:24:00 +0000

Friday 11th of June did not enjoy the 'flaming' weather that tradition would have. Instead it was a bit cold. But this did not deter the 200 or so cyclists, environmentalists and naturists who met at the top end of Southampton Common to strip off and cycle into the town centre en masse.

This followed an earlier ride in Portsmouth. Rob Jordan, a local IT specialist, organised the ride as a part of the #WorldNakedBikeRide, a global initiative to publicise cycling safety and dependency on oil.

Some of the riders started at out Southampton's Art House to paint their bodies. At 6:30pm they set off to ride the route into the town centre and back. We recorded the following film:
Here is a film of the event:

Video content from an iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:06:00 +0000

On Sunday I was asked to film at a store in Romsey. As part of their social engagement, Waitrose operate a charitable initiative called 'Community Matters' where customers vote on the distribution of a monthly budget to local charities.

Steve Corbett explains:

The Romsey and District Beekeeping Association were one of the beneficiaries a few months ago. The donation from Waitrose has allowed them to fulfill some of their educational objectives.

John Hanks explains:

Film production on the iPhone must be kept simple if you are going to get full benefit from it. I shot, edited and uploaded both of these films with VeriCorder's 1stVideo app. What delights me is that this can be done in around 15mins per story. The implication is that instead of having one video, you can now have a channel. A single video on a website can be useful. But, a channel is what will regularly bring people back to the site. And that is surely the main objective of a website, to build an interactive community of interest. Without that a site is at the mercy of searching.

iPhone iReports from Broadcast Video Expo 2011 - #BVEXPO

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 10:38:00 +0000

The iPhone forms the core of a mobile reporting solution for news and PR which we are developing. Of course any smart phone like the Android could do the same thing too and probably will have all the accessories available soon. But Apple do seem to have occupied the niche first (again?).

We use the Owle Bubo to improve the picture stability, colour saturation and contrast, and special leads to allow broadcast mics to connect with the phone. In addition We have a twin Rotolight interview kit and a 12v battery for recharging all in a small shoulder bag.

Our tests show that it’s achievable to make a specific type of short, factual news/PR story and upload it to a server or to YouTube every half hour. The storyform has been developed using Dramatica Theory. This synergy will impact both citizen journalism as well as the more traditional form promoting a collaborative approach to news gathering. We will be testing full Social Media integration at #BVExpo (Broadcast Video Expo 2011) next week. Look for the tag on YouTube as well as on Twitter.

In the example below from #LondonBoatShow we were developing story structure and did not shoot cutaways on purpose. The objective was to get an unadulterated and unambiguous material and, in any case, cutaways should be relevant to justify covering a jump cut.

VeriCorder’s 1stVideo app is designed specifically for mobile journalism and works for audio, stills with audio and video projects. It’s also very fast and will upload directly to YouTube. The Network edition can also upload to FTP servers so it will integrate with newsroom systems to produce broadcast ready HD pieces in record time. VeriCorder have set up a site to connect media organisations with stringers – findstringers.com. It will also permit stringers to pitch stories as well. Along with Skype and CNN's iReport facility this represents quite a change to media gathering. Look at what is coming out of Egypt right now.
For the 2011 Broadcast Video Expo we will be trialling a report service using the above technologies with some media students actually filming and editing the reports. This is more of a PR than news activity but the principle will be the same.

The workflow will be:

Find appropriate people to interview
Plan a simple interview with them
Shoot using 1st Video camera
Edit using 1st Video
Transfer to a laptop for editorial approval and upload to YouTube from 1st Video server on the phone.
Reporter goes to next interviewa as agreed with editorial.
A Twitter account is connected to YouTube which announces the film.

I would like to thank the following for their help:
Matt Robbins : TV Bay
Tim Haskell : Appleworld Distribution
Gary Symons and Rob Braun : VeriCorder Technology
All of the equipment will be available to see and to buy at the show.

iPhone eats Broadcaster eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:55:00 +0000

iPhone is again about to change our world. This time it is about how it can facilitate mobile journalism.

It's not a bad camera but the weight of the thing makes it difficult to get steady shots and with a lens the size of a rat's testicle it does extremely well but not near broadcast quality.

And then along comes some interesting stuff.

First is the Owle Bubo. This is a device that holds an adapter lens in front of the iPhones to increase the amount of light and thus enhance the quality. The Owle is heavier and so reduces the camera shake and it has many fittings to allow accessories to be fitted; lights, microphones, tripods and so on.

On its own the Owle Bubo significantly increases the capabilities of the iPhone but that is not the really clever bit. If you install Vericorder's 1st Video app then something quite special happens. The iPhone becomes a complete edit capable OB truck for audio and video. It allows you to shoot stills, video and audio and to edit them together.

There are a number of other apps you can add. Timelapse, iMovie, Reel Director and a Photoshop cutdown but they aren't optimised for news and upload to a media company's servers or to YouTube.

Then there is Vericorder's FindStringers site for matching mobile journalists with media companies. One of a growing number of monetization opportunities.

There are other sites too; CNN has its iReport facility for citizen journalism and my first experiment is there. Increasing public participation in news is fascinating.

For ease of viewing it's here too:

Not the greatest contribution to News and Current Affairs but shot, edited and uploaded in a very short while from my phone. I found an open WiFi network with another app and uploaded the piece over a coffee.

I think that the implications of this are truly extraordinary. With a fraction of the kit I would have needed only a couple of years ago I can provide very timely reports for events, news, product launches, PR and so much more.

In fact Ustream has a live broadcast capability which I have tested with the iPhone:

It was a slow connection and long before I got the Bubo.

So, eating dinosaur eggs?

Well the speed with which smartphones are able to acquire and disseminate audio, still and video packages means that traditional news operations are going to face some interesting changes.

I fully realise that there's a lot of difference between an untutored observation and the skills of the journalist in finding the truth in a story. And journalism, via the great news gathering and disseminating organisations, has been a great answer to keeping society informed and speaking truth to power. But Wikileaks serves to illustrate that there are good reasons for suspecting the editorial integrity of these organisations and certainly the Internet is a peerless means of distribution.

The shortest story I ever told

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Wed, 19 May 2010 21:54:00 +0000

What is a Quantum scale story?

As some might have noticed I am somewhat intrigued by the Dramatica Theory of story. Clearly it has plenty to say about the larger works of film and literature but what happens when stories get small? Really small. Web research threw up the notion of a story engram from a Dr. Renée Fuller. It's the combination of a noun and verb. But this seemed to fall a bit short of a story. It's hard to get the feeling of a story with such a simple statement. I wondered about the shortest story that could be told.

Dramatica defines a 'grand argument' story as an author's argument for the solution to a problem. A story has four throughlines to represent the four possible perspectives of I, You, We and They. The problem space is fourfold, one for each perspective. They are an internal or external situation or activity. Examples of the external are simple; a family meeting and and playing a game of chess. Internal situations manifest as fixed attitude and internal activities as manipulation. This makes for a big story.

But I was interested in how small a story could be and still be Dramatica compliant. So I asked Chris Huntley who is one of the two inventors of Dramatica. It seems that you need a quad. A noun, a verb, an adverb and an adjective and it works very simply.

The noun-verb engram 'dog barks' is no more than a statement. Without context it is not engaging. So it's not a story or anything like one. Adding an adjective to make it into 'dog barks defiantly' raises the level of interest a bit. It's still not really compelling; but if an adverb is added then it becomes the core of a story: 'Dying dog barks defiantly'. Now there is something to pursue.

I find this exercise interesting and even quite helpful. By whittling down to the smallest number of words, a story's essence begins to be revealed. A dramatic premise and/or a hypothesis are tools frequently used as beacons when writing; they can help to keep the story on track as it becomes bigger and more involved. I have come to rather like this new insight.

There is another interesting use for this fundamental model of story. Dramatica says that a grand argument story is like a mind's argument for the solution to a problem. I find it noteworthy that a business is also an argument for the solution to a problem. I have probably mentioned this link between business and story before.

For our own business we thought it would be interesting to frame its fundamental story and we came up with 'Engaging stories told economically". I think that's a pretty good reality within which to work and even if only aspiration, it still works for me.

Dramatica Theory and the real world of documentary film

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Fri, 14 May 2010 11:15:00 +0000

I have been slowly and painfully studying and learning Dramatica Theory on and off for years now and, although I've not used it for fiction - yet, Dramatica has had a profound effect on how I approach documentary film.

In order to bring benefit to fiction, Dramatica must help the author to keep a story coherent with its own rules or the audience will reject it out of hand. And, given the cognitive and perceptual make-up of human beings then it must have a foundation of relevant and valid human psychology. Clearly, this is why it can work well with non-fiction too.

Some years ago I was working in an environment made hostile by a very political management. While a friend of mine was still working there we worked up a story structure in Dramatica featuring him as the Main Character.

We were both impressed extremely by the questions that the query system began asking about the relationships between the various characters. Dramatica seemed to have captured something about the essential structure of the situation.

I now use the model as much as I can in order to get to grips with a type of work in which it is very easy to get lost. Dramatica helps provide a compass. And I am particularly impressed by the matrix of genres and modes of expression in Ch19 of the book.

Horizontally the matrix has 4 domains wherein a storyteller's hands get dirty. These are internal and external situations and activities. Examples of each are:

External Situation -Wrongful accusation
External Activity - Trial at Court
Internal Situation - Fear of imprisonment
Internal Activity - Imagining being victimised by other prisoners

You can imagine a story made from the above and told using a mix of information, drama, comedy and entertainment as appropriate modes of expression. These are represented vertically in the matrix. And where the intersections occur you will find more familiar terms ie where an external activity meets drama you get the realm of Indiana Jones and so on.

	Situation	Activity	Fixed AttitudeInternal Situation	ManipulationInternal Activity
Information (documentary)	What/Where is it?	How does it work?	What does it mean?	Why is it important?
Drama	How are things (un)balanced?	What activities cause what problems?	What attitudes cause what conflicts?	How best to deal with changes or manipulations?
Comedy	Situation Comedy	Physical Comedy. Slapstick	Comedy of manners. Farce.	Comedy of errors. Twelfth Night.
Entertainment	Horror, disaster, fantasy, musical, sci-fi etc	Action, adventure, suspense	Entertaining concept	Entertainment through twists

adapted from Ch 19 of the Dramatica Theory Book

It is this that gave rise to the notion that there are only really four questions about any subject of a documentary: what/where is it?; how does it work?; what does it mean?; why is it important? But as you can see, it's possible to move between modes of expression in order to address the areas that gave rise to the questions. Documentary often uses dramatic storytelling in reconstructions that provide an argument where the evidence is dry and hard to digest. And it can use comedy as is so well done in 'The Yes Men Fix The World'.

Clearly all this is a work in progress and I would be grateful for a head slapping from anyone who spots omissions, glaring mistakes and bits of arrant stupidity etc.

Bye bye Flash - Hello HTML 5

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Thu, 13 May 2010 10:34:00 +0000

Philip Hodgetts has a blog worth following. In this post he signposts something that will rear up in all our faces very soon. HTML 5 will establish an open, web native video standard and everything will have to support it. The world will finally be in colour!

Fact: Philip Hodgetts has a big brain.

I really must keep this secret

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Thu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Note to self: don't tell anybody about this interview or this guy's site. It's all far too helpful. Why would we want our competition knowing Dov Simens' processes anyhow? They probably paid to go to film school and anyway, nobody follows my blog.

Lusty Glaze

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Mon, 10 May 2010 09:16:00 +0000

We spent two days in Cornwall. Lusty Glaze is a well resourced beach and we stayed with the Best of British South Pole Expedition as they had a rigorous day of training. As well as shooting coverage for the documentary we made a short film about the place to thank Howard Wilkinson for looking after us.

Here is the review edit:

Dumb Questions & Interviews

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:32:00 +0000

Just as in any other environment, a documentary interview is essentially a contrived performance. And this leaves film makers with a couple of problems:

What questions will deliver the evidence that I want?
How can I be sure of the integrity of the interviewee?

Well, there are tools we can use. Documentary interviews provide the answer to only four questions. That's because, as with any story, the evidence comes from situations or activities in either the 'real' world or the one in our heads. The real world situation is revealed through the question "What and where is it?"; the real world activity by "How does it work?". Internal situations are formed from our prejudices and lead us to ask "What does it mean?". Finally, internal activities are about manipulation and thus provoke the question "Why is it important?".

Any question intended to produce information will be a special case of one of these four generic questions. To get a complete view of something the documentary must answer all four but depending upon style one or more will have greater significance. Masses more on this at the dramatica.com website.

And that leaves us with the problem that we must either accept the integrity of the interviewee or find a tool to test their answers for coherence. To do this we can use a technique that was developed thousands of years ago. With each of the four questions we want to ascertain whether the answers are the product of a reasonable or skewed world view and whether there is a reasonable agenda at work. Each assertion should be explored in order that the thesis of the film can be shown to form a good argument rather than just opinion. Incontrovertible evidence in which we can have high confidence is rare. This means that we must make our case with a solid argument.

Poor old Socrates' method of questioning was completely misunderstood as a socially destructive process. However, it was actually a simple, almost Vulcan process for finding weakness in an argument. What survived was as close to the truth as it's possible to get. Socratic questions fall broadly into six main categories:

To clarify the concept requires that it can be stated in a variety of ways, that it relates to the subject at hand, and that its nature and implications are well described.
As Descartes argued, everything apart from our own existence is subject to assumptions. But are they well chosen and not just a limited subset that will fulfil a wish? Which would need to be false in order to bring down the deck of cards?
Then we must explore the presented rationale, reasons and the evidence in order to discover provenance. How do we know, how can it be shown and what causality justifies the conclusion?
Sun Tzu placed much importance on the art of positioning. How do we know that the perspective or position is as strong as it appears? What other ways of looking at the issue are there? Who might gain special benefit from looking at the world this way?
Penultimate are the consequences and implications of the argument. This is an exploration of causality and prediction.
Finally, the question itself can be explored reflexively. Why was it asked and what is its point?

There is plenty published on this subject and a review of criticalthinking.org will be well rewarded.

Preparing for interviews is often neglected and this is a big mistake. Nobody can hope to become a specialist in a subject within the time generally afforded to research; but without good questions we risk looking dumb and getting useless material. By preparing the four question areas and listening carefully to the answers it is possible to spot some assumptions and questioning them always wakes people up and generates respect. Unless, of course, stealth mode is required for setting Ali G traps.

If the objective is to transcend glossy eye-candy with substantial material then it's worth spending a lot of time on the best approach to questions and the interviews that frame them. It provides much more convincing material that works naturally as narration or voice over and will just snuggle in perfectly with parallel storytelling.

Rupert Baddeley

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:29:00 +0000

Click to Play

http://www.bestofbritishsouthpole.com Rupert is part of the six man ice team in the Best of British South Pole Expedition 2010 to set a record for Britain for fastest crossing to the South Pole from the continental edge.

Inukshuk Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Morice) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:28:00 +0000