In television they say you can never have enough
GVs (general vision shots), in vjism less really
means more.
But two days earlier the group performed a more
poignant feat on base during a simulation.
They threw away the rule book that underpins
the construct of TV News. Videojournalism's
end game, its golden fleece is the deconstruction
of the construct.
Call it Zoo TV, gonzoism, or even amateur hour,
but it's being engineered to reach a point where
you the viewer see the news unfold in a less
heavily packaged fashion.
This would, among other reasons, explain our
penchant for citizen journalism. The shots look
raw, unprocessed, someone talking over the pictures
explaining their intentions.
The technique which underpins the professional
approach is redolent of US TV drama's big break-through.
Homicide - life on the street - a TV phenomenon
in the 90s which dared, no it ctually had the
gumshon, to reverse all that was refinned about
drama narrative and its slick visual foot print.
They went handheld. I need to say that again.
The camera came of the tripod, often sitting
cheek by jowl agains the actors.
The team broke every rule going. They crossed
the line, the look was gritty, they jumped cut,
the footage wobbled. The illusion was you felt
you were watching documentary.
Remember that scene that opens Saving Private
Ryan, the orgy of cross-fire exchange - another
cinema feat by stripping the camera to nothing
more than almost Cinematographe
Videojournalism, a growing movement is going
that way. In 8 Days, the whole film was shot
handheld as the drama unfolded.
**The revolution
is here**
"It just sat there. This bloke came in
and said here you are. These shiny boxes, one
a HD camera, a tripod and accessories. At first
I couldn't go near it. I was like what do I
do now"
That was a year or so ago, Andy a seasoned hand
in newspapers was about to do the wierdest,
or even most extraordinary thing ever.
How much did you shoot, I asked. About 12 minutes
for this 2 minute piece.
Three days into video journalism,
Andy Toft from the Express and Star, one of
the last family owned newspapers in the UK,
was demonstrating his grasp for this thing called
videojournalism.
The feedback from others assembled
on the Press Assciation's programme excavating
the future of TV was equally impressive.
Creativity, swiftness, lightness of touch and
fast turn around is the name of the game.
There is a scene in Braveheart in which Mel
Gibson's character exacts the power of patience
on a charging English army.
"Hooldd.. hold....Hooollldd".
Surrounded by historic beauty, Castle Howard,
where Bridehead Revisisted was shot, the instinct
for any camera crew and reporter to over do
it would be normal. "Hoollld" the
VJs are thinking.
