I left a comment on Angela Grant’s post about reporter-shot video, but I think it’s important enough that I duplicate the main point here.
Angela, you write, “To shoot a good video, you have to have multiple angles of your subject or action. …”
And this reveals, I think, a complete missperception on your part of what reporter-shot video is. Most of the time it IS NOT story video. It is one angle, one shot, that gets very little editing.
I think there will be times for the better trained and capable reporters to shoot story video. And I think that can be done credibly with inexpensive equipment.
However, the point of having a light and easy camera for reporters isn’t to shoot story video. It is to make sure they always have a camera with them and that they use it often.
I’ll jump on that duplication donkey. :-P
Almost all stories would benefit from attached video.
An external mic isn’t always necessary.
Overgeneralization. Sometimes I find it interesting.
I find these thoughts and comments to be on the money generally. As a grad student, and former reporter experimenting with video blogging, and new media, I’m finding that the small camcorder I use does a great job of capturing the moment. It depends more on the video production quality… Using a mic for audio, a tripod, and watching the shot framing. I’m also editing everything myself… A so-jo, or one-man-band as it were. I don’t think the big media outlets are ready for the shift, but it’s happening.