Narratives.org Q&A interview with Video Columnist Sonya Doctorian of the Rocky Mountain News."Sometimes it seems like a dream, after many years of circling various newsrooms as a photo director, never coming in for a landing, facilitating others' creative visions . . ."
Sonya is helping to lead the way for a new breed of newspaper Video Photojournalists who do video storytelling for their individual newspaper's web sites.
"My goal is for the person to tell you her story in her own voice. Even better, I want to show it to you as it unfolds . . . My position is an experiment, so it's up to me to make it an essential component of our website."
This is a must read for any aspiring multimedia storyteller. - seth
Tell me a little bit about yourself and how your Video Columnist position came to be.
I sort of worked my way into it over 18 months. I joined the Rocky Mountain News in January 2003 as features / projects photo editor and photo coach.
I'd been pursuing my masters in documentary filmmaking from American University in Washington, DC. When I moved to Denver, I had one class left to graduate that May. The editors at the Rocky welcomed my independent study: producing short-form documentaries (two to three minutes in length) for the website. I produced several stand-alone videos over that semester, which we posted at The Rocky Mountain News. After that, I produced short documentaries to accompany some of our long-term projects. The videos amplified aspects of the projects. For example, I videotaped a Cambodian-American couple who had survived the killing fields of Cambodia.
Now they live in a Denver suburb and return often to Cambodia as missionaries. As the photo editor for the 12-day series, I knew something of their history. As a videographer, I could show their current church and home life here.
Last summer, I pitched the idea of changing my position to a mix of short-form documentaries for the website and project photo editing. Janet Reeves, director of photography, Mike Noe, Interactive director and John Temple, our top editor, and I met several times to iron out details. I launched "Video Journal" in October after we hired a new photo editor to take my place in features. John proposed the title of "video columnist" because my point of view produces the entire piece-from shooting to editing.
My position is an experiment, so it's up to me to make it an essential component of our website.
How do you decide to do a story in video?
Ideas come from several sources: our weekly editors' meetings, suggestions from photographers and writers, our newspaper, of course, and local alternative newspapers. Good stories are lying on the ground-I just have to prioritize which ones I can produce in the time allotted. This position is only half of my responsibilities here.
My goal is for the person to tell you her story in her own voice. Even better, I want to show it to you as it unfolds.
Part of what makes an idea compelling to me is a moving storyline. I'm devoted to real-time observation, so I try to be there when something's happening. People in action are way more interesting to me than people sitting around talking. Interviews are useful for voice-over to explain the story's past or future. So far, I have successfully resisted using my own voice to narrate a piece. If I haven't asked the right questions for the subject's voiceover, I consider it a gap in my reporting. My point of view shows itself in my choice of subject, the way I shot it and how I stitched it together. That's plenty of my voice showing up in a documentary.
Do you shoot stills at the same time?
No, thank goodness. Our editors understand that one person trying to shoot both video and stills in the same situation is the fastest way to mediocre results. There's no "synergy" in a divided mind trying to manage audio and motion for video while thinking about moments for still photographs.
Apparently there's an idea at some newspapers that photographers can whip out a video camera and shoot some footage for the website while they're on assignment for the newspaper. It denigrates craftsmanship in both disciplines.
Is your position with the online side or the print side? Is your online operation integrated within the newsroom?
I'm with the photography department, but work with my Interactive colleagues on projects and every time we post a Video Journal. The Interactive staff of 12 is stationed in the middle of the newsroom. It's one of the first things I noticed when I interviewed here-high regard for our website as the future of publishing.
You have held some pretty high profile photography positions in the past -- what's it like doing a completely new thing at a newspaper?
It's a thrill to get to create, especially in this powerful medium of video.
Video documentaries for newspaper websites are a new frontier, now that more bandwidth is accessible to more Internet users. It's unmapped territory in many ways. I often remind myself the road isn't paved, so patience and work-arounds are required. I have many questions as I feel my way forward:
What stories are website viewers willing to take time to download?
Presenting video in that small window means shooting fewer wide-angle scenes because everything gets tiny. People often watch from their desks, wearing headphones, which means the audio needs to be especially crisp. How long is too long for a piece? Two to three minutes seems about right. It seems unrealistic to think people will sit still for a six-minute piece unless it's incredibly compelling.
What do you like most about your new position?
What could be better than prowling around Colorado with a video camera, meeting people and showing the beauty of the West? Sometimes it seems like a dream, after many years of circling various newsrooms as a photo director, never coming in for a landing, facilitating others' creative visions. After six months in this new role, I'm defining my voice. I know my style: direct observation. I know the sort of stories I like: some tension, humor, the unexpected. As the photo editor for projects (stills), I'm able to work on stories in-depth with a very talented photography team. There's always some juggling between my two roles, but there's also some overlap. I love the blend.
Are there other video columnists at the paper?
No, I'm the first and it's highly experimental. That's why I have to make the most of this opportunity. Tim Skillern, a website colleague, is adept at video, but his primary responsibility is web design and presenting special projects comprised of text and photographs. Neither of us gets to produce video full-time, but our ambition is to post as many interesting pieces as we can.
Do you own your own gear? and for the tech heads out there what NLE and video camera do you use?
I have a company-issued kit, which mirrors my personal equipment (in case I ever need a backup camera and mic, I'm ready): Canon GL2, Sennheiser MKE 300 on-camera shotgun mic and a set of Lowel lights. I edit with Adobe Premiere Pro and use Adobe Media Encoder to compress the pieces.
Are you situated in the newsroom or the photo department?
My desk is in the newsroom and the video editing room is tucked away behind the library. I'm in the photo department frequently to edit (still) projects with photographers.
What do you think the future of multimedia storytelling is?
The Internet has created egalitarian publishing with global reach. As more bandwidth becomes available, multimedia storytelling ought to take off like wildfire. It's exciting to be a part of creating that future.
What do you think the future of Visual Journalism is as it relates to print and online?
Well, I don't have a crystal ball, but I'd like to think visual journalism's momentum has grown with each new outlet-from daguerreotypes to television and now, the Internet. People respond to information presented through images. So it seems reasonable to suggest demand will continue to grow and visual journalism will flourish. The delivery system will likely change - at some point, circulation trucks and newsprint will become too expensive - but the need for newsgathering will continue.