Pro's and enthusiasts alike can benefit from shooting 'sequences'.

1. Visual Storytelling: The five-shot
method and beyond
You don’t need to be a pro to use it!

2. Common video issues
(for videos you want to share)
Video too long (in love with the footage)
You MUST edit videos either in camera or
with some editing software to make it
consumable
Cuts too long
Video not stable (all handheld)
Trying to shoot in inadequate light
Too far away from subject

3. It’s not just you…
(so let’s back up a bit)
Why is teaching and learning
video hard?

4. Ten years of training journalists
and students: video storytelling
is the toughest thing to teach

5. Problems
Uncle Ralph video (home movie)
Bad framing
Unusable pans/moves
Not enough closeups
No clear concept for each shot
Bad audio makes the best footage shot with
the best camera money can buy, look
amateur

6. Why?
Multitasking
Complexity of technology
Intrusiveness
Slow/no feedback loop in shooting/editing

7. Story
research/developme
nt
Shooting Editing/Recuttin
g
Low Face-to-face
Instruction

8. Reading/writing closely linked
Watching and creating video is not
Usually more art than science
Need more science

9. BBC 5 Shot method
Pioneered by Michael Rosenblum, NYT
Television, NY1, BBC, CurrentTV

10. Five Shot method
Closeup on hands
Closeup on face
Wide shot
Over the shoulder
Unusual/side shot

11. 11
Venice Pier Gets its Fill

13. Five Shot basics
Start with best shot
Get audience to ask questions/be
curious
Hold the shot: no pans, zooms, moves

14. Why it works
Sequence always cuts together
Usable B-roll all the time
Mystery draws viewers in

15. 15
Closeup on hands
Closeup on face
Wide shot
Over the shoulder
Unusual/side shot

16. Adam Westbrook
“What’s the difference between
amateurs and professionals?
Pros shoot sequences.”
http://adamwestbrook.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/10-common-video-storytelling-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them-adam-westbrook-online-video/

17. Why it’s useful
Compels journalist/storyteller to get close
Provides known game plan
Frees up time for story decision making
Web video demands closeups

18. Additional shots
 Interview
 Reveal shots
 Establishing shot
 Tracking shot

19. Extra Credit - Hero’s Journey

20. Tools for Evaluation
People other than those in the video (or who helped
work on it) will watch the entire video (outside
audience appreciation)
People will learn something or comment.
If you watch your YouTube Analytics people make it
through the majority of your video
People share your video

21. Keep in mind…
Not meant to be rigid formula
Know when to break rules
Under stress, fall back on basic training:
closeups, faces, holding shots,
line of action

22. REMEMBER!
With GOOD SHOOTING
TECHNIQUE you can create
professional style video
with iPhone, P&S camera

23. Future Possibilities
Build the 5 shot method into device
Hands
Fac
e
OTSWide Unusual
Closeup on
face
WHO is doing it?
• Frame with rule of thirds
• Give “talk space” in front of
eyes/nose.
• Can cut off top of head, but not the
chin.
• SHOW TWO EYES!
FRAMING
EYES
NOSEROOM
e-
workbo
ok
REC
Analyze
Module: BBC 5
Shot

24. Materials
Field checklists
http://andrewlih.com/blog