HOW TO MAKE A VIDEO NEWS RELEASE: SEVEN LOW-COST TOOLS TO MAKE IT PROFESSIONAL / PART 2

Smartphone Gimbal

This is part 2 of, "HOW TO MAKE A VIDEO NEWS RELEASE: SEVEN LOW-COST TOOLS TO MAKE IT PROFESSIONAL/PART 1". You can click on the title to read part one.

During my summer break from teaching college courses, I took on an extended video project that fits into the category of a video news release. The video was posted on the local school district's social media and a regional online news outlet.

One of the video's main goals was to give an inside look at a new high school addition and sports complex. Instead of shooting a lot of sequences, I opted to use the DJI Osmo 2 smartphone gimbal.

Image Source: https://www.dji.com/osmo-mobile-2

The DJI Osmo 2 keeps the camera movement smooth as you move, pan and tilt. The controls allow you to rotate the camera horizontally and vertically. If you want to see a demo and learn more about the Osmo, here is a link to the DJI webpage.

The Shot List and B-Roll

After interviewing multiple people, I had a good idea of the b-roll I would need for the story. I made a shot list and got to work. 

I definitely wanted night shots of the new football field with state-of-the-art LED lights, artificial turf, scoreboard, and stadium. I arranged with the high school principal to shoot at night. Armed with the DJI Osmo and my iPhone 7, I set out to shoot everything on my list.

Two-Column Script and Voice Track

I reviewed all of the interviews and decided I would need a reporter voice track to pull all of the sound bites together. I wrote up a two-column script and recorded my voice track using Audacity.  

Radio-Edit, B-roll & the Final Cut

If you are unfamiliar with a radio edit, it is placing all of the audio on the timeline of your video editor in order. That includes the voice track and the soundbite audio and video clips. I used Adobe Premiere to edit this project.

Once the audio is in order, it is time to lay the b-roll over the top of the radio cut. if the script is done well, it is easy to insert the b-roll. Once the b-roll is in place, it is important to review the story second by second to adjust the audio levels and edit points.

The Finished Product

Distribution

Once I was happy with the final cut, I sent a copy to the director of media relations for the school district and the news director for the online news organization. I made two versions with different graphics for each. Above is the version on the East Idaho News YouTube channel.

Wrap-Up

There are opportunities for quality video projects in every community. This one was a lot of fun, and I like the final product. Now I'm on the lookout for documentary opportunities.