2013 Atlantic Journalism Awards Finalists
Attachments
| Slug/Label | |
|---|---|
| Date Aired or Published | Aug. 18, 2013; Nov.22, 2013; Dec. 23, 2013 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | CBC News |
| Name of Program: | CBC News: New Brunswick, CBC News: Maritimes Late Night, CBC News: The National |
| If co-produced, list partner: | |
| Location: | Saint John |
| List awards, grants: | |
| Running time (TV/Radio): | 8:07 |
|
Short explanation of the story and how it developed: I included three, different styles of stories for this category. The first is a story about the second day of the Christmas 2013 ice storm. The logistics of getting to the area to cover it was one of the biggest challenges. I was assigned to tackle one of the regions hardest hit in an on-going storm. The roads were bad and would soon get worse, so I had a very tight timeline to find interviews and gather story elements. Upon arrival, freezing rain again began to fall which was affecting my camera's functions. The use of a tripod was almost impossible because as soon as it was set up, ice would quickly form on everything. This presented a challenge of having to shoot all handheld shots, but ended up presenting an interesting perspective by giving the story a more fluid feel. While travelling between interviews, I spotted a power line sparking. I pulled over and began shooting what transpired while at the same time phoning the fire department and getting to an area to safely shoot it. What I captured was rare. A power line arcing as the transformer blew. It was a shot many reporters have to rely on third-party cell phone footage to include in a story. However I was lucky enough to capture it and it proved crucial in explaining what power crews were up against. The story was then filed for our evening newscast after an incredibly slippery drive back to Saint John. The second story I selected was a fun feature that I shot for CBC The National's "Only in Canada" segment which also ran on our weekend Maritimes show. I spotted one of these kilted cyclists while working on a story months before. I decided it would make a fun television feature on the on the local tourism industry while giving the opportunity to use a number of different camera techniques. First, I followed a tour group while they "kilted-up." I shot this portion with my camera off tripod giving an immersive perspective to the audience. Before they took off for the ride, I strapped a Go-Pro camera to the frame of one of the bikes, for a different perspective of the kilts in action. I then leap-frogged ahead of the group for several kilometres getting the shots I needed. At various stages of the story, I shot interviews with all four characters on a tripod. By doing this, I was able to capture different perspectives of the ride for the story. Finally, to add to a clip where the character was speaking about old photographs, I found two pictures which I had our graphics department place over the National's animated graphics. I then edited the sequence into the story, which punched up the impact of the statement. The final story I included is a long-form item which served as a companion piece about changing demographics and challenges facing a south-western island. I was given two days to travel to Deer Island in which I was to shoot three television features. I began in the early hours of the first day by following two fishermen out to their weir. The advantage of using a smaller camera with only its microphone, allowed the two subjects to forget I was filming them. What I managed to capture, was a story of the island's changing fishing industry, which was affecting everything from its population to demographics. After finishing with the fishermen, I travelled the island interviewing others for information while shooting companion b-roll for the item. The end result was a story of hope and change, told mostly through the lens of these multi-generational fishermen. It also featured some of the most vibrant colours I would capture all year. |
|
|
Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: I shoot my stories on a Sony PMW 200 camera and edit my stories on Adobe Media Composer. The only camera footage not shot on that camera was shot instead on a Go-Pro camera which I set-up. There were two photos included in one story with an animated background, this animation was supplied by our Toronto graphics team. The rest of the editing was done by me. |
|