Delighting with Three Point Lighting!

Three point lighting is a production set up used commonly in photography, videography and cinematography. It's important for students interested in these areas to understand the importance of this concept and how to make it happen using three studio or field lights.

I had my TV production and editing students go into our studio and properly execute and photograph three point lighting.

In this photo, Isaiah Hughes (seated left) is being interviewed by Shay Bowman. Wymark Barton is operating the video camera.

The three lights are called the following: key light, side/fill light, and back/hair light.

Chestnut Street Pedestrian Bridge Update- Fall 2016

Construction is moving along on- or we should say above- Chestnut Street by the SC State campus.

Some 1,100 students live in the University Village and Campus Corner apartments across Chestnut Street, meaning many of them daily have to walk across the busy highway to get to school. In 2014, SC State students held a rally to call for the over the road span, which has been the scene of at least one injury and many close calls.

The bridge has long been advocated by the SC State community because of the potential hazards students face crossing the high-speed highway.

Here's a video update report I produced:

The bridge should soon be open. Months ago, March was the predicted completion month. It appears today that only final touches need to be done, including placing the SC State logo on the bridge. This rendering shows how the finished project will look. And it sure looks good, right?! 

Sequence Shooting Project Starring Daniel and Naheka

Here at SC State, this was a project in my TV production and editing class. The task is to shoot and edit a student leaving our classroom building and going outside. The goal is to shoot and direct this so that there are at least 10 sequences.

The purpose of this project is to stress the importance of in-camera editing or sequence shooting in video production and visual storytelling.  

Students Weigh In On Trump Presidency and Obama Legacy

SC State communication student Mariah Reed produced this report on the reaction of SC State University students to the new presidency of Donald Trump and the legacy of the man he replaced, Barack Obama.

Donald Trump's election has created big changes in South Carolina's government. Gov. Nikki Haley has stepped down from that office to become the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Her lieutenant governor Henry McMaster was recently sworn in as the Palmetto State's new governor.  

Studio Stand Ups!

Shayauna Bowman

For my Advanced Television Production and Editing students we shot the opening and closing parts for their Trump presidency person-on-the-street reports in our TV studio.

With our Newtek Tricaster "studio in a box" machine we are able to access an array of "virtual" sets.

You see in these photo how Isaiah Hughes is shot against the "green screen" backdrop.  Then you see how he looks amid the virtual set.

Stephen Mason is in the studio control room running the board, making the green screen magic happen. He directs the studio activity from here and records the students on-camera efforts.  That's Shay Bowman in the air monitor to the right.  

Stephen Mason

Shaliyah North 

Jalen Ryant

With the Tricaster and a little training, we can do "virtually" anything in creating professional-looking TV production videos!

Standard Stand Ups

My broadcast journalism students this week are shooting stand ups for their Trump/Obama person on the street (POS) reports.

These photos show the proper positioning of the camera, videographer and reporter for effective, high quality stand ups, in which the reporter is conveying information essential to the story.

We made sure the sun on this bright day is behind the camera and shining in the face of the reporter. You try to avoid having the sun behind the reporter as it will shut down the camera's iris and darken the reporter.

Mufasa Shaw (on camera) and Mariah Reed

Csyabeaw Ford (on camera) and Brianna Sailem

Brianna Sailem (on camera) and Csyabeaw Ford 

Stand ups allow a reporter to shine, they really do!  Here are some more tips for effective, credible and creative report stand ups.

Trump Presidency/Obama Legacy Campus Interviews

The day before Donald Trump's inauguration as America's new president, my broadcasting students went around campus to ask students their views on Trump's pending presidency.

They also inquired about the legacy of Barack Obama's two terms in the White House.

The students are putting together news reports with the responses they gathered. I look forward to seeing them!