Slug & Lede

“Cats Need Homes” was an interesting, short human interest story about a man who owns over 80 cats.  His wife had recently died, and since he was a Cancer patient himself, he was unable to care for them.  The video fit the “feel” of the story very well, it was quiet and simple, much like the story was. The video had many interesting angles and types of shots, which helped the story greatly.  The interviews could have been improved in a few ways to add to the story.

The video had a wide variety of shots that helped give a “cat-like” view to the audience.  There were extreme close ups of the cats’ fur, ears and eyes.  This gave a unique, and sometimes cute view of the cats. I thought it was neat how the cats were allowed to freely roam in front of the camera lense.  They didn’t try to fix the fact that this man was living with almost 80 cats. The unedited feel actually added to the story.  There was also a variety of wide and medium shots, a few where you were able to see many cats at a time, or the body of one of the man’s sons. This added variety to a video where it would otherwise possibly be dull.

The angles were also a great strength of the videos. The angles, like the variety of shots, gave a cat-like view.  Many of the shots were looking at up at people as the cats would.  I also like how the camera man was even with a cat’s eyes at the kitchen table, as if he was looking at the cat straight on.   The many different angles added humor to the video, displaying the cats’ many personalities.  I loved the shot where the two cats were sitting amongst the cans in the pantry, that especially showed just how many cats there actually were and how they live almost everywhere in the house.   

The interviews were okay, but they could have been improved with a better use of the rule of 1/3’s.  Some of the interviews of the owner were straight on, giving too much of a centered appearance.  Sometimes the man being interviewed was also looking into the “smaller” 1/3 of the screen, giving it a cramped, awkward appearance. 

The video was also relatively shaky, especially when zooming in on certain cats for close-ups or the shot of the man’s wife’s picture.  The shakiness made it look homemade, unlike a professional video for news should look like.  I would have also liked to see more interviews from the sons, and their comments on their father’s lifestyle.  

One more improvement could have been a very wide shot of the whole living room or the house.  I think to see a multitude of cats all over the house, all at once, would have made a much stronger impression on the viewer. 

Overall, “Cats Need Homes” was a well shot video, with an interesting mixture of angles and shot styles. Video was also the best medium for this story as the audience was able to see the many cats in action, living in their current environment and interacting with their owner that must soon give them up.  Simply photo and audio of cats would make for too dull, too common of a story.

Pawel Dwuilt’s video, “Cats Need Homes”, captured Frank Currell’s story of him and his cats. However, after years of raising almost 80 cats, he must part with most of them. Losing his wife and battling cancer has forced Currell to find good homes for each of his beloved pets.

The video shot footage that went well with the speaking. When Currell was discussing his wife the viewer was given a visual of his past wife. When his mentioned his sons the viewer saw both of his sons interacting with the cats and caring for them, as Currell had stated. While most of the shots seemed almost like still frames, there was footage that captured Currell’s love for his cats, laughing at old stories and interacting with all of the cats surrounding him. This gave the viewer a visual to what his household looked like everyday.

However, from the beginning the footage on this video seemed shaky and off center. The zoom of the picture of his wife was taken at an awkward angle, which made the filming seem rushed. The footage of Currell’s two sons was also at an angle that didn’t allow the viewer to get a good look at his sons. Both of them were placed on the outskirts of the frame. While the images of his cats roaming around in numerous places in house did put the viewer in Currell’s living situation on a daily basis, most of the cat footage came across as a still frame. The camera was held on different images of the cats for too long.

Although this piece did capture the lifestyle of Frank Currell and his cats, I feel that it would have been stronger as an audio slide show. Images are definitely necessary for this piece, but video did not make this piece any stronger; it weakened it if anything. Most of the images did not involve movement of the cats or even Currell, so if there was a series of pictures with him narrating in the background I feel the piece would have impacted the viewer more efficiently. The end of the video was sentimental in the fact that Currell was reminiscing on his wife and their time together with the cats, but I felt that it ended abruptly without information as to what will/has happened to the cats. It needed more content in the video; possibly more background information or a better focus. The storyline seemed random, but needs to be tightened up.

The Detroit Free Press multimedia series Pit Bulls: Companions or Killers is a media package that contains many facets discussed in class. Taken as a whole entity, the series contains a video, text, multiple texts, and a poll. As a package it is the full experience of media packages discussed in class. The page also offers open sharing to sites such as Digg and Facebook.

Starting with the video, there are many things that work and a few that do not work. First off, the fact that the video experience is at the top of the page right where one would first look constitutes successful online journalism tactics. However, the video is split in to two clips with thumbnails on the right. This can be somewhat confusing since a viewer would click the next thumbnail which takes you back to the starting video that was already seen. Also, the video clips are short enough that they could possibly be spliced into one video. Two videos create problems, especially for viewers with slower PC’s.

As for the content of the video itself, I believe it is well filmed. There are voiceovers, natural sound, actual video, B roll shots, and audio interviews with screen caps. However, the narrator’s voice is not commanding and did not make the video too interesting.

Next I will focus on the text. The text starts directly underneath the video excerpt which is a strong plus. The text has breaks with sub-headlines which are important. The text is broken up with two graphics which I will cover later. The only gripes I have with the text layout are the format. With the poll, the graphics and advertisements, the text seems chunky and packed at some points and bare/scarce at other times. The length is sufficient but I believe it could be shorter because a lot of scrolling down is involved. Even though the page requires a lot of scrolling it is excellent that they fit everything on one page.

The content of the text is my next critique. The story is above average in its entertainment value and interest. The problem with the content is that the text does not utilize active sentences and instead resorts to a more prose like approach. An anecdotal approach is well-suited for readers who are highly interested in the topic but I believe the majority of people would like hard copy writing with strong ledes in the beginning and every sub-section.

Finally I will be critiquing the graphic boxes which include two illustrations, a poll, and advertisements. The first graphic explains the breed information of pit bulls with a picture of a breed along with average measurements, weights, and general information. This graphic is important as it allows readers to get information quickly without being forced to read all the text. The second graphic displays the anatomy of a pit bull which is well placed for the same reasons as the first graphic. The poll asks “Are pit bulls companions or killers” with the possible replies of “companions,” “killers,” and “not sure.” I think the poll is a waste of space and messes up the aesthetics of the text. There are only a few advertisements which are annoying but not overwhelming. There is also a box with related stories and contacts to learn more on pit bulls which is good for readers who want more information.

My last critique will be to understand the media package as a schema and to determine if it is successful in its job. I believe that enough of the characteristics I covered display well made online journalism and they outweigh the negatives. The video, its placement, and its easy factor make it the biggest accomplishment of the series. The worst facet of the package is the anecdotal writing of the text. The series could also use more color and aesthetic qualities. Overall I believe that the package is a good example of multimedia on the web compared to others we have looked at in class.