Slug & Lede

“Last Call for Haircuts” is a piece done by Dan Pelle of Spokesman-Reviews.  The story tells of the retirement of twin barbers, Bill and Jeff Haines.  Bill and Jeff have owned the Lincoln Heights Barber Shop since 1961.  At the ages of 67, both brothers have decided it’s time for them to retire and close down the barbershop.  The video takes a look at a part of the daily routine of these twin brothers and how their long-time customers feel about the closing of Lincoln Heights. 

The opening shot of “Last Call for Haircuts” was good because it not only showed viewers where the story took place, but also gave a hint on what the story would be about.  There were a few shots that were unnecessary such as the ones of the stacks of magazines and the line of trophies.  They might have worked if the piece was supposed to be long and detailed, since it shows what the barbershop looks like.   However, because the video is barely 3 minutes long and everything is compressed together, it’s important to leave out anything that won’t help tell the story. 

Towards the middle of the story, we hear a customer talk about getting his haircut regularly done at Lincoln Heights for 5 years.  We also see him opening the door and walking down the steps to get to the barbershop.   The only problem with this is that we can’t see the man’s face.  Also, right after sharing his story, the camera goes to one of the brothers who is giving a haircut to a customer and that’s when we get to see who was talking beforehand.  This part might have been confusing for some people and should be revised or reedited.

There was another scene in the clip where a young boy is sharing his story on how his father started taking him to get his haircut done at Lincoln Heights.   Later the camera goes to the boy’s father and the caption introduces him as Tim Lamb, Lincoln Heights customer.  The problem for me was that the boy’s name was never mentioned.  I think the boy should have been introduced as well since he began telling the story and viewers don’t know who he is. 

Overall, the piece was well done.  The shots were good and the story was told very well.  It was almost always right to the point and did a good job portraying the history of the twin brothers and their barbershop.  I especially liked the very last scene where a long-time customer goes to pay one of the brothers and the last shot ends the story with the two men shaking hands.