Most of my articles are text-based, but sometimes the story idea calls for a video. Sometimes the face and emotion of the person telling their story are crucial to the story’s “so what.” Sometimes, the story is about an action, such as dancing, that can only be successfully explained by showing the audience. My co-Director and I have worked hard to add more videos to the site. Creating a video is intimidating for most of our staff, and it was for me too. Broadcast journalism is a learning process, and while we’ve been teaching our team how to create videos and podcasts, I’ve made a few of my own.
What goes on in the ballroom: Sevy Hayes talks Latin dance
Published on Rubicon Online on November 2, 2021
Sevy Hayes brought her story to me. She asked me why she hadn’t been interviewed for an article yet. I told her that there wasn’t a specific reason we hadn’t interviewed her yet. I asked her for her story, and I learned about her history as a dancer. I attended a rehearsal, met her instructor, and interviewed her to tell how she landed on Latin dance. Most of my stories are told via text, but since Sevy’s story included beautiful visuals, it made sense to take the form of a video.
Remembering 9/11 with SPA Faculty
Published on Rubicon Online on September 11, 2021
Co-produced with Clara McKoy, Rita Li and Eliana Mann, with footage from multiple staff members on The Rubicon.
The 9/11 story was the result of a team story. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, my co-Director and I asked each staff member to gather b-roll and an interview with either a teacher, student, or a family member. Students were then grouped into three teams to create a video. My group was assigned the interviews with teachers. I conducted one of the interviews, helped edit and taught my group members how to use Adobe Premiere Pro, and found free use footage for additional visuals. The goal was to allow staff members to learn and practice how to create a video. The outcome was a trio of videos that beautifully commemorated the anniversary and honored community members’ stories.
Immigration in the community, students share their experiences
Published on Rubicon Online on April 4, 2021
This was the second video that I had ever created, and I remember it being a very challenging process. It was the first video I filmed footage for, and I barely knew how. I didn’t feel comfortable with editing. Looking back, I could create a much higher quality video with the same assignment. That being said, I stand behind the story that the video tells. There are not many people in the SPA community impacted by immigration. It’s essential to tell stories that are hard to find because journalists can give voices to the people who don’t have a voice. Immigration is a national topic, and this video connected faces in our community to national conversations.