Video Analysis: Television News Package Example
Briana Reed
The video package I watched on YouTube was about the a new app students can use called DoubleMap to track when a campus shuttle bus is in transit and will arrive to the stopping points along the routes. This app was brought to students through a partnership with the University of Southern Indiana (USI) and the Metropolitan Evansville Transit System (METS).
The introduction to this package was nice, however I felt it would’ve been better to start the package with natural sound of the bus motor running along with students getting off the bus. The transition from the introduction to the first interview of a student was smooth.
When it comes to the actual interview of the student, having b-roll of the student using the app was good, but should lasted longer because then the clip switches to a medium close up of the student just standing there waiting to talk. That part should’ve been cut out and the transition from the narration and the interviewee needs more time in between. The words begin to overlap and it doesn’t sound good.
The lower third for the student wasn’t on the screen long enough. Lower thirds are supposed to last for the audience to be able to read the name and occupation of the subject at least twice all the way through without feeling rushed. However, the shot itself was good and nice look space.
There is too much zooming in and out throughout this package and it is inconsistent. There was a in the video where the camera zoomed in on the student, stopped, then zoomed in some more. This made the overall shot look unprofessionally done and choppy because zooming in and out isn’t necessary at all for these shots in this package.
The introduction of the second interviewee was nice as well, but more b-roll of him actually working would’ve been better than him talking in his interviewee with the narration voiceover. This shot needs to be more to left to give him more look space because right now he is in the center of the shot. This shot needed to be tighter as well.
Again, with the lower thirds of the second interview, it needs to be on the screen much longer because his title takes more time to read. The lower thirds overall look very plain as well, adding a background strip of color will add dimension and present the names better. The font of the name of the subject should be bigger than their title, but the placement is correct.
Whoever is recording the video needs to have more control over the camera. There is a lot of start and stop through this package and it is very noticeable. If this was on a tripod, as it should be, loosen the tightness on the tripod so moving the camera can be smoother.
The closing of this package was good and effective. Natural sounding b-roll was nice as well as the closing statement. Now if similar b-roll could be in the beginning and maybe even throughout the package, this would have turned out much better. Overall if I had to grade this package, I would give it a C.
