Blair L. Fannin
Communications Specialist
Texas A&M University-Agricultural Communications

Angel Fattorini
Communications Specialist
Texas A&M University-Agricultural Communications

Background

With the Internet already serving as the main source at Texas A&M Agricultural Communications for distributing news releases and digital photos, streaming video was identified as an additional way of delivering agricultural news from the Web site.

Streaming video incorporates the use of digital video, audio and the Internet to relay information from a personal computer.

This new feature expanded the offering of Web news presented to viewers. By offering video versions of print stories, it enabled both newspapers and television stations to link to the Web site, as well as offered additional presentation of news to non-media consumers.

This new innovation of delivering news about Texas A&M's Agriculture Program through video on the Internet reaffirmed A&M Ag Communications' commitment since 1994 to be a leader in Internet news dissemination.

However, delivering a steady flow of video stories would be a challenge for a team of writers. The unit has only one news video producer who could not cover all the stories generated from the print team. Additionally, equipment needs and the necessary training to produce the video news reports would need to be identified.

By providing streaming video news reports on our Web site, we would offer an additional method of pitching stories to a wide variety of audiences that included journalists, television producers, media representatives, or non-media consumers.

Method

Several factors were considered before attempting to produce video news stories for the Web. These included equipment expenses, training of news team members in technique and technology associated with using the video camera, editing software, and file compression and distribution for the Web.

Production Expense: To begin the production process, equipment needs were identified. First, the news team considered equipment already available within the department. This included:

- Sony DCR-X1000 video camera (mini DV) with Firewire connection (IEEE- 1394)
- Tripod
- XLR audio adapter to use professional Lavaliar microphone (these microphones are commonly used during television interviews clipped to the subject's shirt)
- Batteries, charger, headphones, videotape

Equipment used during the editing portion included a previously purchased Macintosh G4 computer with iMovie video editing software. Our only expense for initial production was additional 500 megabytes of RAM for the Macintosh G4. News team members during the initial production phase shared both the video camera and Macintosh computer.

Additional equipment was later purchased to provide two video cameras for the team. That included: a Canon GL-1 camera ($2,000), extra battery ($50), camera case ($250), tripod ($150), microphone ($100), audio adapter ($200), headphones ($50) and compression software (Cleaner 5, $299 educational discount price) for a total of $3,099.

However, several months later a news editor was in the process of upgrading their individual computer and opted for a PC platform Pentium 4 ($1,300) and a Firewire card ($99) that included video editing software.

It was later identified that additional equipment was needed for the field team communications members that are stationed at different research centers across the state to incorporate video streaming into their news reporting.

Training: Initial training was provided by the Ag Communications' video team. Training involved news team members learning how to use the video camera and learning how to shoot video. The training portion involved composition methods for shooting video, how to light the subject, choosing a microphone and microphone placement.

Composition instruction included using the one-third rule - a method that involves framing the subject in one-third of the video screen.

Using available light was an important part of setting up the camera interview. Since our news team didn't have an available light kit because of added expense, it was recommended that interviews be shot outdoors. These interviews were preferred to be shot either in the early morning or late afternoon because of sun angles. However, we were able to shoot some of the interviews indoors because of ample lighting.

The audio element was another component of the training. This involved using a Lavaliar microphone (these microphones are commonly used during television interviews clipped to the subject's shirt.) Another important element is to carry headphones to make sure audio is coming through the camera. (Some video cameras don't include audio meters to determine audio quality.)

One-on-one editing sessions with a video team member were also part of the training phase. These training sessions pointed out the many features that iMovie offered in video production. Additionally, the training session included techniques on editing video and audio including adding character generation (titling) to identify the subjects speaking in the news reports.

Implementation: After news team members worked with the camera on their own time capturing video on and off campus, they were ready to go to one of the video producers for critique and suggestions.

Once the individual felt comfortable enough operating the camera and its audio features, they were ready to take the equipment out into the field, shoot video footage, and conduct interviews.

Some of the challenges in capturing the first interview for a story included: forgetting to put the video tape inside the camera, not having the correct audio cables connected either to the camera or audio adapter, poor lighting, and most of all, subjects interviewed didn't provide short, quick sound bites which proved to be an exhausting editing process.

Editing: Once the interview was captured on tape, it was time to write the script and edit the video.

The first step in editing involved watching the full interview, marking down the recorded times of the sound bites for reference when putting the news report together. After this was accomplished, the next step included formulating an outline written down on paper with a sequence of sound bites in the order they are to be played.

Next, a script was written based on the sound bites that were selected to be used in the report. The biggest challenge was learning how to adapt from writing lengthy news stories to writing video scripts that run approximately two minutes.

Script writing involves short sentences that help tie together both sound bites with voiceovers. Voiceovers are pre-recorded narratives pasted over video footage.

The next step is narrating the script, which involves recording transitional sentences to use between sound bites.

To edit the story in iMovie video editing software, we imported the audio narration (pre-recorded narratives) and the soundbites. This is important because when editing the video, we found it was easier to start with the audio first since it determined the length of the video segment.

Because Firewire (IEEE-1394) connects the video camera to the computer, it allowed us to control the camera through the computer using the iMovie application. Through this connection, we were able to select and capture video simply by clicking a button once the audio and soundbites were placed in the timeline.

It should be noted that iMovie is one of the most simplistic programs to edit video. An individual with virtually no video editing background can quickly learn the skills needed to produce a video using iMovie in less than an hour. Its drag-and-drop features make this process easier than it sounds.

However, there is no printed manual that accompanies this software application, though the help menu within the program can assist with troubleshooting. Additionally, we would recommend purchasing iMovie 2: The Missing Manual, David Pogue, Pogue Press/O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.

We should also note that another software editing package was used on a PC platform. This package used the same principles found in iMovie and was used by a news writer to produce video news releases for the Internet as well.

Finishing the project : Video compression is the next step. This is important because this news video report will be viewed on the Internet and smaller, compressed files are needed to allow the end-user to download the file in a quick fashion. Cleaner 5 ($299 educational discount price) was the preferred and recommended software for file compression. File sizes range from 4 megabytes to 10 megabytes for a two minute story. However, compression software is needed to accomplish this since an uncompressed two minute story file would be as large as 30 megabytes.

After compression, the file was placed on our agnews server and a link was added to our newly designed Web page for viewing.

Results

This project began with discussion in December 2000, with the training portion kicking off in January 2001 with a session on how to shoot good visuals. All communications specialists both on campus in College Station as well as those around the state worked together in learning
this new technology.

By January, our first video news story was produced for the Web. Videos became a regular feature of the redesigned Web site, http://agnews.tamu.edu , in March with 24 provided in 2001.

Successes: We were able to launch this new technology with little training and expense since we had already owned some of the key equipment necessary to produce these Web video reports.

The following is feedback from users and Web statistics:

* After seeing one of the news stories produced for the Web, a local television station producer called and wanted to use the footage on the evening newscast.

* A producer in Henderson County was amazed he could learn about rangeland revitalization by both reading the news article on the Web and also viewing a video version of the news story using Real Player.

* Web statistics: The initial number of Web requests for the video stories accompanying print stories produced by on campus news writers placed one http://agnews.tamu.edu for 2001 was favorable:

- Out of 13 video stories produced by the two on campus news writers in 2001, a total of 1,554 hits were received for the year. This was an average of 120 hits per story. Web statistics indicate viewers of these video news reports are interested in news about horticulture, the agricultural economy, and scientific research.

Stories receiving the most hits included:

- A video story dated Feb. 16 headlined 'Flower Beds Should Rise To The Occasion^' received 244 hits. This was the first story that was produced for the year.

- A video story dated Oct. 10 headlined 'Terrorist Threats on Agriculture Being Studied at Texas A&M' received 167 hits.

- A video story dated March 29 headlined 'Value of 2001 Texas Agriculture projected $15 million' received 153 hits.

- A video story dated March 21 headlined 'Study: Farm Income Drop Projected Due To Increases in Fuel, Fertilizer Costs' received 124 hits.

- A video story dated March 1 headlined 'Scientific Discovery in Plants May Advance Human Medicine' received 169 hits.

The fewest hits received was a March 5 video story headlined 'United States Could See Increase In Beef Exports To Europe.' This story received 36 hits.

Conclusions

This new technology is another way to pitch stories to newspapers and television stations. It is uncertain at this time if this technology will be embraced by both newspaper and television outlets across the country. However, by adding a visual element that accompanies a printed version of a news story, a journalist, television producer, media representative, or non-media consumer will be able to better understand the information being conveyed.

Suggested reading and Web links:

iMovie 2: The Missing Manual, David Pogue, Pogue Press/O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.

Digital Video magazine, http://www.dv.com