Is music appropriate in a video journalism project?

May 18, 2007 at 9:35 am · Filed under Audio

I recently asked Angela Grant of News Videographer to critique the video work I have produced so far.

She appreciated the visuals of my work, but was less enthusiastic about my use of music only as part of the presentations.

There is debate about the utilization of music in video journalism projects and how it can distract from what is being presented. Angela did raise an interesting point about her position and yet, we as content creators should also be true to ourselves and OUR minds eye of how WE as the content creator, want to present our work.

Now granted, what I have posted so far was a direct result of my uncomfortability in my voice over narrative skills until my first paying client, Light & Motion Titan D2oo Housing project pushed me into developing them again.

I pushed myself to use what I had learned in radio broadcasting courses I took in high school (I had my own show 3 days a week) and sure enough, I’m becoming more secure in my ability to utilize my own voice for audio narratives in the work I am currently developing.

Thanks again to Angela Grant for pushing me outside my comfort zone.

One is never too old to learn something new.

  david wrote @ May 20th, 2007 at 11:43 pm

I believe the use of music mirrors principles in broadcast television and film. Essentially, some news stories require no embellishing, in the same way iambic prose and clever turns of phrases should be done away with. The Virginia shootings is a classic example. Thumping scores and reportage saying…”their dreams have become a nightmare” suggest either a laziness or failing to understand the nature of the story. The story needs no help. Let it tell itself. Some stories, yes, (fighting myself here) even going back to Virginia can get away with music,just, but used imperceptibly and with skill. Some of our best film makers, broadcasters and VJs may well accomplish this. The music is a carrier. It neither fights the pictures or words but simply knits the visual theme together. In fact it’s so incidental that it’s not there.
Then there’s the brash use in what I refer to as ‘aggressive videojournalism’. When making my doc 8 Days, ( http://www.viewmagazine.tv/8days.html)I was aware it was a slow story; nothing dramatic emerging, so I used music and aggressive shots to heighten the experience. I guess it worked. Music, colouring, telecine - these are all skills worth examining from the pros persepctive. Not so much now, I can’t find the time, but when I did watch lots of films, it was a biology lesson watching how music and other modifiers were used. After all videojournalism is film making isn’t it?

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