JD Photography

I’m a fan of great storytelling. There are various elements that go into a great story:
Plot – The series of events that make up the story, including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution
Setting – The time and place of the story, which can be described explicitly or left to the reader to infer 
Characters – The people or animals that take part in the story, including the main character (protagonist) and any antagonists
Conflict – The problem or struggle that the characters face, which can be internal or external 
Theme – The main idea or message of the story, which can be what the reader learns or takes away from the story
Point of view – The perspective from which the story is told, usually in first or third person 
Context – The framework that provides the scene for the story and helps build the characters.
Other elements of storytelling include tone and style. These elements work together to create a story’s flow, build anticipation, and resonate with the audience. 

In video storytelling there are techniques you can use to help accent those storytelling elements. Audio, lighting, location, b-roll, editing, and narration are all things someone needs to consider when making a visual story.

I’m a sucker for a story that combines all these elements and causes all the feelings in my emotions.

A journalist I’ve been a fan of of for many years has his craft down pat and if he makes any mistakes from a production standpoint, all is easily forgiven because he nails the story. After watching several dozen stories, I don’t think he makes production mistakes.

Steve Hartman is a master story teller. There are no special tricks or television magic, just good old fashioned story telling.

I aspire to create work that moves people. I love human interest stories that strip away all the political nonsense and allows us to feel real human emotions like love, empathy and kindness.

In 2020, I was covering the pandemic for the Arizona National Guard and I made sever trips to Navajo Nation. Here are some of the stories I made.

As you can see, they are no Steve Hartman quality production or story. The potential was there. I needed better audio for some, the wind was a major problem in a couple locations. We didn’t have a lighting kit so our interviews always lacked that little something extra that make the interviewee pop on screen.

I have a project I’m working on with the 102nd Army Band. I’m excited because I have my own lighting kit I can use to give more production value to the interview.

Tom Schroeppel writes in his book, The Bare Bone Camera Course for Film and Video, “The best advise I can give you for your first few lighting jobs is to be methodical. Go slow. Put up one light at a time and watch what it does. If you do get confused at some point, turn off all your lights. Then turn them on again one at a time, so you can see what each is doing and regain control.”

That is great advise for all parts of the production. Go slow. I often find myself rushing, mostly because of anxiety, but my best work is when I am able to slow down and focus.

As I mentioned before, I’m working on a project with an Army Band and I know for most of the evening I will not be able to have any reshoots, so focus and attention to detail will be paramount. That is part of the wonderful experience of doing a production, it’s seeing everything come together and having a story to show for all the hard work.