I’m moving the blog…

I finally set up the database system on my site, and moved the blog over there. To read Jeff Haines‘ official blog, go to http://www.jeffhaines.com/blog!

Just checking in…

It’s been a long time, and I don’t have anything to post right now, except a short update on what I’ve been up to.

Currently, classes are really sucking up most of my time. I’m also trying to devote weekends to making the most out of the “college” experience, which I know I will have to leave behind this coming June, in order to make the best of my career.

Aside from keeping up my grades and spending time with friends, I am also revving up my job search strategy. In the next few weeks I hope to revitalize my website, http://www.jeffhaines.com, and post my current work.

Anyways, hopefully I will be able to update this more often with my industry thoughts, or maybe I will migrate it to my website. I have a lot of ideas for cool internet content, so hopefully I will find some time to bring those to fruition.

Transworld journalism

This past Friday, 2007.08.24, the staff of The Philadelphia Inquirer said goodbye to Lou Yi, a journalist from Beijing, China. She reports for Caijing Magazine, the second most read magazine publication in China, after Chinese Vogue. While in the U.S. on a 5 month fellowship, she spent time working with different desks at the paper, writing articles, and learning to create videos for use online. When she returns to China, she will be the assistant editor for Web at her publication.

During her time in Philadelphia, she became the first online video journalist for a newspaper or magazine in China, and although she is still learning some of the technical skills behind the medium, her videos demonstrate her knack for linear storytelling.

She has written multiple articles (in English) for Caijing Magazine about journalism at the Inky, especially about our online process. I had the pleasure of being quoted and interviewed by her.

Before she left, she completed several video interviews with key people at our paper. This video acts as a summation of what she learned:

Her enthusiasm is going to be greatly missed at the Inky, but she has promised to keep in touch, and will update her blog.

The Simpsons

No, not a review of the movie–

A co-worker sent me this YouTube link:

A live-action Simpsons intro! I think it’s great! There was obviously a lot of compositing involved, and I wonder what it is actually from. It would be cool to do this with other series’ intros.

Hyper-Local

I was off shooting a fall fashion feature for The Inquirer last week when Rob Curley of The Washington Post stopped by the office for a reportedly 6 hour seminar on how he is saving newspapers. It is a real shame I missed it (I have ideas for my own take on a hyper-local news site– For the future) but I hope to view a company DVD that was made of the meeting.

I’ve been doing a lot of research on this topic, and will update this post accordingly– Just wanted to put something up for now

Revitalizing newspapers: Online video

Since April, I have been working as part of a Drexel University co-op on The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Online Desk. When I was hired, part of the job description stated that I would be involved in developing online video, and further, assisting to develop an online multimedia content strategy. By my first day, the paper’s site had published several videos, but there was no real newsroom video procedure, and there was no real equipment or necessary technology.

In the time I have been working at the Inky, our parent site, philly.com, has hired new management, and the site has been constantly in a process of redesign. It has been difficult to establish standards, but I believe, as a newsroom, we have made great strides towards producing great online video, as only a newspaper can.

We are currently using Sony HDR-SR1 and SR2 AVCHD cameras to shoot the majority of our video. We are editing on an Apple G5 workstation, using final cut pro. Currently, we are shooting our projects in SD mode at a resolution of 720×404 pixels, while staff photographers are sharing HDV cameras for their projects (so that video stills can be pulled for use in the paper). The reporting and photo staff will soon be using, chiefly, SR2 cameras, and we hope that a robust AVCHD solution for Mac and Final Cut Pro will soon be developed.

The SR1 cameras have provided great picture quality, with a vibrant range of vivid color, and great contrast. The hard drive format of the cameras make their use simple, although I spent considerable time developing steps for de-muxing the .MPG files they produce. Video files are converted to Apple Intermediate Codec .mov, are edited in Final Cut Pro, and are exported using Flip4Mac to the (inferior) .wmv format.

Enough for technical specs… Overall, I feel newspapers have a duty, based on their longstanding chief value of journalistic and editorial integrity, to produce the highest quality video. Newspapers have a higher calling than television newscasts. They have the ability to produce more than a 30 second splash. They must produce video that is thoughtful, reflective, more documentary, a bit less harried, and more PBS. The time-tested and awarded art of newspaper still photography requires newspaper video to look through confident, artistic framing and lighting. Storytelling and editing must bow to this higher mission—giving viewers a look, understanding, and empathy into news stories.

The new online life of newspapers

For the past 4 months, I have been interning at The Philadelphia Inquirer, working on the Online Desk. My duties have included updating pages on http://www.Philly.com, creating and maintaing pages for special, multi-part features, editing and integrating online content into article and feature pages, an producing original content. During my time in the newsroom, if one thing has become evident, it is that the traditional newspaper format, as itnow stands, is in dire trouble– and that how a publisher embraces or ignores online news, will determine the success or failure of the newspaper enterprise.

In a roundtable meeting for the company’s interns, publisher Brian Tierney revealed what I agree will be the secret to newspapers’ success in the online medium:

In radio and television news, the hosts and reporters are the “talent” and the capital that keeps the broadcasts afloat and lures listeners and viewers back for the next show. It is their sheer force of personality that must snag an audience.

Radio news is ripped from newspaper headlines and leads, both local and AP. Television networks send their crews out guerilla style (Or maybe it should be gorilla style– I’ve had to fight network photographers to get good video for the newspaper’s site) to grab 30 second reports– and then get the heck out and on to the next big breaking event.

Newspapers, however, on their newsdesks, and moreso in their sports experts and feature columnists, have employees with intensly specific knowledge, and often have contacts on the “inside.” The other medias do not have these inside contacts.

By leveraging their talent pool of specified writers, newspapers have the ability and potential to create detailed online insider reports, and innovating and interesting investigative or behind-the-scenes video and audiocasts without hiring any new employees. The vehicles for creating this content are already dormant in the newsroom– They must simply be activated and channeled into online delivery methods.

For example, when a new movie opens, actors will often travel from city to city promoting their film. During these promotion runs, the paper’s critic will interview the actor, see the film, and later write up a review. Leveraging online multimedia potential, while the critic interviews the celebrity, a cameraperson can record the encounter, and ask additional questions that would not fit in the space allotted on a newspaper page. If there is time, and the celebrity is willing, the actor can participate in an online chat with newspaper readers (heavily moderated, of course.) This chat can be edited and published as a newspaper sidebar. After the critic watches the film, their evaluation can be captured as video or audio, and can include topics supplimental to the printed review. Film critics often can provide insight on Hollywood politics, in-production movie news, and general industry trends. This information can be published in blog, video, or audiocast form.

The potential is endless, and can be applied to nearly any newspaper beat– features, sports, living, and news.

Newspapers, meet Facebook.

I am currently interning at The Philadelphia Inquirer, doing a multitude of duties. On June 28, 2007, the Online Department had a staff meeting, during which one topic included the role of the social networking website http://www.facebook.com as a tool for increasing online newspaper readership and exposure. After the meeting I wrote this memo:

We talked about this in the meeting earlier, so I did a little bit of research on Facebook applications in general, and how The Washington Post has capitalized on the frenzy. The author of this blog made some great points:

From: Rob Curley’s Blog

“For us, one of the most important things was to build something that we thought would work on Facebook and do it in a way that showed respect for what The Washington Post and washingtonpost.com stand for — and at the same time, try to get those Facebook members who had an interest in politics to remember that washingtonpost.com is the definitive site on the web for national politics…And we hope they are reminded of our newspaper’s commitment to political coverage every time they see The Compass with the washingtonpost.com logo on it.”

The blog makes important points about how people probably don’t just want an app with the latest headlines—even sports headlines. It has to be something innovative, interesting, and useful. The Inquirer has a wealth of resources in its journalists and columnists—Specialists and experts in their fields. A great Facebook application would leverage their expertise, presenting information, possibly allowing users to comment on or add, customize, or create additional information, fashioning something that they would want to share among themselves—All with Inquirer branding and a link to our Philly.com site.

This would not even have to be limited to the mostly college (now a bit broader) audience of Facebook. A MySpace application could be developed that would “drop” into a user’s page, much like google and youtube videos can be added to pages.

More: Press release from the Washington post on their Facebook application

Weekend HBO recap

This is a little bit late– I got a bit sick the last few days– But I wanted to post my reaction to this weekend’s shows.

The Sopranos

Great episode this week. Tony is spouting ugliness, even using the same lines as his mother. Livia has truly resurfaced. A.J.’s suicide attempt was sick and humorous. The show seems to actually be wrapping up.

From a technical standpoint, this week’s show was very well done. Lighting was great throughout, and the settings had that “cold” cloudy New Jersey feel.

Entourage

Another strong episode this week. Now that the boys are back with Ari, the show seems to be back in its old groove. The Turtle / Girlfriend’s dad conflict is pretty hilarious, and I am anxious to see where the show goes.

The Sopranos

More sobbing from A.J. in tonight’s episode– But I think it was the best since the first from the beginning of 6.2. Had an idea while watching, and drew this up real quick:

I’ll post my reaction tomorrow.