Quality or Quantity?
It’s a subject that is discussed much in the field of newspaper video and multimedia at the moment.
There are those, like me, that think that if a job is worth doing then it’s worth doing well.
There are, unfortunatly, those that think that if you throw content up that is badly shot and edited and there is enough of it then, it will do the trick.
Howard Owens is a well know Web comentator who believes this is the way forward. (howardowens.com) I strongly disagree.

If you take a newspaper with a good reputation for good stills photography and journalism and just write or shoot substandard the readers will be dissatisfied and may leave without letting us know they are unhappy.
There are many UK newspapers crashing their video service with badly shot, edited and presented multimedia due to the Owens way of thinking.

I really and passionately believe that whatever we do as publishers, be it online or in print it needs to be done well.

Bon weekend.

:-)

Jessop House. New home of the Croydon Advertiser from Sitbonzo on Vimeo.

There is a movement around, I forget what it is called, but the ethos is to just do a kind act once a week without expecting any payback of any kind.
I once bought some ice cream for some ladies sitting outside their shop on a hot day. They were very surprised and very happy. It cost me a pound but it was worth a fortune.

So, when I saw one of my collegues walking to work yesterday from her new place about a mile from the office, I thought she may appreciate the small folding bike I have laying in the back of my garage. I need to pop to the florist to get some ribbon just to make it look the part.

Please Anna, don’t fall off it!

:-)

I’ve been at home for a few days with a gout attack. Trying to put my time to good use I have been trying to learn Final Cut (video editing software) It’s harder than you may think as I can’t even connect the camera!
I also desperately need to free up some space on the hard drive. ( did I mention my Mac is sick?) I stumbled across this old picture from 1990 which relates nicely to my post of a few days ago.
(old post)

My buddy Andy is pointing to the spot where we got duffed up a second time on our travels. On this occasion the ‘bandits’ had been europeans traveling on motorbikes on the same road as us. They were cutting us up and being aggressive too. Further down the road we found them under a truck, one of their heads sadly some distance away from the rest of their body. At the time we called it bad Karma.

Designated driver here was good to his word and stayed dry at the tapas joint. Its nice to have such good friends that don’t take offense when you tell them where to stuff the idea of splitting the £40 Scotch and £30 beer tab 3 ways when you have spent all evening on coca cola!

Unfortunatly, drinking buddies decided it was a great plan to go back to my brothers place for some more ‘conversation’ No longer designated driver, I was forcibly made to drink red wine until 1.30am by which time I was proper drunk.

I have a hangover and a major headache. Just got back from shooting the healthy living conference at Fairfield halls and did slink around hoping to be unobtrusive.

I know I’m going to get it in the neck when Mrs Sitbonzo finds out I’m not going to be rolling down the drive later this evening but it IS my brother’s birthday tomorrow!

I got a call a while ago from him giving vague venue and time. I’m quite impressed that both my friends and I can still react at such short notice to an invitation to party.

Its deadline tomorrow so not to much beer for me, in fact I think I may be the designated driver so maybe no beer!

It’s strange how relationships go. One moment you are trusting and loyal the next thing you need to sit down, take a breath and re evaluate your values and opinions.

There have been some pretty strong voices raised over the course of the past few days which have left me wondering just where the heavy handled club falls into other peoples communication tool bag.

I was once smacked hard in the chest with the butt of rifle belonging to an angry Indian soldier. We were crossing the border into Kashmir. Out of the blue the group held us up, making unresonable demands on me and my traveling companions and refused to negotiate. They too left unsatisfied.

BREAKING NEWS - Teenage boy stabbed to death in South Croydon - Saturday.

EBar murder. BREAKING NEWS from Sitbonzo on Vimeo.

It’s possibly been one of the most demanding weeks. Training, early morning drugs busts, really busy days, followed by trying to make sense of a hard to edit video.
Getting in at 7am and leaving at 10pm. I’ve not eaten in 24 hours and not seen my kids since Sunday.
I am unwashed, unshaven and generally unpleasant. At least one of the new reporters was growled at earlier on today.

Managed to delete the whole of last weeks archive of photos and my card full of images from today.

I gotta get home now! Need to get some shut eye before another busy day tomorrow.

Spent the day locked up in the board room in training. It’s not so bad, but I do suffer if I can’t get outside.

I was very flattered late last week to be contacted by award winning international journalist and multimedia Guru David Dunkley Gyimah (David’s site)

He spent some time with us in November 2007 making a piece about multimedia in newsrooms around the world. We, the lowly Croydon Advertiser, mixing it with the Telegraph and Al jazeera ( we’re at the end)
(view video)

He also later blogged about us when we were messing about for a lighting forum we have all learned a lot from
(strobist.com)

its long (11mins) , and if you are not into photography, a bit dull after about 2mins but there is some prize winning messing about in there.
(Silly video)

Click here to see the finished
results from the lighting set ups.

The slightly badly written job sheet said. “Portrait of James and Armagnac. The restaurant is under new management.”
I dutifully turned up at 10am, on time and smiling as usual. One of the waiters unlocked the front door and I asked for James and Armagnac. Oh, and just how do I pronounce his name? He looked a little perplexed. Waiting for them to arrive I busied myself with setting up my lights for a portrait.
Not until I asked what time Mr Armagnac would arrive did I realise we were talking about the places fine selection of french Brandy.

bon weekend mon amis (SEE NEW VIDEO BELOW)

Caroline and Ellie are off to Oxford University after winning choral scholarships. Filmed in the chapel of Old Palace School Croydon.

Oxford choral scholars. from Sitbonzo on Vimeo.

how do you get 39 filing cabinet draws into about 10?

If you know the answer please let me know.
Due to some reorganisation, our old files of prints needs to be radically condensed then scanned. Its a bit of a mammoth task and one we are cracking into today. We need to be a little covert as each print is known personally by our librarian and will be sadly missed.

actually picking up the video camera for the first time in ages later this afternoon.

Sometime the jobs for a local paper photographer are pretty mundane. After all, It cant all be ‘run n gun’ can it!
Yesterday’s first day back at work was one of those worthy days which are good PR for the paper. We are after all, in the community for the community and for the people involved, it was a big event for them.
However, it can sometimes be difficult to interpret some jobs into interesting images.
Some jobs are just Non Visual Assignments.
1) exterior of shop
2) crane delivers classroom (2hours after I arrived)
3) plaque unveiling
4) lifeboats give talk to townswomens guild in church hall
5) tennis player (good job)
6) meeting at town hall

Not much to get your teeth into there and that sometimes happens. Mind you, It may help on assignments, if we know who we are supposed to be interviewing or, what they look like.
I’m sure the people walking past us, security and the reporter from the other local paper were impressed that we were there in force but, In 40mins I took 3 photographs so did feel a bit like a trophy bride.

hmmm. lets see what today brings.