Monday, April 11, 2011

How To Video A Great Interview

 
This is Videographer David Hoffman who has a video on YouTube called How to Video a Great Interview. I'm not allowed to embed the video so I'll give you a link It's basic but he's pretty clear. It's about 20 minutes long. He is selling a course series and this is his give away. If you are looking for other lessons, remember you have tutorials at KMDC at and at NEWSU. org.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Prof Haile Gerima and Storytelling

Prof. Haile Gerima, of the Howard Film Department, talks at length about the film making process and storytelling. He tells own story, in this two part Al Jazeera interview. We have talked quite a bit about storytelling. I have insisted that you get a handle on your personal story. He mirrors some of our discussion, but he makes an eloquent case for each of us to master our own "voice" and vision, while maintaining a critical eye for contemporary media. Please take the time to watch parts 1 and 2. CH

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Roy DeCarava, Photographer


In the 1950s, photography was hardly considered art. If you wanted to be taken seriously as a photographer, you snapped mountains and models -- not your neighbors. It also helped to be white. But Roy DeCarava, who died Oct. 27 at the age of 89, turned all of that on its head. ( An NPR take on a great photographer. CH)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Paris liberation made 'whites only'

Papers unearthed by the BBC reveal that British and American commanders ensured that the liberation of Paris on 25 August 1944 was seen as a "whites only" victory. So, the "whites only" troops marched through Paris as the great liberators, though the Free French forces had been made up of a considerable portion of African troops ( West, Central and North African, who died in large numbers) the only "colored" troops allowed to march in the parade were North African and Middle Eastern who were light complected. They were allowed because the French could not make a full division of white troops.
All of this took place at the insistence of the Allied command, who also eliminated African- Americans, as well as a considerable number of British troops who were Indian, West Indian, African and Middle Eastern. It's particularly interesting to read the contemporary responses at Digg (click through for those.) Some people of European descent continue to excuse and rationalize the behavior, ostensibly for the mental health of those of European descent. The image of liberators of color, having saved Europe from itself, German decimation, was unacceptable to some.

read more | digg story

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Journalism 2.0

Journalism 2,0 is a take on the current state of the news media. There is a PDF text download FREE! More to come on this book that I have mentioned before, and will refer too soon.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

"UN-AMERICAN" Right? CJR- Massing

Columbia Journalism Review essay by Michael Massing casts a long term eye at the right-wing assaults on Obama's character. In light of recent and continuing developments, the NY "POST" cartoon for one (reference our discussion of the right-wing visual syllogism,) Massing paints a pretty clear picture of the propanda that has been spewing forth.

read more | digg story

Monday, February 23, 2009

Can A "Communicator" Claim Non-Racist Reference?

The New York Post published a cartoon showing two apparently "white" police shooting a monkey and saying in a balloon, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus Bill." The outcry has been vociferous and broad. The general understanding is that the reference is to President Obama. There are still elements in the "white" community who continue to repeat the old saw, "Blacks need to stop being so sensitive." They reference charges that Bush was pictured as an ignorant chimp. The Post issued a half-hearted apology.During the campaign there were multiple examples of cartoonists and ordinary citizens making monkey references to then candidate Obama. There is a history of this racist equation of Blacks and monkeys. Someone who is a journalist or communicator and their editors (who filter the product) should understand the symbolism that is part of American history and recent usage. A denial of the references belies an awareness of the culture in which they claim license to operate.
Julian Bond of the NAACP says this is a call to assassination. In the current climate where American school kids are coming to school talking about assassinating Pesident Obama, this can not be taken lightly. We can not accept that there is no awareness of this crap in the white community.