Logo Concentra Award
VJ storyteller: Andy Smythe
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In this Q&A-series, we put video journalists in the spotlight. They are a special breed and, in the spirit of The Concentra Award, we love to hear their fascinating stories. As the winner of the first Concentra Award and a nominee last year, BBC VJ Andy Smythe knows what it takes to shoot a good story. We caught up with him and fired our questions.
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How much work experience do you have? And how long as a video journalist?
I've been a journalist for nearly 8 years now. I was one of the first journalists in the BBC to be trained to shoot and edit my own material four years ago. I'm not sure whether that's a good or a bad thing as there was a lot of opposition to VJ's when I started!
How many video journalists work at your station?
It's a regional BBC newsroom and I'd say about 40 of us have been trained as VJ's, everyone from journalists, to camera operators to editors. They'd train the tea lady if she asked!
What is the biggest advantage of your work as a video journalist?
My little camera's got me to places I'd never have the chance to go otherwise. I won the Concentra award with a film about a professional gambler. He was so unreliable and hard work as an individual that the material I shot with him was gathered in tiny little bits over a long period of time. At the beginning he would only allow me an hour with him and tried to choose what I could and couldn't film. As time went on he got more relaxed with me and opened up. This wouldn't have happened on a daily news programme if I hadn't have been a VJ.
Do you encounter problems as a video journalist?
Being a VJ in a pressurising news situation means you're often forced to compromise quality. I believe the true benefits of VJ's are only seen when they have time and space to create something totally different from "normal" news. So when I get sent on a very reactive, conventional story (for examply a job losses story) what I often produce is a conventional news package (couple of interviews, vox and bland exterior shots) which doesn't look as nice as it would with a big camera. On stories like this, sometimes time pressures mean you can't always find that human angle and make your deadline.
Tell us about your camera, editing software, ...
I use a Sony Z1 camera although it's not the miracle solution some view it as - it is great in daylight but worse than the PD170 in darker conditions. We edit using both Avid and Quantel. When I was lucky enough to win the Concentra Award, I promised I would use the prize money to further my career. So I bought a computer and taught myself Final Cut Pro, which is now my weapon of choice!
Do you use a tripod? Why (not)?
Always. My general rule of thumb is if it moves you're ok to go hand held but if it doesn't, stick it on a tripod. Michael Rosenblum's answer to that would be never to shoot something that doesn't move anyway, but it works for me! I like shooting artistic, tight shots of architecture and nature, so I use the tripod for that, mixed with handheld interviews on the move with the characters.
Do you have an insider tip or trick for fellow video journalists?
Watch loads and loads of short films, documentaries and feature films - take in the filming/editing techniques used and use them to develop your own style. Try and push the boundaries of what people expect from your programme. Last but not least, always believe in yourself.
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