MediaStorm Guide to Setting Up Shots

At MediaStorm, we ask one important question to test the veracity of our work: does it deceive the viewer? The most fundamental way to break trust with not just your audience, but also your subject, is to set up shots. [1] How to Set Up a Shot If you ask someone to repeat an action, you are setting up a shot. "Could you walk through the door again so I can film you from the other side?" "Will you put your shoes on again so I can get a tight shot?" "Can you pick up your coffee again? I missed it the first time?" If you attempt to direct the action or ask subjects something they normally wouldn’t do, you are setting up a shot. "Would you mind dancing?" "Can we take you to visit your dad?" "Will you turn off the lights so I can get some pictures that look more…

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AI-AP Motion Art Awards Opens Call for Entries

American Illustration-American Photography (AI-AP), the leading juried annuals in North America, presents the second International Motion Art Awards (IMAA) celebrating photographers, illustrators and designers who make their work move in all media.

Entries of the year’s best photography, illustration, animation and design in motion can be submitted for award consideration through August 30, 2013.

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Brian Storm on Why You’ll Never Master Multimedia

Senior Producer Eric Maierson’s post “I Hate ‘Multimedia’” stirred up a discussion on what success in our industry looks like and what is required to get us there. We used your comments and questions to ask our Executive Producer and Founder Brian Storm (with thoughts from Director of Photography Rick Gershon) how visual storytellers can flourish in a constantly evolving industry. Do you hate ‘multimedia’ too? Hate is a strong word, but I would argue that word has become meaningless. It’s sort of like saying “awesome.” What does awesome mean anymore? Everything is awesome. Multimedia has been associated with my professional title for twenty years of my life. So, of course, the word means something to me. What I’ve seen happen is that it means something different to everyone you talk to. Eric made a bunch of good points about it being too small in scope. It’s about our industry, the way…

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I Hate ‘Multimedia’

Nothing in this profession irks me so much as the word “multimedia.” Not only is it linguistically confusing–“media” is itself already plural–in terms of describing our work, the label does us all a disservice. Multimedia is the combining of several forms of media. OK, so the combining of photography and video is multimedia. But what about the combination of text and photography in a book? Or a website for that matter? The point is, “multimedia” can mean anything. It just depends on whom you ask. With all due respect, I believe “multimedia” is the word we’ve come to use when describing photographers who make documentaries. It’s a word that belongs to journalists, not the audience we want to reach. This is not a new conversation at MediaStorm. It’s an issue we’ve wrestled with in innumerable conversations and one Brian Storm and I have had almost from day one of my tenure. But…

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Learn to Connect With Your Subjects In New Les Rencontres d’Arles Workshop

Jonathan Torgovnik, photographer and MediaStorm contributor, will teach “An emphasis on the ‘other,’” during the 2013 international festival of photography, Les Rencontres d’Arles. The week-long workshop will dive into the unspoken language and emotional connections between photographer, subject, and environment. Participants will navigate through the intimate and, at times, intense process of creating a successful portrait, with an emphasis on photographing people in their personal environments, in and around their homes, workplaces, or on the street. Registration is available online. About the Workshop Date: July 8-13, 2013 Location: Arles (Provence, France) Fee: 780€ Summary: Participants will learn how to meet the challenges of establishing a deep connection with subjects in a relatively short period of time. The workshop addresses the different approaches required when photographing a personal project, or on assignment, exploring a range of light sources, but always with emphasis on keeping it simple and personal. Course content includes: Introduction to…

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