Column by Taylor Soule
I eat a bowl of Quaker oatmeal every morning. I enjoy waking up early (and I don’t mean at the crack of noon). I’d rather watch reruns of “The Cosby Show” than catch the latest episode of “The Bachelor.”
Am I 75 or 21?
I’m a traditionalist in the way I consume the news, too. Though I enjoy scrolling through my Twitter feed and admit I’ll keep taking the “Which Friends Character Are You” quiz until I get Monica (I’m a Geller at heart), I prefer print. The crinkle of a turning page. The oily ink permanently embedded under my nails.
In 2014, though, I’ve embarked on a journey defined by the vexingly perky “beep, beep” of the “record” button and the Taylor-trademark, “I, uh, ah, no, camera! What?” panic moment. I rarely include the dreaded exclamation mark, but this is serious business.
I’m taking Video Field Photography. Yeah, Taylor Soule, videographer. Weird, right?
Despite my initial frustration that Adobe InDesign commands don’t work in Premiere Pro, I’ve realized a lot about life and learning in my six weeks as a wannabe videographer.
And, since I’m into the, “Hey, guys, I’m learning things in college!” column style (see also page three of the Feb. 24 issue of The Times-Delphic), here’s what I’ve realized in my digital venture.
Have a forte, but don’t let it limit you.
As an editor and longtime print devotee, I adopted the elitist attitude of, “I’m decent at writing and editing. Why learn video?” A day into video field photography, though, I realized the naiveté in that attitude.
The real expert never ceases her quest for knowledge and new skills, and she’s willing to be uncomfortable along the way. Amid the anxiety of compiling a video package, I’ve realized the merit in a new, more conversational writing style.
Admit what you don’t know.
The videographer, I learned immediately, speaks a different language than the print editor — a daunting dialect rife with acronyms. Somewhere among chatter of the OIS, WB and VO/SOT (I suspect videographers throw in the backslash strictly to watch print people squirm), I embraced the fact that I don’t know everything and never will.
Give it a try.
While I glared at my computer in the Digital Palace in Meredith Hall the other day, a couple of fellow J-Schoolers stopped me and asked, “Are you on the air next?”
I eventually realized they meant the radio (Hey, I’m still learning videographer language) and gave them the Taylor-trademark, “I, uh, ah, no, radio! What?” Later, though, I realized I could try radio.
I regularly feel overwhelmed by the video equipment and editing technology, but I admit it has instilled in me a pesky desire to give other media a try. I may even add “Taylor Soule, radio DJ” to my list of alter egos next year. Or, better yet, DJ Soule Train.
Well, nine weeks of the spring semester remain, which means I’m destined for more lens cap close calls, a few minor tripod injuries and a lot more learning. To follow my video field photography endeavors, search #TaylorGoesDigital on Twitter.
Soule is a junior news/Internet and writing double major and can be reached at [email protected]
