Picture puppeteer shares his secrets
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Crystal Fresquez, Web Editor
August 13, 2009
Filed under newspapers2 2009
Mel Melcon, multimedia wizard of the Los Angeles Times, introduced a whole new dimension of still photography to Newpapers2 students Tuesday at CSU Long Beach, exposing them to the fourth effect of multimedia: audio.
Journalism’s future is online. Still photos can be limited. But with the addition of audio, still photos come to life transforming them from ordinary to extraordinary. Melcon has discovered secrets to create audio slideshows and during his visit to the Newspapers2 convention, he lets the students navigate through his brain to learn what it takes to get good audio and capture amazing photographs.
“It is really tough the first time,” Melcon said, of starting out in the world of multimedia production.
Melcon’s advice to young multimedia journalists is to shoot the pictures before recording the audio. While taking a picture it has to be as dramatic as possible. The picture has to tell a story within itself and, when taking photos Melcon already has an idea of how he wants the slideshow to look. When opening and closing a slideshow, Melcon uses interesting photos to intrigue the audience making the viewer want to open and watch it.
“I find that it’s important to take the pictures first,” Melcon said. “And that way when you hang out with the person long enough, you get to know them, they feel more comfortable around you. When you are hanging around them, you can learn from them and get good ideas for questions to ask them during the interview.”
After taking photos, Melcon gathers the audio. He said that throughout the years taking the photos first makes the interview a lot more comfortable for both him and the interviewee. By getting to know the interviewee it allows them to be themselves and really show their true colors. While getting audio its best to go into a room so that you don’t get any outside sounds. To take the full effect of audio Melcon added ambient or natural sounds after listening to the interview.
