Some multimedia relief

In an era of increasing uncertainty for journalists, multimedia looks to me like a promising area of interest.

Focusing on new technology can only help the young and eager student looking to make their mark on the world. It's the wave of the future.

Interning for the Kitsap Sun allowed me to try my hand at actual multimedia reporting. It was fun using some of the skills I'd acquired in my high school video production class and past television internships. The lingo - "B-Roll," "shotgun mike," "video capture," was all old and familiar. What was new was finding a distinctive multimedia style fit for a print publication website.

It's definitely different than T.V. Different than a fully narrated five minute morning magazine clip for WCBS news. Or an extended public service announcement.

Wading through the waters was a bit murky at first. I had to write a story as well as shoot, edit, and upload video. It was overwhelming. What should I focus on? Should I interview for the video or the article first?

Here's one project I worked on over the summer. The Kitsap Sun videographer had some great pointers and I learned a lot.

It became clear that there really is no defined formula for web multimedia. It was about two minutes to capture the highlights of the story - when pressed for time. But given more time and freedom, there really were no limits.

Which sets a pretty cool standard for the future. Is this where innovation is possible? Definitely. It's time for us students to go out there and take a hold of our journalistic future.