This week’s edition of the Mountain Xpress features a cover story on the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7. This year marks the seventh installment of the fest, which features everything from zombies and tall bikes to great local music and art.
On the news side, look for stories examining the judge’s reported ruling in the Parkside lawsuit; the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office’s new efforts on the illegal-immigration front; and the “silent crime” in Asheville — rape.
— Jason Sandford, multimedia editor
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12 thoughts on “Xpress-rated: Video sneak peek at Sept. 3 issue”
Anything will Alli in it gets an automatic four stars. As ever, she stole the movie.
Technical critique:
You can NEVER go wrong using the worlds largest and totally FREE lighting system, the sun. And this one was used well with interesting patterns of shade and areas of light. … 10 points.
Handheld shaky camera during entire interview (c’mon, guys, the magic word is TRIPOD) … -20 points.
Focus (as in ‘out of’) … you guys are sharper than that … -5
Making up for technical deficiencies by including Alli’s stirring performance … priceless… well, I’ll give you 25 points.
SO… 10 – 20 – 5 + 25 = 10 points.
But as I say every week, you guys are professional and horribly amateur video is not. Just as you deserve accolades for the highly professional content and design of the print version of MOUNTAINX (and you do), you need to be chided for taking shortcuts on the video version.
On the other hand, please keep doing it — many of us do like this glimpse into the inner workings of the paper and what’s coming up.
Just NEVER, EVER handheld for more than a three-second cut.
WannaNewComment
What a shocker! RR is the first comment on the sneak peek clip. How many times will we have to hear this argument? Can’t this just be enjoyed for what it is?? I am all for the support he’s giving and the constructive criticism, but I think we all got the point the first 7 times it was mentioned.
Ken Hanke
Just NEVER, EVER handheld for more than a three-second cut.
Tell that to the guys who made Cloverfield.
mountainman
Please, please, I beg you Ralph, please take your own advice. On your own shows I see that you do use sticks, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Your pans are jerky (-10), your tilts unsteady (-10), your zooms are long and erratic (-10), your focus and iris are usually on auto-pilot, your boring one shot road show lacks imagination and any visual purpose. Put 3 or 4 cameras in the car, shooting different angles, (who wants to see Karen sitting on your dashboard, have her own cam!!) then edit it together with your droll narration of obscure historical trivia, with some canned music and Viola!, you have what’s called in the business, a TV show. I know you’ve got enough cameras to do that show right! Handheld done right can be a work of art, don’t knock till you can do it. Keep up the great crappy video work Xpress, it’s only on the web anyway. H.G. Lite
and no one told Orson Welles he could make that long tracking shot in the opening of “Touch of Evil” either.
the difference is guys like that who break the rules KNOW them first and figure out what works and what does not … the shaky shot in the epic above does not work. I do not know about Jon but Alli deserves far better.
mountainman, well thanks for watching, guy… but I do have great sound and good lighting and I had already determined to go multicam on the road show.
no one is perfect, I’m just asking MountainX to do what I’m doing, TRY.
Keep up the great crappy video work Xpress, it’s only on the web anyway.
where they have tons of viewers forming an opinion of the publication.
jen
Can I ask one question..why do we need a video sneak peek at any issue? It kind of kills any interest I have in actually getting the printed issue because..quite honestly there isn’t that much news in it anyway.
The Mountain Xpress has been quite a large Advertisement for a while now, it needs some some new life.
Yes, and please put the camera on tripod.
There is not action or movement needed here..so no need to hold it for that moment when they both spring forth and act out each point.
Jon Elliston
Hi Jen,
Thanks for your query and comments. I’ll respond to a few points:
Can I ask one question..why do we need a video sneak peek at any issue?
Perhaps there’s no “need,” exactly, but we’ve come to find out that there is substantial interest among many of our readers in knowing what’s to come in the next issue. The videos have proved a quick way to get that across, and judging by the substantial traffic they’ve received, many readers want that sneak peak.
It kind of kills any interest I have in actually getting the printed issue because..quite honestly there isn’t that much news in it anyway.
The Mountain Xpress has been quite a large Advertisement for a while now, it needs some some new life.
Isn’t much news? I have to differ with you on that. I’d do so most any week, but picking up this week’s issue is as good a departure point as any. In this week’s issue you’ll find in-depth news stories on topics including: the judge’s ruling in the Parkside lawsuit; how local groups are grappling with the always-difficult task of reporting and countering rape; what went down at the most recent Asheville City Council meeting, including plans for a new performing-arts center in downtown Asheville; the first high-profile debate between the two candidates for chairman of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners; the Buncombe Sheriff’s Office’s new plans to ramp up collaboration with federal immigration authorities; a contest for entrepreneurially minded college students; upcoming campaign events across the political spectrum; the retirement of Buncombe’s clerk of court; the Brevard woman who’s blogging in search of a husband; the state of small business on Lexington Avenue; a new local pollution-tracking Web site, etc.
And that’s just the original news reporting in this issue — to say nothing of our regular features, letters, commentaries, arts coverage, etc.
So the news is there — too much to preview thoroughly in a video, perhaps, but the video sneak peek will give those who want to know at least a taste of what’s to come.
Yes, and please put the camera on tripod.
There is not action or movement needed here..so no need to hold it for that moment when they both spring forth and act out each point.
let me elaborate on my position, I am TOTALLY in support of MountainX doing videos and wish that tool had been available when I ran newspapers for a living.
I’m on MountainX’s side in this.
but the tripod, for this type of shooting, is an absolute requirement. It’s #2 in importance.
a good mike #3 … lighting 4rd.
What’s first, you ask? Well, the MOST important thing is CONTENT and MountainX already has that point well-covered. (pun, as EVER, intended … but, it’s true).
brebro
I have here a print sneak peek at next week’s video sneak peek of that week’s printed paper:
FIrst up, Jon will appear and say a few words about the upcoming issue and then another staffer will elaborate more on their particular division of the publication. Soon after, Ralph will post an encouraging but still critical evaluation of the video and that will, in turn, instigate a negative response from another reader to his constant, similar critiques. A few more posts will address the video or the posts about the video. Then, some smart-aleck will post something of no value and the entire topic will soon cease to be interesting and will be lost in the archives, never to be seen again.
NICE!
Anything will Alli in it gets an automatic four stars. As ever, she stole the movie.
Technical critique:
You can NEVER go wrong using the worlds largest and totally FREE lighting system, the sun. And this one was used well with interesting patterns of shade and areas of light. … 10 points.
Handheld shaky camera during entire interview (c’mon, guys, the magic word is TRIPOD) … -20 points.
Focus (as in ‘out of’) … you guys are sharper than that … -5
Making up for technical deficiencies by including Alli’s stirring performance … priceless… well, I’ll give you 25 points.
SO… 10 – 20 – 5 + 25 = 10 points.
But as I say every week, you guys are professional and horribly amateur video is not. Just as you deserve accolades for the highly professional content and design of the print version of MOUNTAINX (and you do), you need to be chided for taking shortcuts on the video version.
On the other hand, please keep doing it — many of us do like this glimpse into the inner workings of the paper and what’s coming up.
Just NEVER, EVER handheld for more than a three-second cut.
What a shocker! RR is the first comment on the sneak peek clip. How many times will we have to hear this argument? Can’t this just be enjoyed for what it is?? I am all for the support he’s giving and the constructive criticism, but I think we all got the point the first 7 times it was mentioned.
Just NEVER, EVER handheld for more than a three-second cut.
Tell that to the guys who made Cloverfield.
Please, please, I beg you Ralph, please take your own advice. On your own shows I see that you do use sticks, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Your pans are jerky (-10), your tilts unsteady (-10), your zooms are long and erratic (-10), your focus and iris are usually on auto-pilot, your boring one shot road show lacks imagination and any visual purpose. Put 3 or 4 cameras in the car, shooting different angles, (who wants to see Karen sitting on your dashboard, have her own cam!!) then edit it together with your droll narration of obscure historical trivia, with some canned music and Viola!, you have what’s called in the business, a TV show. I know you’ve got enough cameras to do that show right! Handheld done right can be a work of art, don’t knock till you can do it. Keep up the great crappy video work Xpress, it’s only on the web anyway. H.G. Lite
yeah, and I hated that, too.
and no one told Orson Welles he could make that long tracking shot in the opening of “Touch of Evil” either.
the difference is guys like that who break the rules KNOW them first and figure out what works and what does not … the shaky shot in the epic above does not work. I do not know about Jon but Alli deserves far better.
mountainman, well thanks for watching, guy… but I do have great sound and good lighting and I had already determined to go multicam on the road show.
no one is perfect, I’m just asking MountainX to do what I’m doing, TRY.
Keep up the great crappy video work Xpress, it’s only on the web anyway.
where they have tons of viewers forming an opinion of the publication.
Can I ask one question..why do we need a video sneak peek at any issue? It kind of kills any interest I have in actually getting the printed issue because..quite honestly there isn’t that much news in it anyway.
The Mountain Xpress has been quite a large Advertisement for a while now, it needs some some new life.
Yes, and please put the camera on tripod.
There is not action or movement needed here..so no need to hold it for that moment when they both spring forth and act out each point.
Hi Jen,
Thanks for your query and comments. I’ll respond to a few points:
Can I ask one question..why do we need a video sneak peek at any issue?
Perhaps there’s no “need,” exactly, but we’ve come to find out that there is substantial interest among many of our readers in knowing what’s to come in the next issue. The videos have proved a quick way to get that across, and judging by the substantial traffic they’ve received, many readers want that sneak peak.
It kind of kills any interest I have in actually getting the printed issue because..quite honestly there isn’t that much news in it anyway.
The Mountain Xpress has been quite a large Advertisement for a while now, it needs some some new life.
Isn’t much news? I have to differ with you on that. I’d do so most any week, but picking up this week’s issue is as good a departure point as any. In this week’s issue you’ll find in-depth news stories on topics including: the judge’s ruling in the Parkside lawsuit; how local groups are grappling with the always-difficult task of reporting and countering rape; what went down at the most recent Asheville City Council meeting, including plans for a new performing-arts center in downtown Asheville; the first high-profile debate between the two candidates for chairman of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners; the Buncombe Sheriff’s Office’s new plans to ramp up collaboration with federal immigration authorities; a contest for entrepreneurially minded college students; upcoming campaign events across the political spectrum; the retirement of Buncombe’s clerk of court; the Brevard woman who’s blogging in search of a husband; the state of small business on Lexington Avenue; a new local pollution-tracking Web site, etc.
And that’s just the original news reporting in this issue — to say nothing of our regular features, letters, commentaries, arts coverage, etc.
So the news is there — too much to preview thoroughly in a video, perhaps, but the video sneak peek will give those who want to know at least a taste of what’s to come.
Yes, and please put the camera on tripod.
There is not action or movement needed here..so no need to hold it for that moment when they both spring forth and act out each point.
Good advice!
let me elaborate on my position, I am TOTALLY in support of MountainX doing videos and wish that tool had been available when I ran newspapers for a living.
I’m on MountainX’s side in this.
but the tripod, for this type of shooting, is an absolute requirement. It’s #2 in importance.
a good mike #3 … lighting 4rd.
What’s first, you ask? Well, the MOST important thing is CONTENT and MountainX already has that point well-covered. (pun, as EVER, intended … but, it’s true).
I have here a print sneak peek at next week’s video sneak peek of that week’s printed paper:
FIrst up, Jon will appear and say a few words about the upcoming issue and then another staffer will elaborate more on their particular division of the publication. Soon after, Ralph will post an encouraging but still critical evaluation of the video and that will, in turn, instigate a negative response from another reader to his constant, similar critiques. A few more posts will address the video or the posts about the video. Then, some smart-aleck will post something of no value and the entire topic will soon cease to be interesting and will be lost in the archives, never to be seen again.
See you next week!!!
Thanks brebro — can’t wait!
there’s something to be said for consistency, eh?