Making the character the main character in video

A journalist showed a group of student journalist a video package from the New York Times at a student media conference this summer. I was one of those bright-eyed student journos. Now, I’ve seen probably hundreds of video packages but this one really stood out to me. You can watch the video here:

What’s different about it?

Two minutes in, you notice that something’s different. It feels as if you’re watching a TLC special on a mom who isn’t just a mom. What’s really different is that you don’t hear the reporters’ voice. The story is told by the main character and that makes so much sense. It’s her story and she should tell it. I know there is a time when people can’t tell their own story and that’s where reporters come in, but they should also know when they have an opportunity to step out and let the story tell itself.

Why I like it.

I like this because it really caught me off guard. I’m a broadcast journalism major and I haven’t learned this yet. I want to try this out very soon and hope I can pull it off as seamlessly as NYT did.

Why you should like it.

You should like this because it’s going to catch your eye and the story is so good and so well done that you’re going to watch the entire thing. I am so glad that I get to share the best of the best videos and online multimedia to my loyal blog followers.