#andrew devigal

Wired: How do you weigh editing visuals against audio?

AD: I’ve found it successful to send out the videographer/photographer with an audio producer. The audio producer will come back, work as the video editor and also edit images with the photographer. I prefer the videographer/photographer not to be responsible necessarily for editing. That intended disconnect is helpful; photographers tend to be sensitive in the editing suite. Photographers are essential collaborators but shouldn’t be leaders in the editing.

Audio is the backbone to multimedia. So, if the audio producer out in the field is also the video editor, it allows for audio to drive the narrative and the visuals to support that. Editing can be more nuanced and less literal. For example, there is no need to repeat something in words or in audio that is on already in the visuals on-screen.

The New York Times spoke to the duPont-Columbia Awards about the elements they consider when they produce multimedia narratives. Four voices weigh in on how storytelling is changing and about their roles in an evolving newsroom.

If you look on the DUXcamp about page, you'll see that of our 3 areas of focus, storytelling is number 1. That's because we believe everything is about getting a conversation started with our audience around the events that mean something to their lives. They tell us stuff, we tell them stuff - everyone shares, everyone learns.

Visuals, however, are the primary partner in today's screen-centric culture. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, televisions - all share the need for design, navigation, photos, and videos to lead the way in making everyone's content accessible, consumable, and, of course, enjoyable!

NPR's DUXcamp is about storytelling, design, and the technology that makes the magic happen. How about RadioLab, The New York Times, Tumblr, YouTube and all of you in a conversation about moving beyond the bleeding edge and connecting with the world in all new ways? 

A sample of the conversations we'd love to have; Aaron Swartz via Andrew DeVigal, lead multimedia editor at The New York Times and DUXcamp attendee, courtesy Tumblr;

drewvigal:

Here’s how Apple products are created: a team of designers decide exactly what a product should do and how it should look and feel, their work is ruthlessly edited by Steve until he approves, and then the entire rest of the company is given the task of moving mountains to make that dream real.

Can you imagine? Design first? This reminds me of that story by John Sculley in regards to a friend who went to meetings at Apple & Microsoft the same day.

John Sculley On Steve Jobs:

… he went into the meeting at Apple. As soon as the designers walked in the room, everyone stopped talking because the designers are the most respected people in the organization… When he went into the Microsoft meeting, everybody was talking and then the meeting starts and no designers ever walk into the room. All the technical people are sitting there trying to add their ideas of what ought to be in the design. That’s a recipe for disaster.