Fall 2026 · Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism

Fundamentals of Visual Reporting

A platform-agnostic introduction to telling true stories in photo and video.

Course JOUR 71107 Meets Fridays 10:00 AM – 12:50 PM Room 330 Aug 28 – Dec 18

Instructor — Travis Fox

Cell — call or text anytime 202-299-6010

Email travis.fox@journalism.cuny.edu

Office — drop in #422 (end of the faculty hallway)

Anonymous feedback — always welcome Submit feedback

Weekly film festival — we watch in class Submit a video for our weekly film festival!

Book office hours — pick a time

01Course summary

This class is a platform-agnostic introduction to the editorial and technical skills of photo and video. We'll use audio, photo, video, and words to tell stories — both news and features. Class exercises and field assignments give you room to practice and develop these skills. You'll get hands-on experience shooting photos with your smartphone, shooting video with the Canon C200, and editing in Adobe Premiere.

02What you'll learn

How visual storytelling differs from print and audio
The basics of news photography
Reporting and interviewing specifically for video
How to shoot high-quality video that tells a story
Clear, concise script writing
Adobe Premiere editing software
The many forms of visual journalism: news, documentary, explainer, social, and more

03What you need before class starts

Get two hard drives — one working drive, one to back it up. There are only two kinds of hard drives: one that has just failed and one that is about to. A cloud drive works as your backup if you'll commit to the upload time. Always bring your drives and current footage to class.

You'll each be issued a Canon C200 for the entire semester when the video portion starts.

04Diversity, equity & inclusion

I've deliberately chosen topics, examples, and assignments that ask you to engage with a diversity of voices, perspectives, and lived experiences. In this space we stay open to learning and growth and commit to treating each other with courtesy and respect.

As journalists, you'll be expected to consider people and viewpoints you don't agree with — I'll purposely bring controversial topics into class. During discussions, respect each other's unique lived experiences and points of view, aim to be thoughtfully critical of the work and not the person, and always be kind.

05Accommodations

If I can help accommodate any need or challenge — physical, social, or otherwise — please let me know. Any student who needs accommodations should register with the Office of Student Affairs in room 307 as soon as possible. Accommodations are not retroactive.

06Deadlines

All work is due Wednesday at midnight unless otherwise noted. Turn in video work with the Upload link and pitches with the Submit pitch link next to each assignment in the schedule below — it goes straight to me. Use your @journalism.cuny.edu email; no sign-in needed.

In journalism, deadlines arrive regularly and without mercy. They are serious business — check the first citation in Merriam-Webster. Please regard them with awe. Don't think about missing them.

Plan ahead. It almost always takes more time than you think to finish an assignment, so don't leave anything until the last minute. If you're having trouble reaching a source, finding information, or shooting or editing, contact me at least 48 hours before a deadline and we'll work out a solution together.

I want to help you succeed, but I'm not a fan of last-minute excuses — in the professional world they cost you respect. A late assignment automatically drops your grade by a half grade (e.g., from an A to an A-).

07Attendance

Attendance is mandatory, and an unexcused absence will lower your grade. So will arriving late on a regular basis. Job interviews, work obligations, computer problems, routine medical appointments, advisor meetings, transportation issues, and even scheduled source interviews are not valid reasons for missing class — these count as unexcused absences. Only a personal illness or a family emergency is a valid reason to miss a class.

My best advice: the subway is always late. Just plan on arriving early — and if it's actually on time, you can catch up on work.

08Assignments & exercises

Two exercises get you comfortable with the tools, and two video assignments carry the semester. Each assignment moves through pitch → rough → final, and you'll fold my feedback on the rough into the final cut.

Exercises Shooting (the 5×5) and Editing — your first reps with the camera and with Premiere. Assignment 1 The "on-the-job" profile. Assignment 2 The final story. Pick any form — a documentary, a news piece, an explainer, a series of social videos (2–3), a combination of those, or something new.

During the photo unit (weeks 1–4) you'll also turn in a weekly photo assignment.

09Grading

A Turns in all work on time, comes to all classes on time, participates, and incorporates feedback from the rough edit into the final.

B Turns in more than one assignment or exercise late, misses (or is late to) class, or doesn't incorporate feedback.

C Consistently turns in work late, or consistently misses (or is late to) class, or fails to incorporate feedback.

F Consistently turns in work late and misses (or is late to) class and doesn't incorporate feedback.

The weekly photo assignments from the photo unit (weeks 1–4) together account for roughly 20% of your final grade.

Pluses or minuses for students between grades.

10Week by week

PhotoWeeks 1–4

The photo unit is taught by John Smock. Reach him at john.smock@journalism.cuny.edu.

CLASS 01

08.28Fri

Cameras & composition. Seeing photographically, image analysis, getting the most from your phone.

HWPhoto #1 — repetition, lines, vantage point, framing

CLASS 02

09.04Fri

Powerful news photos & post-production. Seeing moments — emotion, action, interaction; captioning; ethical & legal topics.

HWPhoto #2 — emotion, action, interaction

Sep 11 — No class · Rosh Hashanah (CUNY: no classes Sep 11–13)

CLASS 03

09.18Fri

News & features. Types of news photos, portrait exercise, rephotography.

HWPhoto #3 — meetings, speeches, events

CLASS 04

09.25Fri

Telling stories with multiple photos. Picture stories, editing exercise, street photography.

HWPhoto #4 — New Yorkers at work

VideoWeeks 5–15

CLASS 05

10.02Fri

Video begins — shooting. Motion, sequences, scenes.

Exercise5×5 — five ~5-second shots that build one sequence — due Wed Oct 7. Upload ↓

CLASS 06

10.09Fri

Pitching 101 + Premiere 1. Import/export, in/out points, organizing bins, navigating tools — editing your 5×5.

HWEdit exercise (cut your 5×5) + On-the-job profile: pitch — due Wed Oct 14. Upload edit ↓ Submit pitch ↓

CLASS 07

10.16Fri

Advanced shooting + camera setup. Getting the C200 set up right — resolution and frame rate, white balance, ISO, ND and shutter, focus, audio inputs and levels; shooting sequences that cut.

HWOn-the-job profile: rough — due Wed Oct 21. Upload ↓

CLASS 08

10.23Fri

Scriptwriting 101 + Premiere 2. Constructing a story; timeline, tracks, L/J edits, audio.

HWOn-the-job profile: final — due Wed Oct 28. Upload ↓

CLASS 09

10.30Fri

Visual storytelling formats. News-to-doc continuum, social, explainers; pitch review & discussion.

HWFinal story: pitch — due Wed Nov 4. Submit pitch ↓

CLASS 10

11.06Fri

Producing + Interviewing. Pre-production, scouting, shotlists, the field; requesting and pre-interviewing subjects, open-ended questions; interview editing and how interviews serve stories.

CLASS 11

11.13Fri

Advanced camera technique + Premiere 3. Peaking, zebra, exposure tools; graphics and basic animation.

HWFinal story: rough — due Wed Nov 18. Upload ↓

CLASS 12

11.20Fri

Archival & the fine cut. Photo/archival treatment, fair use & archival; Premiere 4 — fine-cut techniques, troubleshooting sticking points.

Nov 27 — No class · Thanksgiving (college closed Nov 26–27)

CLASS 13

12.04Fri

AI in video. AI tools in production and editing, the ethics of AI-generated imagery, disclosure & transparency.

HWFinal story: final — due Wed Dec 9. Upload ↓

CLASS 14

12.11Fri

Workshop. One-on-one edit reviews; newscast prep.

CLASS 15

12.18Fri

Newscast. We close the semester in the studio with a mock newscast — filling and swapping newsroom roles.

StudioNewscast

This syllabus may be updated. I'll let you know if anything is added or changed.

11Additional technical support

In addition to me, reach out to our in-house video coaches. They're well versed in everything from camera setup to the technical side of Premiere — they're here to help you, so take advantage of it.

This semester's video coaches are Andre Ward (andre.ward@journalism.cuny.edu) and Andrew Shepard (andrew.shepard@journalism.cuny.edu).

Book a one-on-one with a coach: calendly.com/d/cwbh-g49-pph/production-help

Quick guidesCamera → Project → Export

C200 camera settings

Shoot MP4 to the SD card, 1920 × 1080, 29.97P (“30p”).

Press MENU. Each menu has an icon and numbered pages. With the joystick, pick the menu, then the page number, then the item, and press the joystick to select. CANCEL goes back a level.

1 · Recording format

Menu	Setting	Set to	Why
Recording/Media Setup · p1	System Frequency	59.94 Hz	US standard. Changing it restarts the camera.
Recording/Media Setup · p1	Main Rec Format	MP4 (SD Card)	Not RAW — RAW needs CFast cards and heavy post.
Recording/Media Setup · p2	Frame Rate	29.97P	This is “30p.”
Recording/Media Setup · p2	Resolution/Color Sampling	1920x1080 YCC420 8 bit	Not 3840x2160 (4K).

Initialize the SD card in the camera before each shoot: Recording/Media Setup · p1 › Initialize Media › SD Card A. This erases the card — make sure last shoot’s footage is offloaded.

2 · Image, focus & controls

Shutter: 1/60. Camera Setup · p2 › Shutter Mode: Speed, then dial in 1/60.
No Canon Log. Custom Picture/HDR · p1 › Preset: Off. Log footage looks grey and flat and needs color grading.
Lens to MF. Flip the AF/MF switch on the side of the lens to MF.
Peaking on, red. Assistance Functions · p2 › Peaking: VIDEO Output On (and Peaking: VF Output On) › Peaking 1 › Color: Red.
Rule-of-thirds grid. Assistance Functions · p6 › Markers: VF+VIDEO Output On › Grid Marker: pick a color (e.g. White).
Dials. System Setup · p4 › Camera Grip Ctrl Dial: ISO/Gain; Camera Ctrl Dial (body): Iris.

3 · Audio

Both input switches on ANALOG (not AES/EBU — levels can’t be adjusted there).
INPUT 1 — on-camera shotgun mic. Source switch: MIC+48V. Plug the mic in before switching phantom power on.
INPUT 2 — wireless mic receiver. Source switch: MIC (no phantom power).
Set levels manually; peaks around −12 dB.
Wear headphones the whole time you’re rolling.

Before you roll

Battery charged, spare in the bag
SD card initialized, LOCK switch off
MP4 · 1920 × 1080 · 29.97P
Shutter 1/60, no Canon Log, lens on MF, peaking and grid on
Shotgun in INPUT 1 (+48V), wireless in INPUT 2, levels set, headphones on
Record a 10-second test and play it back

Stuck? Ask the tech helper below — it knows the C200 manual.

Setting up a Premiere project

Set up the folders and settings before you import a single clip. Everything lives on your external SSD, never the internal drive. Follows the coaches’ videos 1–3.

1 · Folder structure (on the SSD)

Make one blank template folder once, then duplicate it for every project. Name each copy YYMMDD_ProjectTitle (e.g. 261009_5x5).

YYMMDD_ProjectTitle/ ├── project files/ │ └── scratch disk/ ├── footage/ │ ├── interviews/ │ └── b-roll/ ├── audio/ ├── graphics/ ├── miscellaneous/ ├── exports/ └── scripts/

Copy the SD card into footage, sorting interviews from b-roll as you go.

2 · Create the project

File › New › Project. Save it inside project files. Choose Skip import mode.
Scratch disks: File › Project Settings › Scratch Disks — point every option at the scratch disk folder.
Autosave: Premiere Pro › Settings › Auto Save — every 5 minutes, 20 versions. Still press Cmd+S often.
Workspace: Window › Workspaces › Editing. If panels get scrambled: Reset to Saved Layout.

3 · Audio setting — before you import

The C200 records each mic on its own channel. Imported as stereo, the shotgun on channel 1 plays only in the left ear. Fix it once, before importing:

Premiere Pro › Settings › Timeline (older versions: Audio) › Default Audio Tracks.
Multichannel Mono Media: set to Mono.
Click OK.

Now each mic lands on its own track (A1 shotgun, A2 wireless) and plays in both ears. Keep the one that sounds best; mute or delete the other.

Already imported? Right-click the clips › Modify › Audio Channels › Clip Channel Format: Mono. Or use the coaches’ fix: Effects › Fill Right with Left (video 5).

4 · Import and make your sequence

Import: drag the footage and audio folders from Finder into the Project panel. Folders become bins automatically.
New bin: Cmd+B, for anything extra (graphics, music).
First sequence: drag your first clip onto the empty timeline.
At the Clip Mismatch Warning, choose Change Sequence Settings so the sequence matches your 1080 30p footage.
Rename the sequence (e.g. 5x5_v1) and save: Cmd+S.

Before you start editing

Project folder is on the SSD and named YYMMDD_ProjectTitle
Project file saved in project files; scratch disks point to scratch disk
Autosave on: 5 min, 20 versions
Multichannel mono set to Mono before importing
Sequence matches the footage (1920 × 1080, 29.97 fps)

Stuck? Ask the tech helper below or watch the coaches’ videos 1–3.

Exporting from Premiere

Export every assignment at 1920 × 1080, H.264 — roughly 120–300 MB for a 2-minute piece. Match Source copies your sequence’s frame size, so shoot in 1080 and the export comes out 1080. Footage shot in 4K exports at 4K — a 500 MB+ file that is slow to upload and slow to review.

Export, step by step

Click the timeline so the sequence is selected, not a clip in the Project panel.
File › Export › Export Media (Cmd+M).
File name: YYMMDD_LastName_Assignment — e.g. 261009_Fox_5x5.
Location: your project’s exports folder on the SSD.
Format: H.264. Preset: Match Source – Adaptive Medium Bitrate.
Do the two checks below, then click Export.
Watch the exported file start to finish before you upload it.

Two checks before you click Export

Check	Where	Should say	If not
Frame size	Video section	1920 × 1080	It says 3840 × 2160 (4K): your footage was shot in 4K. Ask the tech helper or bring it to class.
File size	Estimated File Size, bottom of dialog	1–2.5 MB per second of video	Recheck the frame size. Still big? Ask the tech helper or bring it to class.

Video length	Expected file size
1 minute	60–150 MB
2 minutes	120–300 MB
4 minutes	240–600 MB

Before you upload

File is .mp4, 1920 × 1080
Size is roughly 1–2.5 MB per second of video
Watched all the way through: no black gaps, no missing or muted audio
Audio peaks stay under −6 dB, dialogue around −12 dB

Stuck? Ask the tech helper below, see the coaches’ Exporting video, or bring it to class.

For quick technical questions at 2am, there's also a helper below. It knows the Canon C200 manual and our tech team's Premiere tutorial series, and it will point you to the exact video and timestamp when the answer is in there.

Tech helper — C200 & PremiereAsk anything technical

Questions you type here go to an AI assistant set up for this course. It's a technical aid for camera and Premiere questions only — it won't do your work for you! Questions and answers are logged anonymously so Travis can use the information for planning purposes.

12Plagiarism, fabrication & AI

Don't borrow the work of others and claim it as your own. Don't fabricate content and present it as truth. Don't use quotes without attributing them to their sources, and avoid using images and video without permission. If you do use material made by others with permission, credit the source — out of respect for the creators, and so your audience knows where it came from.

On AI: you may not use generative AI to produce reporting or writing you present as your own. Any permitted use of AI tools must be disclosed — we'll cover the ethics and disclosure norms in our AI in video session.

If you have any doubts about something you're considering, come see me before you cross to the dark side. I'm generally pro-AI and I'd love to see how you use it. But I'll have no patience for using AI in a way that the class believes is your own work without disclosing it. Better to figure out an ethically sound way to do something than to risk your credibility, reputation, and career. For the full Code of Ethics, see the Code of Ethics website.