A platform-agnostic introduction to telling true stories in photo and video.
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 C100, and editing in Adobe Premiere.
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 C100 for the entire semester. If the equipment room hasn't reached you, contact me. The kit is your responsibility all semester long — I'll ask you to bring it to some classes, but not all.
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.
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.
All work is due Wednesday at midnight unless otherwise noted. File everything in the class Google Drive folder [link to be added].
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-).
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.
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.
During the photo unit (weeks 1–4) you'll also turn in a weekly photo assignment. And throughout the semester, you'll contribute material for class and our Slack channel at least three times.
Pluses or minuses for students between grades, or for submitting more or less material for class and the Slack channel.
Cameras & composition. Seeing photographically, image analysis, getting the most from your phone.
Powerful news photos & post-production. Seeing moments — emotion, action, interaction; captioning; ethical & legal topics.
News & features. Types of news photos, portrait exercise, rephotography.
Telling stories with multiple photos. Picture stories, editing exercise, street photography.
Video begins — shooting. Motion, sequences, scenes.
Pitching 101 + Premiere 1. Import/export, in/out points, organizing bins, navigating tools — editing your 5×5.
Interviewing & reporting + Premiere 2. Requesting and pre-interviewing subjects, open-ended questions; timeline, tracks, L/J edits, audio.
Scriptwriting 101 + Premiere 3. Constructing a story; audio editing, transitions, polish.
Visual storytelling formats. News-to-doc continuum, social, explainers; pitch review & discussion.
Producing + Interviewing II. Pre-production, scouting, shotlists, the field; interview editing and how interviews serve stories.
Advanced camera technique + Premiere 4. Peaking, zebra, exposure tools; graphics and basic animation.
Archival & the fine cut. Photo/archival treatment, fair use & archival; Premiere 5 — fine-cut techniques, troubleshooting sticking points.
AI in video. AI tools in production and editing, the ethics of AI-generated imagery, disclosure & transparency.
Workshop. One-on-one edit reviews; newscast prep.
Newscast. We close the semester in the studio with a mock newscast — filling and swapping newsroom roles.
This syllabus may be updated. I'll let you know if anything is added or changed.
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).
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.