The Smartphone Video Revolution

Posted February 15, 2017

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This week we are in Brussels, Belgium running one of our bootcamps for newspaper journalists. We have been working in Belgium for over a decade and have seen the technology come a long way in that time. In just a decade we have gone from small HD cameras and edit softwares on laptops, to now doing everything on a smartphone.

Smartphones have revolutionized the way we produce and consume video. Every phone has become a node of production capable of broadcast quality content, that in turn will be consumed on a phone. 

For the very first time, the journalist has all that they need in terms of gear with them all the time.  They never have to worry about, ‘where is the camera? Did you bring it?) and so they are free to produce stories anywhere, any time. 

Newspaper journalists make often make a great conversion to video journalism, as they already know how to find and report a story. They are also used to working along. The idea that a newspaper reporter would take a ‘crew’ along with them (or a ‘professional’ to ‘hold the pencil’), is, of course, insane.  And so is the idea that you need an extra pair of hands to ‘hold the camera’. 

The astonishing thing that we always see at these bootcamps is the ability of someone who has never shot video before to make a compelling story on their first or second attempt. You can do this too. If you have a smartphone you already have the tools you need, now you just need a little instruction. Fortunately you are here at TheVJ.com.