Details
Category: Feature
Media: Video
Turnaround time: More than a week but less than a month
Description of story
Ranjit Steiner says the decision to amputate his right leg was "an easy choice." It enabled him to resume his athletic career, and he now has his sights set on the 2012 London Paralympics.
Feedback requested
Just looking for any thoughts on how this video could be improved.
Gear used in production
Canon EOS 60D
18-135mm kit lens
Sennheiser MKE 400 mic
Final Cut Pro X
How could this be improved? More B-roll! You had way too much of your subject just sitting and talking. I want to see how he gets around on this prosthesis. He talked about day-to-day getting around. Show me that. Show me him getting up in the morning and navigating his home. Follow him to class. To lunch. To the locker room. Show me a lot more than minutes of practice. If you were limited to only this one brief shooting opportunity, show me more variety.
I think you had the right idea in the opening, slowly revealing the prosthesis, but you could have done it in a much more interesting way. Surprise the viewer. You could have first shown us the guys running from the waist up. Then show Ranjit lagging behind. Use a quote about his injury that doesn't reveal the amputation. Tease the viewer with the odd sound of him running. THEN reveal the prosthesis. THEN reveal the fact that he CHOSE amputation.
Rather than letting the subject tell the story straight through, flex your story telling muscles and cut his quotes into an order that suits your story. This story has a lot of good potential. Some more creative shooting and editing could push it to the next level.