Frank Senior leads a busy life and by his own account, is a sociable kind of guy. On weekends, he can frequently be found in Toro’s pizza joint on Houston Street where the jazz is good. He gets up to sing all the time, his rich, sonorous voice crooning some of the standard favorites. His favorite drink is gin but these days he is partial to a nice Merlot, an easier alternative for his vocal chords. Weather permitting he takes to the ski slopes, preferring the excitement of downhill to cross-country routes.
From the age of 7, when he started playing guitar, Senior has had an on-again, off-again affair with music but these days, his rekindled passion has led to a CD release that garnered some good reviews last year. About 8 years ago, he started singing in high-class restaurants and classy bars around New York but the fear of standing in front of people wasn’t easy to overcome at the beginning.
“To me, I was horrible,” he says, laughing.” I was so shy.”
Recently, Senior was the guest artist at McAnns, an Upper West Side bar/restaurant on First Avenue. A lot of the patrons enjoy his laid back combination of swing and jazz and his smooth vocal technique is testament to the years of training he has committed to.
Recently, Senior was the guest artist at McAnns, an Upper West Side bar/restaurant on First Avenue. A lot of the patrons enjoy his laid back combination of swing and jazz and his smooth vocal technique is testament to the years of training he has committed to.
A premature baby, he was born three months early and weighed a mere 1lb 12 ounces. The excessive oxygen given to him in the incubator ruined the optic nerves in his eyes. Que, a German shepherd, has been his guiding companion since last December. His last dog died of cancer and he was tempted not to get another but after a year, Que arrived. He loves German Shepherds.
“You know, they’re smart; they have a lot of personality,” he says.
At 6pm this evening, J-School students got the opportunity to ask an experienced panel of New York Times Video Journalists about what makes good web video, the practicalities of surviving in the field and how they think ‘one man bands’ are faring in the industry. The Times has had a web video division for the past 3 years and currently has 3 Video Journalists on its staff.
Moderated by CUNY Professor, Sandeep Junnakrar the session lasted close to two hours, with long lines of people waiting for a one to one Q&A session afterwards with their choice of panelist.
Senior Producer David Rummel, along with three Video Journalists – Shayla Harris, Rob Harris (no relation) and Adam Ellick, recently back from Afghanistan, faced a crowd of roughly 60 people.
From left to right: David Rummel, Adam Ellick, Shayla Harris and Rob Harris.
The session got straight to the heart of the matter with a question from an audience member: “What qualities does The Times look for in video journalists? Not surprisingly, journalists who can shoot, edit, write and report by themselves – what we fondly term the ‘one man band,’ was the answer, though ollaboration does happen between video and print journalists for certain projects.
A montage of video clips was presented to give a taste of the type and quality of videos that the NYT produces and then each panelist, with the exception of Rummel, showcased a piece of their own work and gave some background on how they tackled the project and/or what challenges they faced.
Before showing his video story about a man who died while incarcerated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Rob Harris went into further detail about how the project came about and explained how his collaboration with a print journalist worked:
Rummel was quick to point out that while having the skills to handle equipment and software is important for a multi-media journalist, the NYT’s goal is always “to provide analysis and reporting that you can’t get anywhere else.” One needs to know how to tell a story and how to communicate it to people, he said. He put the emphasis on knowing how to write and how to report and also mentioned how important it as journalists to have “an innate curiosity” about the world.
Someone questioned the length of the video piece, which ran at roughly 7 minutes. Contrary to the belief that video for the web needs to be shorter rather than longer, Rob Harris stated that “pieces are as long as they need to be to tell the story.” Ellick reiterated this by saying “the greatest gift of this job is not thinking about time.” He explained that they never discuss time when editing together focusing instead on the pacing and content of the story.
The panelists agreed that web video pieces are created with a view to complementing a print piece by focusing in on a specific theme or anecdote within the written article and telling that aspect to a deeper level. They also conceded that sometimes it takes some persuasion to get other news desks to utilize web video but Ellick gave the example where he explains to print reporters that video is an outlet for all of the extra reporting they did that never made their print piece.
The audience listens intently to the panel, takes notes and live blogs..
Here are a couple of Q&As worth sharing:
What video equipment and software programs does the NYT use?
Again, the emphasis was placed on the necessity of good story telling (“it’s the player not the racket,” quipped Ellick) but they did share that Final Cut Pro and Photoshop proficiency is a must. They shoot with digital cameras that use P2 cards.
How do you prevent breaking flow of translating?
When you have the time, spend a day with translator before the interview and role play with them. Go over what questions will be asked, what the likely answers might be and even what a good soundbite is. The objective is to get them thinking like a translator AND a journalist!
How do they differentiate web video from TV broadcast?
Get rid of idea of the stand up in front of the camera! And NYT ” isn’t looking for a “polished voice but for authenticity. Each reporter is different.”
And tips for the One Man Band….
Plan ahead and become adept at packing. Oh and stay healthy – it’s a physically demanding!
This prompted the question…does all this schlepping get made up for in money?”
Rummel was a little coy in his answer saying that for their age and status they’ve (the NYT’s video journalists) have “one of the best jobs in the world.” But he did expound by saying “Don’t roll up big student loans during journalism school cos it will be hard to pay it back. It’s never been easy to get into this business…you really have to want it.”
Students line up to speak to Rob Harris after the session.
Here are a couple of impressions that audience members shared about the discussion:
A good review….
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And a not so good one…
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Johanna Campbell loves animals.She grew up around them in her native Australia before she came to live in Manhattan almost a year ago.The apartment she shares with her husband recently became home to two Egyptian Mau cats that she has named Xerxes and Shinobi.These exotic names reflect the breed’s place in Egyptian mythology where they were allegedly worshipped as deities.
But Campbell’s passion for animals extends beyond the role of doting owner.As a Reiki practitioner, she has expanded this holistic treatment beyond humans to include the animal kingdom in all its shapes and sizes.
Reiki or ‘spiritual energy’ is based on the fundamental belief that everything in the universe is made up of energy that can be channeled and directed from one entity to another to promote healing or resolve issues.
“We’re all energetic beings and it’s channeling that energy to people, animals, objects and situations.Animals are very connected energetically,” explained Campbell.
Through study and self-practice, a Reiki practitioner opens his or her energy channels more widely which allows a heightened flow of energy through them to others.Campbell explains this ‘attunement’ process as akin to jump-starting a car.The energy is there, but it just needs to be tapped into.
“You can never actually give more energy than they’re [people and animals] open to receive so you can’t actually do any harm with it,” she said.“So there’s no point in offering Reiki is the other does not want it,” said Campbell.
The treatment itself can be a hands-on or hands-off experience but always begins with the practitioner focusing their mind on the outcome for the recipient:
“Before you do a treatment, you set the intention that the recipient will receive whatever they need from the treatment,” she said.
Some people report a tingling sensation as a result of treatment or a very deep sense of relaxation or emotional release.
“You can see emotional clearing taking place –people crying for no apparent reason, said Campbell.
But animals do not need to be still in order to receive Reiki.On the contrary, the code of ethics that Campbell embraces believes that the animal should not be forced to sit still.
Campbell has worked with animals who have curled up in her hands during the procedure while others have retreated into a corner with their backs turned towards her.
So how does she know that it works?
“That’s an interesting question,” she smiled.“You’re always looking for visual confirmation that something is happening, but you don’t always get it.You have to really, really let go of ego and expectations.”
Campbell’s goal is to increase public awareness of animal Reiki through her organization ‘Reiki 4 Fur Kids’ but concedes that it is still a relatively new concept with many misconceptions around it.
“It’s too inaccessible for people,” she says so educating the public is key.
“Working with animals is a much, much purer form of Reiki because you can’t really
pull the wool over their eyes,” she said.“If you try to give Reiki to an animal and you’re not in a good place yourself, they’ll run away from you.
Founded by Chicago native, Darrah Carr, ModErin Dance Company is a fusion of traditional Irish and Modern Dance genres. Carr’s unique melding of these two styles has produced a very unique artistic interpretation that draws on the structure of Irish dance and the fluidity of the modern style. Carr began celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the company on Saturday, October 25th with a concert at the Irish Arts Center in mid-town Manhattan. Parents and their children gathered to enjoy the performance, learn about dance steps and ask Darrah burning questions, like one 5-year old: “How do you make your feet move so fast?”
Mike and Margaret Fogarty have lived in the Bronx for most of their adult lives. Both emigrated from Ireland in the 1950s; Mike from County Tipperary and Margaret from County Kerry. They met and married here and raised two children. On a sunny October afternoon, over tea served in china cups, they reminisced on their beginnings in Ireland, emigrating to America and their 52 years together through good times and hard times.
Mike and Margaret in their home in the Bronx.
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Mike and Margaret talk about their childhoods in Ireland.
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Arriving in New York – a new life begins in America.
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Together for over 50 years – secrets to a long-lasting marriage.
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