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Attention reporters: Using only an iPhone to tell a feature story

by: Nancy Yoshihara |

Mike Castellucci, an award-winning TV reporter, does his storytelling with just his iPhone. The results: Masterful and compelling feature vignettes for his station WFAA in Dallas.

An account of how Castellucci began and does his iPhone storytelling by Paul Greenley on TVNewsCheck is a must-read for any online reporter or publisher. 

While many apps are available to live stream by phone for reporting (Periscope and Merkat) and others help news desks organize and verify incoming video feeds, Castellucci is pretty much a one-person operation.

The most notable examples of his iPhone storytelling can be seen in two, half-hour specials, both shot entirely on his device.  The first, “Phoning It In,” was awarded an Edward R. Murrow Award and three Lone Star Emmys in 2015. The second, “Phoning It In: Life on an iPhone” aired last month.   

The iPhone, the reporter told Greenley, provides nearly unlimited use for features stories, good image quality and is less obtrusive than a conventional camera. He uses his iPhone for news stories as well. His advice if you’re interested in using your iPhone for storytelling? 

“Do it. Just go out and mess around with it. I don’t possess any special talents when it comes to photography. I just went out and used it a lot.” Castellucci said in an interview with Greenley.  The reporter offers other tips as well such as zoom with your feet since the iPhone has limited capability on that front.

 

Nancy Yoshihara

Nancy Yoshihara is content manager at KDMC and its website with a focus on News for Digital Innovators and Tools, Tips
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