Seminars – VII Evolution Tour – New York

February 28, 2015, 10am – 5pm

AbelCine

New York, NY

The world’s leading photojournalists from VII Photo have teamed up with the technology specialists from AbelCine to present an immersive, two-day educational program: The VII Evolution Tour. This program examines the technology, craft and business practices of today’s successful visual storytellers. The event is structured as a combination of seminars, panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and networking.

The VII Photographers who will be taking part in the New York event are: Jessica Dimmock, Ashley Gilbertson, Ron Haviv, Gary Knight, and John Stanmeyer. On day one of the program, VII members, AbelCine instructors, and industry professionals will present a variety of seminars and panels. They will lead discussions on a variety of topics from the business to the the craft of photojournalism. A free reception will follow. Register for the full day of seminars HERE.

A look at the future of photojournalism from a thought leader within the industry.

This is a period of intense transition in the field of photojournalism and in particular, how we create, share and ultimately reach clients and audiences. This seminar will explore new ways to effectively work in the whirlwind of change, create interesting projects, find new clients and reach ever broader audiences with photography and visual storytelling. There will be a special emphasis on the uses of social media to be creative and effective in the development of your vision, career and outreach.

Media outlets traditionally reserved for photography have stretched their borders to include video essays and mixed media presentations, and photographers are often the creators. The New York Times Op-Docs, Red Border Films at Time and short films on the New Yorker are all places where photographers are showcasing their video work. Additionally, for the past several years, documentary films at Sundance or Academy Award nominees have been created by photographers. This is no accident – photographers excel at this visual language. The new market means that photographers are not only shooting in new ways, but that storytelling opportunities that previously excluded us are now open. This panel will use concrete examples of work being created using the same sensibility (and often the same tools) from our photographic training. The panel will also explore the opportunities available in a variety of formats – mixed media, short form video, narrative length film. (Note: There will be a follow up workshop on Sunday, March 1 focused on how-to shooting, storyboarding and other topics).

As the support and space for meaningful visual journalism has shrunk in the editorial world, there are now new ways to create stories with impact and purpose, in collaboration with advocacy groups and like-minded organizations, whether large institutions or small NGOs. This seminar will provide examples of how you can make a difference and make a living.

Photojournalists put a human face on crises that too often remain hidden, but the human costs of covering those areas have multiplied as media resources have shifted. This panel of journalists, editors and freelancers will speak about the challenge from all sides to keep journalists safe.

This seminar will discuss the tools you need to produce hybrid visual works for the new markets and opportunities opening up to photojournalists and documentary storytellers today.