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Footage

English translation: video (material)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:footage
Selected answer:video (material)
Entered by: Tony M

17:49 Apr 20, 2017
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama / in a political context
English term or phrase: Footage
Hi,

I am transcribing a short video taken by some individual of riots in the streets using his mobile phone.

First Question: Is it best described as 'video' or 'footage'?

Second Question: In the transcription, I describe the people in the street as follows:

[00:00] Rioters: chanting 'bla bla'

What is the best way to describe the guy who is taking the video?

[00:00] ????: Hi! I'm the guy who is making the video!


Video Maker? Video Taker?

Any suggestions?

Thank you very much
Mandy K
Local time: 15:37
video (material)
Explanation:
'footage' would be a more formal term, entirely appropriate in a professional context, but possibly a little OTT for informal amateur video. "The BBC has obtained footage purporting to show a rocket attack on XYZ" — but maybe "This amateur video shows rioting in London"

Again, in a more formal context, the person would probably be called a 'videographer' — especially if they were a professional; I think you COULD use this term in your transcript, though it is perhaps teetering on the edge of being a bit pretentious!

Otherwise 'amateur cameraman' might be usable (though not terribly PC, as not gender-neutral!). Possibly also depends on whether there is only one of them, or several different ones, in which case you might need to use 'Videographer #1" etc.
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 16:37
Grading comment
Thank you
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +6video (material)
Tony M
4 +1shots / scenes / clip
Jennifer Levey
3 +1recorded (video) material / footage / video
Jacek Kloskowski
3 +1question 2: author of the video
Adrian Liszewski


  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
footage
video (material)


Explanation:
'footage' would be a more formal term, entirely appropriate in a professional context, but possibly a little OTT for informal amateur video. "The BBC has obtained footage purporting to show a rocket attack on XYZ" — but maybe "This amateur video shows rioting in London"

Again, in a more formal context, the person would probably be called a 'videographer' — especially if they were a professional; I think you COULD use this term in your transcript, though it is perhaps teetering on the edge of being a bit pretentious!

Otherwise 'amateur cameraman' might be usable (though not terribly PC, as not gender-neutral!). Possibly also depends on whether there is only one of them, or several different ones, in which case you might need to use 'Videographer #1" etc.

Tony M
France
Local time: 16:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 79
Grading comment
Thank you

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: "The guy who's taking the video" might be best, as suggested by the asker.
5 mins
  -> Thanks, Phil! Certainly in an informal context, but I'd have some reservations about using that in a serious transcript.
agree  Lingua 5B
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Lingua!
agree  Yasutomo Kanazawa
10 hrs
  -> Thanks, Yasutomo-san!
agree  B D Finch: Since when are two questions in one allowed, O ex-moderator? However, I'd just say "I'm the person recording this."
15 hrs
  -> Thanks, B! :-) Oh, that's a long time past now; you're quite right, but I didn't want to appear churlish by squashing this question, though I'd originally only intended to answer the first bit of it.
agree  Mikhail Korolev
1 day 11 hrs
  -> Thanks, klp!
agree  Yvonne Gallagher
4 days
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
footage
shots / scenes / clip


Explanation:
First question: (video or footage)
Frankly, it’s neither!
"footage" is a term from the age of newsreels shown in WW2 cinemas – far too anachronistic for live 21st century street action. "video" is borrowed from the world of broadcasting, not "home (amateur) movies". Regardless of its eventual value as a historical record of events, anything "shot" with a mobile phone is mere unedited "moving picture sequences", or a "(video)clip".

Answer: <I>These scenes were shot in the street by XXX, using his mobile phone.</I>

Second question: (what to call the person who used the mobile phone?)

As Tony has suggested, the use of any term drawn from the media professions (journalism, broadcasting, film, etc.) is likely to be seen as pretentious (or worse).

Answer: Hi! I’m the guy who shot this stuff / who grabbed these pictures of the riots / …

FWIW, this "guy" would likely be referred to as a cazanoticias in Spanish, and a chasseur de nouvelles in French – and as a "news hound" in some English-speaking jurisdictions (although that expression also pre-dates the 21st century, by a loooong way). All those street-wise terms avoid the use of professional terminology – precisely to avoid any direct association with the MSM (main-stream media), which (in general) are an anathema to folk who use their mobile phones to gather evidence for use against the authorities.


Jennifer Levey
Chile
Local time: 10:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  acetran
8 hrs
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
footage
recorded (video) material / footage / video


Explanation:
"footage" term is still used in terms of movie making or live reporting:

2. Recorded film or video, especially of a specified nature or subject: news footage; detailed footage of the royal wedding.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/footage

In terms of the CC transcript, I do not think it would be pretentious to use terms like:

"Cameraman/woman", or "camera operator" or simply "operator" to refer to the person making a statement on the video.

Jacek Kloskowski
United States
Local time: 10:37
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  acetran
7 hrs
  -> Thank you.
neutral  B D Finch: I think you are missing the context, i.e. that this is a non-professional recording it on their mobile phone; so, none of your suggestions is appropriate.
11 hrs
  -> I have personally seen similar references to a non-professional performing the recordings of current events
neutral  Tony M: The tehncial professional term 'operator' would certainly be out of place (as well as incidentally inaccurate); the professional term 'camera(wo)man' is arguably another pretentious title, and again, technically not totally accurate.
3 days 16 hrs
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1 day 1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
footage
question 2: author of the video


Explanation:
This proposal just came to my mind, as it is simple and obvious.

Adrian Liszewski
Poland
Local time: 16:37
Native speaker of: Polish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  acetran
18 hrs
neutral  Tony M: I think 'author' has too many 'loaded' connotations to be usable here — not least because it tends to suggest a deliberate act of creation, rather than simply being a fortuitous witness, as is usually the case.
2 days 22 hrs
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