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Innovation Uncensored New York: Google Glass And The Future Of Journalism
Join Fast Company staff writer Chris Gayomali for a live Q&A with University of Southern California journalism professor Robert Hernandez and documentary director Hannah Roodman as they discuss Google Glass' potential for journalists. The chat will take place on Wednesday April 9 at 1PM (ET).
The criticisms leveled at Google Glass should ring familiar.
It's clunky and invasive, to say nothing of the people who actually wear it everywhere.
For journalists, though, it's worth considering the storytelling possibilities a two-way communication channel opens up, which is why this fall, University of Southern California journalism professor Robert Hernandez will be leading a class that hopes to figure out some of Glass's creative possibilities.
Hernandez will be joining us on Wednesday, April 9th at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET to discuss his course's curriculum, what Glass could mean for the future of journalism, and why we ignore it at our own peril. Joining him is special guest Hannah Roodman, a documentary filmmaker based in New York who has explored Glass's narrative capabilities in her work.
If you have any questions, please submit them with the "Make a comment" box below!
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Hey everyone! Thanks for tuning in. We'll get this Q&A started in just a few minutes. And please remember to submit your questions.
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Hi! I'm Chris, a staff writer here at Fast Company. We have USC journalism professor Robert Hernandez and documentary filmmaker Hannah Roodman here with us to talk about some of Google Glass's more promising storytelling capabilities--as well as the technology's downsides.
Very excited to have them aboard! -
Hello... thanks for having us. I'm Robert Hernandez, Digital Journalism professor at USC Annenberg. I hijack tech for journalism. I have Glass, but I am not a Glasshole. ;)
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Thanks for having us Chris! I'm Hannah, Director/ Producer of Project 2x1- one of the world's first documentaries to feature Google Glass footage. Excited to talk about Glass + storytelling.
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Just shared a photo #throughglass http://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bky4dMcCYAAPVzB.jpg
by Robert Hernandez via twitter 4/9/2014 5:01:48 PM -
Alright. My first question for both of you is: What is it about Glass that makes it such a compelling tool for storytelling?
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In terms of content creation, there are some interesting possibilities, but as of right now nothing more sophisticated than your smart phone. I mean, I think you can strap your phone to your head and get more functionality… I don't know if you'll feel more or less dorky than wearing Glass, though.
That said, in all seriousness, Google recently released the Glass Development Kit (GDK), allowing developers to create new Glassware/apps. So, we haven't really seen anything yet.
Link to GDK: -
I think, I'm most drawn to Glass because I really believe that 1st person POV perspective is extremely powerful- especially for documentarians. I love that vicarious shot / I love being transported into someone else's world, and no other wearable technology translates that "through my eyes" experience like Glass does.
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For me, though, the true excitement for a device like Glass is another level of possible contextual storytelling.
For better or worse, the device has a GPS (so it knows where you are), a camera (so it knows what you are looking at) and it connected to the Internet. Those three elements together unlock some fantastic possibilities.
As storytellers, using location, time of day and more will help make a story more relevant. And, for me, a potential goal is Augmented Reality storytelling. -
Is there video or audio because This is not working.
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From a user experience perspective, Glass as a film/journalism device is so intuitive. Glass turns your head into a natural human tripod.
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Is video footage shot with Glass somehow more authentic? How is it different from, say, something shot on a smartphone?
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(And please remember to submit your questions for Robert and Hannah in the box above!)
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Well, think of the Star Trek reboot... J.J. Abrams did this shaky camera effect to make the movie seem more real and intense. That is automatic with Glass. Our bodies are not tripods and we move around a lot while speaking… so that makes for shaky videos. Seems more authentic. But, I do think POV shots can easily be used as gimmicks. I don't want us to overuse them. Use them with purpose.
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"Authentic" is hard to define. But Glass footage does offer a rawness that is as close to "nonfictional purity" as you can get...It's democratic because it's through everyone's eye-site. WIthout Glass, when you're filming your subject , the compositional choices (high/low angle) act as a filter. Glass does away with that.
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Robert, you said in our talk that the news consumption aspect was the most exciting part about Glass. In terms of news presentation, what are some of the possibilities that Glass opens up that ordinary people might not have thought about?
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While we wait for Robert's answer, here's some of 2X1's favorite moments shot on Glass:
2x1: Best Glass Moments from Project 2x1 on Vimeo.
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Augmented Reality, for me, is the coolest potential. That's essentially real life augmented by digital… the device will know where you are at, what you are looking and and the power of the internet.
The new platform is also going to reshape the way an article (text, video, audio, etc.) is formed and presented. It may create a new "micro-story" type format for quick information. But it could also be great for immersive, long form. -
While we wait for Robert's answer, here's an article on his upcoming USC course on Google Glass.
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An example, off the top of my head, is that you are standing on a downtown street corner and stories -- from real time to historical -- come alive to you at that moment. You can opt in to engage or easily ignore. But the device's screen can add information to that building or offer crime stats of that street corner or the best place to get a burrito. This is clearly a first draft… when we build and test apps, we'll find more possibilities.
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That's great. Hannah, for Project2x1, was it difficult to document people using Glass, or get them to wear it? How did you overcome the initial skepticism, if there was any?
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So our film explores the neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn in an effort to increase dialogue between its two predominant groups: the Hasidic Jews and Caribbean communities who share a history of tension. Generally speaking, these communities are not the most technologically equipped, so Glass was completely novel to both of them.
Surprisingly though, people were really curious about Glass and eager to try it on both sides. We faced little skepticism except for a few occasions where people didn't believe us that we weren't recording.
My favorite moments in production were when people told us that they didn't want to be filmed with our DSLRs. It became our invitation to say, " That's okay. You'll be the filmmaker; here's a camera you can wear and use to tell your own story through your POV." -
For both of you, we have a question from a reader about some of Glass's built-in limitations...
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What is the one thing that hampers you the most about Glass?
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Battery life!!! Plenty of instances when it would die after 5 minutes of filming. With only one pair for our production, this was pretty frustrating at times.
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Really, it's the social acceptance. A lot of people project so many inaccurate things onto the device. They totally get it when they finally put it on, but that's a hurdle.
When I put on the device, I am opting in for the stares and a flood of questions. I'm not a spokesperson for the device, but clearly I am a nerd… and I love nerding out with other people. And I love seeing them "get" the device immediately. Their brains start thinking of their own applications/uses.
That is great, but as a journo I sometimes just want to observe. More people need it, so it stands out less. Bring on the Ray-Bans! -
I'm concerned about privacy issues? what might you anticipate in this area?
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What ethical concerns should journalists keep in mind while using Google Glass?
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As a Glass Explorer myself, and someone from the industry, I see the potential for Glass. Do you intend for Glass to be an extension of an existing curriculum (an enhancement), or something completely separate? Regardless, how much emphasis do you intend to place on privacy and ethics in a (potential) world where journalists could be recording and documenting everything - all the time? "OK Glass." "On the record."
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Honestly, it's the same type of ethical questions that apply to all devices. We've seen these concerns with mobile devices secretly recording all types of moments. (Romney 47 percent, anyone?)
Glass, one can argue, is more public because it is on your face... hell, especially if you opt for the orange one… errr… I mean tangerine. And you can even see into the wearer's screen.
But not everyone is ethical. We have laws to help… but we all agree we wish common sense and common decency was more, well, common. -
Obviously surveillance is a big ethical issue. But in our case, since we had community members wear Glass, we obviously had to gain wearers' consent first. For documentarians especially, the biggest struggle in film production will always be gaining film subjects' trust. It doesn't matter if you use Glass or not, but I think Glass can actually help ease distrust because it invites participation/ collaboration.
Re: privacy concerns- it's pretty obvious when you're recording, so I think a lot of these concerns will go away when people start to experience Glass for themselves. -
In terms of on and off the record, an ethical journalist should -- SHOULD -- be transparent with their sources and their environment around them.
Remember, the device isn't always on (a good side effect from the battery life) and we're not trying to record everyone. We're journos trying to gather information to inform our communities. We're not the NSA. ;) -
The other thing about recording through Glass is that the lens is actually in your periphery, not immediately in front of you. When filming, your line of sight changes, and it makes you look a little weird. Yet another way to detect Glass-filmers.
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Sometimes I find it difficult getting people to talk to a tape recorder, and I imagine this would be even harder with Glass. What advice do you have for dealing with this challenge?
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Technically speaking, the audio feature of Glass is fantastic. If you're just looking for an audio interview, and you put Glass on someone, I think they might even forget that it's recording their audio...At least our film subjects did!
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Great question... that a challenge with any device (mic, still camera, video, notebook). It's all about establishing a good relationship with your source. They have to feel comfortable to talk with you about their story or information.
Until we, society, have accepted these devices like we have our phones it might be a good idea to pace the introduction of the device into the interview.
If you are experimenting, have your source try them on. Let their use demystify the device.
But the mark of a good interview and interviewer is when the source is comfortable and focused on your conversation/questions. -
For both of you: What will Glass need to do to become ubiquitous? Right now it's a bit... shall we say, clunky? Why do you think people there is so much trepidation in its current state?
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The unfamiliar is scary for people. I think it's as simple as that, really.
Of course the other issues are A) style and B) availability.
Style wise: The current design looks super sci-fi, and most people aren't interested in that.The new models (Warby Parker/Ray Ban partnerships) definitely shake that up and will help speed up adoption.
Accessibility wise: It's hard to get your hands on it now! The Glasshole reputation sticks because it's such a small group of early adopters. -
A couple things:
- Flood the market. Make it less uncommon, which in turn makes it feel less elitist. That means lower the price.
- Get them to market sooner. The delay has really allowed myths and misinformation to spread. Once people try them on, they "get it." I am surprised how people think this is full immersion, which it is not. It's a small screen.
- The Glass explorer etiquette post… man, that backfired from my point of view. They were a**holes before they got Glass. That post isn't going to change them.
- On the other hand, the post debunking myths are great.
- And, of course, the design. With Ray Bans and such, it will look better... feel less uncomfortable. -
Also, I think there is a "small" thing that a lot of people miss that I think has HUGE value: immediate access to everything.
Yes, we carry our phones in our purses and back pockets. But think about the steps we take when we want to take a photo: Get phone. Unlock. Select app. Point and click. Or, on some phones, get phone, flip to launch camera app, then shoot.
Glass has three, much faster options: Say "Okay Glass, take a picture." Or just wink, essentially. Or push a button on the device. It's already out and ready. We are sharing/posting before you've finished unlocking.
Now, let's translate that speed to access to knowledge. Let's see who could find out how to say "hello" in Mandarin first… Glass vs Smart phone. Not only is Glass faster, but it will even pronounce/tell you the word in seconds.
The speed to deal with smaller, lighter emails is awesome… it reads emails to you, and you can reply back via speech.
Fast, even though we feel it's already fast, is going to be a huge selling point. But they have to make users feel less dorky first. -
I work at a large paper and have been the only one experimenting with Glass as a photojournalist. What do you think it will take for news organizations to widely pursue Glass (or similar tech) as a storytelling tool?
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Alex, great question... if you recall, it took some time for news org to believe and invest in giving reporters/photogs mobile phones. It took just as long for newspapers to get video equipment. Resources are tight. Glass needs to prove itself to be more valuable than our smart phones… and, while it does have that potential, it still has a long way to go. P.S. Are you the one with the POV election video via Glass?
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Here's the video in question:
Photographing a primary election victory from Chicago Tribune on Vimeo.
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Alex, my hunch is that big organizations first want to have their consumers/ readers/viewers approval of Glass' footage/photo quality.. In my filmmaking experience, we got some mixed reviews about the quality of our Glass footage. Our film, which is ~35% Glass, led some people to demand a lot more Glass, but then another group of viewers expressed that the shakiness made them feel nauseous.
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What’s next for both of you? How will you be exploring Glass as a tool in the near future?
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My team is really excited about a few potential partnerships with film orgs who want to replicate 2X1's use of Glass as a grassroots, collaboration tool in other neighborhoods. It's my dream to bring our project and its mission of using storytelling (specifically via Glass/1st person POV) to turn strangers into neighbors all over the world.
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As some may have heard, I am teaching a Glass Journalism course in the fall at USC Annenberg. I am fortunate to have an amazing mix of students from across the USC campus who want to experiment and build "Glassware" for journalism.
We'll have a public facing site, sharing all our experiences here: glassjournalism.io
I also tweet via the @glassjournalism account, I setup for my device. And I also post/share experiences here: glassjournalism.org
The goal is to proactively influence/shape storytelling and information forms for wearable devices. Glass is just the most "mature" platform. I rather we get ahead of the curve than get left behind… -
Well, this has been tremendous... but I'm afraid we have to start wrapping up. I want to thank Robert and Hannah for taking time out of their busy, busy schedules to stop by.
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Thanks for having us! Remember, y'all... in a few years Glass is going to look like the Zack Morris (or Gordon Gekko) phone. Cheers!
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Thank you so much for having me! You can follow Project 2x1's journey on our website: http://www.project2x1.com and on twitter @project2x1 to learn about our project's development and upcoming screenings! Viva Glass storytelling!
[Photo: Reinhard Hunger for Fast Company]