Washington Post Video

Investing a bit of time into the shorter feature stories we’re assigned is always a blessing. Being a videojournalist at the Post basically means you are a general assignment reporter, going from the news desk, to investigative, to feature—occasionally all in one week! Feature stories can fall under any department though, and the best are those that we get a nice chunk of time to sink our teeth into the project and really devote to it. Here are a batch of videos from a wide variety of assignments that the video team got to have a lot of creative control on:

On the hunt for real roadkill in West Virginia (by Evelio Contreras)

Washington Post columnist John Kelly investigates where the meat comes from at the annual Roadkill Cook-off and Autumn Harvest Festival in Marlinton, W.Va.

A day in the life of Mormon missionaries (by Ben de la Cruz)

Go behind the scenes with Elders David Liew and Gregg Karren, Mormon missionaries, as they spread the word of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Newt Gingrich’s stage presence (Produced by Jayne Orenstein)

The Washington Post’s Sarah Kaufman says Newt Gingrich has the ability to be both arrogant and graceful during debates, and his stage presence is winning over potential voters.

Drug trafficking in Belize (Produced by Kristen Boghosian)

The Washington Post’s Nick Miroff reports on the threat of Mexican drug cartels to Central America’s least-populated country.

After deportation, a family divided (by Alexandra Garcia)

Princess Martinez was born and raised in south Texas. She and her six daughters are U.S. citizens, but her husband is not. Last year, he was deported, and the whole family moved just south of the border to Mexico. Then, the family faced an increasingly common dilemma: where to educate U.S. citizen children after a non-citizen parent is deported.

Home for homeless GLBT youth (by Whitney Shefte)

The Wanda Alston House in Northeast is a transitional housing space for homeless gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth between ages 16 and 24. Residents can live in the house, which is run by the nonprofit Transgender Health Empowerment, for up to 18 months while they attend school and get jobs. Sarah Feliciano, who has lived in the Wanda Alston House since March, is a transgender female who became homeless after her mother rejected her decision to live as a woman.

MTV turns 30 (Produced by Jayne Orenstein)

The Washington Post’s Jen Chaney looks back on the early years of MTV, which celebrated 30 years of being on air in August, and talks about how the music-focused network sped up our culture.

Miss out on news video last week? Here are some must-see videos from the past seven days.

The White House unveils holiday decorations

The White House gets decked out for Christmas, with a shiny decor reflecting the theme ‘Shine, Give, Share.’ The first family’s dog, Bo, also has a starring role in many of the holiday decorations. (Nov. 30)

Voter to Gingrich: What will come out about you?

At a campaign stop in Bluffton, S.C., on Tuesday, a voter asked Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich if something will “surface” that will turn away voters. (Nov. 29) (CBS News)

Cain suspends campaign

Herman Cain announced he is suspending his campaign for president following allegations of an extramarital affair and claims of sexual harassment. (Dec. 3) (The Associated Press)

Feds discover 32 tons of marijuana in tunnel

Authorities say they’ve discovered a 600-yard tunnel on the U.S.-Mexico border that resulted in seizures of 32 tons of marijuana, one of the largest pot busts in U.S. history. (Nov. 30) (The Associated Press)

Discovery of WWII bomb sparks mass evacuation in Germany

Officials in the western German city of Koblenz were preparing to evacuate almost half of the city’s residents following the discovery of a bomb left over from World War II at the bottom of the Rhine. (Dec. 2) (The Associated Press)

Stuntman Yves Rossy flies alongside jets

Swiss pilot Yves Rossy’s latest stunt is a spectacular formation flight alongside two Albatross jets over the Swiss Alps. (CBS News)

Puppy petting party soothes stressed students

Following up a successful “puppy day” from last spring, GMU law school enlisted volunteer animal rescue organization A Forever Home to bring a batch of puppies that needed attention to its campus as a treat and a stress reducer for law students leading up to final exams. (Video By AJ Chavar/The Washington Post)