CNN iReport

You've probably noticed that CNN iReport has a whole new look and feel -- including a brand new homepage inside CNN.com.

The new look is designed to showcase your stories and the many ways they enhance CNN’s global news reporting every day.

CNN iReport producers are eager to feature your work, and while there’s no guarantee your iReport will appear on the new homepage, the ones that do share some common traits.

iReports that make it to the homepage typically:

• Are tied to the news of the day
• Provide a perspective or angle on a story that isn’t available anywhere else
• Include the components of a good story -- the who, what, why, where and when

A few final, but important, tips: If you want your story to be featured, make sure that all the content in your iReport, including text and images, is your own. Also, please add a phone number to your private profile so CNN producers can call you with questions, and upload an avatar image to your profile so we can feature your work in our new “voices” section.

If you follow these tips, you’ll have a great chance of having your stories showcased on the new CNN iReport homepage, but not just there. You’ll notice your iReport submissions in stories, photo galleries, video interactives, and sections across CNN.com –- just more validation that CNN producers are committed to showcasing your content. After all, your contributions make CNN’s reporting and storytelling better every day.

We hope to see your stories on CNN soon!

When it comes to scoring all-access interviews with celebrities, ChrisMorrow is a star. This week she landed an interview with music duo Hall and Oates and asked them about their guilty pleasures.

The stars' candid responses made the video a smashing success – it earned more than 21,000 views on iReport. ChrisMorrow also interviewed a motley crew of other stars, asking them about their embarrassing tastes in music, TV shows and junk food.

While ChrisMorrow is a veteran iReporter, she appreciated hearing some feedback. Placing the best material at the beginning of video and editing to isolate the best sound bites would have made for a more powerful, organized package. Hall and Oates’ fame, along with their witty comment about being “very pure people” who don’t Twitter, would have made for an attention-grabbing start.

One more tip: Record better quality audio with a microphone. When filming at crowded events, a microphone would cut out the extraneous noises. ChrisMorrow told me that she’s been thinking of purchasing a wireless mic, but her camera isn’t compatible. A newer camera and mic would be an investment for the future.

Keep up the great interviews and video work, Chris! See you later with more tips.

I had the pleasure of calling Iceland today and chatting it up with ander , who’s been covering Iceland’s collapsed economy. Last weekend he filmed a protest in his hometown of Reykjavik, Iceland.

ander shot a variety of footage to illustrate the story behind the protest. An Icelandic rock star sang to the crowds and one man started planting potatoes, right in front of the Parliament! The potato planter was trying to make a point: If the Icelandic government wasn’t going to help him, he would help himself, ander said.

But, even veteran iReporters like ander enjoy receiving feedback on their stories. Getting on camera and narrating this video would have given readers more context as to what was going on. Most of us don’t speak Icelandic, so ander suggested writing subtitles in English next time!

One more tip for ander: Speak with some of the protesters and find out their stories. We’re always looking for the personal story behind the larger one.

Great work brining this story into the international spotlight, ander! See everyone later with more tips.

Photography is a cornerstone of great journalism, and it’s something I’m passionate about. So, this week I wanted to give iReportland some tips for taking superb snapshots.

Rule of thirds
Before you put the subject smack-dab in the middle of the frame, stop yourself. Imagine the frame is split up into three equal parts, both vertically and horizontally. Try to place the subject in one-third of the frame. The photo will have a compelling composition because the subject will have room to move out of the frame.

Frame elements
Take a look at the photo to the left because it’s a good example of framing. Try to snap photos that have foreground elements, like these tree branches, to create a frame around the subject. This adds depth, and it makes for pretty pictures!

Take lots of pictures
My photojournalism professor taught me a valuable lesson: Take as many photos as you can. The more frames you take, the better the chance that you’ll come up with something you like. Once you leave the scene or the event is over, that’s it. It’s better to have more photos to work with than not enough.

Here's a challenge: Pick up that camera and start practicing these tricks!

From time to time we see iReporters using advanced video techniques, like time-lapse photography. Taking photographs at a constant interval shows us gradual changes in a novel way.

iReporter craezer captured a Seattle sunset over a 4.5-hour period using this technique. He set up his Canon digital SLR with an intervalometer, which tells the camera to take a photo at constant intervals. The camera was set to fire once every three seconds, giving craezer more than 4,000 images!

I learned a lot about time-lapse from my conversation with craezer. Photography and time-lapse are hobbies of his. He said the trickiest part of the process was the changing light. The transition from day to evening provides an added challenge because you have to adjust the exposure settings.

As we learned from each other, the biggest tip I gave craezer was to speed up his video. In TV land, two minutes is a long clip. An easy remedy would be to use video-editing software – Final Cut or Adobe Premiere – to speed up the frame rate. Voila, the clouds will soar faster and night will descend quicker.

And, for those who want a bigger challenge, you can capture the same scene with multiple cameras set up at different angles. For the record, craezer is experimenting with this idea.

Excellent work, craezer! Thanks for teaching me a thing or two as well. See you next week with more tips.

When it comes to making video commentaries, gr8telephant always has a lot to say. This week he wasn’t afraid to tell us where he stood in the Perez Hilton/Miss California spat. He sided with Miss California , who does not support gay marriage, saying she should be applauded for her honesty.

Beyond stating his thoughts, gr8telephant explained why he felt this way. If people are free to voice their support of gay marriage, then people can say they support traditional marriage, he argued.

What could have taken this iReport to the next level? Record a shorter commentary. Forty seconds is perfect, and if you’ve got a little more to say, don’t go over a minute. The longer you talk, the greater the chance you’ll wind up repeating yourself. Short, succinct videos have the best shot of getting used on CNN.

When he started talking, it took him about 30 seconds to get to the main point. Trimming background information would have given gr8telephant more time to develop his argument.

Great job telling us what you think gr8telephant! See you next week with more tips.

iReporter Liberty1955 made an astute observation and did his homework when it came to his iReport about increasing food costs . He compared the prices of the same items over a couple weeks. His video was chock full of examples proving his point. The cost of creamer went up 20 cents. A pack of sausage links cost 40 cents more.

Not only did Liberty1955 report on the hard facts, but he also showed us what he was talking about. As he talked about each item, he showed it on camera. The audio matched the visual elements. Hallelujah!

But, there's always room for improvement. The next step would be to describe how this trend has affected you. How much more a week are you spending on groceries? Have you had to cut back on something else? We are always looking for your personal story!

And one more tip for Liberty1955: Get on camera to talk about the personal impact of the story. Seeing your face as you talk is more powerful than just hearing a voice coming from off the set.

Keep up the good work Liberty1955, and we'll see you next week with another tip.

What makes a great iReport? Well, after yesterday’s roundtable discussion, our team decided it’s time to give you some helpful tips. Each week we’ll show you an example of a good iReport and tell you how to make it even better!

A newcomer to the iReport community, Ireportphoto , shows real promise when it comes to capturing nice photos and videos . She submitted a few iReports about the GM plant coming down in Flint, Michigan. Not only did she give us her opinion on the situation, but she also asked questions to encourage comments.

So, what could have made these iReports even better? Put all the media together in one upload instead of multiple submissions. Having everything in one iReport paints the whole picture. All-in-one iReports make the best links for CNN.com.

And one more tip for Ireportphoto: Give some context in the text field, or get on camera and narrate what’s going on. Where is the plant located? When were these photos and videos shot?

In journalism school one of the first things you learn is the 5 Ws (and one H): Who, what, when, where, why and how. Including this basic information not only tells other users exactly what they’re seeing, but tells a better story.

Kudos to Ireportphoto and here’s to seeing higher quality iReports all over the site! See you next week with more helpful tips.