Deadline Every Second

Photojournalism instructor and author Ken Kobré produced this episodic, cinema-vérité survey of Associated Press photographers at work around the world. Aside from an opening montage, no time is spent on the long history and traditions of AP, nor are viewers offered any extensive recaps about how digital-imaging and online media have evolved since wet-darkroom days. Instead, Deadline Every Second is presented at high shutter speed, relating the experiences of Richard Chew, who went right from covering a maternity fashion show to the WTC attacks (capturing haunting images of victims plummeting from the burning towers) and Julie Jacobson's eyewitness handling of the horrific Haitian earthquake. Other segments focus on survival tips while capturing unrest and carnage in the Middle East; controversy over showing the mortal wounds of a U.S. Marine in Afghanistan; and a near-miss for a news-hawk who found himself in the middle of a bombing in Pakistan. Nonviolent interludes depict AP photojournalists on assignment at the Tour de France and grabbing a novelty shot of a wax-museum dummy of Barack Obama in transit in San Francisco. Although it would have been nice to learn more background information about the individual shutterbugs and what led them to this calling, this is still a strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)