How To Become An Auto Journo?

All that glitters isn’t gold. Automotive journalism as a career choice does seem glamorous as one gets to test incredible cars, powerful bikes, travel to exotic locations on the company’s money, and the end result is usually a 600-700 word text review and a 5-minute video. And at the end of the month, somebody is paying you to do all this. Correct?

Yes, but only after you have put in over 10-12 hard years of sitting at the news desk, researching the shit out of the internet to get the latest news, filing in numerous news stories on a daily basis, posting them on your website, social media-ing it, doing follow-up stories and a ton of coordination with various members of your team, which takes up the better part of the day. Even if you are on shoots, you have to make sure the car/bike/scooter is clean, you will have to do further cleaning at the shoot location, plus follow the photo/video crew’s direction to make sure the vehicle is beautifully portrayed in images and videos. All of this, plus the pay isn’t handsome, the working hours are erratic, and you end up missing out on most social events. Then why do it?

Because every day that I get up and sit at the news desk, filing my share of stories, I know that I love my job. I love automobiles. My passion for automobiles is just as high as it was when my father first gave me a toy car. I know this passion will not wean for the next 20 years. And that’s the same for nearly all members of team ZigWheels, BikeDekho, CarDekho or PowerDrift. We are all nutters. So if you seriously want to be part of this nutty field, here’s what you need to know:

What Degree Do I Need?

Usually, any degree will do. You could have studied to be an engineer, lawyer, doctor, banker or whatever, it doesn’t matter. You just need a degree, at least that’s what the basic prerequisite for entering this field is. The stamp is all that employees need to hire you.

What Knowledge Do I Need?

Some knowledge would be a good start. If you want to be writing about automobiles, you should know the basics. If you want to shoot, you need to know the basics of photography or videography. If you want to edit videos, you at least need to know the basics of Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple Final Cut Pro. Some knowledge is essential, most of the others, you learn along the way.

What Skills Do I Need?

For a writer, language skills are important, not so much for a photo/video crew member. You are an enthusiast first, a writer second and a tester last. So, without the ability to convey your thoughts through to the audience, you will fail at the task at hand. If your consumer, that is the reader or viewer, doesn’t get the picture you are trying to paint, you haven’t done your job well. It is important that you know how to articulate in the medium.

Same goes for a photographer or a videographer. If you aren’t able to capture the beauty of the automobile, its intricate details and stuff, then your audience will be left disheartened. Skills are honed over time but the foundation and the will to learn must be there.

How Do I Convince My Parents?

Having grown up in a house that is literally surrounded by cars, bikes and books, I would not know a lot about this question. My parents did not force me into it but somewhere knew that my dad’s passion for automobiles would rub off on me. So, I have a lot to thank him for that. As for the problem at hand, yes, Indian parents would find it absurd that their ward wants to join a field where there is so much hardship and without equivalent pay to your peers who are growing up to be doctors, engineers and trained professionals. As long as YOU have made up your mind that YOU are going to be happy doing the job for the rest of your life, it shouldn’t be a problem for most parents. After all, parents just want to see you prosper and be happy.

When Do I Get To Test A Ferrari Or A Ducati?

Maybe never. Yes, entering this job means that you might never even get to experience the stuff that you dreamed of or adorned your bedroom walls with. You will have to accept this harsh reality and carry on. An Audi/BMW/Ferrari needs to be paid as much respect and taken as much care of as you would a Honda City/Maruti S-Presso/Tata Nano. Same goes for motorcycles. The trust factor between the editor, your seniors, and you needs to be there so that they can entrust you with the testing process. When they see that you can take up the responsibility of evaluating a vehicle without harming yourself (very important), your team members on the shoot and then the vehicle, is when you start to grow in this field. There is a hierarchy that you will need to understand as your senior has been roughing it up for years before you even entered the field.

What Does The Job Of An Auto Journo Entail?

I will break this into four sub-categories:

Writer: Write stories. File them for a website/magazine/newspaper. Make sure that it has been copy checked, laid out, formatted properly. Social media is key as that’s what draws traffic to your story.

Video presenter: Plan a script. Make sure you visualise what kind of shots you will need for the things you say/intend to say. Execute the shoot and help out with the coordination for the final video.

Photographer: Shoot the entire vehicle, covering all angles. No details to be missed here. Ask the writer/presenter what is to be highlighted about the particular vehicle. In case you miss out on taking a shot of the front disc for the front disc variant of the Hero Glamour, that will be a big miss. Edit photos and provide the best of the bunch to be used for various purposes. Same goes for a videographer, without the last bit of skill needed of course (but could be a value add).

Video editor: Check what the video intends to show. Line up the shots accordingly. Choose the shots pertaining to what is being told on screen. Choose the right music/background score for the sequence.

What Do I Need To Know About Shoots?

A shoot is the most brilliant as well as the most taxing part of the job. Irrespective of the vehicle at hand, this is usually the most fun part as you go to great locations, drive on fantastic roads, and enjoy the automobile in due course. It might be right outside your office or abroad, every shoot is fun. But to get to experience them, you need to await your turn and repay your faith in your seniors by doing a good job. Only then will more vehicles come your way and you will grow in this field.

What Is Expected Of Me Post Testing The Car/Bike?

Write about it. Duh! Riding a bike is the easy part. Communicating the same emotions you felt while riding, that’s where you prove your worth!