Day 2 Macedonia training- Video

VIDEO FOR CHANGE

Day 2- Video

Creating a Video

•  Evaluation of Resources and Needs •  Identify story

•  Ask: What story is this video is telling? How might we create a video that will tell this story?

•  Create timeline for finishing the video •  Coordinate people and locations for shooting video. •  Assign Roles •  Research •  Create a Vision Document:

•  Includes story arc, shot list, interview questions

•  Complete the Before the Shoot Checklist

•  Shoot interview, record all video, shoot all photos.

We’ll learn most of these steps on thursday…

•  Export video •  Uploading video online •  Create distribution plan and strategy:

o  channels o  partners o  timeline

•  Publish video •  Implement campaign strategy

Step 6: Evaluation

•  Look at your indicators of success and discuss whether you met your goals. 

•  Talk about what you can do better next time but also articulate what

went right.

VIDEOS FOR CHANGE The most effective

Video Detectives P a y a t t e n t i o n t o :

1.  VOICES The people (or text) who tell the story

2.  STRUCTURE The way in which your film is organized or in other words, the backbone

3.  AUDIO/VISUAL ELEMENTS What you hear and see on screen

4.  STYLE What your films ‘looks & feels’ like

5.  ETHICAL REPRESENTATION

How you honor a person’s dignity and respect their privacy

6.  SPACE FOR ACTION A concrete and specific act your audience can take to create change

Specific Story- Story Portfolio

•  Calling

•  Origin

•  Lesson

•  Impact

Origin Story

•  Mama Hope- – https://vimeo.com/15751299

Impact Stories

What they do: •  Tell the story of an individual who has been affected by OR is

passionate about your work. •  Create intense emotional bonds between your audience and the

people you exist for. •  Creates credibility for why you do what you do. How they do it: •  Let the individual describe their experience in their own words. 

o  Can also have others who have seen their transformation tell anecdotes that reveal the change.

Example: Impact Story

Raising Islam: https://vimeo.com/31265488

Vision Videos

What they do: •  WHY •  Communicate your visionary narrative •  Paint a picture of how the world should/could be. •  Build momentum, invite viewers to join in your vision. How they do it: •  This is a place to get conceptual. •  Animation, text, people holding signs, script based, actors, stop

motion

Example of Vision Video:

Animated: The Girl Effect:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIvmE4_KMNw Live Action: http://awakestorytelling.com/#/auburn-trouble-the-waters-heal-the-world/

M o v e m e n t P o r t ra i t s

What they do: •  Make people feel like they belong to something that matters. •  Demonstrates the diversity of your movement, inviting others to join.  How they do it: •  Feature a collage of supporters describing why they care or how

they've been impacted by the organization's work. o  What vision unites your supporters? What inspires them to

take action?

Example:  Movement Portrait

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rH5bB8HUWFs

The Most Effective Videos for Change: Event Stories

What they do: •  Turn events (protests, rallies, ceremonies) into larger stories. How they do it: •  Interview a range of people who are there and have them talk about

what is happening, how they are feeling, why they care and what larger insights the event reveals.

•  Think about what unites everyone at the event—a dream, a promise, an experience? The story can be about the significance of the event or it can be about the people who are there.

Example: Event Story

Segal Family Foundation annual gathering: http://awakestorytelling.com/#/segal-family-foundation/

A d v o c a c y F i l m s

What they do: •  Explore an issue through the personal story(ies) of people affected by

it. •  Less about how an issue has been overcome and more about why

action is necessary. How they do it: •  Spend a lot of time with the characters. Make you care about them. •  Show scenes from every day life. •  Frame the issue •  Inspire Action

Example: Advocacy Film

http://www.upworthy.com/watch-as-one-boy-lays-out-an-experience-most-white-people-will-never-have-to-worry-about?c=tpstream Awareness: http://awakestorytelling.com/#/34000-sold/

Campaign Videos

What they do: •  Convince people to take a particular action before a certain deadline. •  Explain the campaign's goal and why it matters. •  Make the audience feel important and that their unique contribution

matters. How they do it: •  Focus on the audience's emotional needs and motivations.

Example- Campaign Video

•  Embrace: – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/embrace/

embrace-the-documentary-that-will-create-global-ch

Other: Your creativity!

It doesn’t have to be a big production…

•  http://www.upworthy.com/51-pretty-shocking-facts-that-make-things-harder-for-every-woman-you-have-ever-met?c=fea

Ingredients of Effective Videos

§  Simple! §  Short (internet: less than 3 minutes) §  Dramatic momentum §  Tension §  They make you want to watch to the end by

making you ask, “What will happen next?”

Shareable Content

•  STORY! •  Emotional

–  KIPP: http://awakestorytelling.com/#/kipp-the-breadth-of-our-dreams/

•  Surprising/unexpected –  Alex presents Commando: –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLix4QPL3tY

•  People share content that reinforces their identity. –  Ask: “How does my audience want to be perceived by others?

What would this say about them if they shared it? What would motivate them to share this?”

Introduction to Photography

Your goal as a photographer: to draw the viewer’s eye to the

subject of the image.

Compositional Concepts:  

•  All good images have: o  Clearly defined subject and background o  Sense of balance o  Point of view o  Degree of simplicity

All good images have:

1. Clearly defined Subject and Background

•  The subject should be clearly defined. Subject should not compete with anything. 

•  Get the viewers eye to know what the subject is. •  Frame is objective, you are subjective.

Subject is conflicting

All good images have: 2. Sense of Balance

•  Elements in frame have compositional weight:

•  Can be with white/black

•  Light/dark

•  Subject/background

•  Empty space/visual elements

Which image is balanced? And How?

Use empty space to draw the eye to the subject

o  But don't have a lot of empty space above an interview subject!

All good images have: 3. Point of View

•  Think about your perspective and what it’s communicating.

•  Don’t just shoot at eye level, think about where the most interesting perspective could be.

•  Get at the subject’s level.

Shot from above- Demonstrates Youth or Need

Shot from below- Hero Shot

…or double chin.

Shot at Eye Level of Subject- communicates equality

All good images have: 4. Degree of Simplicity

•  Let the audience’s eye know where to go.

The simple secret to great photography:

PTM PAUSE! THINK! MOVE!

How can I draw my audience’s eye to the subject?

1.  Position: where you place the subject in the frame.

Composit ional Concepts: Rule of Thirds

•  Don't place the subject in the center, place them at the intersection of thirds.

•  Adds compositional weight to one side of the frame

Composit ional Concepts: Rule of Thirds

Compositional Concepts: Rule of Thirds

How can I draw my audience’s eye to the subject?

1.  Position

2.  Size- Making the subject fill more of the frame can bring attention to it.

How can I draw my audience’s eye to the subject?

1.  Position

2.  Size

3.  Color- If your subject is surrounded by contrasting colors, it will set your subject apart.

How can I draw my audience’s eye to the subject?

1.  Position

2.  Focus

3.  Size

4.  Color

5.  Shape and Lines- contrasting shapes, repeated patterns and leading lines.

Leading  lines-­‐  when  the  lines  in  the  image  lead  to  the  subject.  Draw  eye  to  the  point  of  interest.  

How can I draw my audience’s eye to the subject?

1.  Position

2.  Focus

3.  Size

4.  Color

5.  Shape and Lines

6.  Light

Silhouette- creates contrast

It's all about light!

•  Start paying attention to light. •  Always think about direction of light.

Direction of Light

•  High Front Light o  Mid-day shooting- Light is more directly overhead.

Have to work harder. o  Creates harsh shadows under the eyes. o  If you have to shoot mid-day outside, try to shoot in the

shade.

Front Light

•  Front Light – Light through a window – Good for interviews

Direction of Light

•  Side Light o  Brings out texture. o  Can be dramatic o  Not usually flattering on the face.

Direction of Light

•  Diffused light o  Even light with few shadows. o  Best time to shoot interviews outside o  Shadowed areas/Cloudy days

•  [grace: Create illustration of a person standing in a shadow coming off of a building]

Direction of Light

•  Shooting into the light (Backlit)-  o  You are on the shadow side of the subject. o  Camera will automatically produce silhouette. o  When you expose for the face you can create a

flattering halo of light in portraits. § But then the background becomes overexposed.

o  Be careful of lens flare

•  [grace: Create illustration of person ]

Direction of Light: Interviews

•  For faces: you want to avoid harsh shadows, have light consistent across the face.

•  Shooting outside: find shade •  Shooting inside, Fill light is better than overhead.

o  The source light should be behind you when looking at your interviewee. Find a window.

Direction of Light

•  Open shade o  In a shaded area, place the subject near where the

shadow meets the light, in the shadow.  o  Look for the hard line at the edge of the light and place

the subject in the shade, but facing the light.

Before you take a shot, ask yourself:

1.  What Story Am I Telling? –  What meaning does this image convey? Why am I taking this

shot? 2.  What is the subject of this image? 3.  Is there competing subjects in the image?

-Try just to have one. 4.  What is the in the background and what is in the foreground? 5.  Am I close enough? 6.  Where is the main source of light? What direction is it coming

from? 1.  Move the subject, move yourself or wait for a different time of day.

7.  Is my framing straight? 8.  What other perspectives could I capture this from?

Before taking a photo

PAUSE | THINK | MOVE

Scavenger Hunt Activity

•  3 groups

•  Each gets a list of photos to take.

•  Check each photo when you capture it.

•  Get as many as possible in 20 minutes

HOW TO SHOOT VIDEO

Witness- How to Shoot Video

•  How to shoot video: – http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=B7BFnhYX2vs&feature=player_embedded#!

•  Camera movements: – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29jU98J3hYw

USE TRIPOD!

Shooting handheld

•  Put elbows against chest to stabilize shot. •  Stand with feet slightly apart. Lean against wall if possible.

Types of Shots

• Still frame (action within that frame):

Subject may move within the frame, but the camera doesn’t move.

•  Pans (up/down or side to side)

– Quick or Slow

– Establish setting

– Demonstrate scale (huge crowd)

– Quickly move from one subject to another

– Best kind of pan: from left to right.

– Use pans sparingly!

Zooms (avoid)

Basic Video Tips

•  Don't wave your camera around to get all points of interest (as if you were watering flowers with a hose).

o  Pick a shot and hold it for at least 10 seconds.

Basic Video Tips

•  Make all camera movements intentional. o  Move the camera closer to the subject rather than using

excessive zooming.

Distance of Shots

•  Long/Wide: Show context of where you are and what is happening.

Distance of Shots

•  Medium- Draw people into the subject while still revealing the setting.

Distance of Shots

•  Close-Up- powerful details that give drama to sequence.

B-Roll

•  Any non-interview footage which will be seen while the interviewee is talking.

B-roll Example

•  Subject says, “I moved to Skopje when I was 5.”

•  Visually, as you see a shot of a Skopje street scene.

Why Shoot B-roll?

•  Cover up cuts in the interview. – They sneeze in the middle of a sentence.

•  Interview appears continuous to the listener.

B-roll

•   Shown over interviews.  o  Film interview first, think about what they've said

and try to film images that illustrate the content of the interviews.

Basics of B-Roll

•  Establishing shots-  o  Introduce a new location. Get extra long shots

(view subject from a distance). o  Use Tripod o  Try to get subject in the shot (like walking down

the street, working at their desk etc.)

•   Observational Sequences of Subject o  Subject doing everyday activities and interacting

w/people. o  Don't let them look at camera. o  Spend a lot of time with them. o  May include audio. o  Let action unfold in front of camera.

What kind of b-roll to shoot?

•  When representing the past... o  Get shots of the interviewee in other locations. o  Resource shot you’ll never regret capturing: subject looking

deep into the distance. o  Subject walking in their neighborhood

Framing your interview

•  Use the rule of thirds. •  Place the interviewee in the upper third. •  Have their eye line be in the direction of the

empty space in the frame. •  Better to cut off a forehead than a chin.

Interviews: Other Considerations

•  Use tripod •  Select a background that matches the story, but more

importantly- make sure the light is good o  If you are shooting outside, find open shade

•  Don't move camera or zoom unless absolutely necessary.

Review

•  2 Teams: –  Reference: Rules for Shooting Video list. –  Each team gets assigned a rule to act out. NO SPEAKING. –  The other team will get to see the team act out the rule in action for

15 seconds, then get to discuss and guess which rule the other team is representing.

•  POINTS: –  If they get it right the first time, they get 2 points and the team acting

it out gets one point. If they get it wrong, neither get a point. •  You can demonstrate the rule by doing what you shouldn’t

do but one person in your team, must put their arms in an X.

Video Rules

1.  Steady the camera by shooting with your elbows into your body. 2.  Always frame the image horizontally. 3.  Make all camera movements intentional. 4.  Shoot all shots for at least 10 seconds (especially still frame). 5.  Pick a shot and hold it. No Hosing! Don't wave your camera around to get all

points of interest (as if you were watering flowers with a hose). 6.  If you need to switch the point of interest quickly, use a swish-pan, where you move

your camera rapidly and horizontally. 7.  Instead of zooming, move the camera closer to the subject instead. 8.  Keep pans minimal (one per scene max) 9.  Shoot cutaway shots of hands and b-roll to avoid jump cuts. 10.  Shooting handheld is dangerous. The tripod is your best friend. 11.  Place an interview subject in the intersection of the upper and horizontal third. 12. Make sure the eye-line of an interview subject is into the empty space.

Introduction to Interviewing

Interviewing is all about creating a space to allow people to open up and trust you.

How does an interview differ from a normal conversation?

You are guiding them.

Step 1: Making them Feel Comfortable

•  Make small talk before the interview starts. Communicate that you are interested in them, outside of the video.

•  Ask observers to leave. Keep it intimate. •  Make it feel informal, but you are still the driver of the train.

•  Treat them as a hero •  Treat their story as sacred.

Step 2: Ask the Right Questions

•  Ask more than one question in one so that they don't give a single flat answer.

•  Ask open ended questions like why or how.

o  Don't ask ?s that can be answered yes or no.

Step 2: Ask the right questions

•  Ask them about specific moments that stand out to them in their memory.

•  To increase storytelling, ask questions that encourage anecdotes like:  o  "Can you tell me about a time when..."  o  "Can you remember the moment when you realized..."

Step 3: Get great answers

•  Bring list of questions, but be spontaneous. •  Know what you need and listen for it.

Step 3: Get great answers

•  Keep it flowing. Don’t just go on to the next question, as if you are going down a list.

•  Acknowledge what they are saying!

•  If you want them to keep going with a thought or story after you’ve finished, relate back the feelings you’ve heard them express. •  “Wow. That must have been so hard for you and your family.”

•  “I can’t imagine how amazing that must have felt.”

•  “What an accomplishment!”

•  “You must feel so proud of yourself.”

Step 4: Get great answers

•  Visualize the story structure in your head and guide them to complete it.

•  Pull out the details if they aren’t including them. •  “Are there any moments or memories that stand out to you from

that time in your life?”

–  Ask them to simplify parts of the story that they are over elaborating.

Step 4: Get great answers

•  At the end, ask the interviewee, "Is there anything you'd like to add?"

Step 5: Make it work Video

•  First thing, ask for them to say and spell their name and affiliation.

•  Try not to make noise (master the silent chuckle)

•  Tell them to answer in complete sentences and to incorporate the question into their answers.

–  Give yourself options for when you are editing by asking for summaries. •  “Can you summarize the growth of your business for me?”

Let’s put this all to use!

•  Develop a video concept that you can shoot tomorrow.

•  Roles: – Director

– Producer

– Videographer (director of photography)

•  Fill out Vision Document