Journalism

40 mins

Five top tips to improve your video skills

WITNESS
Abstract:
How can you make your videos stand out from the crowd? This course teaches you five ways to take your video production skills to the next level. We cover depth of field, sound, video formats, metadata and archiving.
About this course:
From smartphones to DSLRs; from Vines to Youtube… the number of tools and platforms for producing and sharing video are growing all the time. But the challenges remain the same. How do you make sure you get the best quality images and sound? How do you keep track of everything you’ve shot? And what is the difference between a .mov and an .mp4 anyway? This course covers five common technical challenges, with the help of our expert presenters and a wealth of fun quizzes. Participants also take part in ‘The Protest’, an interactive challenge which spans the course.
What do I learn:
You will learn how to manipulate depth of field using DSLRs; how to use clip and handheld mics with your smartphone; what the tech aspects of format, frame size, frame rate and scan method mean for video producers; how to use metadata to your advantage; how to archive your videos to safeguard them for the future. And, you’ll also be given some general advice for video producers.
What do I need to know:
This course is suitable for those who are starting to make their own videos and would like to improve their production skills, as well as learn about metadata and archiving.

Trainers

Yvonne Ng

Yvonne Ng is an audiovisual archivist and the Archives Program Manager at WITNESS. Working at the intersection of human rights, technology, and human rights, Yvonne supports and trains grassroots activists on collecting, managing, and preserving video evidence for advocacy and evidence. Yvonne holds an MA in Moving Image Archiving and Preservation from New York University.

Raja Althaibani

Raja is human rights defender and citizen journalist with strong experience in Yemen and across the MENA region.

1.1 Introduction to course
1.2 The rise of video production
1.3 All about depth of field
1.4 Quiz: Depth of field
1.5 The Protest - Part 1
2.1 The importance of good sound
2.2 Sounds good to me
2.3 Testing, testing...Your chance to record good sound
3.1 Let’s get technical - Deconstructing digital video
3.2 Techie quiz - What’s the difference between 1080p and 720i
4.1 Introduction to metadata
4.2 Meta what? Test your understanding of metadata
4.3 The Protest - Part 4
5.1 Shelf life: How to archive video
5.2 On the shelf - Video archiving case study quiz
6.1 It’s a wrap - Overview of the course
6.2 Get Shooting wrap video

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