Man filming a town view from up on a hill

Visual Storytelling for Civic Engagement

This Network Collaborative Course introduces students to the uses of video for civic engagement and development projects and trains students in the basics of smartphone-based documentary film techniques. The lectures in this collection teach the basics of visual storytelling, field production, interviewing techniques, and basic video editing. All the materials are free to use for non-commercial purposes.

Gear and Basics

  • Introduction
  • Types of Cases
  • Digital Case Intro
  • Digital Case Study
  • Master Class Intro
  • Visual Storytelling
  • Intro to Equipment
  • Setting Up Your Stabilizer
  • Filming With Stabilizer
  • Student Produced Digital Cases
  • Wrap Up

Production

  • Introduction to Production
  • Story Development
  • Production Basics
  • Smartphone Interview
  • Intro to DSLR Filming
  • Day Exterior DSLR Filming
  • Interior DSLR Interview
  • Neutral Background DSLR Interview
  • Conducting the Interview
  • Introduction to Case "Private Rainforest Reserves"
  • Private Rainforest Reserves
  • Student Produced Cases – Documentary
  • Wrap Up

Editing and Writing

  • Introduction to Editing and Writing
  • Introduction to Post & Writing
  • Working With Footage
  • Radio Cut and Narration
  • Rough Cut: Adding B Roll, Music & Graphics
  • Introduction to Writing
  • The Written Case
  • Introduction to Case "Digital Activism"
  • Digital Activism
  • Introduction to Documentary on Post-Production
  • Student Produced Cases – Documentary
  • Wrap Up