Companion website of the book: http://createtolearn.online Video is among the most powerful of communication tools because it combines the power of image, sound, and music and uses the power of editing to express a point of view. Today the availability of video production tools on smartphones continues to blur the continuum between everyday users, amateurs, and professionals. Many people acquire the knowledge of video production without going to film school, using free resources available online. “How‐to” and educational videos have become increasingly popular as a result of YouTube. Eyewitness videos have a particular appeal because they seem to record reality as it happens. Although documentary video is a nonfiction genre, it uses a variety of techniques to creative narrative structure. To advance their cause, activists can evoke viewers’ strong emotional response to manipulate information and ideas. As a result, people need robust critical‐thinking skills to recognize forms of video propaganda that may be beneficial or harmful.

1. CREATE to
LEARN
Renee
Hobbs@reneehobbs
Introduction to Digital Literacy
Chapter 12
Video Production
Pages 189 - 206

2. Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.
 Over time, people learn to recognize
different genres of videos: narrative,
documentary, advocacy, etc.
 Codes and conventions signal to the
reader or viewer some sense of what
to expect in a particular genre
 Each genre of video uses specific codes
and conventions.
 But conventions & codes also change
and morph over time

3. When people want their
videos to have impact and
reach a real audience, they
put more time and effort into
creating an attractive,
compelling video
To achieve this more polished
look, they seek out ways to
learn about lighting, shot
composition, film editing,
titles and special effects
Amateur and Professional Video
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

4. The Personal Video Essay
• If you’re interested in creating a video
essay, you may benefit from seeing
models of a somewhat unfamiliar genre.
• The video essay often relies on a
complex relationship between language,
image, and sound.
• The viewer must gather up the
elements, listen, and look with the
heart, to grasp the film’s true meaning.
• Words don’t capture the complexity –
neither does sound or music or images.
Create to Learn: Introduction to Digital Literacy, Renee Hobbs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
VIIMEO
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.
This genre
relies on
compelling
images and the
strategic use of
self-disclosure

5. Create to Learn: Introduction to Digital Literacy, Renee Hobbs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
“How To”
and
“Educational”
Videos
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

6. Most Popular “How To”
Searches
1. How to kiss
2. How to tie a tie
3. How to draw
4. How to get a six pack in three minute
5. How to make a starburst bracelet rainbow loom
6. How to make a cake
7. How to curl your hair with a straightener
8. How to make a bow
9. How to make a paper airplane
10.How to dance
Source: Ten Years of YouTube.
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

7. Cooking Videos
Time‐lapse techniques show how
to make a specific recipe
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

8. INFORMAL
Learning
on
YouTube
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.
Informal learning videos generally mix
together information & entertainment

9. FORMAL
Learning
on
YouTube
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

10. Eyewitness Video
 Ordinary people might
become eyewitnesses if
they’re able to use their
smartphone videos in a
breaking news situation
 Professional journalists
depend upon the work of
citizen journalists
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

11. • Hypermobility is the term used
to describe the shaky moving
camera where the
videographer is trying to
capture footage
• Opacity is the blurry & grainy
quality of eyewitness video,
which may include poor
lighting & other interferences
within the field of vision
• Non‐narrativity is the term
used to describe the chaotic,
fragmentary incoherence of
“raw” audio & video, where
sound is unedited. Central
events may take place
off‐screen
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

12. Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.
Ethics of Contemporary
Propaganda
Video has become a key medium for
disseminating propaganda in all forms as
people experience content that routinely
conflates entertainment, information, and
persuasion

13. Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.
Ethics of Contemporary
Propaganda
Video propaganda may be beneficiail or
Video propaganda may
be benficial or harmful

14. Film & Video as
Forms of Advocacy
 Advocacy relies on the power of
creating, consuming & sharing
compelling stories to
inspire people to take forms
of personal, social & political action
 Video is a powerful tool for
developing the capacity for
critical dialogue
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

15. Produce Your Own
Video
Animato
Videolicious
WeVideo
Shadow Puppet
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

16. How to Create
Eyewitness
Video of a
Live Event
WITNESS, an international human rights
organization, created a comprehensive manual
for creating eyewitness videos of rallies and
public events.
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

17. 1. Safety First
When filming a live
event, be aware of your
own safety
Bring someone with you
to watch for potential
problems so that you can
focus on filming
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

18. 2. Variety of Shots
Get wide shots at a distance from the
event as well as close shots from
within it
Wide shots establish a sense of the
place where the event is taking place
Close‐ up shots of people can have
emotional impact
Close‐ups are good for capturing
the sound of action happening
immediately around the camera
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

19. 3. Mix of
Angles
Eye‐level shots offer the
same perspective as we see
them in real life
Belly‐level shots are
good for following a
character’s movement
The cowboy shot is
used to follow a person,
ideally from the knees up
Never use the digital zoom or
any digital effects while
filming Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

20. 4. Interview Footage
Interviews with event leaders
is essential to capture the intended
purpse of the event
Vox pops are spontaneous
interviews with participants who
state their views on a subject
B‐roll footage goes over the
voices you use and should include
many different images & activities
that communicate the feeling of
the event
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

21. 5. Narration
Narration is a mediating
presence between the audience
& the film characters
For some audiences, narration may
be perceived to be manipulative or
indicative of a particular point of
view
People generally perceive the
narrator’s voice to be the voice
of the film itself
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

22. 6. Editing
As you edit, revisit your
audience, purpose and
goals
Log and label all your footage,
planning the sequence of images
as you view
As you edit the footage, be truthful
to the situation you experienced.
Don’t abuse the power of
emotion in a way that misleads
people
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

23. 7. Share
Decide how to share
your work & carefully
title and tag it so that
people can find it
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

24. Activity:
Create a Video of an Event
Using good production techniques to get a
variety of images and interviews. Review the
footage and edit it into a 2–5 minute overview,
using narration and music if necessary to
capture key information and ideas.
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

25. Key
Ideas
• Although many videos seem to record reality as it happens, they are
highly constructed using codes and conventions
• Video is among the most powerful of communication forms because
it combines the power of image, sound & music, editing to express a
point of view
• People learn from both formal and informal video. How-to, personal
essay and eyewitness videos have a particular appeal
• Video advocacy is a form of propaganda that may be beneficial or
harmful
• Attention to detail is important in constructing a video of an event
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.