a quick intro to who I am! First up, try watching this:
Here's the rundown:
1. demonstration: a video essay about video essays
this is very meta (not in a zuckerberg way)
if you're curious as to what a video essay could look like, here's a quick one. Think you can do better? I think so too!
we'll be breaking down some elements of this video in the next modules, so if something stuck out to you, you might see it pop up again!
go back home!
2: writing and why i can't help you
the one thing I can't really help you with. don't miss the template!
And, as promised, here's the template. Check it out!
Remember you can't write directly in it - you'll have to go to File -> Copy to copy it to your own Google Docs folder and use it. Have fun!
3: interviewing without hurting anyone
the technical, and ...the personal. Or, how interviewing is like a chainsaw.
...if you have no plans of interviewing anyone in your video essay, you can safely skip this one. But, if you've ever wondered how journalists approach interviews, here's some insight.
4: filming basics
got a phone? you've got a camera.
5: audio > video
the most important part of video, believe it or not
6: how to talk to a camera and not cry
don't be fake. be fake.
7: b-roll and archival and not stealing footage
seems simple, but it's a good idea to think about it early!
Here's the link to 4kdownloader. It's very straightforward to use.
8: file management
the most boring page, but also the one that is gonna save you a lot of tears
this one is fairly straightforward, and is largely covered in other sessions, but the gist is:
- make sure you're using Google Drive to store everything.
- did you know you can sync Google Drive with your computer? You can, and for this project, you might want to consider it! This is mostly relevant for the person who is doing the editing.
- after you finish filming for the day, offload everything into your Google Drive, and label every single file.
- First word should be the type of video, eg PTC for Piece to Camera, BROLL for b-roll, ARCH for archival, etc.
- second word should be a quick description of where/what it is.
- third phrase is a set of numbers: the date and time in military time: YYYY-MM-DD at HHMM.
- So, for example, a PTC you filmed at the library might be something like this: PTC library - 2025-03-35 at 1130. B-roll of repairing a device would be BROLL repair - 2025-03-22 at 1545.
- want to see an example of this in action? Check the editing module.
- This is really about it! Short video walkthrough incoming, depending on student need.
9: Edit With Me: a very silly crash course
get a snack and some soda. oh, and your laptop. this one is gonna take a while!
Here is the free download for CapCut. Note that there is a paid Pro version, but there's no reason to buy that. We're using the free version!
If you'd like to try editing along with me, you can download the source videos! Here are materials. Download this folder from my Google Drive.
As a preview, the contents are the following:
and if you'd like to watch the final version of the video we made, here it is:
10: getting feedback
let's make this a little less scary, shall we?
I know that you (yes, you!) are going to make something incredible, and I can't wait to watch it.
I'm looking forward to working with you! If you've got any questions, drop me a line.
See you soon!