Journalism Explainer videos, sort-of
Experimentation in digital storytelling
I’m trying something new in one of the only multimedia production courses our students take in the journalism program at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). Students in my Digital Storytelling class are producing what I am calling a “Journalism Explainer Video, sort-of.”
Like irony, don’t ask me how to precisely define it.
I know that explainer videos can vary widely. I like the DIY style of this one by Minnesota Public Radio on how rank-choice voting works. But they can also be pretty sophisticated and use nifty animation, like this one about the depths of our oceans.
What I will say is this: One big purpose behind this assignment is for my students to think about audience. I expect them to use their journalism skills to produce a short video that could be helpful to new students on campus. Having said that, they’re allowed to do a little staging, which, of course, is not journalism.
Their projects should be authentic, and their subject matter drawn from their experience as a UMD student. They need to apply what they’ve learned about visual grammar to their storytelling. Think and shoot in sequences. Capture and tell a story using a variety of shots (wide, medium, tight, super-tight, cut-a-ways, etc.).
Perhaps this assignment requires a social media mindset with a visual journalist’s know-how?
Sometimes I find that it’s best if I get out of the way and see what students can come up with on their own. So, that’s what I did today. I recruited our current and incoming editors from UMD student media, The Bark, to facilitate a brainstorming session. It seemed to go well.
Next week, students will lay out a storyboard to start planning how and when they’ll shoot and produce.
Stay tuned.
