The Challenges of Video Production

Thanks to programs like iMovie, there is no longer a technical hindrance in creating dynamic videos. Instead, the challenge lies in creating an interesting story and telling the story through appropriate audio and visuals. To demonstrate these goals in story telling, I created a short video about living on or around UVic's campus for DHSI. By explaining my thought process in creating this video, I wanted to illustrate the questions that occur in trying to create cohesion between form and content in video.

Elements of the video that enhance the story are the short, quick shots, the fast-paced music, and variety of footage. You see a lot of people and they each have a captivating personality. For example, the footage of Ali McGhee was shot while we were sitting in a dark, fairly bland computer lab but her manner of speaking and what she has to say is intriguing. Check out how she looks directly in the camera, not at me. That gives the impression that she's having a conversation with the viewer and makes the video more personal.

Still, it is not a good idea to only include headshots. Headshots will get boring, so I added additional visuals that were associated with the commentary, like screencasts of GoogleMap or photos. Because one of my goals was to be informative, I wanted to be clear about where to go and what to use. I wanted everyone who sees this video to know that the 26 bus is in Bay 7, instead of surveying the bus station until you saw the Bay 7 sign. Similarly, I show the BC Transit website and the process of finding the schedule. By the way, fare is $2.50.

Because living at UVic isn't necessarily a chronological story, I decided to organize the video by the order in which a future DHSI participant would figure out the logistics of living here. I wanted to let the audience know what to expect by listing the questions at the beginning. Then, they would also know when to expect the video to end and that the last clip of Ali's experience with couch surfing is an aside. If I had included the footage of Ali within the main section of the video, it would have made the viewing experience inconsistent. She is offering a personal story while the others are giving tips and tricks. At the same time, what she had to say is important in case a participant does get stranded so I moved it to the end.

Keeping the outcome in mind throughout shooting footage and editing goes a long way!