The Pitch. (Pre-production)
Purpose/Goals- A theater venue at a high school requires an instructional video to assist staff, students, and volunteers on how to operate the lighting and sound system. The project's background and context is a high school theater venue.
The subject that has been decided upon for this project is going to be how to run the lights and the sound system at the theater. Because I have prior experience in the field of audiovisual production and because I have a desire to help others who could benefit from my expertise, I have chosen to work on this production.
The lack of knowledge regarding how to control the lighting and sound system is the learning problem that is intended to be solved by watching this video. The viewers are going to learn how to install the system, how to run it, and how to fix typical problems through the use of this video.
The most effective form of instruction for this subject would be a video that walks the viewer through each stage of the process in sequential order, complete with accompanying visuals and voiceover.
The level of self-assurance and efficiency with which viewers can control the lighting and music system will be an important indicator of the video's overall level of success.
Target Audience- Staff members, students, and volunteers who need to control the lighting and sound system of the theater venue are the learners and target audience for this training session. To determine who would most benefit from watching this video and who is required to routinely operate the system, I conferred with the administration team of the school. This allowed me to select the appropriate audience.
Planned Software- Adobe Premiere Pro and WeVideo are the software programs that are going to be integral to the production of this instructional video. The intricacy of the lighting and music system presents the possibility of friction as a potential obstacle. It might be difficult to produce a video that discusses all elements of the system without making the audience feel overloaded with information.
Narrative- The movie will start off with an overview of the lighting and sound system, discussing its significance in the context of a theatrical performance. The process of setting up the equipment, including how to connect it and turn it on, will then be covered in the following segment of the video. After that, the audience will be led step-by-step through the process of operating the system, which will include instructions on how to customize the music and the lighting effects. In the final part of the video, typical problems that may occur will be discussed, along with solutions to those problems. The audience will be able to easily follow along with the story thanks to the use of clear visuals and narration throughout the entire presentation. At the end of the movie, there will be a brief summary of the most important points, as well as a message that will encourage viewers to continue honing their abilities through practice.
References:
Sargent, R. (2022, October 4). The Do It Messy Approach: A Step-By-Step Guide for Instructional Designers and Online Learning Developers (IDOLs).
Malamed, C. (2015, March 31). Visual Design Solutions: Principles and Creative Inspiration for Learning Professionals.
We finally wrap up pre-production with our storyboard and script. If you click the file below, it is the storyboard and script for the educational resource "Can You Hear Me Now?". Just because this part is "finished" doesn't mean it won't change. Once you start filming, you might find you forgot something important or you should cut something because it is no longer important.
Filming (Production)
One of the biggest pieces of advice I can share is that you don't have to go in chronological order. If you have five shots in one location but they are out of order, it's ok to film all of those location shots all at once. If it helps, print out your storyboard and script to make sure you don't forget anything. If you completed your pre-production effectively, your production will be relatively painless.
Editing (Post-production)
This includes contemplating all of your previous life choices and analyzing the font you chose for over an hour; or was that just me? Edit it until you feel it is complete and then get another set of eyes on it! Sometimes you have looked at your video for so long, it's hard to see where any improvements can be made. Getting a fresh set of eyes on it (pro-tip find someone in the targeted audience you are trying to reach) can really help you over the hill of confusion. As I stated above, I really like WeVideo but feel free to use the software you feel comfortable working with.
The good, the bad, and the ugly...
My process is below on full display. From updates to reflections, you can see how the process went including the feedback I received from my targeted audience and what my first draft looks like versus my final draft.
Progress Update #1 - The video I have created has really been a labor of love. While I did stick pretty close to my storyboard and script, I found a few gaps that needed to be filled in with more videos and voice-overs.
In terms of editing software, I stayed with WeVideo. I really like this cloud-based program because I can edit from anywhere. I can’t say anything has drastically changed since my initial pitch. My biggest challenge is time. With our spring show right around the corner, I really have had a hard time filming and going back to re-film more shots that I thought were really necessary in order for the audience to understand what I was trying to communicate. One of the biggest successes was being able to have access to the tech booth anytime during normal school hours. The auditorium isn’t used on a consistent basis, so when I did need to re-film, I didn’t have much of an issue.
Production Materials - Below I have included the actual notes and changes I made directly on my storyboard and script. I don’t know that YouTube would be considered production material, but I am using it in order to have the video closed captioned.
First Draft - I uploaded this video to YouTube in order to have closed captioning as an option for my audience. https://youtu.be/yJI3LKJ8P-k
Progress Update #2- When I first started working on this project, I was really hoping to turn the sound system in Estero High School's auditorium into a teaching tool that staff, volunteers, and students could use. I also wanted to create a video for the lightboard, but I knew I wouldn't be able to do both of them well. Instead, I focused on the soundboard because it gets used more regularly. I asked my administration if they would permit me to record in our tech booth and use this as a resource for the school before I started this process. No one would want to see a lengthy video, so they agreed with the requirement that it be under three minutes. I made sure to emphasize the necessities for this video while taking that into account as well as the other components of what I felt were important. Overall, I believe I succeeded in achieving my goals. I described the location of the sound system's technical booth. I demonstrated how to turn on the three different devices that connect everything, how to turn up the volume, how to utilize the correct wireless microphones, and how to maintain them. I also took sure to show you how to properly turn everything off.
Challenges-There has been a few challenges with this process. My first challenge was (in usual EHS fashion) our sound began glitching and we couldn’t get it to turn on at all. This happens every so often because of the age of the electrical wiring in the auditorium. Luckily, I finished with my storyboard and script early to give me a little bit of extra time to be able to film. Another challenge was finding the time to film. At this point in the school year, I am rehearsing for our show, and the auditorium is booked up until the second week in June with events and rentals. I was able to sneak in before school because no one wants to show up to school at 6:00 AM if they don’t have to. The last hurdle I had to face was making sure the video wasn’t too long. While a time element wasn’t communicated in this project from our course, I was instructed by my administration team to keep the video under three minutes. I finalized my revised video at 2:59. Mission accomplished!
Overall Experiences with WeVideo- I chose to use WeVideo which is a cloud-based program that is much more affordable than other programs such as PremierePro. I used WeVideo in order to also be able to show my TV/Film Production students my process and what it looks like as they advance throughout their careers. WeVideo also offers some really great stock video and stock audio options that proved beneficial after I received feedback from my students that I should add a quiet soundtrack throughout the video. WeVideo makes it easy to download the finalized video as a .MP4 as well as create a link to be able to share out if you didn’t want to upload the video to YouTube or VIMEO. I choose to upload the video to YouTube so it would be able to have CC capabilities and be available for others to use even if I no longer work at Estero in the future.
Reflection on creativity- My students were upset that I didn't make the video as humorous as I do in class, but I was determined to keep it professional so that it would appeal to a variety of viewers and learners. I have a tendency to veer off course, so having a storyboard with all the scenes and story components I needed was crucial. Additionally, I was really concerned about having closed captioning for the video. Since taking my course on universal design for learning, I've realized how crucial it is for me to make sure that all learners can use my resources. Additionally, I wanted to ensure that I was adhering to Connie Malamade's visual design process. I was careful to use color strategically so as to keep the student interested. Overall, the aesthetic design was straightforward but successful.
How feedback inspired changes- For this project, I believe including feedback forms for my students was quite instructive. I was able to check to see if my kids could follow along and learn what they felt could be improved. Since they began giving me the feedback I was giving them at the beginning of the year, I was incredibly impressed that they learned so much this year. I was instructed to make sure that I was including background audio, which I did. I was also advised to include a further video demonstrating how to physically turn up the master volume and the numbered microphone. When you are completely at ease doing anything, it becomes automatic. I was pleased that my students noticed minor details that, to someone unfamiliar with the technology, undoubtedly make a significant difference.
Check out both videos and tell me what you think you would do to improve this instructional video!
Can you hear me now? Rough draft
Can you hear me now? Final draft
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