Foerster ­ Advocacy Video Spring '05 Advocacy Video ­ Level 2 Video…

Foerster ­ Advocacy Video Spring '05


Advocacy Video ­ Level 2 Video Production Course

Course Description
Advocacy video is video with a purpose -- used to train, teach, motivate, shock, inspire, and raise
awareness, consciousness and funds. As the internet provides more opportunities for the
independent journalist and activist groups form global alliances, the advocacy video will become
an increasingly powerful tool for social change.

In this course, students interested in the potent intersection of media, action and society will
explore the difference between "advocacy," "news" and "propaganda," how to evaluate a video's
effectiveness and how to use the non-narrative form for emotional, political impact. As a
backdrop, we will address the roles of mass, interpersonal, developmental and rhetorical
communication theories in theories of social change.

Students will work individually and in groups on a series of exercises that explore the advocacy
potential of the production process as well as the product: from media training, witness and
performance video to traditional documentary and public service announcement. For the final
project, students will be encouraged to make contact and/or collaborate with their communities,
non-profits, families, clubs or special-interest groups.

Course Outline
We will explore various ways that video can be used as a tool for social change by individuals
or organizations with diverse political and social concerns ­the environment, race, gender,
health, education, labor, housing, culture, politics, art, etc.

For the midterm, each student will present research on any relevant topic that supports the final
project such as an analysis of an organization's use of video, a review of tapes available on a
particular issue, an investigation into the costs of distribution or the daily life of a freelance video
journalist. The emphasis will be on finding primary resources and/or building relationships that
may lead to the final project.

The final project may be a complete video piece or a project that includes video in some way.
The video may take any form (PSA, mini- documentary, news package, fund raiser, music video,
etc.) that is deemed most effective. The project should include some evaluative or feedback
process.
All final projects will represent a substantial amount of fieldwork, research, networking and
production and will be accompanied by a formal presentation.

Students will be graded on class participation and the completeness of their final projects.

Suggested Readings
Because this is a production class, I've suggested a few readings meant to provoke and inspire.
Throughout the semester, I will email links to related organizations and other resources.

Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. 30th anniversary ed. New York: Continuum, 2000.
Foerster ­ Advocacy Video Spring '05


Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Boston:
Back Bay, 2002.

Harding, Thomas. The Video Activist Handbook. 2nd ed. London ; Sterling, Va.: Pluto Press,
2001.

Pearce, W. Barnett and Stephen W. Littlejohn. Moral Conflict: When Social Worlds Collide.
Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1997.

Additional Resources
Bonk, Kathy, et al. The Jossey-Bass Guide to Strategic Communications for Nonprofits : A Step-
by-Step Guide to Working with the Media to Generate Publicity, Enhance Fundraising, Build
Membership, Change Public Policy, Handle Crises, and More. The Jossey-Bass Nonprofit and
Public Management Series. 1st ed. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass, 1999.

Meikle, Graham. Future Active: Media Activism and the Internet. London: Routledge, 2002.

Wallack, Lawrence Marshall. News for a Change : An Advocate's Guide to Working with the
Media. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications, 1999.

Wilkins, Karin Gwinn. Redeveloping Communication for Social Change : Theory, Practice, and
Power. Lanham Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2000.

You might also browse the web, Amazon or online journals to see what's available in areas that
interest you. Thinking and writing about media advocacy has exploded in recent years. Here are
some areas to search:

   Education, Media and Computer                   Policy and Political Campaigns
   Literacy                                        Sub-Groups, Counter-culture,
   Social Movements - Grass Roots and              Marginality
   Mainstream                                      Witness, Personal Narrative
   Technology, Internet Activism                   Personal Growth, Consciousness,
   Economics, Social Marketing and Social          Empowerment
   Entrepreneurialism                              News, Mass Media, Agenda Setting
   Propaganda, Advertising, Persuasion and         Health, Development, Environment
   Influence

1/26 - Class 1
Introduction
Logistics and Requirements
A broad look at advocacy ­ Process, Product and Evaluation
Power, Policy, Problems and Psychology ­
Where Change Happens and Theories of Change
Non-Causal Alternatives ­ Chaos, Viruses, Butterflies and
Appreciative Inquiry
    Evaluation
   Foerster ­ Advocacy Video Spring '05


In-Class Exercise: Identifying Values ­ where to go for dinner?
           Camera Review
Homework: Please read article "Lessons in Evaluating Communications Campaigns"
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/lessons/intro.html or download as pdf
www.mediaevaluationproject.org/HFRP2.pdf
Take particular note of the policy/individual continuum, various theories of change, the case
study diagrams and where your interests lie

2/2 - Class 2
News
News Paradigms and Alternatives
Events
    Adversarial Models
    Agenda Setting
Video News Releases
See: Greenpeace, cpj.org (Committee to Protect Journalists)
In-Class Exercise: stand-up journalist exercise, shoot and edit
Homework: shoot and edit a VNR or news package

2/9 - Class 3
News Continued
    Review of post techniques
            Sound, titles, finishing
In-Class Exercise: Screen and critique, edit
Homework: re-shoot, re-edit, prepare to present final package

2/16 - Class 4
Interviews
Review Interview Techniques ­ sound and lighting
Exploring boundaries - POV, empathy, objectivity, contexts
Asking hard questions
"Real People" and Experts
In-Class Exercise: 2-camera broadcast interview set-up
Homework: shoot and light a formal sit-down interview
    Analyze the process and prepare clips to present

2/23 - Class 5
Media training
Media training ­ packaging the message and the messenger
In-Class Exercise: media training exercises
Homework: give a media training session,
   Analyze the process and prepare clips to present

3/2 - Class 6
PSA
Social Marketing
   Foerster ­ Advocacy Video Spring '05


Training, Fundraising
Narrative and non-narrative styles
Proposals and budgets
In-Class Exercise: PSA storyboards, crews
Homework: produce, shoot edit 30 second PSA

3/9 - Class 7
Midterm presentations and discussion of Final Project

3/16 - Class 8
Witness
Give a voice
Personal/political video, family history, archives
   Video evidence and documentation
           Covert methods
           Legal issues
See: Shoah Visual History Foundation Project, RAWA
In-Class Exercise: getting personal
Homework: shoot a personal interview, eyewitness account, or gather "evidence"
   Analyze the process and prepare clips to present

Spring Break

3/30 - Class 9
Getting Coverage and Direct Action
    Using a camera crew to call attention/lend credibility to an organization,
    event or action
           Using a camera for direct action, education or intervention
In-Class Exercise: Screen "Wet-Dreams and False Images"
Homework: use the camera to call attention to your action -- make notes about how people
respond to you as a camera crew
   Foerster ­ Advocacy Video Spring '05


4/6 - Class 10
Media "Literacy"
What is Literacy/ Who is "illiterate?"
Does the literary model apply?
    Educating viewers about "preferred" and "alternative" readings
Access and Authorship
DIY and the-means-of-production
Politics of self-expression
Teaching video production as a tool for empowerment
Examining authorship, the "crew" and alternative organizational methods
Alternative Audiences
    Distribution ­ festivals, internet, groups
See: Girls Inc. and themediaspot.org
In-Class Exercise: experiments with alternative organization
Homework: teach video to someone, or experiment with concept of "authorship"
Analyze process and present what worked, what didn't, show clips


Class 11 -14
Classes will address issues raised earlier but with a focus on individual projects:
What is your purpose? Who is the audience?
What will make your project effective? How will we measure that?
Style and aesthetics
Ownership and authorship
Budgeting and permissions
Is it propaganda, news, art? does it matter?
In-Class Exercise: pre-production, screen rough cuts, edit, critique
Homework: Final Projects


5/11 - Class 15
Final Screening