BFI-CVAC Video Essays workshop - with film Journalist and video essayist Leigh Singer

Video Essays with Leigh Singer

• Thursday September 26^th, 09:30-17:00
• Room W007, Geography building, Science Site, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE
• Lunch provided
• Free to attend, but you must register: please SIGN UP HERE! 

The moving image is a powerful tool for communication, offering a unique toolkit to disseminate ideas and engage with audiences.  This 1-day workshop by the BFI (British Film Institute) is for academics who are interested in how video essays can be used to communicate their research.

Delivered by film Journalist and video essayist Leigh Singer, the course will cover:

• What audiovisual essays are and how they can be applied to research/academia
• Different approaches from the academic to more mainstream
• The ‘desktop documentary’
• Video editing techniques including importing clips, adding audio, onscreen text, split screen, slow motion, reverse motion and freezeframes

There will be practical group editing and discussion exercises, with opportunity for feedback and Q&A on approaches to attendee projects.

This course will not cover capturing video footage. After the course, you will be able to access a series of short smartphone filmmaking videos by the BFI.

It is recommended that attendees who have never used an editing programme before download DaVinci Resolve editing software (available through AppsAnywhere) on their laptop and familiarise themselves with the interface.

Participants will receive a welcome letter before the start of the course.

Course Outline

MORNING – SESSION 1

WELCOME AND COFFEE

INTRODUCTION TO THE VIDEO ESSAY

• What are audiovisual essays and how can they be applied to higher education / research?
• Antecedents in documentary and the essay film; changes in technology, personal approach; active, in-depth relationship with the media
• The desktop documentary – a present-tense investigation, screen as canvas and window to research process

We will look at various examples of approaches to video essays, from the academic to the more mainstream; uses of voiceover, onscreen text, different platforms, etc

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SHORT BREAK

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MORNING – SESSION 2

 INTRODUCTION TO VIDEO EDITING

• Non-linear digital editing – the inherent possibilities
• Different softwares – Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve
• The basic application layout – Importing Clips, Selecting In/Out Points, Constructing Sequences on the Timeline, Adding Audio

Video and audio clips to be provided to each participant* to play around with and use the software

 *depending on available equipment / number of participants, which may require groups

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LUNCH BREAK

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AFTERNOON – SESSION 1

CONTINUATION OF VIDEO EDITING

• Shortcuts and more advanced editing techniques: Split Screen, Slow Motion, Reverse Motion, Freeze Frames
• Keyframes – how to make changes to media clips over a time period
• Exercise: construct a 30 second sequence from the media clips provided.
• Adding voiceover, changing / mixing audio levels

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SHORT BREAK

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AFTERNOON – SESSION 2

GROUP PROJECT DISCUSSIONS

• Opportunity for participants to “pitch” their research projects and receive feedback from the tutor and group about both the idea and the potential audiovisual approaches
• Opportunity for specific enquiries about other editing techniques
• ‘How To Structure A Video Essay’
• Promotion and Dissemination of work across social media; rights

REGISTER TO ATTEND - here

DOWNLOAD THE 26 Sept 2024 BFI-CVAC video essays workshop programme

BFI CVAC Video Essays Workshop with Leigh Singer

• Thursday September 26^th, 09:30-17:00
• Room W007, Geography building, Science Site, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE
• Lunch provided
• Free to attend, but you must register: please SIGN UP ! 

We look forward to you joining us on 26th September!

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