This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
If you’re interested in the exciting world of creating videos and storytelling that informs, inspires, and changes minds, then this videography and writing course is for you! Learn all that goes into production, writing, and expressing yourself in a powerful visual medium. This course is full of practical ways to increase your writing, interpersonal communication skills, and core competencies – all in a way that can help you excel in the future.
Total classes: 10
Prerequisite: None. Any other writing course (core courses and X-Series) can be taken concurrently if desired.
Suggested grade level: 8th to 12th grade
Suggested credit: One full semester of Creative Writing, Business Writing, or Videography
Special notes:
This course only accepts 20 students. Course materials are provided FREE. This is Part One of two one-semester courses that “fit together”; be sure to sign up for “Writing for Video Production, Media, and More, Part Two,” where students join the learning in this course and the next to create a collaborative videography project with classmates, guided by Professor Hughes!
Description
Are you interested in what makes a great vlog, podcast, or even social post? Do you see yourself using writing creatively along with video production to change hearts and minds for good? Do you long to make a difference and inspire others through creativity? If so, then this course is for you! Here, you’ll learn how videography and writing work together to tell stories, motivate people to action, and inspire hearts. From interviews to creative storytelling, you’ll learn what goes into creating videos; the processes and equipment in videography and writing; different purposes and styles of video communication; writing scripts for your purpose and audience; and how to integrate narrative storytelling into video projects that grab the viewer’s attention. This course will allow you to raise your written communication skills, become skilled in the elements of visual communication, and gain exceptional, real-world skills for college and beyond.
Outline
Class 1: What is videography, visually and in writing? How words and videography work together to make amazing stories that inform, inspire, and change minds – including how to join communities and stir people to faith-based action.
Class 2: How do we use the Hero’s Journey and storytelling in video production of all kinds? Why is storytelling so important to videography?
Class 3: What goes into creating videos, small to large? All about the camera, crew, and production (what equipment has to do with it). Pre-production, production, and the post-production process: How it works.
Class 4: What’s involved in writing scripts for television? What kind of writing is involved with radio spots? How does writing work together with visuals to create interest and action?
Class 5: What are Informational videos? What’s a corporate video, what is it for, and what’s in it? Where are informational videos used, and why are they important? How do we create an informational video?
Class 6: What goes into creating videos for YouTube vlogs, interviews, product unboxing, product rating, and high-interest topics: The basics of techniques (for different types of YouTube videos), using tools (cameras, lighting, microphones, and more), and writing.
Class 7: Creating short videos for social media, personal projects, and more: The impact of writing and visual storytelling on each type, writing the Script for your purpose and audience, and narrative storytelling that grabs the viewer’s attention.
Class 8: Writing and videography for podcasts: How it works and how to inspire through your words (and possibly personal video appearances)
Class 9: Your Final Project – Discuss and plan your work. How to create your written and videography project (due in two weeks).
Class 10: Great examples of writing and videography “across the Internet and digital world” to inspire you to create.
Materials and Homework
Materials:
All course materials are provided FREE in the course. Microsoft Word or the ability to convert a document to a Word-compatible document is required. If you do not own Microsoft Word, you can use a system such as Google Docs that converts to Word documents FREE to create your documents. Also, students must have access to a smartphone or Zoom (free version) for videography with the final course project.
Homework:
Weekly writing assignments with direct feedback from the instructor, with an estimated two (2) to three (3) hours per week for homework outside of class time that includes reading, viewing videos, writing, creating videos, and responding to instructor feedback.
Important Dates
Class dates: Tuesdays, September 17 to December 3, 2024. No class Oct. 22 & Nov. 26
Starting time: 5:30 PM Eastern (4:30 PM Central, 3:30 PM Mountain, 2:30 PM Pacific)
Duration: 55 minutes
