Short-form Video Project
Short-form videos are catered for quick consumption and social media websites. They favor audiences’ media consumption shift towards online mediums and rapid interactions, usually being filmed vertically and edited to under two minutes long. When utilized effectively, short-form videos make it easier for learners to engage with the content and grasp concepts.
In this project, students will create short videos—typically under two minutes—based on their understanding of selected topics, incorporating their own footage, archival imagery and audio, and/or social media trends. The versatility of video as a means of communication allows the instructor and students to engage in teaching and learning that is dynamic, creative, and adaptable.
Why choose video?
Literacies:
- Content Creation: Students are actively engaged in researching, organizing, and presenting content to develop a coherent narrative and communicate effectively, encouraging critical thinking and deeper understanding.
- Information Literacy: Students must locate and evaluate reliable sources, critically assess the credibility and relevance of content, and determine how to represent it accurately, enabling more discerning consumers and producers of information.
- Communication Skills: Clear and concise messaging requires students to carefully select and organize information, considering target audience and appropriate visuals, developing effective communication skills.
- Creative Expression: Students can experiment with filming and editing techniques, text and graphics, music and audio effects, story-telling approaches, while critically thinking about how to best represent information, leading to deeper understanding of the content.
- Media Literacy: Creating and editing a video involves various digital tools and technologies, handling multiple file formats, and critically evaluating existing media, developing students’ technical skills for the digital age.
Formats:
- Social Media: Varied styles of video generally lasting ninety seconds or less, filmed in vertical orientation, and lightly edited (jump cuts or single take, voice-over, basic graphics, etc.), giving students ample room for creative expression on any topic.
- Informational/Educational: Prioritizing practical demonstrations and succinct explanations, students combine recorded and stock footage, images, animations, and voice-over to convey concepts and facts.
- Micro Film: Cinematographic films generally under five minutes long and spanning screenplays of any genre (both fictional and non-fictional, such as biopics and documentaries), allowing students to create low-to-no budget movies inspired by class content.
- Long-form*: Videos around ten or more minutes. Counterpart to short-form online media in terms of duration, yet sharing many of the same production and editing aspects, allowing students to create engaging videos such as visual essays and unscripted content.
Examples and Use Cases
Project Process
1. Introduction
The instructor clarifies expectations, both in terms of content and format. Does it have to be a specific style of short-form video, or is it open to student choice? Do students need to use a particular software or set of video specifications? Are there any mandatory audio and visual elements? To help students understand the expectations, the instructor can provide examples—their own creations, previous student work, and/or samples from the internet.
The instructor may ask students to document their process (e.g., screen recording the video planning and editing, and capturing research footage). Students can then use these as resources for short-form video creation, project reflection, and even sharing their process.
Students review the assignment, rubric, and any handouts or materials given with the assignment. They clarify any immediate questions, but also seek further guidance along the way as needed.
2. Research
Students conduct traditional academic research on the topic and familiarize themselves with short-form videos (preferably, studying videos related to the assignment topic).
The instructor decides how extensively students need to research, according to the topic and class level. It is important that students truly understand how the research can or should be incorporated into the short-form video.
If this research involves fieldwork, interviewing, or even service learning, instructors and students coordinate and plan on capturing media elements that can be used in the creating phase.
3. Planning
Like creating the outline of an essay, students need to plan their short-form video by organizing their research into a thesis/introduction, arguments/subtopics, and conclusion. These are synthesized into the video content—a narrative script, interview questions or conversation prompts, or a mix of those discourse types, in addition to footage and art direction.
Instructors assist students at this point by providing creative and learning resources, encouraging intermediary deadlines, and giving feedback in real time to the best of their availability. The short-form video planning sheet is a great tool to help students organize information.
4. Creating
Students use their research and planning documents to create the short-form video. They will make a storyboard (a sequence of key frame sketches paired with narrative or dialogue description), record scenes, gather stock or archival footage and audio elements, and capture voice-over.
The short-form video can be edited in free non-linear editing software, ranging from user-friendly online and mobile apps (Clipchamp, PowerDirector, Premiere Rush), to intermediary (iMovie) and advanced (DaVinci Resolve) programs. The ideal tool will depend on the assignment’s goals and students/instructor proficiency.
Students remain adaptable with their creations. Planning ahead gives them an action plan, but feedback from peers and new insights may lead to changes that improve the final deliverable.
5. Sharing
Finally, students export and submit their short-form video, usually in MP4 format. They share or post it where peers can see it, such as an LMS (Lamakū) discussion post or in-class presentation, and provide feedback or comments to each other.
The instructor then grades the projects, taking into account the redesigned assignment’s goals and learning outcomes. In addition, the instructor may encourage students to share their creations with a wider audience by posting to social media or an online forum.
Equipment & Software
