Over the last two weeks, we have dived into a number of different topics and concepts that have been closely related to what I’ve been doing online (via forums like Twitter). One topic that has been particularly interesting to see in all of the videos we’ve been watching – and something that was spoken about in How to Make Videos that Don’t Suck – has been the notion of “Subject + Action = Shot.” This is both an interesting concept and something that is vital in creating a video that contains substance and meaning.

Many times when I am on Twitter, there are pictures and videos that fulfill this idea of “Subject + Action = Shot.” While this phrase applies primarily in a video context, I have noticed it in many of the posts and pictures on Twitter – to rally people to help, there is always a subject and an action in each post.

One post, for example, expresses the sheer importance of the Great Barrier Reef. The subject is coral reef preservation (and the jobs at stake, like fishing, that rely on coral reefs) and the action is to push for policy to save the reef as a whole. Another example was a retweet from @ReefLifeRestoration in which they talked about seven ways to save reefs around the world. The subject in this case was coral reef preservation and the action is to do one of the seven improvements to help our reefs.

In each of these cases, we see the subject and the action culminate in one combined “shot.” Without either of these components, we would have an incomplete equation, and as noted in How to Shoot Videos that Don’t Suck, this is a fundamental problem in creating a substandard video.

Aside from our readings, we have also discussed the importance of always having a distinct goal in mind for our projects. In class we have asked ourselves several questions: what do we want our video projects to accomplish, what actions do we want individuals to take after watching the videos, and who do we want to target?

While this has been a valuable process in terms of creating a video that is meaningful and worthwhile, it has also opened my eyes to the various tactics that individuals use on Twitter to capture their audience. Often times, the viewers of these posts are intellectuals specifically interested in coral reefs, but in addition to this audience, there is also a much wider range of individuals (like me) who originally know nothing about coral reefs. Because of this, most Tweeters have to ask themselves these fundamental questions so that they can target their audience effectively.

All in all, I think there are several valuable lessons that I have learned from How to Shoot Videos that Don’t Suck and from our class discussions – lessons that have centered on the idea of creating a product that has a wealth of information and a strong sense of content. Without thinking of the finished work as “Subject + Action = Shot” and without considering the end goals for your project, the entirety of the production can become a lost cause. Just I have noticed through Tweets from different Coral Reef activists around the world, you must have a clear and direct plan – otherwise, things can drift off into a video that “sucks.”

These past few weeks have been focused primarily on podcast preparation and video preparation. One of the topics that we have discussed and read about extensively has been the creation of the public service announcement (PSA). In class, we’ve talked through the various methods for creating a public service announcement – things including  targeting your audience, having a hook at the beginning of each clip, and requesting a call to action.

First, the idea of targeting your audience can be difficult as you must target a specific group of people in order to really drive your point home. In class, we watched many examples of PSA videos, but one of my favorites (although it was vague in its overall objective) was a video of DJ Khaled talking about the importance of working hard – hinting that going to college is very important. I found this to be particularly interesting because DJ Khaled never actually graduated or even went to college – but I digress. What is important from this video is the idea of targeting an audience. In this case, the audience is high school-aged students that are on the verge of going to college. Therefore, it makes sense that they have DJ Khaled in the video as people are extremely interested in him today for his music production and hilarious SnapChat videos. Even more, the include a teacher that seems to be young and hip (not old and boring), and a student that has a vibe of being “cool.” Overall, by understanding who the audience was, this PSA was able to target that audience by including a number of key items to draw in listeners and make the production successful.

Another factor about the DJ Khaled video that was very interesting was the way in which they “hooked” the audience. The Preparing Public Service Announcements article speaks directly to this, mentioning that it is extremely important to draw in your listeners early on or else you may lose them. To do this, the video cleverly used the ringing of a school bell to have the audience snap to attention, and directly following this bell was DJ Khaled’s voice saying something along the lines of “put away your cellphone in class!” In these quick five seconds, the PSA effectively captured the audiences attention and worked towards keeping us involved for the remainder of the video.

In my Twitter experience, I have noticed many similarities to both of these qualities. While most Twitter posts include simple text and quick photos, some contain videos that often serve the same purpose of a PSA. One way or another, these videos urge us to understand the detrimental effects of coral bleaching, to understand how littering in the ocean is corrosive to sea life environments, and many more. In one of these videos, for example, the video begins with a massive view of the Great Barrier Reef, and it shows how it looked a decade ago vs. how it looks now. In many ways, this was effective in being a hook for the video – the difference is astounding. Additionally, the video does a great job in understanding their audience. While many professional people interact and have conversations on Twitter, these coral reef activists understand that it is important to teach people uneducated on the matter. Therefore, when they make this video they make it somewhat educational. A quick explanation of what it is helps the audience digest the subject quickly and move forward. Through the notion of having a “hook” and knowing your audience, PSAs are very effective.

So, what makes these videos effective? As our in class reading suggests, the effectiveness lies in the ability to encourage and inspire a call to action. Another PSA that we watched in class was about bullying in school today. Near the end of the video the PSA encouraged the audience to join the effort and stop bullying today. While individuals may or may not go out and directly fight bullying first hand, I think the video pushed more for a change in mentality – a change that will make people question themselves when bullying, asking “is this really necessary?” In many of the PSA videos I find on Twitter about coral bleaching and many of the posts that are about coral bleaching in general, there is a call to action that is similar to this idea of changing mentalities. Often times, it is hard to realize that we can directly fight coral bleaching individually, but these PSAs help in understanding that if everyone changes their overall mentality, we can see a change. Call to actions like these are effective for activists on social media platforms – it is how they thrive.

Overall, these comparisons between the reading and my Twitter experience were exciting to see, and I look forward to seeing how they develop more as the term goes on!