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.”