An Overview

What are Video Shorts?

Video Shorts (or Digital Stories ) are a new form of expression that is rooted in the written word and then combines image, sound, and voiceover to mesh the layers of a narrative. These 3- to 5-minute video narratives should capture one or more aspects of your time as world travelers. Your stories can be fiction; they can be documentaries; they can be poems. They can be as real as they are remembered with imagination on the fly. Current affairs and social commentary should be a main component of all stories.

Styles of Video Shorts

1. Self-reflective narrative or digital story: written and recorded in a first person voice- recalls personal story or journey

2. Documentary short: a more sociological or ethnographic type piece that
tells a story about one’s interactions with local culture and community-—often features interviews

3. Video for social change: also a documentary type piece that captures a
controversial issue through both research and personal stories-
See example (link to "Not Just Numbers" on watch page)

4. Digital Stories as a Social Software Tool to empower communities:
Other Examples:

-Video Project made by Students in India

-BBC’s Digital Storytelling Community Project: Capturing Wales

-Adobe’s Digital Kid’s Club Katrina Stories:

» Once you have a rough idea of the kind of video you would like to create refer to our Easy Guide to find out more