How to Video - Short Subjects

Think about this: In just a few days, with a video camera and digital editing tools, you can create many of the same powerful effects as major movie producers.

But good video - like good speeches and good prose - begins with the writing. And since I'm a writer, not a videographer, the tips below are intended to assist you with the writing part of an effective one to five-minute presentation.

1. Single theme - For a short, non-fiction video, focus on a single, basic theme. Everything in that video should relate to that single subject.

2. What's the conclusion? - What viewpoint do you want the viewer to draw once she's seen the video? Next to your basic theme, the conclusion is your most important component. It's the conclusion you want your viewer to remember.

3. Make three points - In a short factual video, it's difficult to make more than three points before launching into your conclusion. Develop three strong statements that are EASY to dramatize and will connect the viewer logically to the conclusion.

4. Think visually - Video generally relies more on the picture than on the dialog to create major points. Consider this as you write the script. Think about a visual image for each point you want to make before writing the audio script.

5. Study commercials - Some of this century's best dramatists are TV commercial writers. Take a look at several 30-second or one-minute television ads for tips on how cinematographers convey their messages to the eye.

6. Choose your talent - Casting your video takes special skill. For instance, if you're writing a video on high school teaching techniques, perhaps a teacher or student - or perhaps both - should star in your video. Or, if your movie contains a series of still photos, you might want your audio to be only narration, which you might want to record yourself.

7. Scene order - How do you want your video to "flow?" For instance, if we wrote a video about the fairy tale "Three Little Pigs," our first scenes might show Pig # 1 buying the straw house, etc. The chronology of the video - how you link one scene to another - can make it easier for viewers to understand your points.

8. Script building - Here's one simple way to write it: Describe each scene - or change of camera position - in CAPITAL LETTERS. Underneath each scene, write the dialog or narration in caps and lower case letters.

9. Shoot the video - Unfortunately, I'm NOT the person to advise you on this...but you should be able to find lots of tips on camera angles, positions, and lighting from someone else.

10. Edit your video - There are several very good video editing programs on the market. You can transfer your work from your video camera right to the computer, and edit onscreen.

11. Preview your video - Before completing your project, show your video to several friends, and ask them what suggestions they might make to improve it.

12. Finally - You've probably noticed that some of the most popular internet sites are now short video sites, where "mini-programs" of one or two minutes receive thousands of viewings. As you think about script ideas, consider ways you can build a strong visual conclusion in two minutes or less.

RIX QUINN - who wrote the book on short writing "Words That Stick" - writes a weekly national syndicated humor column for DBR Media.