Media and Information
Literacy
Quarter 4–Module 8:
Creative Content Creation
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Congratulations!
You have reached the final lesson in Media and Information Literacy. This may be the last,
but this is the most substantial part of MIL. This time, I will not act as your teacher. Rather, I will
be your student, or should I say, I will be one of the thousands and possibly millions who are eager
to learn from your outputs.
The different portions of this lesson will serve as your guide in strategizing your final
presentation, so make sure you will not miss a single activity. Break a leg (but not literally)!
MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY
Produce a creative text-based, visual-based, audio-based, motion-based, and
manipulative-based presentation using design principle and elements
OBJECTIVES
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. Produce a creative content based on the previously created project plan;
2. Promote Filipino values and other positive information;
3. Disseminate the created content using the most feasible means.
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Self-Check
As creative content creator, you have to dream on and dream big. Take caution, though
because you have to stay grounded to reality. Before starting on your project, think of what you
can and what you cannot do. Check you also have to check your resources and stay low-cost.
Here are self-check questions for you to answer:
1. What are your interests? To make the task easier for you, think of something closest to
your heart. Doing so, half your work will look like one leisure activity.
2. What are your limits? Remember that we are still in the quarantine period, and we have
protocols to follow. Think about your financial limits as well. Take note of these as you
conceptualize.
3. What are your resources? Think about everything and anyone to help you realize your
goals. Do you have the necessary technical equipment, like a camera, computer, or editing
software? Are there available indigenous materials that you can use, more so, do you have
indigenous knowledge to invest on? Do you have a family member or a friend who can
collaborate with your work? Perhaps your learning facilitators can mobilize you into
groups. If that’s the case, you have to keep in mind all safety measures and restrictions.
Some Reading Materials to Aid You
Let’s face it. You have a difficult but doable task, and you have to be wary of your greatest
enemy: time. By this time, you might be brewing something in your mind, and you are preparing
to unleash your creative juices. But then, at this time, you might still be asking yourself what you
will do and how you will do it. Allow me to share with you five articles in crafting different creative
content, namely, short film, photo essay, poster, Power Point presentation, and vlog. These are
lifted directly from the internet, so you might find some of the tips too technical, but generally,
these serve as good resource material for newbies in the field. You may read them all or focus on
just one that is most doable for you.
A. The Best Tips for Making a Short Film in a Short Amount of Time
Posted on May 10, 2019 by New York Film Academy
There are any number of reasons you might have a limited amount of time to create a short
film (even from scratch. Time is one of the most valuable resources a filmmaker can have, so
creating a short film in a crunch can be quite the challenge.
New York Film Academy has pooled advice from the chairs and faculty of our many different
departments—including Cinematography, Producing, Filmmaking, and Digital Editing—to give a
well-balanced list of offered tips and best practices for creating the best possible short film in a
short amount of time:
Story
Try to come up with a great idea that works in a few minutes. Keep the concept simple
and focused. A good logline can help you focus your idea and keep you from wandering too far
off course.
Come up with a story that can believably occur in a very short amount of time, even ten
minutes. Your actual film’s running time doesn’t need to be that long, but you will be able to
dramatize shorter events in a more grounded way.
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Actors
Cast carefully. Some actors may be more comfortable with ample rehearsal time, so make
sure they know the time restrictions of your shoot.
Allow your actors to contribute. If they’re inventive, give them a chance to improvise. Shoot
takes with alternate lines of dialogue. This can be especially effective in comedies.
When directing your actors, remember these tips:
Let your actor know what their objective in each scene is.
Make sure you and your actor are on the same page about their character and their
motivations. If you disagree, take a few minutes to discuss, listen, and compromise.
Be there for your actor. While some actors may prefer to do things their own way, most seek
and thrive on direction, even if it’s just pointing them the right way, metaphorically speaking.
Or literally speaking! Blocking is very important not just for your framing but for the
intensity of the scene itself. Work with your actors to find the right blocking for each scene–what
feels right for them and what looks best for the camera.
Producing
Make sure your schedules are detailed out to the minute and remember that
communication between cast and crew is key. By having everyone’s contact information and by
communicating clearly where everyone is expected to be and when, you can avoid unnecessary
delays in production. Give them directions and expected travel times to the set.
Organize your days so you can shoot several scenes in one day. If you have multiple
locations, select the key location for the day and then find your other locations in the immediate
area. Moving locations can be a killer and waste tons of time. Try to group scenes together that
use the same cast members and costumes. Be efficient in your scheduling and don’t be afraid to
shoot out of order or out of sequence. Schedule your exteriors first—that way, if it rains you have
the option of delaying those scenes until the following day. And have a cover set (or interior) waiting
to go, so you can move inside and not lose a shooting day
Equipment
Put together an inexpensive but effective equipment list. Your story won’t be improved with
more pixels, but you also don’t want your camera breaking down in the middle of your shoot. Test
all the gear before you leave for the set.
Once you’re on location, if something breaks and has to be replaced, you’re going to lose
valuable time. Don’t be afraid to be inventive. You may not have a professional dolly but some of
the most inventive directors come up with novel solutions that actually make their shots more
interesting.
Make sure all batteries and other accessories are charged before the shoot, and spares are
being charged during the shoot. Remember, with only three days to shoot, every minute counts
and every delay needs to be avoided at all costs.
Cinematography
Don’t be afraid of using natural lights and don’t be afraid if not everything is lit and bright.
Often enough, beauty lies in the darkness. Silhouettes, high contrast, backlighting, and dramatic
shadows can create a very dynamic and powerful cinematographic look.
When shooting a scene, start with your biggest shot first and then shoot all your closer
shots looking in the same direction. Then turn around and, again, start with your biggest shot
and work progressively closer.
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Sound
Sound, on the other hand, is another issue. Bad sound is often said to be the hallmark of
amateur filmmaking. If your audience is struggling to understand what your actors are saying,
there won’t be much room left for emotional involvement. So do everything you can, within your
limitations, to get the best sound/dialogue recorded on the set. Whoever said, “we’ll fix it in post,”
must have had tons of money, so erase those words from your vocabulary.
Keep sound in mind before you even begin filming–make sure the locations you choose and
even the story you tell will be make your sound recording as easy as possible. If you can, have a
good portion of your film dialogue free, with scenes that can use music or non-sync sound in their
stead, as sync sound will always take longer to shoot.
Digital Editing
When working in post-production, remember it’s ok to be ruthless–do not be afraid to cut,
even if it means undoing hours of work. Always, always, always back up your project and footage
in different locations. Save often so you don’t lose any time due to a computer error. Learn to say
goodbye to your mouse and learn keyboard shortcuts to become a faster and more efficient video
editor–with only three days to make your film, every second counts!
General Production Do’s and Don’ts
Keep your productions simple. Limit the number of cast members. Limit the number of
locations. Avoid big scenes with elaborate sets, costumes and props. Stay away from period pieces,
children and animals—they are far too unpredictable. And be as professional as you can be.
Although you may want to break the rules when it comes to content, there’s a good reason
professional shoots are organized the way they are. The better prepared you are, the more likely
you will capture your vision.
B. How to Create a Photo Essay: Step-by-Step Guide With Examples
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Nov 8, 2020
Photo essays tell a story in pictures, and there are many different ways to style your own
photo essay. With a wide range of topics to explore, a photo essay can be thought-provoking,
emotional, funny, unsettling, or all of the above, but mostly, they should be unforgettable.
What Is a Photo Essay?
A photographic essay is a form of visual storytelling, a way to present a narrative through
a series of images. A great photo essay is powerful, able to evoke emotion and understanding
without using words. A photo essay delivers a story using a series of photographs and brings the
viewer along your narrative journey.
4 Photo Essay Examples
There are plenty of interesting photo essay ideas that offer endless avenues to tell a powerful
photo story. Some examples of areas you could cover are:
1. Day-in-the-life photo essay: These kinds of photo essays tell the story of a day in the life of a
particular subject. They can showcase the career of a busy farmer or struggling artist, capture
parents’ daily chores and playtime with their children, or memorialize the routine of a star high
school athlete. A day-in-the-life photo series can be emotionally evocative, giving viewers an
intimate glimpse into the world of another human being.
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2. Historic site photo essay: Taking pictures of historic landmarks offers a variety of different
perspectives—the use of unique angles, depths, and lighting. The use of drones and reflections are
also useful in your quest to find the ideal vantage point and display a variety of scenes of the same
subject.
3. Behind-the-scenes photo essay: Behind-the-scenes photo essays are great ways to capture what
goes into events from start to finish. With this type of photo story, you can see the working parts
of a production and how it all moves together in harmony.
4. Local event photo essay: Local events like fundraisers, art shows, or festivals are great places
to document a photography project. Candid photos of people working, performing, or taking in the
sights can be compiled into a photo essay along with background objects to help paint a scene.
4 Tips for Creating a Photo Essay
Creative photography can be fun, sentimental, eye-opening, or gut-wrenching. It can expose
a truth or instill a sense of hope. With so many possibilities to share a good photo essay, it’s
important to keep the following tips in mind:
1. Do your research. There may be many types of photo essay topics available, but that
doesn’t mean your specific idea hasn’t already been tackled by a professional
photographer. Look up the best photo essays that have already been done on your topic to
make sure the narrative can be executed in a new and interesting way.
2. Follow your instincts. Take photos of everything. Overshooting can be helpful for
photojournalism. You never know what you’ll need, so the more coverage you have, the
better.
3. Only use the best images. From your lead photo to the final photo, you’re creating a
visually vivid story. However, if you use too many images, you risk diluting the impact of
your message. Only include the key photos necessary.
4. Be open-minded. Your project may evolve past its initial concept, and that’s okay.
Sometimes a photo essay evolves organically, and your job as a photojournalist is to
extract the right narrative from the images you’ve captured—even if it wasn’t the original
idea.
How to Create a Photo Essay in 7 Steps
Before you get started, think about these questions: How are you going to make it all
happen? What are the budgetary and schedule issues that you’ll have to overcome to make the
assignment work? Once you have those answers, you can start working on a photo essay of your
own. Here’s how to do it:
1. Tell a diverse, confident story. Know what you’re shooting and why. It’s important to
figure out what your message is and shoot with a purpose.
2. Make sure you have a wide variety of images. Getting a multitude of shots during your
photoshoot can ensure you’ve covered your bases. You may need a wider angle, a close-up
detail shot, or different lighting—you may even decide to steer your photo essay in another
direction altogether. With a large collection of images to choose from, photographing
everything can give you a wide pool to choose from when compiling your photo series.
3. Be a ruthless photo editor. Your editing process should be blunt. If a shot is beautiful but
won’t work in your essay, don’t use it. However, don’t edit any images on the same day
you shoot; it’ll be easier to be objective if you let a little time pass between shooting and
editing. Learn Jimmy Chin’s photo editing tips here.
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4. Choose your top 10 images. Once a few days have passed, pick the best 100
photos from your shoot to start with. Then, a day or more later, look at those 100
images and narrow them down to the top 25. Finally, narrow the 25 down to the
top 10 images, making sure each photo serves your original concept for the story.
5. Ask for outside input. Get a trusted, visually sophisticated friend to help you: Give
them the top 100 photos and a written description of the overall story, and let
them select what they think are the top 10 photos. Compare how their choices
align with the 10 photos you selected. Where did they differ? Ask your friend why
they chose photos that were different than yours, making sure you listen to what
they say without arguing about any of their choices; your job is to listen and
understand what they saw in the images, and why they made the choices they did.
6. Make your final selections. Keeping in mind your discussion with your trusted
friend, make your final selections for the 10 best images that tell your story.
7. Write captions. Your final 10 images can be captioned to help enhance your visual
narrative, but it isn’t necessary. If you feel like your images could use some text,
add it. However, if you think the images can stand on their own, then you can
present them as they are.
C. 10 Tips for Perfect Poster Design
On: 8 July 2020
By: Carrie Cousins
Almost everyone has designed a poster or flier at some point. Whether it was for self-
promotion or a client, posters can be a fun way to present a message and do some interesting
things with design.
Poster design starts with a common canvas. Common poster sizes are 8.5 by 11-inch
letter (or A4), 11 by 17 inches and 22 by 34 inches. Large format poster sizes are commonly 24
inches by 36 inches. Posters can be designed vertically or horizontally, but are most commonly
designed with a vertical orientation. Today we’re taking a look at ten useful tips for improving
your next poster design!
1. Make it Easy to Read from a Distance
The top priority of a poster is generally to expose someone to an event. Key information
should be easy to read from a distance to help draw people to the poster and create a hierarchy
in the text.
When it comes to poster design you can think of text as having three distinct layers:
Headline:
This is the main (and largest) text element in the design. It can be in addition to an art
element or it can be the art element. Opt for a readable typeface that is interesting and demands
attention.
Details:
What, when, where? Answer these questions in the second level of the text. What
information does someone need to do what your poster is asking of them? Provide the
information here in a concise manner. As for sizing, there are two options – drop the size to
about half of the main headline for very clear hierarchy or continue to use a larger size and use
another technique for contrast. (The choice often depends on other elements and importance of
secondary text.)
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The fine print:
This one explains itself. Commonly seen on posters to promote movies, it’s everything else
that someone decided needed to be on the poster. Make it small and keep it out of the way.
2. Amp Up the Contrast
You have one glance to grab someone’s attention with a poster. High contrast
between elements can help you do that. Forget a monotone color palette with pale gradients;
go bold with color and type options. Poster design is a great time to try a typeface or color
palette that might be too “crazy” for other projects. Experiment with it.
Think about a big color background as well. Many times poster designers start with
a white canvas. If your printer allows, use a high color background with a full bleed to make
your poster stand out from all the rest.
3. Consider Size and Location
This is important: Where is your poster going to be located? This factors in several
ways, including the size of the poster (and possibly aspect ratio), visual clutter around the
poster and will the people who see it appreciate your call to action?
Knowing where the design will live can help you make choices about how to create
it. Not only is visual contrast important within your design, it is an important external factor
as well. Think of it this way: If your poster is going to hang on a green wall, you probably
want to use a contrasting color scheme so the design does not blend into the environment.
4. Make a Mini Version
While poster design is primarily a print project, create mini versions that can be used
in other places as well. Remember one of those basic principles of marketing – a person
needs exposure to something 20 times to remember it. The multiple poster versions can
help you accomplish just that.
5. Use One Big Visual
Whether you choose a photo, illustration or text, a dominant image is key. And just
like the text, it needs to be readable from a distance.
When designing posters, think tight — close-up crops of faces or elements, single
item illustrations, a common scene with a sharp focal point, novelty typography with high
intrigue. After you select a visual be careful about layering elements. Type and images
need to have enough contrast so that they are independently readable.
6. Use Plenty of Space
When it comes to posters, use exaggerated spacing between elements. It may look a
little funny to you at first, but the extra spacing will dramatically increase visual impact
and readability at distances.
• There are a few places where extra space can work wonders in poster design:
• Between individual letters. Tight kerning can cause letters to blur at
distances.
• Between lines of text.
• Around interior margins of the canvas.
• Between elements of different types, such as images and text.
Around the most important element in the design. What do you want people to see
first?
7. Include a Call to Action
The goal of every poster is to expose people to something. Most of these “touches”
involve inviting someone to something, such as a concert or movie or another event. For
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that reason, a call to action is vital. Think of it in the same way you would if designing a
call to action for a website or app – give it a high-level of prominence in the design.
The difference from web design is that the call to action might not be as simple. (In
websites “sign up” or “email us” are common actions that you can’t get on a poster.) The
call to action is often the event information or a contact point in poster design. Once you
know what users are supposed to do when they see the poster, then you can design the call
to action. (Some designers really like elements such as QR codes to encourage users to scan
for information; only use this tool if it is popular in your market.)
8. Create Focus with Typography
Poster design is one of those places where you can really go crazy with beautiful
typography. Some of the best posters are made with type and color, with no images or
illustrations.
Keep the same typography principles in mind that you would with any other project
– this is not the time to use 10 fonts in one location. But do experiment with bolder, wider,
bigger typefaces that you might feel comfortable with otherwise.
Set the tone for the project with these type options. Use type that conveys an
appropriate mood for the event. You might find this challenging at first, but it can be a quite
invigorating exercise.
9. Use a Cool Printing Technique
Depending on the location and audience for your poster a cool printing technique
might be in order. There are a lot of things you can do on paper that just don’t work on
digital projects. This might be the perfect opportunity to try out something like letterpress,
screen printing, foiling or use of a UV layer.
Many of these techniques are often reserved for higher-end projects or events with a
certain level of prestige.
Talk to your printer in advance of settling on any special technique to make sure
they can make the prints at the size you need. When it comes to printing techniques, there
can be budgetary considerations as well. Some printing processes can be pricey; so make
sure you have enough wiggle room with the budget before you get started.
10. Have Fun
Poster design is a place where designers can have a lot of fun. While there are plenty
of things to think about and consider, this is an area where you can break the rules and go
a little crazy with design.
So go for it. Try something that you’ve wanted to do or take the opportunity to learn
a new technique or skill. Stretch your imagination to create something new and fresh. The
goal of a poster is to grab attention from afar; get creative!
Conclusion
In an age with so much design talk centering around websites and apps, the art of poster
design is often an afterthought. Poster design can be fun and give you plenty of room to stretch
your design muscles.
Posters can work in a variety of ways for almost any project. They are a great form of
promotion and can help expose the masses to your personal, business or client message.
D. 10 Tips for More Effective PowerPoint Presentations
Dustin Wax
“Oh no! Not another boring PowerPoint presentation! My eyes, my eyes…!!!”
How much does it suck to be in the audience for yet another drawn-out, boring, lifeless
slideshow? Worse yet, how much does it such to be the one giving it?
The truth is, bad PowerPoint happens to good people, and quite often the person giving the
presentation is just as much a victim as the poor sods listening to her or him.
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Here are ten tips to help you add a little zing! to your next presentation. They are, of course,
far from comprehensive, but they’re a start. Feel free to share your own tips in the comments.
1. Write a script.
A little planning goes a long way. Most presentations are written in PowerPoint (or some
other presentation package) without any sort of rhyme or reason.
That’s bass-ackwards. Since the point of your slides is to illustrate and expand what you
are going to say to your audience, you should know what you intend to say and then figure out
how to visualize it. Unless you are an expert at improvising, make sure you write out or at least
outline your presentation before trying to put together slides.
And make sure your script follows good storytelling conventions: give it a beginning, middle,
and end; have a clear arc that builds towards some sort of climax; make your audience appreciate
each slide but be anxious to find out what’s next; and when possible, always leave ‘em wanting
more.
2. One thing at a time, please.
At any given moment, what should be on the screen is the thing you’re talking about. Our
audience will almost instantly read every slide as soon as it’s displayed; if you have the next four
points you plan to make up there, they’ll be three steps ahead of you, waiting for you to catch up
rather than listening with interest to the point you’re making.
Plan your presentation so just one new point is displayed at any given moment. Bullet
points can be revealed one at a time as you reach them. Charts can be put on the next slide to be
referenced when you get to the data the chart displays. Your job as presenter is to control the flow
of information so that you and your audience stay in sync.
3. No paragraphs.
Where most presentations fail is that their authors, convinced they are producing some
kind of stand-alone document, put everything they want to say onto their slides, in great big
chunky blocks of text.
Congratulations. You’ve just killed a roomful of people. Cause of death: terminal boredom
poisoning.
Your slides are the illustrations for your presentation, not the presentation itself. They
should underline and reinforce what you’re saying as you give your presentation — save the
paragraphs of text for your script. PowerPoint and other presentation software have functions to
display notes onto the presenter’s screen that do not get sent to the projector, or you can use
notecards, a separate word processor document, or your memory. Just don’t put it on the screen
– and for goodness’ sake, if you do for some reason put it on the screen, don’t stand with your
back to your audience and read it from the screen!
4. Pay attention to design.
PowerPoint and other presentation packages offer all sorts of ways to add visual “flash” to
your slides: fades, swipes, flashing text, and other annoyances are all too easy to insert with a few
mouse clicks.
Avoid the temptation to dress up your pages with cheesy effects and focus instead on simple
design basics:
Use a sans serif font for body text. Sans serifs like Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri tend to be the
easiest to read on screens.
Use decorative fonts only for slide headers, and then only if they’re easy to read. Decorative
fonts –calligraphy, German blackface, futuristic, psychotic handwriting, flowers, art nouveau, etc.
– are hard to read and should be reserved only for large headlines at the top of the page. Better
yet, stick to a classy serif font like Georgia or Baskerville.
Put dark text on a light background. Again, this is easiest to read. If you must use a dark
background – for instance, if your company uses a standard template with a dark background –
make sure your text is quite light (white, cream, light grey, or pastels) and maybe bump the font
size up two or three notches.
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Align text left or right. Centered text is harder to read and looks amateurish. Line up all
your text to a right-hand or left-hand baseline – it will look better and be easier to follow.
Avoid clutter. A headline, a few bullet points, maybe an image – anything more than that
and you risk losing your audience as they sort it all out.
5. Use images sparingly
There are two schools of thought about images in presentations. Some say they add visual
interest and keep audiences engaged; others say images are an unnecessary distraction.
Both arguments have some merit, so in this case the best option is to split the difference:
use images only when they add important information or make an abstract point more concrete.
While we’re on the subject, absolutely do not use PowerPoint’s built-in clipart. Anything
from Office 2003 and earlier has been seen by everyone in your audience a thousand times –
they’ve become tired, used-up clichés, and I hopefully don’t need to tell you to avoid tired, used-
up clichés in your presentations. Office 2007 and non-Office programs have some clipart that isn’t
so familiar (though it will be, and soon) but by now, the entire concept of clipart has about run its
course – it just doesn’t feel fresh and new anymore.
6. Think outside the screen.
Remember, the slides on the screen are only part of the presentation – and not the main
part. Even though you’re liable to be presenting in a darkened room, give some thought to your
own presentation manner – how you hold yourself, what you wear, how you move around the
room. You are the focus when you’re presenting, no matter how interesting your slides are.
7. Have a hook.
Like the best writing, the best presentation shook their audiences early and then reel them
in. Open with something surprising or intriguing, something that will get your audience to sit up
and take notice. The most powerful hooks are often those that appeal directly to your audience’s
emotions – offer them something awesome or, if it’s appropriate, scare the pants off of them. The
rest of your presentation, then, will be effectively your promise to make the awesome thing happen,
or the scary thing not to happen.
8. Ask questions.
Questions arouse interest, pique curiosity, and engage audiences. So ask a lot of them.
Build tension by posing a question and letting your audience stew a moment before moving to the
next slide with the answer. Quiz their knowledge and then show them how little they know. If
appropriate, engage in a little question-and-answer with your audience, with you asking the
questions.
9. Modulate, modulate, modulate.
Especially when you’ve done a presentation before, it can be easy to fall into a drone, going
on and on and on and on and on with only minimal changes to your inflection. Always speak as if
you were speaking to a friend, not as if you are reading off of index cards (even if you are). If
keeping up a lively and personable tone of voice is difficult for you when presenting, do a couple
of practice run-throughs. If you still can’t get it right and presentations are a big part of your job,
take a public speaking course or join Toastmasters.
10. Break the rules.
As with everything else, there are times when each of these rules – or any other rule you
know – won’t apply. If you know there’s a good reason to break a rule, go ahead and do it. Rule
breaking is perfectly acceptable behavior – it’s ignoring the rules or breaking them because you
just don’t know any better that leads to shoddy boring presentations that lead to boredom,
depression, psychopathic breaks, and eventually death. And you don’t want that, do you?
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E. 12 Unique Vlogging Tips for Beginners
Vlogging has become a very popular topic recently and more and more people have been
asking for vlogging tips for beginners. Before we get into it more I first just want to say that you
don’t need to become a daily vlogger to be successful. Some vloggers find success with as little as
1 video per week, but others require 4 to 5 videos per week to achieve the same level of success.
As a vlogger you will be responsible for keeping your YouTube channel updated regularly, have
great content, and be there when people expect to see you. This might sound simple enough,
right? Well, there is more to it than that and I want to give you some tips for getting your vlog
started.
12 Vlogging Tips for Beginners
1. Keep Your Videos Interesting
One of the very first tips that you need to know about is keeping your videos interesting.
When people do vlogging the biggest problem that they have is they don’t have enough stuff in
their life to keep their audience entertained. It is because of this that you need to figure out ways
to keep your videos interesting. Make different types of videos, get people to vlog with you, maybe
go somewhere different. Whatever you do, make your videos interesting or people will simply stop
watching.
2. Plan Activities and Promote Them
Something that people have been doing more often lately is planning special activities and
then telling their audience about that activity. For example, Roman Atwood told his viewers that
he was going to be doing a Smart Car VS. Human Challenge in the coming days and then he did
it. He planned an event and told people about it so that they would be more interested in watching
it. As you build a little bit of hype around an activity of event you will see the initial surge of people
that watch it is higher. This also provides you with some creativity to add to your vlogs.
3. Collaborate with Other Vloggers
Collaborating with other vloggers is one of the ways that most high-profile vloggers get their
big breaks. They collaborate, which means that they are getting in front of another person’s
audience as well as their own. What happens is not only do they build up their subscribers, but
the content is usually different. When you partner with somebody to bring new content the videos
are always different. If you want to get a new style of video, then collaborate with another vlogger
and I guarantee that your style will change.
4. Ask Viewers for Recommendations
One of the hardest parts about becoming a vlogger is the fact that you are always creating
content. What kind of content though, that is what is up for debate? This is why I strongly
recommend you ask your viewers for their recommendations. When people let you know what they
want to see, it makes your job that much easier.
5. Edit Your Videos
This is probably something that you already do, but you need to go one step further. With
vlogging you must provide a lot of unique content inside your videos, which means you can’t simply
leave the video on the same clip for the entire time. Edit different angles into the clips, use music,
add in pictures, and just make your video stand out. With vlogging, the biggest issue you will face
is that too many of your videos look the same, so spice them up a bit with edits.
6. Mix Life into Your Niche
Let’s talk about a particular vlogger, Christian Guzman. He started his YouTube channel
by talking about fitness. Now, he talks about fitness, relationships, business, and life. When you
mix your life into your vlog you will see more people actually connect with what you are saying.
He started when he was not well known, now he is very well known all over the world. My advice
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is to have a video each week or every couple of weeks that shows more about your day to day life
and what you do.
7. Set a Goal for Yourself
What are your goals? Do you want to vlog every day to give people an inside look into your
life? Do you want to vlog just for the fun of it? Whatever your reasoning is, make sure you set this
as a goal. Make sure your audience knows your goals as well. The more people know about you
and what you want to accomplish, the more they will be willing and able to help.
8. Be Consistent
Sticking to an actual publish time is the best way to get people to come back each time you
post a new video. Everybody wants to see what you have going on, but they can’t see that if you
don’t publish regularly. Now, if you publish hours or days after you normally do then what
happens is the people that came to the channel to watch your video they might just leave and not
watch for a long time.
9. Interact with Your Viewers
If you are not commenting on what other people comment, then you are missing out. The
people that commenting are adding value to your channel, so make sure you show your
appreciation to them. You don’t have to write a huge amount, but sometimes a simple thank you
is more than enough.
10. Participate in Trends
When the ice bucket challenge went viral, this would have been a good time to do this on
your channel. Another idea is to do a video about current events going on in the world. Participate
in the trends that people are doing. You don’t need to create an entire video on these topics, but
at least have a short clip in there about them.
11. Give Your Channel a Weekly Theme/Series
So many people forget about this simple trick. All you need to do is give your vlogging
channel a topic and stick to that each week. For example, Grant Cardone does something where
every Monday he answers questions on real estate. People call in with deals or questions and he
answers them live. I am not saying this same topic is going to work for you, but you can at least
try something similar to it and stick to it each week.
12. Practice, Practice, and Practice
This is a bit of an obvious one but the more you practice the better you’ll get. You can
practice how to Vlog before you even start uploading your videos on YouTube. Do not feel rushed
to upload the video, if you want to make a video that is fun to watch, entertaining, and informative
then you need to take some time, although try not to take forever.
One way to practice is in front of a mirror, just sit and start talking. Do not take your camera
straight away. Once you’re feeling comfortable you can switch the mirror for your camera and start
recording some footage. Practice speaking into the lens and try not to look at your screen to much
while you’re recording, this will help you engage with your viewer.
Conclusion
As you can see, vlogging entails quite a bit, but there is a lot that you can get out of it. What
you need to remember is that those people watching your videos want to see some unique content,
so above all else, unique and engaging content will always win out.
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I expect that by this time, you get a clearer idea of what you want to accomplish. Let us
return to the framework introduced in a previous lesson and fill out each row with details of your
plan.
ITEM ANSWER
THESIS STATEMENT
Take note: this is your statement, not your topic. Decide on
which of the three social issues you have identified
beforehand will you develop into a creative content and write
down your stand on that.
Who is your expected AUDIENCE?
Generally speaking, your audience will be the Filipino youth
of your generation, but this time write down the specifics.
Think of a particular group as your target audience. Do they
belong to a specific community, class or sector in society? I
suggest that you think of a particular person, a friend (or
basher) perhaps, whom you wish to support or enlighten.
What is the PURPOSE of your work?
State the reason why you want to share your creative content.
Do you wish to inspire, correct wrong perceptions, alert your
audience about a problem, suggest a new idea, etc.?
What is the STYLE or genre of your content?
As the saying goes, “There are many ways to skin a cat.”
Think of the most appropriate strategy that you will use to
communicate. Do you intend to be humorous, tear-jerking or
hard-hitting? Do you want it to be more visual or auditory?
What INNOVATION or new stuff will you offer?
I want you to think always “think out of the box.” The world is
in need of fresh ideas. Get out of your comfort zones and
think of something new in presenting your content.
What LANGUAGE will you use?
Think of the language your audience will be most comfortable
with. You may use English, Filipino or any other Philippine
language or dialect that you find relevant to your content.
What would be my OPTIONS?
Think of the best format of your content. Because we are
dealing with multimedia, there must be at least 2 dimensions
that you will use. Your options are text, audio, visual, motion
and manipulatives.
What would I expect my audience to GIVE BACK after
seeing my work?
Never ever think of projects such as this as mere compliance.
That defeats the purpose why we communicate. After viewing
your content, what will you expect your audience to do? Also,
what will be your strategy to widen the reach of your content?
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Your task is to produce short but meaningful multimedia content. Below are some
suggested outputs together with specifications. You may opt to do other content format, but make
sure that:
1. It contains at least two dimensions of media;
2. It should not exceed 5 minutes for audio visual project;
3. It should be cost-effective. You do not have to spend much.
DIMENSIONS OPTIONS SPECIFICATIONS SUBMISSION
PLATFORM
Text, Audio, AVP (Audio Use Power Point to create a 3 to 5-minute AVP that YouTube
Visual Visual includes text and visual components. Provide applicable
Presentation) background sound and music. You must be the off-screen
narrator of this AVP. Incorporate your Schools Division
and School logo at the beginning.
Text, Visual Digital Poster Produce 2 posters featuring a different topic each. This Facebook
must be A4-sized in portrait orientation. Include original
pictures and other appropriate text and visual
components. Incorporate your School Division and School
logos.
Text, Visual Digital Photo Create an electronic portfolio of original pictures. Each Email
Essay photograph must have text component for more detailed
explanation. Remember that this photo essay must have
a story appeal. You may use PowerPoint, Publisher or any
related app. Incorporate your Schools Division and School
logo on the first page.
Text, Visual Hand-drawn Produce 2 posters featuring a different topic each. This Hand delivered to
Poster must be A4-sized in portrait orientation. Visuals must be your learning hub
in full color and appropriate text must be incorporated.
Include your School Division and School logos.
Audio, Visual Short Film This must be 1 to 5 minutes long and must feature you as YouTube
a character. Remember to use original or royalty free
music. Incorporate your Schools Division and School logo
at the beginning.
Motion, Vlog This must be 1 to 5 minutes long and must feature you as YouTube
Audio, Visual the host or on-screen narrator. Incorporate your Schools
Division and School logo at the beginning.
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