COURSE FEE

REGISTRATION

COURSE ORGANISERS AND INFORMATION

INTRODUCTION

Over the past decades, advances in computers, communication technology and the internet have led to major developments in scientific communication. Scientific findings and discussion are not only restricted to paper and static power-points as the use of video has entered the arena, the web offering an array of examples. Moreover, the advancement is even leading to the development of Peer-Reviewed Video Access to Science. For example see The Journal Of Visualized Experiments JOVE and specifically a publication of the Resource Ecology Group (Wageningen University). In addition, it is not only for science itself that video can contribute to strengthening the research and educational message, it can also be seen as a means to relay science to society where the demand for understanding of science and its contribution to society is currently a hot topic.

However, it is crucial to leave a lasting impression with your target audience if you wish to accomplish your goals and advance in the competitive world of science. Many do not have the required set of skills to create high quality footage which will reach a wide audience.

This course aims at providing you with these necessary skills where specialists in video production from the UK will guide you through the landscape of video making; using their experience from commercial broadcasting through to the use of video in international science projects.

SCOPE

The course is an introduction to planning, capturing and using video and audio for scientists:

1. As research and teaching tools

2. For presenting research at seminars and conferences

3. In communicating research to the public

4. As a means to present themselves in web-based social and academic media

At the end of the course you will be able to:

• Plan a ‘story’

• Use a camera to acquire and correctly frame content (including still pictures)

• Use a microphone to acquire and ‘balance’ sound

• Manage the captured content to tell the story

• Do a basic edit of pictures and sound

• Transfer and compress the video for online or DVD publication

You will also:

• Understand the background to effective communication

• Appreciate the use of video techniques in research

• Analyse and critique how moving pictures can tell any given story

COURSE SET-UP

The course will take place at Wageningen University over 3 days in one week (17-19 January = phase 1), with 2 day follow-up and consolidation approximately a fortnight after the start (31 January and 1 February = phase 2).

In Phase 1, the workshop sessions will include discussion and practical exercises on the following;

THEORY, effective communication

•  Planned communication

• Communicating science – more, faster, further

• Narrating research projects, producing video papers

• M-E possibilities

• Grant application opportunities

• Audience – capturing once with a view to distribution to multiple audiences

• An exploration of publishing outlets – e.g. JOVE / Vimeo / You Tube, etc
  

VIDEO, content production

• Rule of thirds / framing
• Movement
• Light

• Interview – one to one and group

• Demonstration

• Audio

• Publishing

• Kit preparation pre-shoot

• Common difficulties / problems

• Location shooting

• Recording voiceover

• Briefing the interviewee

• Roles within the “crew”

• Shoot structure / establish, GV’s, PTC, outro, etc

• Shot variety

• Web streaming / compression / web hosting

• Capture - Editing protocols – ‘Bin’ or ‘shopping list’ theory as a means of ‘staying on target’

CRITIQUE, what to look at and what to look for

• Analysis – what worked

• what didn’t,

• what could be done better

• Each groups’ film to be subjected to the 3 elements of above critique criteria
  

In Phase 2, teams of delegates will work on parallel projects prior to the follow up sessions. Teams will be assembled around given institutional interests to plan, capture and prepare content for longer video projects: which will be edited and critically reviewed in the follow up two days. Ultimately the content produced will be of use to them.

EQUIPMENT

All participants must bring:

• Their own camcorder and additional devices (e.g. microphone when available)

• A laptop including Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 (to be obtained via WU Available software)

GENERAL INFORMATION 

COURSE FEE

REGISTRATION

Please register by clicking here, filling in the form and sending it to pe-office@wur.nl

Full registration only occurs once you have provided us with the requested information as stated above. Afterwards you will receive an official registration confirmation by the PE-RC Office.

COURSE LEADER

Alastair Simmons is managing director of the Communication, Knowledge and Project Management consultancy TASKSCAPE ASSOCIATES Ltd, a company with a media production house making high quality audio, video and online content to support and showcase clients’ internal and external communication activities. He began his career with the BBC, directing and producing television and radio programmes, and later business, corporate and innovation initiatives. Now he facilitates ‘value addition’ for high profile projects and organisations by improving their communication-based business practices, including for the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation projects. He has worked in the UK, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. He is a postgraduate and active alumnus of the award-winning Lancaster University Management School and a Fellow of the RSA.

INFORMATION

For further information please contact Dr. Claudius Van de Vijver (claudius.vandevijver@wur.nl), Tel: +31 (0)317-485116