Warm-up Exercises with Video

Any group warm-up exercise can be done in front of a video camera, adding a dimension to the exercise that allows the facilitator the opportunity to point out the power of video as an immediate tool for feedback in education, particularly education and training that involve movement and performance. Example: have the group shut their eyes and mill about for three minutes. After having one of the participants video tape the milling group watch the tape as a group and discuss peoples' reaction to what they see. They will observe in many cases their hands placed before them in just the exact cultural distance they feel they should remain from each other, something ordinarily maintained by using their eyes.

Making People Look Good and Bad

You can make people look attractive, ugly or ridiculous by the use of camera angles and lighting. Split up in pairs and make short portraits of each person making them look first wonderful and then horrible, by manipulating camera angles, framing, lighting and sound. Screen the vignettes before the group and discuss their reactions, both personal and aesthetic.

Role Playing with the Camera

This exercise can be done with any number group role playing exercises and have one member of the group video tape the role playing. Then discuss the "role" or impact of the camera's presence. Example: Tell three members of the group they are a psychiatric panel set up to evaluate the patient appearing before them and make a recommendation. Have a single individual play the role the director of the psychiatric facility and send that person before the panel with the understanding that the three individuals before them are patients seeking permission to leave the hospital based on their "improvement." Have the game go on for around 10 minutes, then have the group view the tape. Discuss relationships of social power and the role of media in those relationships.

Alphabet Video

Have your group pull letters of the alphabet out of a hat and then make very short videos that represent the letter: Skits, collages, poems, drawings and found objects could all be used. Then have the group edit the tape into an alphabetical video.

Video Poems

Participants are asked to write or select a short poem and illustrate their poem by video images. Should be very short and can be edited in camera if editing equipment is not available.

"Make Your Own Meaning" Mass Media Cut-Ups

Record television, radio and film material and then use the recordings as raw materials to edit into a work that comments on, reworks, reveals or changes the original meaning of the materials.

Music Edit

Select a topic, object, place or theme; then shoot video of that selection. Select at random a music recording and edit the video footage to the music as sound track.

Self-Processing

Ask individuals to take a camera into a room alone and talk to the camera as if it were a diary and talk of their life. Play back the footage and observe themselves; reflect on the relationship of themselves with camera feedback, ask the Media Literacy Critical Questions of themselves; erase the tape when finished.