One of the main goals of the Water Pop-Ups session at AGU is to give graduate students the opportunity to present their research in engaging ways. If done well, video is one particular form of media that lends itself well to science communication. Specifically, successful videos tend to incorporate stories or themes. This storytelling approach can explain how a researcher's work is applicable to our everyday lives.
Take the work of PhD student Cedric Mason at Cornell University, for example. Cedric's video overlays carefully chosen still photos and an original score (composed by Cedric himself) to explain the connection between physical forms of water (i.e. solid, liquid, ice) and the importance of water in our everyday lives.
Click here (You need to allow pop-ups to play it.) to view Cedric's video.
If you're considering making a video for the Water Pop-Ups AGU session or for any other purpose and you're not sure where to start, it is often best to step back and think. Before you jump into filming or gathering images, you should ask yourself what type of story you want to tell. Or even more simply, is there a story you can tell? Once you have something in mind, it helps to think of organizing the story-line in terms of a 'dramatic arc'. Many enticing novels, TV shows, and films use this type of approach. The dramatic arc consists of five main stages: (1) background information, (2) rising action, (3) climax, (4) falling action, and (5) resolution. Try to incorporate these stages of the dramatic arc into your storytelling if possible.
If you're finding it difficult to fit your work into the dramatic arc, consider some of the hints suggested by Janine Castro in an earlier post on designing your presentation. She says to focus on three things: (1) a short and memorable title, (2) three main points, and (3) the take home message.
Finally, if you're looking for some inspiration for next year (i.e. AGU 2015), think about going to the AGU Cinema in Moscone West where you can watch videos made by scientists like you!
Note: For those of you that are looking to gain more video editing and storytelling skills. AGU is hosting a Science Storytelling Video Workshop on Sunday, December 14. See the AGU website for more info.
Take the work of PhD student Cedric Mason at Cornell University, for example. Cedric's video overlays carefully chosen still photos and an original score (composed by Cedric himself) to explain the connection between physical forms of water (i.e. solid, liquid, ice) and the importance of water in our everyday lives.
Click here (You need to allow pop-ups to play it.) to view Cedric's video.
If you're considering making a video for the Water Pop-Ups AGU session or for any other purpose and you're not sure where to start, it is often best to step back and think. Before you jump into filming or gathering images, you should ask yourself what type of story you want to tell. Or even more simply, is there a story you can tell? Once you have something in mind, it helps to think of organizing the story-line in terms of a 'dramatic arc'. Many enticing novels, TV shows, and films use this type of approach. The dramatic arc consists of five main stages: (1) background information, (2) rising action, (3) climax, (4) falling action, and (5) resolution. Try to incorporate these stages of the dramatic arc into your storytelling if possible.
If you're finding it difficult to fit your work into the dramatic arc, consider some of the hints suggested by Janine Castro in an earlier post on designing your presentation. She says to focus on three things: (1) a short and memorable title, (2) three main points, and (3) the take home message.
Finally, if you're looking for some inspiration for next year (i.e. AGU 2015), think about going to the AGU Cinema in Moscone West where you can watch videos made by scientists like you!
Note: For those of you that are looking to gain more video editing and storytelling skills. AGU is hosting a Science Storytelling Video Workshop on Sunday, December 14. See the AGU website for more info.
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