Each step in creating a video — outlining, filming, editing — provides opportunities for engagement, participation and social impact. Contemplating these steps and what happens before, during and after filming will help you understand how to maximise impact at every step.
As stated in other parts of this toolkit, it is valuable to explore possibilities to create meaningful engagement with your communities in the process of filming and production. This fosters cohesion among participants as they come together to form a team, learn new skills and support each other.
Participation can become a catalyst for listening to each others’ stories, ideas and experiences of key issues and events; exploring and engaging those at the grassroots in creating solutions; and communicating with or influencing those with power to affect change.
Much of the framing of this section is based on established participatory media methodologies used within the social justice and international development sectors. You can see an example here.
However, participation can also be a co-creation and collaboration methodology, which is related to but not identical to what is often framed ‘Participatory Video’.
Some commentators define Participatory Video as focused primarily on the process, voice and representation, inclusion and contribution, with a heavy emphasis on capacity building and shared thinking. Co-creative or collaborative methods engage the participation of affected communities to varying degrees to create a shared finished product.
At every stage of the production process, consider again the foundational Video for Change Values and Methods:
- Impact Statement — How can we increase the chance for positive and lasting social impact?
- Power Analysis — What are the power dynamics within this process and how can we address or level them?
- Participation and Inclusion — Where and how can we build participation into the process, in an empowering and effective way?
- Accountability and Transparency — How can we be responsible to and respectful to our communities via accountability and transparency?
- Risk Management — What implications could our activities have for those involved, and how can we manage risk?