PSA Project

Example of a PSA starts at 3:50

This project must be in Spanish so be sure you have someone in your group who can speak spanish.

Step 1 - determine your topic, what will your PSA or story be about? Why are you telling this story, what response do you want to evoke in your audience?

Step 2 - write your script, what dialogue will you use, what information will you present?

Step 3 - what is the best way to tell your story or present your PSA? What shots will you use for this purpose?

Before you shoot your PSA you will need to create a storyboard using the script you already created. Here is a great video to introduce the purpose of a storyboard and the "how to" of storyboarding.

For this project you will create a PSA for Sequoia High School. The winning PSA will be played with the school announcements and might be posted to the school web site. The theme of the PSA is "What Every Sequoia Student Need to Know". If you want to submit another theme check with your instructor first.

Sample PSAs:

Smartphone PSA

Unspoken Rules

Why NOT to ride in the bike lane

Hear Our Heros

Storyboarding - if you cannot layout your ideas on paper then you should not be directing

Storyboarding - this process is used in a variety of careers such as movies, commercials, animations, cartoons, games.
you will create your storyboard for your PSA project.

Turn in your PSA storyboard (just one for the group) before you begin shooting your video.

Here are the specs for the PSA project:

- 5 seconds of black screen - you can shorten this to 3 seconds.
- Title ~ 3 seconds - should show up during the 5 seconds of black screen.
- Your movie. The movie must be a minimum of 2 minutes but no longer than 4 minutes.
- No one shot can be longer than 20 seconds.
- You must record the sound of the speaker using the boom mic and headphones to be sure the sound quality is good. Poor sound quality will result a lower score.
- You must include B-roll and cut-aways.
- Be sure to include background music.
- Closing credits - be sure to credit those who participated in the video - remember first names only.
- 5 seconds of black screen.

B-roll refers to additional supporting shots that are not specifically of the subject. Examples of B-roll might be a closeup of the food in a bowl before it is prepared. A close-up of the hands working with the food or the food in the oven or refrigerator. All of these will be cut into your video to increase the interest and prevent long continuous shots.

Cut-away shots are clips of things in the environment where the main shot is being recorded. A shot of the audience or of the kitchen could be used as a cut-away. Cut-aways are typically used to transistion from one scene to another so you don't end up with a jump cut.

The Planning Process.

1. Create a shot list of what will happen in your shoot
LS of kitchen and presenter > MS of kitchen and presenter > CU of presenter as they describe what they are going to prepare.
MS CU of presenter working with food
CU of finished product

2. Create a B-roll shot list - CU of pealing potatoes, CU of butter being poured over potatoes....

3. Create a Cut-away shot list - CU of family picture on kitchen wall, CU of refrigerator with notes....

The Shooting Process.

1. Have your presenter walk through the process as a dry run so they can practice and you can practice with your shots. You may or may not end up using some of this footage.

2. Record your first take, if mistakes are made just continue shooting, you can cut the mistakes later. This first take should be shot with a tripod and there should only be minor camera movements.

3. Record your second take for sections where mistakes were made in the first take.

4. Shoot your B-roll shots - closeups of specific tasks such as the hands preparing the food, the food in the pan cooking, the final plate of food, your presenter taking a taste of the food, the mess the cook made in preparing the food.

5. Shoot your Cut-away shots. Have a series of shots you can use to transition from one shot to another. The dog sitting in the kitchen, the oven... These shots do not have to be long but the more you have the more you have to choose from.

The Editing Process.

1. Since this is a how to video there is a definite sequence to your shots so this will help you put your shots together. Check your sound at this point to be sure the instructions are clear. You may need to do some editing of the sound as well.

2. Once you have your main action shots in sequence begin to add your B-roll and cut-aways to provide interest and transitions.

3. Add sound but be sure the sound does not overpower the voice track, fade the sound in and out at appropriate spots.

4. Add your title and closing credits. Be sure to credit everyone involved in the film but use only first names.