PSA

I felt that the PSA was a meaningful and enjoyable learning experience. It is not that common that students get to share a meaningful message with society and even more rare that they get to use the video medium to do so. I thought that the whole process was kind of fun and went fairly smoothly. It was nice to just focus on one simple message and try to get it across effectively. I thought we came up with a straightforward storyline and gave the audience one clear persuasive message. It’s always difficult to coordinate group efforts, but once we got together, the filming and editing sessions were pretty fun. I think our educational message may have been very simple, but I think that one easy message is the best objective for a one minute PSA. We tell the audience something important and back it up with facts. In this sense, our message is also very clear, with the focus on the goal objective of unplugging. We worked hard to get the best scenes with regard to props, setting, lighting, and actions within the shot. For example, we tried multiple camera angles, adjusted lighting to change the mood, and allowed Pete to utilize his natural acting abilities. We also made sure that the text was simple, readable, and factual. The music was also added to contribute to the mood and better draw the audience’s attention. We created this video so that the audience would be interested and come away with an important message. In fact, we hope that they will act upon this message by being aware of how plugged in they are and perhaps strive to become a bit less connected. Overall, I would say it was a very thoroughly done project, perhaps even professional. I think video PSA’s are certainly an effective form of activism, especially in an age where YouTube videos are all the rage. One minute sometimes is all it takes to raise the level of awareness. This new experience with video makes me much more comfortable using it in the future and it is something that I am inspired to experiment with further.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejk0lMISleQ