Using Video to Provoke Discussion
When you are choosing videos, always ask yourself:
I. Who will be seeing the tape? Keep in mind:
Age
Economic background
Educational experience
Family or housing situation
Gender
Sexual orientation
Cultural or ethnic background
Remember that different settings often need different types of tapes.
II. How long is the tape or the excerpt you want to use?
Remember that short videos and clips work best when time is limited and agendas are full.
III. What are my reasons for using the tape or excerpt?
- To provide factual information?
- To demonstrate or reinforce positive behavior
- To identify group needs and understanding
- To offer non-threatening points of view for the group to talk about difficult subjects
- To sensitize the group to culturally diverse attitudes and experience?
To get the most out of the videotapes as information resources and tools for ascertainment; prioritizing; strategizing and offering options:
- Take advantage of the VCR's pause, stop and rewind features - be creative
- Use excerpts/clips from tapes when only parts of videos will serve your needs
- Direct people's attention to what you want them to watch for or think about
- For discussion starters, have the groups members introduce themselves
- Ask non-threatening but open-ended questions about motivations, ideas, beliefs and situations in the tape to help the group think about their own experience
- Use role playing exercise in which viewers come up with alternate scenarios for situations shown in a tape
Avoid unnecessary delays and problems by:
- Checking out equipment in advance of viewing - make sure cables are in the right places to insure proper viewing (Don't worry, this is NOT complicated)
- Prepare and rewind tapes ahead of time
- Cue up videos to the start of the selection and write down your out cue (when the section should finish)
These tips were created in 1999 by Third World Newsreel for the Seeing Though AIDS Workshops.
