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Visual Storytelling Module Introduction

Module Overview

  • This module introduces Visual Storytelling as an accessible entry into filmmaking for students across digital marketing, PR, and related fields. It acknowledges an increasingly converging media environment where content creation skills are essential.

  • Students already bring practical knowledge (rule of thirds, good selfies, lighting awareness) which the module will acknowledge and formalize, building a more critical and structured approach.

  • Emphasis on a gentle introduction to concepts, structure, and weekly activities rather than an overload of new theory.

  • Slides and materials are available on Canvas for download after the lecture; you can review in your own time.

  • The module aims to establish a common nomenclature for shot sizes to improve group collaboration and communication throughout the four-year program.

  • Mobile phone filmmaking is the current focus; later stages may introduce DSLRs for production launch next year. If you lack equipment or are anxious about technology, inform the instructor early so accommodations can be arranged.

  • Technical expectations will be explained in your seminar groups.

Module Structure

  • Each week consists of a lecture (by the module leader or a colleague) followed by a seminar/workshop, typically two hours on a Thursday.

  • In seminars, there will be practical activities based on the week’s lecture concepts; attendance is mandatory because marks come largely from exercises completed in seminars.

  • The module uses a three-concept-per-week format introduced in each lecture to scaffold learning.

  • The module coordinator is Andrew; seminars may also be led by Dr Alicia Jumeili; queries about seminars should be directed to Alicia or Andrew.

  • The module includes an ongoing evaluation process driven by student feedback to improve the order and relevance of content.

  • The module information and assessment dates are provided in seminars and timetables; refer to these for updates.

Weekly Schedule (Typical Flow)

  • Week 1 or early weeks: introduction to shot sizes and visual language; a gentle overview of what will be learned per week; emphasis on common professional levels and concepts you may apply to your own work.

  • Week 2: editing (video editing); focus on chopping shots and ordering them; discussions of editing theory (e.g., reference to Kuleshov) and how editing choices affect meaning.

  • Week 3: storyboarding and shot listing; planning visuals before shooting.

  • Week 4: photography and composition; applying composition principles to both photo and video contexts.

  • Week 5: camera movements; understanding when a shot is static, on a tripod, panning, tilting, or handheld for a particular effect.

  • Break week (in October): a much-needed pause in classes.

  • Week 6/7: a topic titled something like a visual concept referring to anything visual inside a frame (the exact term is unclear in the transcript) and lighting; discussion of lighting decisions.

  • Week 8: sound; the role of sound design and practical considerations; discuss the sound/image ratio in different media contexts.

  • Week 9: a deep dive into assessment criteria and what you are being marked on, including the critical reflection component.

  • Week 10: final screening of your group video; in-room screening; potential budget for popcorn noted informally.

  • Week 11 onward: wrap-up and key review of concepts; final submissions and reflections.

  • Important note: exact timetable and week names may shift; refer to the timetable for the current week.

Assessment and Grading

  • Assessment is structured as pass/fail for the video content and photography exercises; a final 1,000-word reflective essay is also required.

  • Final deliverable is a group video to be screened in the teaching room during Week 10; there may be a small budget for snacks (e.g., popcorn).

  • The written component is a reflective piece of length approximately 1000 words, exploring what went well, what could improve, and how to apply lessons to future work.

  • You will be submitting a weekly exercise aligned with the weekly concept (e.g., shot sizes this week, editing next week).

  • A lot of the assessment rests on weekly participation and submission; attendance in seminars is mandatory; missing classes can delay progress and make catching up challenging.

  • The end-of-semester requirement also includes a short written component and a final video project; the overall assessment balances practical work and reflection.

  • The deadline for the reflective essay is around December 11; specific dates are provided in the yellow-highlighted timetable notes.

  • The overall tone emphasizes that students should feel encouraged to experiment and take calculated risks in their work, as long as they submit the required deliverables.

Practical Work, Submissions, and Backup

  • You will be expected to produce weekly pieces of work; the aim is consistent submission rather than perfection on every task.

  • If you miss a class or fall behind, you should inform the module team in advance when possible; late submissions may affect your progression.

  • Students should safeguard their work: back up files to a hard drive or cloud storage (OneDrive, class folder, etc.). Loss of work is not an acceptable excuse for assessment. Implement a personal filing system and ensure you know where each piece of work is stored.

  • Group work dynamics: groups are typically 3–4 people; group membership can change weekly; you must still submit your portion of the weekly exercise.

  • Use of equipment: mobile phone filmmaking kits, reflectors, phone tripods are available for loan; knowledge of booking equipment (via the equipment booking form) is required. Contact the media production technician (Jury Fraser Harris) for bookings and equipment-related questions.

  • For software: Adobe Creative Suite access is provided via student accounts; you will log in with your student credentials. Adobe Rush is being phased out in favor of Premiere Pro for mobile/desktop, with a note to download Rush before the promised end date if applicable. The practical emphasis is on the concepts and how you perform them in whichever software you use, not on mastering a single tool.

  • Troubleshooting: if your device does not support the software or you have experience with other editing tools, inform the instructor so accommodations can be made. The focus remains on applying core concepts across tools.

Shot Sizes and Visual Language (Key Concepts)

  • The session includes a practical explanation of shot sizes; you should be able to name a shot length and purpose with a common vocabulary.

  • Wide shot (also called long shot) definition: shows the entire subject from feet to head; showcases the environment and context; useful for establishing location and scale; supports understanding of body language and surroundings.

  • Close-up definition: frames the head and shoulders; captures facial expressions and emotion; can be adjusted to include more or less of the forehead or chin; can have variations that crop parts of the head for dramatic effect.

  • Extreme wide shot: emphasizes scale and isolation; keeps the subject distant; used sparingly to convey scale or loneliness.

  • Extreme close-up: focuses intensely on a small area of the face (e.g., eyes) or an object; highly visually striking but not ideal for general dialogue shots.

  • Two-shot: a mid-shot of two people in the frame; commonly used to show interaction or dialogue between characters.

  • Over-the-shoulder (OTS): shows one character speaking with the other character’s shoulder and head in the foreground; creates a sense of conversation and involvement; very common in films and TV.

  • Objects and non-human subjects can be framed with the same shot types (e.g., product reviews may use close-ups of a product like a Kensington clicker).

  • The terminology (wide shot, close-up, two-shot, over-the-shoulder, etc.) is intended to create a shared language for collaboration and planning.

  • The session emphasizes that visual storytelling is about translating thought into visual terms and communicating with collaborators using a shared vocabulary.

Aspect Ratios, Framing, and Vertical vs Horizontal

  • The default, historically dominant aspect ratio is horizontal (widescreen); most screens (TVs, monitors, laptops) are horizontal.

  • Vertical video is increasingly important for mobile-first content and social media; square formats also persist on many platforms.

  • You should decide the most appropriate aspect ratio for your project, and justify your choice in relation to the intended platform and audience.

  • It is common to shoot in horizontal to preserve flexibility; you can crop or convert later to square or vertical formats, though conversion from vertical back to horizontal may be difficult.

  • For social media campaigns, vertical video can be more effective for engagement, but horizontal remains the default for many traditional and long-form contexts.

  • You can shoot in horizontal and then crop to other formats for short-form pieces; the reverse is less convenient.

  • You should make conscious decisions about aspect ratio rather than relying on habit; reflect on how ratio choices affect composition and viewer experience.

  • The instructor emphasizes that you should decide ratios intentionally, honoring your own learning goals and the needs of your intended audience.

  • Practical note: set the chosen aspect ratio before starting a Rush project; you can change later but starting with the intended ratio is easier.

  • There is an awareness that different programs and teams may favor different ratios depending on platform and audience.

Sound, Lighting, Color, and Post-Production Details

  • Sound is a core part of the visual storytelling equation; the module stresses the significance of sound even if you are not aiming to become a professional sound designer.

  • Lighting and color corrections: discuss how to make footage look cohesive; color grading to create a consistent “look” or mood; basic color correction could fix blue/ orange/ purple tints.

  • Titles, credits, and captions: basics of producing on-screen text and credits for your video projects.

  • The module aims to cover practical production considerations, including how to balance image and sound, and how to plan a final look.

Equipment, Access, and Technical Setup

  • Equipment available to borrow includes mobile filmmaking kits, reflectors, phone tripods; some equipment will be demonstrated in seminars.

  • Equipment bookings require contact with the media production technician and submitting an equipment booking form.

  • Adobe software access is provided via university accounts; log in with your student credentials; the course focuses on applying concepts across tools, not mastering a single platform.

  • The Rush vs Premiere Pro transition: Adobe has announced Rush will be discontinued and replaced by Premiere Pro for iPhone/Android; download Rush before the end of September if you plan to use it, and be aware that the curriculum will transition to Premiere Pro as the platform moves forward.

  • Practical guidance: ensure you can log in to Adobe, have the software ready on your device, and be prepared to discuss how you would perform tasks in other software if you choose alternatives.

  • The instructor emphasizes that this module teaches concepts and workflows, not a specific proprietary toolset.

Professional Practice and Personal Responsibility

  • The module stresses personal accountability for safeguarding your own work and keeping organized backups of all submissions.

  • It is your responsibility to manage your work, even if you are collaborating in a group; ensure you know where each piece is stored and backed up.

  • Time management and balancing commitments are discussed; the module encourages bravery and willingness to push outside comfort zones and take creative risks.

  • You should reflect on your reasons for enrolling in the course and connect weekly practice to your broader motivations as a student and future professional.

  • The instructor quotes C.S. Lewis to encourage perseverance: meaningful progress often happens under less-than-ideal conditions; opportunities may not be perfectly convenient.

Communication, Collaboration, and Career Suggestions

  • Visual storytelling relies on clear communication with collaborators; a shared vocabulary (shot sizes, OTS, etc.) helps coordinate group work.

  • The module acknowledges that many practitioners are self-shooters but also emphasizes the necessity of teamwork in many contexts.

  • There is encouragement to engage with informal networks such as the Queen Margaret Creative network to discover opportunities, and to watch for postings by Vlad or other program coordinators about theatre and film opportunities.

  • The program supports cross-program interaction, alumni, and peer-to-peer networks for freelance gigs, student projects, and professional development.

Final Notes and Access Information

  • The module is designed to minimize outside-of-class workload while maintaining rigorous creative practice.

  • If you have questions after the session, you can email the module coordinator or the seminar lead; a short five-minute window is typically available for quick questions at the end of the session.

  • The instructor expresses enthusiasm for working with students and invites ongoing feedback to improve the module.

Quick Reference Key Dates and Numbers (summary)

  • Weekly format: Lecture + Seminar (two hours) on Thursdays; three concepts introduced per week.

  • Final deliverable: a final group video screened in class; includes a 1000-word reflective essay.

  • Reflective essay length: 1000 words.

  • Final written deadline: around December 11.

  • Shot sizes practice in Week 1; editing in Week 2; storyboarding in Week 3; photography/composition in Week 4; camera movements in Week 5; break Week in October; sound and color in following weeks; deep dive in Week 9; final screening in Week 10.

  • Six shot sizes will be practiced in the seminar exercise; groups around 3 ext{–}4; attendance and submission are mandatory for passing.

  • Adobe Rush discontinuation and transition to Premiere Pro; download Rush before the end of the month if applicable; permanent access to Adobe Creative Cloud provided through student credentials.

Inspirational Context

  • The module encourages persistence, bravery, and a proactive approach to learning. The instructor stresses that the most important factor is willingness to start and to keep improving, even under less-than-ideal conditions. The aim is to develop a practical, collaborative, and industry-relevant set of skills that students can apply across multiple media contexts.