PV_Workshop_Exhibition



[pic] [pic] Guidelines (07.2014)

BLOG, PHOTO AND VIDEO GUIDELINES FOR POSITIVE STORYTELLING

WHAT IS A POSITIVE STORY?

BLOGGING GUIDELINES

PHOTO GUIDELINES (including tips for taking photos with a smartphone)

VIDEO GUIDELINES (including tips for taking videos with a smartphone)

STORY FRAME

BLOGGING EXAMPLES

VIDEO EXAMPLE

WHAT IS A POSITIVE STORY?

Driving environmentally-responsible and socially-just solutions that offer hope for this and future generations, a Positive Story is an instrument for young people to tell their peers around the world: “It works and this is the future we want”.

Positive Stories present projects or solutions for a more renewable and sustainable way of living – they leave a positive and optimistic impression.

As a Young Reporter, you are part of the story: Explain who you are, why you're interested in this case, and why this project can be part of a global solution (by being replicated in other locations).

Explain what connects you personally to this issue and why you want the project to be successful. If you cannot convey your true hope/wish (and concern), the audience won’t feel affected either. TIP: People quickly feel connected to stories that include insights in the life of a specific person or animal.

Your role as a Young Reporter is to not only to show adults how to take action, but by spreading the word of Positive Story examples you will convince more young people to stand up for the future they want and inspire people to take responsibility for the planet.

BLOGGING GUIDELINES

Tips on How to Blog

SEE “TIPS ON WRITING ARTICLES” BY YOUNG REPORTERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT YRE.

ALSO CHECK OUT “WHAT MAKES A STORY NEWSWORTHY?”.

Blogging is not about writing in a diary. It’s about bringing some subject from a touching perspective to the readers. They are written in a more friendly tone than an official publication or report. But they are still supposed to be interesting to newsreaders, so they can’t be entirely personal writings. A blog is often defined as an informal news update.

Audience – Keep in mind the audience to whom you are addressing your story. What do they already know, what is interesting for them? Use a suitable language (neither too general, nor too elaborate).

Titles – Grab attention of the readers with a creative title. Subtitles (optional) should contain keywords and describe shortly what the post is about.

Make your point clear - Write as short and to the point as possible and write in the first person, or from your own point of view (e.g. using “I saw…” etc.).

Structure – The posts should have the usual structure – introduction (surroundings, time and place, people), the unfolding story (challenge, unforeseen events) and conclusion (outcome, solution, recommendation). However, creativity is allowed and desirable! It doesn’t need to be too scientific, but rather literary. The conclusion is essential, i.e. the message, i.e. the point – the part inspiring others. Which leads us to content:

Content – Make the content useful and unique to your readers, in order to make them want to read more. The five essential functions are: entertainment, information, debate, news and community, and the sixth: inspiration! Inspire others to replicate on their own – whenever possible without the need to depend on either yours or on Greenpeace’s help.

Length – You should write enough to comprehensively cover your topic without wandering from it. Your story should contain ±350 words.

Media – It will be easier and more enjoyable to read your posts if you include related photos.

Links - If you wish to bring more content to your blog, use attractive links in your text.

Impact – Your blog should be fun for people to read! A Positive Story blog aims on to leave an optimistic though and propulsive impact. Let’s create the future we want!

PHOTO GUIDELINES

Tips on How to take (and select) good action photos – also with Smartphones!

SEE “TIPS ON TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS” BY YOUNG REPORTERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

ONLY HAVE YOUR SMARTPHONE ON HAND?

SEE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’S TIPS FOR BETTER IPHONE PHOTOGRAPHS.

WATCH THE 6’ CLIP “HOW TO TAKE GREAT PHOTOS ON YOUR MOBILE” OR THE 3’ CLIP “HOW TO TAKE GREAT PHOTOS USING YOUR SMARTPHONE”.

Set your camera to the highest image quality possible. You may later want to crop your photo, so you will be happy to have as much detail as possible.

Take photos of people in action (you have to be able to see what they are doing). Simple group photos are not as interesting for people who didn’t participate – try to capture the people while they are in action/working or photograph them from an unique perspective (surprise effect).

Always take a photo of the end product or situation.

Photograph both the whole and details.

Use both portrait and landscape formats. Sometimes you only realize later that changing the format makes the subject look much better.

No posed photos - try to capture the atmosphere.

Focus – blurred photos are useless! Also keep in mind the exposure of light and try to avoid over- or underexposed photos.

Less is more! Having fewer subjects on your photo often means having better photos. If you have a restless background, try to change place, perspective or (for advanced photographers) work with blurring/depth of focus.

Work with perspectives: A photo can sometimes be more exciting if it is not just taken from the front. Try to take photos from the side, above, below, get down on your knees, etc...

The size of the picture should contain at least 1500 pixel (length) and be a maximum of 3 MB.

Please add captions to every photo. The 5 W-questions may be helpful: who is shown in the photo, what is shown, when was it, why and where.

VIDEO GUIDELINES

Tips on how to make a great web-video – also with Smartphones!

ONLY HAVE YOUR SMARTPHONE ON HAND?

WATCH THE 3’ CLIP “HOW TO SHOOT GOOD IPHONE VIDEO”

WATCH THE 4’ CLIP “THE BEST WAYS TO EDIT IPHONE VIDEO”

The most difficult task when making a web-video is to make it short (3 min’s max.) and keep the audience watching until end.

Be well prepared– regarding equipment and content:

⋄ Write down 5-8 questions you would like to ask your interviewee – if possible show them the questions in advance in case they would like to prepare some answers.

⋄ Have an expectation of what you would like your finished video to look like (what scenes/shots to get), but also have a back-up plan if filming doesn’t go quite as planned.

Choose different locations to shoot (interviewing-scene, landscape/surroundings of the project, aspects of the project)

Always remember that you are telling a story that not only everyone should understand, but also feel attached to it! The easiest way to get there is by using four phases:

First: Introduction – vibes of the location, time and place (landscape, crowds, village life), and also present yourself as you are the viewer's connection to this scene – introduce yourself as you would to a new friend.

Second: Introduce actors of the project (affected, beneficiaries, project leaders, etc...)

Third: Bring into focus a problem the project faces/faced to bring some excitement/tension into the story

Fourth: Solution/breakup of the tension by showing how simple the solution was. Finally you should end it by recommending to the world to take this story as a model.

Editing tricks:

Use the different scenes to make it too fascinating to stop watching.

Cut out anything that is not closely connected to your story.

Music – Do not use any music subject to copyright for your video without permission! Here are some music resources you can use when the time comes: Vimeo Music Store, Free Music Archive, and ccMixter

Technical Details Videos must be 250 MB or less and be in MOV, MPEG, AVI, MP4, 3GP, WMV, or FLV format.

Finally: Send your video to your National Greenpeace office or directly to the Youth Support Center: ysc@.

STORY FRAME

The Positive Story project is a unique opportunity for you to report about a good positive story: We want to make the world listen and react to your motivational input. No one is too young to create change! When you decide on your Positive Story and how you want to tell the world about it, choose the tool you like most: blogging or creating a video, or both.

In order to give a common identity to all Positive Stories from around the globe, we made a checklist for you. Please follow it, it will be helpful for you as well as for us to process and publish them:

|What |How |Tools / Examples |

| | |Video |Blog |

|Title of the «Positive Story» |The title should give an idea about the |See Layout Guidelines or ask your national |

| |part of the world, and what this example |office for help |

| |will contributes to a better future | |

|Who is telling the story? |Young Reporters should present themselves |Show yourself on |About you: publish your |

| |personally, explaining who they are and |camera, or speak from|profile including |

| |what connects them with this particular |the behind the |- Your picture |

| |Positive Story. |scenes. |- Details (name, age, |

| | |Do something |country, interests) |

| | |innovative! |- A statement about the |

| | | |future you want |

|Where in the world is the Positive Story located?|Short geographical introduction, and maybe| |

| |special characteristics of the place | |

| |(connected to your story) | |

|What is the story behind the Positive Story? |What situation led people to reconsider | |

| |the unsustainable methods/situation? What | |

| |was the trigger that led to this | |

| |experiment? (Political, economic, social…)| |

|What are the effects of this project? |Does the project/situation lead to any | |

| |(positive side-) effects other than the | |

| |directly aspired ones? | |

|Why would you recommend this example to be |Elaborate in what situation this example | |

|adopted by others? |might take the future closer to the one | |

|(regions/countries/communities?) |you want, and how this can be done – | |

| |especially, what youth can do to copy this| |

| |good example | |

|References |The Positive Story project leader |End titles | |

| |Anyone who helped you film/writing the |see Layout Guidelines|Links to partners or more|

| |story |(tbd) or ask your |info |

| |Your name |national office for | |

| | |help | |

BLOGGING EXAMPLES

1 Bringing the world together to change the world

A team of 20 people from South America, Asia and Africa arrived on a Saturday afternoon, August 4, on a farm in the Emmental valley, two hours from Bern, capital of Switzerland. The purpose of the gathering was to prove that we can all be part of an Energy Revolution and that we can be the solution required.

Over 6 days, we installed on the Fluckiger's farm 43 photovoltaic panels capable of generating 216kwp. Our days began with breakfast at 7:30am. We formed three groups some who stayed on the farm helping Susanna Fluckiger while other went up onto the roof and worked on the installation. The third group would go into the village and there calculate how much solar energy the roofs in the village could produce. During that week the groups analysed 350 houses and showed enormous potential for the Emmental region to go solar.  We had a lot of work but working till 6pm everyday we got it all done.

  

One some nights, we listened to Retze and Artemi play the guitar, while the evening grew chilly staying outside was rewarded with a sky full of stars and the occasional shooting stars. We camped out in tents or slept in the barn woken only by lowing cows, even the flies that followed us all day long were not enough to spoil this idyllic life. 

In my opinion the most important thing was the contact with others volunteers, cultures and the practical knowledge of a photovoltaic installation. I saw how a small group can make a big change.  

 

I came to home with the confidence that I can do more for my community. A few days after returning home     we received an email from Susanna Fluckiger her words inspired me and hope that as this chapter draws to a close they inspire you.

Since you all left, it's so quiet here… Every one of you is such a special person. There are many open doors for you. So I wish you all can choose the task that will give you satisfaction and pleasure. Choose carefully, and don’t give up until you find it.

This is the 20th episode of a blog post-series called Cool Spot Stories written by young and committed Reporters.

About the Author: Thomas Mendel is 20 years old and Greenpeace Brazil volunteer since 2011. He studies journalism and intends to use his future profession as tool to share his ideas. In Brazil, he was involved with a Greenpeace project that enabled young people to install a solar system at a community center in a slum in Rio de Janeiro (Juventude Solar). In 2013, Greenpeace invited him to Switzerland to the International Solar Camp in order to install a solar plant on a farmer's roof, together with other Greenpeace volunteers and staff.

2 SOLMUSIC – The Mobile Solar Disco

What started as a dream to provide for a mobile, sustainable disco-system has become reality. While the process was long and often hard, it is a journey that none of us will forget quickly.

One of our first problems was getting an independent power source. Today’s disco events are loud and big and rely on huge amounts of energy to have a bombastic thump. Most of these events are plugged into exiting electricity outlets, however, we wanted to be independent and not have our location limited nor did we want poor sound quality. We wanted to have disco anywhere with sound that one you can feel in your stomach. With this in mind we set out to find a mode of transport; an old wagon, on which hours and hours were spent on. With hard work the wagon passed countless tests and remodeling. The best part of our mobile disco was the solar powered roof which meant we could travel anywhere and still have amazing sound. With our mobile venue ready to go the small corporation was born. Now the once old wagon has done a four-week live dj performances all around Switzerland all powered by its solar-panel-roof.

This Tour de Soleil, as we call it, didn’t come easy, it took a dedicated team of ten to get things done. This involved countless hours of inventing mechanisms for an adjustable roof, welding together different parts or linking panels with battery, arranging official events, inviting artists and looking for sponsors. Despite all this, Tour de Soleil was more than a party but a model of sustainable energy production, the mobile venue allowed us to present the concept to audiences all over Switzerland.

SolMobil made us proud not only did the old wagon survive the journey but hosted local and internationally famous djs. No audience was too big or too small for SolMobil. In addition, SolMobil won a youth prize from the city of Berne. The tour exceed expectation with our events featured in several newspapers, the SolMobil as we hoped became more than just a party but its journey continues to make an impact on people.

This is the 28th episode of a blog post-series called Cool Spot Stories written by young and committed Reporters.

About the Authors: visit solmusic.ch and to read more about the young group!

VIDEO EXAMPLE

“A new start for old mills in Nepal” – this video has the angle, good technique and a good message captured in 3 minutes:

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|Contribution Guidelines |

|We consider submissions from around the world from youths up to the age of 26 (exceptions possible). |

|They must be well written, contain a maximum of 350 words, and be accompanied by 2-5 pictures and a very short biography (about 50-80 |

|words). |

|Hard news is not what we’re looking for. Features, commentary, satire and humor are. |

|Share your personal opinion and experiences. Try not to be a spokesperson for an organization or political party. |

|No contributions that contain racist, sexist, homophobic, discriminatory or defamatory remarks — or that may be interpreted as such. |

|Main language is English, though we also publish stories in other languages. YSC can try to organize translation, however, this may |

|delay the publication. |

|Fancy yourself as a videographer?  We’ll happily publish multimedia, too! (About 3mins length). |

|The editorial team reserves the right to edit submissions that are accepted for publication. |

|Send your video/blog to ysc@, providing your name, age, email, nationality and the exact date and place of your Cool Spot |

|Report. |

|Please make sure to follow the guidelines below to make the process quick and easy. |

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