Turning My Love For the Outdoors Into A PSA

While many activities have been restricted because of the pandemic, getting outside has not been one of them. The beauty of the outdoors has been something I have deeply benefited from and appreciated all my life. My heart behind this video was to encourage others in an activity that has specifically brought joy to me and my family as of late: getting outside.

What did I do?

To create my PSA, first I came up with an idea. I wanted it to be a message that I am passionate about and so I combined two main ideas I consistently find myself advocating for: slowdown/unplug and get outside. Next I created a storyboard/script for these ideas. I included the statistics I wanted to use in my script and then I listed out the shots I wanted to get with each bit of my script. After I had completed my script, I recorded my audio track on Adobe Audition. I then set out to shoot my b-roll ending with my final sunset shot at a popular tourist attraction near me called Signal Point. Below is a picture of me and my dad (one of the actors in my PSA) after I shot the final sunset shot. Finally, I edited everything together in Adobe Premiere Pro.

What did I learn?

Throughout the video making process, I learned many new techniques. First, I learned video shooting techniques such as tight shots, medium shots, wide shots, arc shots, primary motion shots, and perspective shots. I learned that there are a variety of ways to shoot the same shot, and varying these shots makes for a really interesting and engaging video.

Next, I learned how to edit video in Adobe Premiere Pro which I had never done before. Some of the major techniques I learned to edit this video included…

• Adding a linear wipe to text to create a typewriter effect
• Adding a roll to my credits
• Adding video and audio transitions
• Speeding up and slowing down my video clips
• Selecting a specific portion of one clip
• Adding text to my video.

Below you will find a picture of me using the Adobe Premiere Pro software to edit my video.

How will I use it in the future?

I love to save and preserve memories in any way that I can. I typically do this with photos and journals, but I have never had much experience with video. After completing this project and gaining experience with video, I think this would be an awesome way for me to preserve memories in my own life. Everyone has a story to tell but not everyone is meant to tell it in the same medium. Adding video skills to my wheelhouse of storytelling techniques will be extremely valuable to me in the future because videos could be the way I choose to tell stories one day in my professional career and/or how I choose to preserve my own personal memories.

To see my final product, click here! To check out my YouTube channel, click here!