Module 6

Video Spoken Word

For this assignment, you will be creating a Spoken Word. The term “Poetry Slam” is an umbrella category (not form) for any form of poem (Couplet, Rhyme, Free Verse, Alliteration, etc) meant to be performed for a live audience in a competitive environment. These performances are then judged on a numeric scale by previously selected members of the audience. Typically, a poetry slam is highly politicized, speaking on many issues including current social and economic issues, gendered injustices, and racial issues. Poets are judged not only on the content of their slam but the manner of delivery and passion behind their words.

For this assignment, you want to ensure the following criteria is meet:

1. Your Spoken Word is in a video format.
2. Your Spoken word must be memorized.
3. If you use cue cards, then the audience should not see you looking at it in your video.
4. You can use props in presentation.
5. You can add images, words, music etc. in your Spoken Word.
6. You cite any information that is not your own in the end credits.

Here are some tips to consider when creating your video. This information was found in the New York Times’ article, A Beginner’s Guide to Taking Great Video on Your Phone.

Lighting: Light not only defines your subjects but also sets the mood or evokes emotion. Experiment with light and be aware of where your main light source is. For instance, noon sunlight on a cloudless day creates unflattering shadows on your subject’s face, while an overcast or cloudy day produces a softer, more pleasant looking light. And remember what the legendary film director Martin Scorsese once noted: “Light is at the core of who we are and how we understand ourselves.”

An Easy, but Important Tip: Clean Your Lens Mr. Nachtrieb recalls how he and a friend were shooting the same subject one day, but his friend’s lens was dirty, which produced blurry video. “Make sure your lens is clear. If it’s not, carefully clean it with a microfiber cloth.”

Orientation: Be sure to orient your phone horizontally. “When I’m watching the news and there’s footage from a bystander that’s in portrait mode,” says Mr. Nachtrieb, “that’s an immediate signal that it’s an amateur video.” He says that while Instagram and Snapchat seem to be “aiding and abetting” users to create more portrait- or vertically oriented footage, it’s best to avoid it.

Avoid Back Lighting: “Avoid having a window or light source behind your subject, since he or she will look silhouetted,” says Mr. Nachtrieb. Instead, have the light source more to the side of you or behind you.

Use both hands: “Always have two hands on the phone,” says Mr. Nachtrieb. “It may seem rudimentary, but it makes a big difference. Phone lenses generally have optical image stabilization built in, so they’re pretty stable already. But using two hands produces even steadier footage.” It also avoids what he calls the Jell-O effect. “If you’re moving the camera around too quickly, it can have a wavy quality to it.” Using two hands lessens the chance of creating this effect.

Lock Focus and Exposure: Mr. Nachtrieb suggests tapping on your phone’s LCD (on the point you want to focus on), which will lock focus on Google Android devices, or holding your finger in place, which locks focus on the Apple iPhone.“In low light, your phone’s camera will hunt for focus.” That makes it look less professional. Most phones let you also lock or manually adjust the exposure, too.

Improve Your Audio, Too: Most video pros say good quality audio is essential for powerful video. The good news is that the microphones on smartphones have improved in recent years. What’s more is that audio accessories, such as Bluetooth microphones, can make the audio in your video projects sound outstanding (which we’ll get to in a moment).

Here are two audio tricks: Borrow a second phone, start recording audio, and place the phone in your subject’s pocket. “Then, shoot video on your phone from far away,” says Mr. Nachtrieb. “You can always sync up the audio tracks later in video editing.” And when interviewing subjects, don’t interrupt their replies, says Mr. Nachtrieb.

 Try Slow Mo and Time Lapse Effects: Many smartphones come with some powerful video features, including modes that appear to slow down or speed up time, which are more commonly known as slow motion and time lapse. The former captures video at an accelerated frame rate; when played back at normal speed, action in the video appears much slower than real time. With time lapse, a lower frame rate is used. When it’s played back at normal speed, action moves much faster than in real time. Both can produce compelling video.

Work Cited

Sullivan, Terry. “ A Beginner’s Guide to Taking Great Video on Your Phone.” Https://Www.nytimes.com, 17 Apr. 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/17/smarter-living/beginners-guide-phone-video.html. Accessed 24 April 2020.

STUCK FOR IDEAS?

Check out these three websites:

http://wanderingthoughtslane.blogspot.com/2013/03/write-about-this.html

https://www.digitalpoet.net/99-poem-topics

40 Engaging Slam Poems for Secondary ELA

Spoken Word Video Presentation Rubric