STORYTELLERS. The participants, their coaches, and the speakers strike a group photo after the “Storytellers in the Making: A Workshop on Digital Photography, Videography, Journalism, and Civil Society Campaign.” Supplied photo.
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — Select students from five big high schools in Northern Mindanao went through an intensive three-day training-workshop on photography, videography, journalism, and civil society campaign at the American Corner of Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan.
More than 30 students, who are mostly members of their respective student publications, along with their coaches, spent their days, from November 27 to 29 at the XU American Corner, polishing their creative and technical skills on the said fields.
The participants were from Kapatagan National High School in Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon National High School, Clarin National High School in Misamis Occidental, Gusa Regional Science High School, and Cagayan de Oro City National High School.
PARTICIPANT. Gelo from Clarin National High School explains the elements of a photo during the workshop. Photo by Michael Angelo Lao Estillore.
Making a difference
The first workshop, conducted by Xavier Ateneo’s Development Communication department chairperson Evans I Yonson, provided a venue for the participants to learn more about how to take quality photographs.
In his lecture, Yonson showed historical and iconic photographs, such as the “Migrant Mother” (1936) by Dorothea Lange and “Leading the March” (1963) by an unknown photographer, among others, and in turn, students identified their elements and social significance.
He encouraged the young participants to continue their photographic practices in their own localities and consider how they can use it as a tool to make a difference.
On the afternoon of Nov 27, writer Stephen Pedroza shared on how to weave a story about their communities. In his discussion, he imparted ten points:
1. Begin with a picture.
2. Insert hard facts into your story.
3. Use literary devices.
4. Hit the right word.
5. Quotations.
6. Attach quality photos and videos.
7. Express your biases subtly.
8. Obey the grammar rules.
9. Write the story. No more excuses.
10. Ripple and find a fresh angle.
“In the business and ambit of storytelling, content remains king,” Pedroza said, adding that reading diverse books and other materials will help them cultivate their writing skills and help them establish their own writing style.
During Pedroza’s workshop, the participants were asked to compose a sample story applying what they have learned from the ten leads.
BE VISUAL. For his part, Xavier Ateneo’s Development Communication department chairperson Evans I Yonson shares on how to take quality photographs and produce compelling videos. Photo by Estillore.
Building their own social media campaigns
On the event’s second day, representatives from the “I Am Mindanao” team shared their experiences in building a social media campaign against violent extremism.
Run by DevCom students and faculty of Xavier Ateneo, “I Am Mindanao” aims to educate the youth on building peace and interreligious dialogue, strengthen our sense of pride as Mindanaoans, and empower young people to take part in countering violent extremism.
Last July, the “I Am Mindanao” was among the top four campaigns in the Peer-to-Peer Facebook Global Digital Challenge participated in by 114 universities around the world.
The talk was followed by a workshop on videography by Yonson, wherein the participants reviewed various documentary-style and broadcast videos.
Yonson, who teaches Film at XU, also discussed with the young storytellers the different facets of video production, such as angles, types of shots, camera movements, script, and focus.
The curricula used in the photography and videography workshops were written by ARTLAB+, a digital art studio for teens at the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The overarching pedagogy used in the programming is HOMAGO, which stands for “hang out, mess around, and geek out.”
I AM MINDANAO. On the event’s second day, Marvin Pamisa of “I Am Mindanao” team shares their experiences in building a social media campaign against violent extremism. Photo by Estillore.
Digital campaigns
At the end of the program, each team set up their social media campaigns on Facebook. They applied what they have learned from the lectures and workshops to build the contents of their digital campaigns.
During the last day of “Storytellers in the Making: A Workshop on Digital Photography, Videography, Journalism, and Civil Society Campaign,” each group, together with their coach, launched their social media campaign and calendar of activities. Below are their digital campaigns on Facebook:
Dilaab PH (Gusa Regional Science High School)
Banuwa PH (Bukidnon National High School)
Peacebook (Kapatagan National High School)
JAM For PEACE (Cagayan de Oro City National High School)
Selibu PH (Clarin National High School)
Xavier Lara, director of American Spaces Philippines, told the participants in a digital video conference via Zoom that they believe in the talents and skills of young Filipinos to establish a peaceful country and to work together towards development.
As an artist himself, he encouraged the young storytellers to never stop learning about their crafts and to actively get involved in nation-building programs.
After a month, the peace-themed campaigns will be judged using the "A-F Framework": Audience analysis; Behavior results; Content; Delivery; Engagement; and Follow-up & Evaluation.
The top three best social media campaign teams will receive certificates and cash prizes from the US Embassy-Manila. Winners will be announced in early January 2018.
This event was presented by Xavier Ateneo Libraries, American Spaces Philippines, US Embassy-Manila, and the Smithsonian Institution.
XU Libraries director Estrella Cabudoy expressed her gratitude to the people behind the success of the said program and hopes that it will become an annual offering of the American Corner - Cagayan de Oro City for young storytellers.∎