Storytelling with Video and Ryan Kushner

By Mary Kazarian

AUA Communications and Social Media Intern

 

During the month of May, the AUA Network will be holding a series of skill-building webinars with leading practitioners who will share their expertise and insights on teaching English as a second language and storytelling as a volunteer! In this storytelling is included tips on writing blogs and effective video and interview sessions.

This past week Ryan Kushner, who has worked in media production for the past decade and runs the San-Francisco based creative services firm Intelligent Design, led the webinar for effective storytelling through the video medium. He was able to give keen pointers and explained that just as a story has a basic beginning, middle, and end structure, so does a video. The video should also have an “angle” or a “story hook” such as setting up an expectation at the beginning and maybe it knocking down at the end. Videography also includes a lot of editing, so a good piece of advice would be to use as much film as possible and take as many pictures, because as the old adage goes, “it is better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.” Some other technical tips include having a framing and focal point and following the “rule of thirds”, especially during interview sessions, as well as good audio quality.

During interview sessions, a relaxed and humorous attitude should be employed to keep the interviewee comfortable. The interviewer should also be aware of where the interviewee is looking, a consistent gaze should be at either the camera lens or at the interviewer’s eyes. For some more tips check out Vimeo’s Video School and for good examples of video interviewing and film, check out AUA’s YouTube page or Intelligent Design’s website. The whole webinar session on conducting effective interviews and video can be viewed here. Stay in touch with the AUA Network for more skill-building webinars this May!

AUA on Everyday Ambassador

AUA Director Ben Orbach penned this piece about citizen diplomacy for the blog of the Everyday Ambassador initiative. On Dec. 6, Everyday Ambassador Founder and Director Kate Otto will host a special AUA webinar about building people-to-people partnerships as a volunteer abroad. The webinar will take place at noon, eastern standard time. To RSVP for the event, e-mail stefanc(at)creativelearning.org.

America’s Unofficial Ambassadors to the Muslim World

It was almost 10 years ago at Jordan University in Amman that I met Sundos, a 19-year old sophomore. Little did I know that helping a muhajiba, or head-covered young woman, with her English homework would change my life.

It was the fall of 2002. I was a graduate student of Middle East Studies, and I’d moved to Jordan that summer for a year-long fellowship to improve my Arabic. I saw Arabic as a key to gaining a first-hand understanding of America’s challenges in the Middle East. It was less than a year after the 9/11 attacks, and I saw an opportunity to pursue answers to thequestions that plagued so many of us.

While improving my Arabic was a driving force in my decision to go to Jordan — and in many of my choices while I was there — my motivations for moving to Jordan and then for traveling around the Middle East were more complicated. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks and on the eve of war with Iraq, I was struck with how wrong America’s relations with the Arab World seemed. From my perspective, as a 27-year old graduate student, “wrong” was the most appropriate word to describe what should have been a multi-faceted and nuanced relationship that was instead reduced to stereotypes, generalizations, and short-sighted decision making  at all levels, from popular questions of “why do they hate us?” to policy decisions of war and peace. Read more.

Kate Otto is a public health professional who is featured in the eBook “Disruptive Women in Healthcare.” Currently, she works with the World Bank, USAID and the Massachusetts General Hospital. She also writes for the Huffington Post and recently authored a piece for the Christian Science Monitor on the importance of citizen diplomacy in the Muslim World. Kate is also now writing a book called Everyday Ambassador: How to Be a Global Citizen in a Digital World. Kate spoke at the TEDxUNC conference earlier this year. Here’s a look at her talk on Everyday Ambassadorship.

Participate in the AUA Network’s Monthly Webinars with Industry Leaders

Creative Learning is excited to announce the fall schedule for the AUA Network’s monthly webinar series. AUA webinars, which are open to members of the AUA Network, offer the opportunity to engage with leaders and expert practitioners in the fields of international development, relations between America and the Muslim World, and cross-cultural dialogue. Future Ambassadors, Ambassadors, Ambassador Mentors, and the other Peace Builders committed to AUA’s mission  are welcome to join the AUA Network and take part in these hour-long, lunch time sessions, starting this Tuesday, September 27, 2011, when AUA Director Ben Orbach will introduce the America’s Unofficial Ambassadors initiative and the AUA Directory.

Ben Orbach’s presentation kicks off a dynamic series of interactive discussions with a number of expert practitioners. In October, Luby Ismail, the President of Connecting Cultures will speak on “Dialogue and Engagement with Muslim World,” and in November, Susan Raymond, Executive Vice President of Changing our World, Inc. will present, “Researching and Writing Successful Proposals: Supporting Grassroots NGOs.” These sessions will be indispensable for unofficial ambassadors seeking to volunteer with a grassroots NGO in the Muslim World. Margaret McLaughlin, Deputy Director of Stability Operations at the US State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, will lead a similarly valuable session on building community partnerships in December.

AUA Webinars will be held from 12-1 PM Eastern Time and are open to members of the AUA Network. The format is an initial presentation of 30 to 40 minutes followed by a lively discussion session. To join the AUA Network:

1) Select your appropriate membership type and click on the membership title link to fill out a short application. For descriptions of each, please click here.

•          Future Ambassador
•          Ambassador
•          Ambassador Mentor
•          Peacebuilder

2) Join our LinkedIn group.

Once you have submitted your information, an AUA team member will confirm your application, and then grant you full access to the AUA Network.

Members of the AUA Network can RSVP, and receive instructions on how to access each webinar by sending an email to CharlotteH@creativelearning.org. RSVPs will be accepted up to the morning of each event.

The schedule for this fall’s AUA Network is listed below. Click on speakers’ names for their full bio.

1. September 27, 2011 – Introduction to the AUA initiative and the AUA Directory, Ben Orbach, Director, AUA, Creative Learning
2. October 26, 2011 – Dialogue and engagement with the Muslim World, for volunteers and practitioners, Luby Ismail, President, Connecting Cultures and intercultural trainer
3. November 9, 2011 – Researching and writing successful proposals: supporting grassroots NGOs, Susan Raymond, Executive Vice President, Changing Our World, Inc
4. December 9, 2011 – Community Partnerships: Building personal and productive partnerships that reach across cultures, Margaret McLaughlin, Deputy Director, Stability Operations, Foreign Service Institute, US Dept of State