Unleashing the Power of Video to Revolutionize Education

Lawa Pyakurel

A golden opportunity is awaiting the teachers. It can bring a revolution in the education sector if the opportunity is properly utilized. Students will be able to understand the villages, cities, and country. The knowledge will be transformed from one place to another. Moreover, the student’s skills and talents will gradually be honed, connecting them to international communities and leading to enhanced achievements.

The plan is to establish an environment where every school will encourage its students to produce videos showcasing agricultural, social, cultural, industrial, and scientific advancements and innovations.

The students are consistently attending school and engaging in their studies. They will eventually graduate from the school at a certain age and level. However, the teacher has the ability to make their time at the school unforgettable by taking the lead in video production. In schools that teach grades 1 to 3, the teachers will encourage the students to participate and complete various tasks themselves. In schools that teach up to grade 5, students from grades 4 and 5 will be involved. Meanwhile, in school up to grade 8, students from grades 4 to 8 are encouraged to participate, and a similar level of involvement can be implemented in schools that offer education up to the 12th grade.

Every school has a teacher with a particular interest in technology. The students in classes 8 and 10, or in schools that offer education up to 12th grade, have something to offer regarding technology, with some students possessing skills in the field. The teacher will identify these talents and provide opportunities to the students, fostering a cooperative atmosphere among them.

The 2078 Economic Survey reports 34,368 schools in Nepal, with 26,454 being community schools, 6,760 being institutional schools, and 1,154 being religious schools. Of the total 70,92,000 students, 53,25,980 are in the basic level (1-8) and 17,66,979 are in the secondary level (9-12). The universities and affiliated campuses have 5,56,797 students and are being taught and trained by 280,765 teachers.

Nepal has 16.5 million internet users, with 72% of the Nepali population between the ages of 15-65 connected to mobile phones, 60% of which are internet-enabled smartphones. 46% of these consumers use the internet for knowledge-seeking purposes. This places Nepal ahead of countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia, but still behind higher-ranked Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, and Myanmar. Most households and organizations have access to at least one device such as a DSLR camera, laptop, or desktop, and online data or Wi-Fi is readily available, making internet access easy.

Every day, schools experience various forms of joy, visible in student activities, classrooms, and surroundings. Themes could include writing, sports, cleanliness, art, dance, acting, simulated learning, scientific and technological advancement, social and humanitarian responsibilities, field trips, and research. The success stories of students, the motivating feelings of parents, and the supportive views of the community also play a significant role. This contributes to the school's promotion and cultivates a mindset of appreciating small joys rather than constantly seeking bigger happiness.

If a school broadcasts one audio-visual content daily, it will spread over 850,000 moments of happiness in 26 days. At this rate, over 1 crore moments of happiness will be spread in a year. This helps shift the prevailing pessimism in Nepal to optimism and provides a positive outlook on negative emotions. This act strengthens trust and confidence in the school and the teacher. In short, it opens the path for us to transform society and the minds of every house in the country through positive energy, thinking, faith, and trust.

Camera and Cinematography

A camera is essential for bringing visual elements to life. It captures events, characters, actions, and images and transforms them into vivid visuals and sounds.

The quality of audio-visual content is dependent on the quality of the camera used. Typically, 1920x1080 resolution video, also known as Full HD, is widely used globally and can be found in DSLR cameras, camcorders, handy cams, and even modern smartphones. For those who prefer a lower resolution, SD-resolution cameras are also readily available.

The person behind the camera must have an understanding of the subject matter. It's the responsibility of the cinematographer to assess the subject using common sense. They need to quickly study the environment where the event or activity is taking place and determine the placement of characters. This helps with sound and lighting management. Excessive background noise or crowd noise can diminish the main subject. Reflective or contrasting light can cause blurriness in the scene and negatively affect its clarity. Poor audio-visual quality can weaken the impact of the content and lead to audience dissatisfaction.

Interruptions, pressure, or discomfort caused to characters during filming are unnatural and can result in a fake outcome. The simplicity of audio-visual lies in capturing the natural and realistic actions of characters.

Thus, the person behind the camera should possess research skills, be familiar with social dynamics, grasp the psychology of the characters, comprehend the depth of the story, and produce visually appealing content. Anticipating and adapting to events during filming shows the evolution of thoughts, ideas, and perspectives, starting with audio-visuals.

The camera should focus on the subject. For instance, if a character is laughing, the central aspect is their emotional expression. It's essential to observe their natural reaction or action after capturing their emotion. The object that caused their laughter should also be shown. Then, the reality of the character, location, and context should be revealed to eliminate any confusion about who they are, where they are, and what they are doing.

Technically, the audience's emotions and feelings towards the character can be evoked in the story through the use of different shot sizes such as a composite shot, medium shot, or close-up shot.

Scene Editing

We view scene editing as a pre-production phase, also referred to as post-production. This stage involves the editing of visuals, sounds, images, graphics, and text.

The utilization of software for audio-visual editing on a desktop computer or laptop is a necessity. Mobile devices can also be utilized for this purpose. Professional editing frequently employs popular software such as Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, and Avid. However, less advanced results may be achieved using MovieMaker. These software options can be easily accessed through search engines.

Editing scenes from a mobile device can be challenging, but given the time constraints and accessibility, it is feasible to do basic editing. For the Android operating system, the software can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, and for the iOS (Apple) system, it can be obtained from the Apple Store. Many of these software or applications are offered for free, and popular options include iMovie for Apple devices and Action Director Video Editor for Android devices.

Adobe Premiere can enhance the quality and efficiency of audio-visual production. With the tools and processes provided by the software, the materials are assembled. To start a new project, you need to import the necessary files from storage, and then arrange them rhythmically in the timeline to create a sequence. Thematic tools are available in both the audio and visual tracks to further refine the final product.

When it comes to audio-visual editing, the use of tools is crucial. With these tools, you can add, remove, adjust, extend, shorten, manipulate, and cut footage. If you want to insert additional scenes or include captions, it is recommended to use separate tracks. The same goes for adding background music. Although editing on a mobile device may be more challenging, the basic process remains the same.

The final stage of editing is rendering, which involves creating a final video file in the desired format or in the format specified by the default settings.

The visual editor acts as the initial viewer and judge of the final product. To achieve the best outcome, the editor must possess a combination of good judgment, patience, and determination. It is crucial for the editor to understand their responsibility to maintain the authenticity and liveliness of the subject matter as perceived by the audience.

If the writing, shooting, and editing are aligned in their thoughts and ideas, then it can be expected that a high-quality product will result.

Video Transmission

Social media offers a cost-effective method of distributing videos. Not only are social networks tools, but they also serve as weapons in the virtual realm. Social networks are a powerful means of communication and information dissemination for individuals, groups, societies, nations, and the world at large. Citizen journalism finds its largest platform through social media. Numerous sites such as Twitter as a microblog and blog, YouTube as a content community, Facebook as a social networking site, and Second Life as a virtual social world are actively utilized. People are able to express their thoughts without restriction.

According to Social Media Today, there are 18 million social media users in Nepal, with 9 million of them being Facebook users. A study conducted among students globally in 2016 revealed that Facebook has more users compared to other social media platforms. Facebook provides users with the ability to connect with each other and upload videos.

YouTube is a platform for uploading, sharing, and viewing videos. It can be used to store feature films, movie clips, TV shows, music videos, documentaries, and personal content. Google is another platform for uploading and storing videos and information. The use of platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest is growing. Many websites have implemented strategies to promote businesses and generate revenue based on specific criteria. These media have the potential to be used for both creative and destructive purposes.

Utilizing social media to share and publish videos has numerous benefits. As the internet and other means have created a virtual world, it is important for future generations to wisely utilize virtual tools for positivity and happiness, rather than for creating noise and abuse. Let's strive to make virtual groups a highly interactive platform for sharing joy and spreading wisdom.

This author emphasizes the title of the campaign led by Dr. Bidya Nath Koirala and his team, “Teachers can make a difference". The implementation of this idea has the potential to bring about a true 'educational revolution' by connecting the students of villages and cities with the rest of the country and the world.

(The author is a senior documentary film editor/maker in Nepal.)