Turning shots into stories: Inspiring video-editing workshop for youth
How do you create smooth transitions in your video? And what different types of shots are there? Those pressing questions were addressed during the kick-off workshop “video editing” of the 3X3 Unites Academy. As creative lead at 3X3 Unites, Dusan Jocic provided the answers and put the more than 20 participants to work themselves as well. “It was great to see how enthusiastic they were and how much interest there is in video editing”, he says.
The 3X3 Unites Academy is an in-depth program for young people who have completed the 3X3 Leader Course. The aim of the academy is to keep them involved in the 3X3 Unites community and to offer them more perspective and opportunities for growth, both personally and professionally. 3X3 Unites does this through an inspiring and educational program created together with several partners.
Throughout the year, different workshops are organized. One of those workshops was given by Dusan Jocic, creative lead at 3X3 Unites, and focused on video editing. “We started deliberately with a kick-off session because we first wanted to get a clear picture of the participants’ level of video-editing skills”, Dusan explains. “Based on this, we can organize follow-up workshops at different levels.”
More than 20 young people took part in the workshop - the highest number so far for any of the sessions. For Dusan, who creates a lot of video content himself, it proves that video editing is an important skill nowadays. “You see content everywhere, including videos. The better you’re able to make your story visually clear, the more impact you can make. And that’s very useful for our 3X3 Leaders as well.”
The kick-off consisted of several components. First, there was an extensive introduction round so that everyone could get to know each other. After that, Dusan guided the participants through the basic skills and principles of video editing. He showed the different types of shots and explained the best moments to cut within a video.
Next, the young participants worked in small groups to create and edit their own video. Afterwards, all videos were watched and discussed together. “Of course it helps to know the basic principles, but video editing is mainly a matter of practicing yourself. Trying things out. It’s the best way to teach the skills.”
During the workshop, Nordin also met other young people who are interested in video editing. “A group chat was created with everyone who joined the workshop. We can share videos there, ask each other questions, or show projects. It’s super helpful to know who else is interested in video editing and to have a group where you can always go.”
That is exactly why 3X3 Unites created the group chat, Dusan says. “We have two goals: we want to teach the young people everything about video editing, but in the long term we also want to create a sustainable community of young people who are working with video editing. After the workshops, they should be able to continue on their own and grow the community together.”
According to Dusan, the 3X3 Leaders can use the video-editing skills both for 3X3 Unites and outside of it. “As a 3X3 Leader, you want to inspire and motivate young people. It can be very useful and valuable to properly capture your event or activation on camera and share the video on social media.”
As a creative lead, Dusan makes many videos for 3X3 Unites. He hopes that the group of content creators within 3X3 Unites will grow quickly thanks to the workshop. “Some of the young people told me they joined because I gave the workshop and they like my videos. I found that really heartwarming to hear. I want to inspire others with what I do. Hopefully, these young people will soon be able to do the same, helping us grow our community.”
Follow up sessions of the video-editing workshop are coming up. Nordin can’t wait. “I really enjoyed it. I want to learn even more about video editing and help expand the community.”
