Related patterns:

• VideoBridgeCurriculum
• VideoBridgeTraining

The Video Activist Handbook, an example of a community handbook

HelmutLeitner: WARNING, this book is severely outdated. Everything about video technology and internet is obsolete. The basic tips about video shooting can be found in any beginners book. There are some interesting paragraphs about activism, but you can probably only appreciate them on the basis of a solid background knowledge.

The Video Activist Handbook (edition 2, 2001)
The Video Activist Handbook (edition 1, 1097)

http://www.undercurrents.org/handbook/index.htm

Special Autumn 2009 offer - only £7.99

The Video Activist Handbook is about media that doesn't just cover activism, it is activism a crucial part of the process of reclaiming public space and communities. - Naomi Klein, author of 'No Logo'

This book is invaluable both to the novice and the experienced user - New Internationalist

We cover the key topics in a step-by-step guide

• Choosing and using the right equipment
• Planning what, when and where to record
• Supplying video images to TV networks
• Making an effective campaign video
• A history of progressive social justice film-making
• How to be a video activist
• Legal considerations

The video activist handbook combines clearly written and well illustrated practical advice, backed up by a wealth of resources, with first-hand examples of successful video activism. It also critically assesses the mainstream media agendas and offers a lively survey of the international video activist scene.

Comment by HelmutLeitner: Markus, there is a problem with dropping information like that about the book above, because it it not clear how useful the book is, giving its first publishing date in 1997 and second edition in 2001. Have you read it? Should every workshop participant buy this book and form her own opinion? Or should this be organized and lead to an extract of the maybe 3-4 pages that are actually valuable? One must have pre-knowledge to do this. One must have the interest of the workshop participants in mind - do they strive to be video activists or do they want to use video for educational and communication purposes? Is this meant to be the same? If the approach isn't organized better, then the workshop won't be effective.

Comment by FranzNahrada: As long as we know that we just drop information and it needs to be evaluated, I think its OK to do that. Nobody has perfect information yet, and we are here to find out together what makes sense and if we really can become a learning community. But thank you for reminding us to find out about our real goals. Actually I see the solution in an interplay of roles that will be created along the effects and opportunities of the medium.

Answer by HL: Both our attitudes may be justified. Yours, like an encouraging teacher at the kindergarten. Mine, like a survival guide in the jungle. It depends, how people will evaluate their situation.