Course content
In this workshop, science writer Astrid Smit and science journalist and animator Bruno van Wayenburg will help you with telling your research story as a video animation. They will guide you in condensing the most salient points of your research (also useful for doing popularisation in other formats), telling a good story about it, and with writing a script and storyboard for a 2-3 minute video.
Prepare to fiercely select and condense, but also to think up concrete examples and metaphors to make your research graspable! Homework is writing your own storyboard. Following that, they will help you in filming, narrating, editing, and finishing the first part of the animation in an audiovisual studio in The Hague. Your second bit homework is editing the other 2 minutes. Then we will discuss the video's as well as publishing and promoting them as an engaging online animation.
Audience
The course is intended for PhD students in the Casimir Research School who are interested in presenting their research to a wider audience. If you already have plans to make a video clip, for example for your lab's website or for including it in a scientific presentation at a conference, please indicate this in the registration box in the below. You will work together in groups of two to make a videoclip out of your story board.
About the instructors
Bruno van Wayenburg and Astrid Smit will host the this Casimir Workshop and Julia Cramer will assist them. Bruno is a science journalist and a professional animation maker. Astrid gives in-company workshops and works as a freelance journalist. Julia Cramer, alumna and science communication professional, participated in the course in 2015, where she learned to make this animation about her research.
Preparation
If possible, please bring a laptop with After Effects installed and a tablet with the drawing app Tayasui Sketches. Reading material will be provided during the first course day. Please note that this course involves making a homework assignment (writing of a storyboard), and also finishing you videoclip if you don't manage to do it all on the second workshop day.
Credits: 3 GSC
Course dates and time:
- Day 1 Thursday 17 January (Leiden, Oort building, room 173) 14:00-17:00 hrs - The basics: Introduction to the field, essence of a story board, working with After Effects
- Day 2 Thursday 31 January (Leiden, Oort building, room 276 9:00-10:30, room 173 10:30-17:00 hrs, and Huygens room HL123) full day - Hands-on: working on your storyboard and script, shooting your clip
- Day 3 Thursday 14 February (Leiden, Oort building, room 173) 16.00-18.30 hrs Presentation of the clips, evaluation, drinks