A guide to creating Participatory Videos

Our discussion centered around four main questions:

• How did you pick the subject/topic in your group?
• Which techniques did you pick?
• Challenges in the process?
• Lessons learned: what worked, and what’s the best use of this tool?

Topic Selection Process

Since the overarching topic of our project is organising with migrant groups, we had a general theme. Still, the focus for our video interventions was picked in different ways. One was starting from the news:

Metka: “We made mixed groups from people from different countries, so we decided to have materials in English. Accidentally, we came across news about new agreements on the regulation of migration, asylum procedures, and refugees and decided to make that our topic.”

The other one was starting from the message we wanted to send, and then looking for the news that served as illustration of our point. 

Adela: “We questioned the common reasons people argue against welcoming migrants and the justifications politicians and media use for closing borders and enacting deportation policies. We asked ourselves what information we could supply to debunk these arguments and focused on debunking myths.”

Development of Themes and Ideas

In either case once the topic has been selectet it was really important to structure and develop the script for the video. This was done through in-group discussions.

Erika: “We began by deciding which message we wanted to convey and then searched for videos that aligned with that message.”

Adela: “We brainstormed different themes and listed them on a board.”

Erika: “As we were working, new ideas emerged, like Mussolini and propaganda. We added various ideas to our project.”

The process of developing ideas was mostly a feed-back loop of discussion, playing with the material and researching, rather than a strict planned out process with clear steps. Sometimes newspaper theatre methods used informed the discussions that lead to looking for specific material, not the other way around.

Doria: “We struggled to pin down a subject. After long discussions, we realized we wanted to address the media’s portrayal of migration. We initially got lost in our thoughts but then found an article about influencers, class, and money. This led us to brainstorm and eventually settle on Eurovision. We chose a format resembling TikTok, aiming for short, engaging videos. Our process involved discussions and reviewing articles. It’s crucial to have a clear focus to narrow down your ideas. We incorporated theatre elements to create content that was both thought-provoking and entertaining, with viral potential. It was really fun.”

Choice of techniques

With material and understanding of the main message we wanted to send, we were picking up different newspaper theatre techniques that we wanted to use in our videos.

Adela: “Our idea was to present a piece of information and then combine it with different sources to expose the false nature of the initial information.”

Giulia: “We split into two groups and worked on two levels. One group used online videos to reinforce our message, while the other had a journalist speaking with added images. We included parts using hand gestures and games. We employed three different methods to undermine the news.”

Metka: “The rhythmical aspect was crucial. We emphasized the pronunciation of certain parts, and the rhythm of changing images became essential. We envisioned a poker table and a documentary trailer titled ‘The Shadow Game,’ symbolizing how refugees are allocated like pieces in a game. We saw symbolic images, like Monopoly.”

Josipa: “The news was short, formal, and boring. Often, the way it was presented made it hard to understand. We decided to stop at certain words to clarify what was being said. We discussed the many levels of the word ‘game’ but didn’t have time to explore all. We focused on ‘people on the move’ and the ‘border game,’ highlighting police aggression in Croatia. The ‘I give you people, you give me money’ game illustrated dehumanization. We wanted to pause and really listen to what the news was saying.”

Doria: “We considered two layers: how to convey the message and whether to emphasize or debunk it. Using music, visuals, and filming, we aimed to evoke emotions like laughter, discomfort, or humor. We wanted the short video to elicit a reaction from the audience.”

Adela: “At the end of editing, we added some quirky elements. I tend to consume media that others might find boring, lengthy, and not funny enough. The challenge was to make people watch the videos. Thankfully, younger participants brought fresh perspectives to the group.”

Identified Challenges

Since our training was experimental, we were developing and exploring the unique mix of techniques, we also encountered a series of challenges.

Adela: “Creating social media content was a significant challenge for me. I don’t understand the social media audience well, and I find it difficult to engage with such content. It’s fundamentally disagreeable to me, and I struggled to connect with an audience in a way that would make them consume the content.”

Erika: “I faced a similar challenge. Additionally, the process of choosing the topic and video was very unstructured and free. We often got lost without clear steps or guidance.”

Andreja: “The diversity of the group and the various ideas presented led to long discussions and circular conversations. We also faced time pressure with limited time to complete the project.”

Adela: “We ended up making multiple videos due to the group’s diversity. Deciding which idea to pursue was challenging, especially with time constraints and new ideas emerging in the middle of the process.”

Metka: “Although we quickly agreed on the topic, time was a significant challenge. We split into two groups, but we had more ideas than we could record. There wasn’t enough time to provide feedback to each other, resulting in a lack of cohesive group work. I focused more on the exercise’s approach than on the content itself.”

Doria: “During training, we needed a process to narrow down themes and filter discussions. However, once we started working in the space, brainstorming began. Despite the time pressure, which I sometimes enjoy, we organized ourselves well. Balancing and communicating within the group were crucial.”

Metka: “Often, people get stuck on minor details, but progress happens when we start doing things. Non-decisions shouldn’t be seen as critical. Using the body to guide the process leads to ‘eureka’ moments. It’s essential to start doing and stop discussing excessively. Fun is a crucial part of the process. Overcoming frustration can lead to brilliant moments, and the group needs to find joy in the process despite challenges.”

Key Lessons Learned

• Identifying challenges helped form some tips and tricks that could prove helpful also to others who decide to use this techniques.
• Editing takes more time than you think: double the editing time, and have some people with more experience to support the process.
• incorporating more structure into the process. While we were experimenting and having the groups self-organise, for a new, especially inexperienced groups we would definitely suggest a more structured approach, with clear break-down of possible techniques and groups roles (especially during the discussions)
• engaging the body and senses. Once we started playing and working with the material, a lot more came out and we easily resolved some of the difficulties met while only talking.
• trying out ideas is really important, it often leads to joy and creativity
• it would be helpful to have some material ready before the workshops since the vastness of possibilities on the internet can lead to decision paralysis.
• it is crucial to understand the individual motivations and stories of the participants of the group: what is the message they want to send, what is the urgency?
• sometimes limiting possibilities can be helpful – for example giving only a few techniques at a time to try out
• keeping this in mind, openness is also important: it is great to give the group the freedom to explore and practice self-organising. People are often not used to creative expression in group settings and political contexts. It is ok also to stumble and wander: for this, it is crucial to have enough time and low pressure.