Ravi Jain discusses short form video and its benefits. He defines short form video as being between 30 seconds to 3 minutes, and extreme short form as Vine and Instagram videos of 6-15 seconds. Jain explains how short videos can hook audiences and tell stories in bite-sized chunks. Examples like his Boston College Minute series use an immersive style without voiceovers to engage viewers. Jain advocates experimenting with different short video formats to foster audience engagement and hone visual storytelling skills.

1. MINING THE POWER OF
IMMERSIVE SHORT FORM VIDEO
Ravi Jain, Boston College
@ravidjain | #skinnyinminny

2. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
OVERVIEW
• Defining short form video
• Case Study: The Boston College Minute
• Short form video (SFV)101
• Extreme short form video formats
• Takeaways for you
• Q & A

3. http://at.bc.edu/finalcall/
A Boston College Minute: Final call

4. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
WHO AM I?
• Senior Associate Director,Web/Multimedia, Boston College
• Digital Media Faculty, Northeastern University
• “Alum” of WGBH, Reference Interactive, Deloitte
• MFA, Studio for Interrelated Media,
Massachusetts College of Art & Design
• BA, Modern Imaging Techniques, Oberlin College
• 20+ years digital filmmaking

5. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
HOW DO WE DEFINE SHORT?
• Extreme short form: 6 secondVines, 15 second Instagrams
• Short form video: 30 seconds to 3 minutes
• Coffee break length: 5 to 8 minutes
• Extended online clip: 10 to 20 minutes
• “I wish I was on TV” clip: 30+ minutes
• Live-streaming? (Tune in, tune out)

8. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
SHORT-FORM VIDEO, “B.Y.T”
• Music videos
• Experimental shorts (film school)
• Early online video
• Mini-docs
• How to foster audience engagement before Social Media?

9. https://youtu.be/B9BA-47OSl4
DriveTime Webby Award Montage

10. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
THE BOSTON COLLEGE MINUTE
• Episodic concept, conceived 2009
• Individual threads weaving together a tapestry
• Don’t try to do too much
• Pilot for proof of concept
• Because, what can you really do in 60 seconds?

11. https://youtu.be/IaS1RgsuLoY
2014 Confab HigherEd ProposalVideo

12. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
DNA OF THE BC MINUTE
• No “set pieces” : Fly on the wall observation
• No talking to the camera
• No lower thirds
• You are IN the story, experiencing the story
• Doesn’t overstay its welcome

13. http://at.bc.edu/managedcare/
A Boston College Minute: Managed care

14. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
SFV 101: PREP PHASE
• The more you can plan ahead, the better the end result
• What is the story or message? Content strategy?
• Where will this take place? Who are the players?
• What equipment will you need?
• How many people do you need on your team?
• Can you scout the location ahead of time?

15. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
SFV 101: PRE-PRODUCTION
• Storyboard – even if it looks like a four year old did it
• Devise a shot list – may not match storyboard sequence
• What does Early Soviet Cinema have to do with any of this?!
• Check inventory (batteries, memory cards, gaffers tape)
• Talk with team – even if just yourself!

18. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
SFV 101: PRE-PRODUCTION
• Storyboard – even if it looks like a three year old did it
• Devise a shot list – may not match storyboard sequence
• What does Early Soviet Cinema have to do with any of this?!
• Check inventory (batteries, memory cards, gaffers tape)
• Talk with team – even if just yourself!

20. A + B = more than A + B

22. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
SFV 101: PRE-PRODUCTION
• Storyboard – even if it looks like a three year old did it
• Devise a shot list – may not match storyboard sequence
• What does Early Soviet Cinema have to do with any of this?!
• Check inventory (batteries, memory cards, gaffers tape)
• Talk with team – even if just yourself!

23. http://at.bc.edu/takedown/
A Boston College Minute: Takedown

24. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
SFV 101: PRODUCTION
• Think quickly but don’t shoot quickly
• Follow plan but don’t be tied to it – adapt if necessary
• Audio and video aren’t married yet
• Take advantage of repeated actions
• If scripted activity, find a way to make it seem unscripted
• Achieve level of comfort with players
24

25. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
SFV 101: POST-PRODUCTION
• Log, log, log
• Logging is the bane of video production, but it is oh so
critical
• Get to your rough cut as quickly as possible
• Work with what you have
• Schedule will often dictate when something is done

28. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
SFV 101: POST-PRODUCTION
• Log, log, log
• Logging is the bane of video production, but it is oh so
critical
• Get to your rough cut as quickly as possible
• Work with what you have
• Schedule will often dictate when something is done

29. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
LENGTH ISN’T EVERYTHING (!)
• Ultimately the story you are telling will dictate the length
• If the length is (pre)determined, then you scale your story
• A poorly made short video can still be boring
• A well crafted longer piece can fly by
• Where does the video live? How is it integrated into a
marketing or content strategy?

30. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
SO WHY SHORT FORM THEN?
• Forces you to cut out the cr*p and get to the point
• Hook your audience with immediate storytelling
• Enables structuring stories in the aggregate
• Episodic storytelling begets audience engagement

31. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
EXTREME SHORT FORM
• Instagram,Vine and animated GIFs
• Immediacy of production and distribution
• Can be near instantaneous
• Opportunities for “moment sharing”
• More than just stop motion

32. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
DO IT FOR THE VINE
• Elmo
• #turnipforwhat
• Video Advent Calendar
• #OutRunTheT
• @kvsmusic
• Let’s make aVine!

33. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
SHOW ME THE GIF!
• Graphical Interface File
• `1987?!
• Resurgance
• GIPHY
• Oberlin Art Rental

34. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
SFV IN SUMMARY
• You are always one click away from losing a viewer
• SFV = a more immediate form of storytelling
• Break down a bigger message into bite-sized chunks
• Hook an audience with an aggregate model
• On the whole, a more expedited production schedule
• ESFV even more immediate: hard-wired social media forms

35. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
DO TRY THIS AT HOME
• Watch stuff
• Try stuff
• Query your peers
• Regardless of medium, fundamentals of visual
communication are the same
• Educate yourself

36. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
Q & A

37. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
THANK YOU
• Join the conversation @ravidjain on Twitter
• Find me on LinkedIn
• Email me at Boston College
• Get the true #skinnyinminny by talking to me today!

38. Mining the Power of Immersive Short Form Video | @ravidjain | #skinnyinminny
Background images courtesy unsplash.com
Minecraft images courtesy minecraftgallery.com

39. MINING THE POWER OF
IMMERSIVE SHORT FORM VIDEO
Ravi Jain, Boston College
@ravidjain | #skinnyinminny