A Keyword Video is a short, DIY video production project, using easily available digital tools (or apps) of your choice, made alone or in teams, that describes a word of the video-maker’s choice from a feminist stand-point, responds to earlier videos, and asks for response from the FemTechNet community.

Learning Objectives

• Learn hands-on, applied skills in video production
• Make feminist theoretical terms, ideas, and arguments approachable, accessible, and/or available in other formats, vernaculars, and to new audiences
• Connect theories and practices of feminism along key themes
• Virtually present your ideas to others involved in the DOCC2013
• Participate actively and with increased sophistication through the use of social media and other online tools

Previous Student Work

Keyword Videos Channel on FemTechNet Vimeo
All approved previous keyword videos can be found on the “Keyword Videos” channel at the FemTechNet Vimeo account.

Keyword Videos from DOCC 2013 Students
Posted in January 2014, this post by Sharon Irish details the keyword videos created during the 2013-2014 iteration of the DOCC. Keywords included: Labor, Women’s College, Directioners, Maps, Bodies, and a “CNS” Interview.

Beta Keyword Videos
This page explains why Vimeo was chosen to share the Keyword Videos. It also provides reflections on Keyword Videos created in the Beta course at Pitzer College.

Keyword Videos on Internet Archive
You can also find many Keyword Videos here on the Internet Archive.

Resources

A.J. Strout has assembled some excellent guides for how to make a Keyword Video. The pages include suggestions for equipment, editing platform, and genre in creating a Keyword Video. Materials also present helpful detailed instructions and recommendations on how to conceptualize, write, perform, record and edit a Keyword Video. Guidelines for conditions of inclusion in the FemTechNet Keyword Video Channel are also provided.

Making a Keyword Video
A.J. Strout (2013) This document provides the following information: where to upload your video (more info about that here); guidelines for approval; themes to include in your video; suggestions on how to begin and end your video; links to downloadable templates, title cards and logos; five important production tips (about story, sound, video equipment, look, and rehearsal).

Making Keyword Videos: Details, Instructions, Resources
This document contains overlap with the briefer document above, but provides a fuller description of each. Covering in more detail: different genres of potential keyword videos, here called video templates; a discussion of ethics, which includes links to collections with materials licensed for use; writing the script; pre-production questions to consider in planning; production considerations for equipment and setup, image and sound; production and video styles to consider in creating your keyword video. The document also contains a detailed list of keywords and definitions in videography (e.g. “b-roll,” “headroom,” “f-stop”). Lastly, the document also covers areas of post-production to consider, including: editing, color balance, levels and brightness/ contrast, transitions, sound levels and design.

Keyword Videos on Vimeo
Instructions on how to join Vimeo and join the FemTechNet group there.

“What is a Keyword?” at University of Pittsburgh’s Keywords Project (2011-13)
Helpful entry at Keywords Project at University of Pittsburgh that addresses these topics: historical changes of meaning of ‘keyword;’ keywords and social thinking; the word ‘keyword;’ building on Raymond Williams’ Keywords; history of words and contestation of their meanings; criteria regarding which words may be ‘keywords.’

FemTechNet Video Editing Materials
This helpful page lists contains links to intro logo animations, footer logos, splash marquees, title cards and much more.