Beginner Filming & Livestreaming on your Phone at Protests workshop
Liberated Lens Collective & Freeman Sullivan presents a basic course in filming on your phone at a protest and livestreaming. We recommend using FilmoraGo as an easy cross platform free editor on your phone.
Preparation:
- RESEARCH and understand the issue before you go. Know the route of the protest, organizations involved, when and where there will be speeches, what are the key issues are and why. Try to connect with organizers to get more info, setup interviews and have them share your video afterwards. Know the impact of the video you’re looking to create, why you are creating it, who you are looking to reach, so you can be more focused throughout the process.
- WRITE DOWN INTERVIEW QUESTIONS and have them with you when filming. For example: (A) Please introduce yourself; name, where you’re from, organization you’re with. (B) What’s going on here today and why? (C) Tell me more about why this issue is important to you and share any personal or moving stories. (D) what you’d like to be the outcome. (E) How can people find out more and get involved? (F) Anything else you’d like to share?
- PACK YOUR BAG: Fully charged cellphone / camera, charger cable, charged battery pack / extra batteries, headphones, snacks, water, notebook and pens.
- SAFETY: Tell trusted friends/family what you’ll be doing if it seems like an arrestable action and make sure they know your full name and date of birth and when to start searching the jails for you if they don’t hear from you, write down their phone number on your skin with permanent marker so if you get arrested you can call them from jail. LOCK YOUR PHONE! Have a pin or pattern style lock to your phone, DO NOT USE fingerprint, face unlock or other biometrics, the police can force you to put your finger on your phone to unlock and then gain access to your videos in jail. Setup your security settings so your phone locks automatically after 30 seconds and when you turn off your screen.
- Optional Cloud Video Backup: Use an online storage app like Google Drive or Dropbox or pCloud and go into the settings so your photos and videos are automatically backed up using mobile data. If you have limited data you may want to use the ‘wifi only’ option.
During:
- SETTINGS: Filming and having your screen on will drain your battery quick, turn down brightness as much as you can so you can still see what’s going on and consider putting your phone on airplane mode (or power saving mode) to make your battery last longer, or at least to silent so calls or vibrations don’t interrupt your interviews audio.
- ETHICS: Ask permission before filming someone personally, tell them about what you’re doing and why to gain trust. Be aware of state repression and police will try to use your footage against you. Don’t film illegal activity that can get people in trouble, focus on the cause and what will inspire others to act.
- FILMING: Keep phone horizontal/landscape when filming. 2 hands on the phone and keep the shot stable and your movement smooth.
- AUDIO: Sound is more important than the video, be aware that the microphone is on the bottom of your phone, don’t rub or tap it with your fingers, when recording an interview get close to the person and far away from any other loud noises. When recording a presenter that is using a microphone, try to be close to the speaker to get highest quality sound.
- REVIEW: When you have breaks during an action, review the most important videos you’ve recorded and make sure it looks and sounds good, plug in your headphones and check to make sure the sound from your interviews is good. Try to make improvements as you go.
- COVERAGE: Make sure to get wide shots of the action showing the largest # of people. Close ups on signs and banners to help convey the messaging. Medium shots of friendly participants.
www.Witness.org/Resources – great website to learn the basics to protest documentation
www.NoFilmSchool.com – more advanced filmmaking website but search for beginner articles
www.NLG.org/know-your-rights – National Lawyers Guild, know your rights. Don’t talk to the police, let them know you have the right to remain silent and that you don’t consent to a search. Your phone and data is your property and they have no right to it. They gray area begins when you livestream or post videos publicly, then they can subpoena for your footage as evidence in court.
Workshop provided by: www.LiberatedLens.org & www.FreemanSullivan.com
join us every Monday at 7pm in the basement of the Omni for our open film collective meetup
Screenings, Workshops, Film Storming and more!
Several screenings over the next two weeks and basic protest phone filming and editing workshop coming up for the Houseless Week of Action. |
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR NOVEMBER
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| In September Climate Strikes were shutting down banks and business as usual across the world, in San Francisco 5 major banks were forcibly closed for the day as people blocked the streets in the financial district, played music, shared food, painted murals and talked about how this system of greed needs to end… and Liberated Lens was there in full force!
We are excited to share some upcoming screenings of the rad work we do and invite you into our filmmaking community where we share resources and knowledge to empower people powered media. |
| In October we partnered with BAYCAT to host a half day workshop series on Documentary Interviewing. We packed the room with new and seasoned filmmakers from the area and taught lighting, audio, camera, producing and directing a professional documentary interview. Participants cycled through the zones where instructors gave hands on lessons with affordable gear that we have right here in our Liberated Lens studio. This was a major success and great event to network and meet like minded media makers. We were all so inspired that we are going to continue to give accessible skill sharing workshops every month! |
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The Commons is a documentary film about communities re-asserting sustainable futures using consensus, equity and shared resources – ancient Commons principles. The film shares the increasing privatization and destruction of commons, primarily in the United States, and shows how many activists are re-taking commons, re-establishing communities controlling their own commons: maker spaces, land trusts, cooperatives, local food production and distribution, shared housing, free education, community centers – all as Commoners stewarding what they share.
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“Every Face… Every Tent… Has A Story!”
Where: NEYBORLY on San Pablo Ave. ½ Block S of University.
Parking can be limited I suggest the lot by 99 Cents store.
Tickets: $25 Donation… more if you can.
This will be an engaging evening through the use of the films from two local Berkeley film makers, highlighting some of the “Unhoused” population residing in Berkeley followed by a presentation/discussion of the problems facing those on the streets as well as their impact on the housed residents that have been their neighbors.
Dinner will be buffet style and several local restaurants have already agreed to donate. Some of the sponsors are: The Thai Table, Everett & Jones, Juan’s Place, all in Berkeley, and Cal Peternell’s new restaurant, The LEDE located in Oakland…. and MORE!
RESERVATIONS: Due to limited seating, If you want to attend, PLEASE let Eleanor know ASAP and get your seats reserved now.
Email her at: Eleanor@ConsiderTheHomeless.org
Be sure to include your name, email address, phone number and the # of tickets to reserve. To guarantee your reservations tickets must be paid in full by Oct. 31st
Pay by Cash: by giving an envelope with the above information in it to any of our volunteers.
Pay by Check: Make it out to Consider The Homeless!
then mail it to Consider The Homeless
PO Box #2771
Berkeley, CA 94702
Pay by Credit Card: only available via PayPal.
 Join us Sunday November 10th at 2pm in the basement of the Omni Commons with members of Liberated Lens and other filmmakers as we get the creative juices flowing and share story ideas and help develop each other’s projects into something robust that we can collaborate on. |
| November 17th to 23rd will be a week of ACTION in Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area to bring attention to the extreme housing & gentrification crisis that is happening to us. The call comes from the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment and Liberated Lens is looking to support with media trainings and coverage. Join us for our workshop the 16th and put your skills to the test at actions the following week. Then after the last day of actions we will be helping everyone walk through the editing, posting and distribution process the 24th, all from your phone! This is a very basic course geared to citizen journalists, protesters, houseless folk and beginners who just have access to a phone as their camera. |
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WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED WITH LIBERATED LENS?
Join us at our weekly meetings Mondays at 7pm in the basement of the Omni Commons. Open to everyone and all levels of filmmakers welcome! |
Come to our last screening of the BLACK series: REPARATIONS
Doors open at 4:30pm with free dinner.
Film starts at 5pm.
Discussion on reparations will follow the screening.
