Children of Uganda: An International Collaboration
When we first met Pamela Brannon in 2021, she was in a bit of a scramble. She and her team were working on putting together their first-ever virtual fundraiser for Children of Uganda, a nonprofit that seeks to combat poverty, food insecurity and social justice in Uganda by empowering women, children and entire families. However, the company they were working with pulled out of their agreement just five weeks before the event was set to air. As you can imagine, they were panicked and in need of help fast.
Thankfully mutual contacts connected Pamela and Nicole Moorman with Lauren and me. Looking back at my notes, we met with them on October 19th. We learned about COU’s mission, the work they’d done on the event so far and all that was left to do. We were tasked with creating a run-of-show, script, editing four videos, shooting the event in a virtual studio and editing everything together. All of this had to be done in under four weeks as the event was scheduled for November 13th.
I immediately began to work with Nicole and Pamela to create a rundown for the show and develop a script. This is where my background in television news came into play – I knew how to build a show that would be engaging for viewers.
Meanwhile, Charlie began editing videos about COU students Fred, Jenesta, and Hope. He did this using video shot entirely by Pamela and other COU staff members in Uganda. Before he began editing, we discussed the videos with Pamela and Nicole - the message they wanted for each, what sort of video and pictures they had. Those discussions along with our deep understanding of their mission and messaging aided Charlie in the editing process. The outcome was three moving videos, with stories told entirely by the students themselves. They are powerful messages that helped COU raise $80,000.
A Children of Uganda family featured in COU’s Journey of Light II
Fast forward to 2022 and Pamela and Nicole reached out to us about producing a second virtual fundraiser. With much more time to plan, the event was a great success. It featured a mission video plus three spotlights on COU students and families, celebrity testimonials (including one from Emmy-award winning Sheryl Lee Ralph!!), and a whole lot of heart. Once again, we edited the videos using footage shot by COU staff on cell phones. As the saying goes, “the best camera is the one in your hand!
While we love shooting video and taking time to craft an image, we understand that’s not always possible or accessible for our nonprofit partners. Editing footage that was shot by someone else is a service we’re proud to offer to our clients. If you have a tight budget, this can be a cost-effective option. Here are some takeaways and tips for making this work:
You can use a cell phone!
If you’re using a phone to shoot an interview, consider investing in a lavalier microphone that can plug into your phone (typically a $20 investment). This will give you clearer audio. If you don’t have a microphone, shoot the interview in a quiet area and keep the phone close to the interview subject.
When interviewing, ask open-ended questions. Don’t just click record and ask your subject to talk. Ask follow-up questions and be curious about their answers. Their words really help craft the story as we edit.
Consider what the person told you in the interview. Now think about what b-roll (that’s the video we use to cover up the interview subject and cuts we need to make) would compliment the story they told. For example, if it’s a story about a food pantry, get video of the person perusing the shelves. Try to get a variety of wide, medium, and tight shots.
ALWAYS shoot horizontally, unless the video is for TikTok or Instagram Reels. Keep in mind, we can always edit horizontal video for vertical use after the fact.
Don’t use the phone’s zoom feature. Instead, physically move to get closer to objects.
When it’s time to share your footage with an editor, upload it to a shared Dropbox folder and organize the clips into folders so it will be easy for the editor to comb through.
Ensure your editor understands your mission, messaging, and the story you want to tell.
If you’re interested in learning more about virtual events or edit-only projects, we’d love to talk with you! You can contact Allison at Allison@ForeverReadyLLC.com and Lauren at Lauren@ForeverReadyLLC.com.
A huge thank you to Pamela, Nicole, and the entire COU team for being amazing to work with. We love your mission and your passion for the work!
