Public Service Announcements (PSAs)

Reel Vision participants were asked to create PSAs about issues that they thought were relevant to their community. Through examining professional PSAs, they learned to dissect and analyze the genre by understanding how they are created. PSAs serve as a benchmark for learning filmmaking in the Reel Vision curriculum. Through this project, students learn the stages of production, proper equipment use and story development. They self-assigned roles, developing leadership skills and the ability to work collaboratively. Roles varied from directing to acting, to editing, to researching facts online, to writing the script.

To initiate a dialogue, they were asked to following questions:

• Why do these issues exist in our society or your community?
• What are possible solutions for these issues?
• Who is your target audience?
• What is the message of the PSA?
• What is your hook?
• Where will you shoot the PSA?
• Who will be featured in your PSA? Real life subjects or actors who need to rehearse?
• What elements will you use to supplement the video, such as narration, music, text?
• What facts will you use to support your PSA?