Thinking Visually: The Production of Library Videos

Daren Callahan

Video technology functions as a principal means of communication today. Producers design videos for use in commercial, industrial, and educational settings, as teaching aids, training tools, or for demonstration or publicity purposes. Most of us have spent our lifetimes engaged with the world of film and video to some extent, but typically as consumers only. The unique features and flexibility of video technology make it easy for the library to become the producer of any of these types of film.

The Video Project

The project at Morris Library, Southern Illinois University, was planned to produce a variety of videotapes for library use. Coordinated by the staff in the Library's Instructional Services department, the goal was to produce four or five videos for use in different divisions of Library Affairs, for patron information, faculty presentations, standardized training tools, and for library development. Various departments recruited staff members to develop the subject matter and direct each videotape production. The technical knowledge and video editing equipment necessary to ensure a professional-looking product were available in the Instructional Services division. The entire project was completed by utilizing resources within the library, and we retained complete control of the presentations from beginning to end.

The Open Court Collection was proposed as a subject for the Special Collections video. This collection includes the archives of the Open Court Press, a highly respected publishing company in LaSalle, Illinois, in addition to the personal papers of its editor, Paul Carus. Begun in 1887, the press was not originally planned as a money-making venture. However, its publications were diverse and immensely popular, and the Open Court press eventually became, and continues to be, one of the nation's leading publishers in the areas of philosophy, science, mathematics and religion.¹ The collection includes an extensive correspondence with writers from around the world, copies and page proofs of all books published by the company, as well as The Open Court and Monist journals—including the galleys. In addition, there are many rare pamphlets from the latter part of the nineteenth century and early years of the twentieth century, photographs, illustrations, paintings and drawings collected by Carus which are representative of the breadth of his interests; an assortment of primary materials which we hoped to translate to film.

In a series of pre-production workshops, the novice directors learned about the principles underlying the creation of a successful video with the maximum impact. Attention span is a key factor in deciding program length, and it was intended that the videos be no more than fifteen minutes. Information had to be communicated succinctly in order to maintain interest. The members of the video production team were told that a good informational video is designed with specific objectives and a single audience in mind. The video team learned how to analyze the intended message and to shape the visual content. Once the scripts were polished, shot lists were created.

The format chosen for the Open Court video employed a speaker in an informal interview style and included segments showing examples from the collection which utilized voice over. A researcher, who is an American historian and Buddhist monk, volunteered to discuss the contents and significance of the collection. He had been to the library frequently while preparing a book on Paul Carus and was willing to speak about a subject with which he was very familiar.

It is important that the speaker sound credible and appear relaxed. This may require consultations with a media coach regarding voice projection and pacing if the speaker/narrator has no prior recording or video experience. The performance must be carefully rehearsed before filming begins, or you must get an adequate amount of footage to be edited later to communicate the essential message. Furthermore, because video is a tool which works up close and

24

permits us to capture detailed images, it records every blink, stutter, nuance of speech, hand wave and nose scratch that any untrained actor is bound to display while speaking. These things must also be edited from the final version. If one elects to use voice-over exclusively for a videotape presentation, one must be sure to use a variety of illustrative material (the "stills") and to vary the camera angles in order to fully engage the audience.

Post-Production Editing

The project was undertaken with the complete support of the library administration, which allowed a faculty member periods of release time from regular duties to complete the video. A student from SlUCs Cinema & Photography Department who was also a graduate assistant in the library and an experienced videographer collaborated with us on this project. From the four hours of raw footage that had been filmed, a master tape was created by extracting the commentary and the stills found most useful to illustrate and augment the narrative.

The library contains a complete video production studio with an integrated A/B roll operating system. At the editing console, the tape is manipulated by employing a time code which runs in a continuous display of hour, minute, and second along the bottom of the screen. In this way the desired segments can be identifed down to the precise frame and the lengthy raw footage is then carefully edited, re-worked and shaped into a smooth, sensible progression from the beginning through to the conclusion. Dividing the video into clearly defined segments with titles that function as audience cues also helps to organize the material for the viewer.

What Can One Do With These Videos?

Video productions possess great potential for libraries, which are currently adopting an assortment of new technologies. Libraries can only benefit by exploring the many uses of this adaptable medium. The original objectives for the video project in Morris Library—videos for use as training tools and to update patrons about services—expanded to include new possibilities that were unforeseen at the start. Viewing library materials in a different context—narrative combined with images—invites a new appraisal. Special Collections departments face an almost constant need to promote and justify their work to administrations coping with limited resources and the pressing needs of more visible areas in the library. In this case, each collection offers unique and unlimited possibilities for a video presentation. One can display representative selections from the collection in the form of a video montage or go into a deeper examination of the history and significance of the material with a video-essay. Video also could be incorporated to enhance a typical Special Collections exhibit. A short, engrossing video would be an excellent accompaniment to a grant proposal.

Depending upon the use one makes of this exciting tool, one can reach a wide audience beyond the individual institution. Easily transportable, a videotape can be shown in many different settings, to researchers, students or potential donors. Innovative productions that are both lively and instructive effectively illustrate the importance of library services.

Some libraries may have to hire video expertise and equipment if they are not available in-house. This can be costly but is often available locally. One can usually rent the necessary equipment from local production facilities or it is also possible to contract with them to produce the video, with guidance. Of course, the more complex the production the more the costs will rise. By contacting a video production unit within one's own institution one will find enthusiastic faculty and students with extensive knowledge and experience who often are looking for projects, and costs will be kept down.

Because the video production venture was so successful at Morris Library a full-time producer has now been employed to continue the program within the library and to assist with video productions around the campus. In addition to the Open Court film, another videotape entitled "The SIUC Library:

The Future Is Now" was completed which features the many technological developments recently added in the library. Another video explains the structure and use of the Reserves/Self-Instruction division and is intended for student viewing. The most recent video production features the implementation of distance learning capabilities on campus and the contribution of the library in this endeavor. The videos have been shown to and are well received by university administrators, the Friends of the Library, state officials, and various visitors.

However one chooses to produce a video, it is important to make efficient use of time, to develop the script in close communication with the videographer and to learn the jargon of those responsible for the editing to ensure that you get a program that meets the needs of the library. Plan everything and think visually. The challenges can be enormous given the complexities involved, but the challenges are exciting. In the end, this was a personal venture as well as a library production. A profound appreciation was gained of another field—filmmaking—and the final product enhances the library's image.

End Note

1. For an assessment of the life, work and influence of Carus, see: Harold Henderson, Catalyst For Controversy: Paul Carus of Open Court, Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1993.

*Daren Callahan, Special Collections Cataloger, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois.

25