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Kraemer Family Library

Media to Deliver Research Findings

Try using one or more of these documents to help you plan the recording of your research. The longer your research paper or project, the more planning documents you may need.

Below is a summary of the planning documents. You may want to research more deeply with articles published in media studies and technical communication journals. Start with the links below.

Project Planning Documents

Scripts and Outlines

A script contains everything that will be said in your recording, written out word-for-word. An outline uses bullet points or a structured list to map out the main topics and the order in which they will be presented. You can blend the two with an extended outline that provides certain sentences you know need to be said a certain way, transition phrases for when you get stuck on a point, and your opening/conclusion for a strong start and finish.

  • For faculty lectures: An outline based on your slide deck is often sufficient. You likely know the information very well and have given versions of your research presentation or lecture in the past.
  • For student presentations: A full script can help manage time and ensure all required points are covered. You may have a time limit on your research presentation, so the script can help you stay within the requirements of the assignment or competition.

Tip: Often people forget to speak out to the audience or camera when reading a script. You don’t HAVE to use your script when you record your video. Instead use the script writing process to help you learn and decide what you want to say and how you want to say it.

Storyboards

A storyboard is a sequence of simple drawings or images that visualize what will happen in your video, shot by shot. It helps you plan your visual composition, camera angles, and on-screen graphics. You don't need to be an artist; stick figures and basic shapes are perfectly fine for planning purposes.

Tip: the value of a storyboard is to identify what types of visuals will be in your video. You can even create a storyboard that is descriptive, for example: “screen capture of the graph” “b-roll of a lab microscope” “face the camera here.” You don’t need a storyboard for audio podcasts.

Shot Lists

A shot list is a checklist of every video clip you need to capture. A typical shot list documents:

  • Shot number
  • Location or Setting
  • A brief description of the action or subject
  • Any necessary props or notes

Tip: you can create a simple spreadsheet or table to organize your shotlist. Then you can record the content in the most practical order instead of the script order. For example, download all of your Creative Commons or stock assets at once instead of finding them while you are trying to edit your content.