Pictures from Abu Ghraib showed the power of the amateur image to grab the world's attention. The Asian tsunami, caught on camcorder, brought home the reality of what had happened more than any news report ever could. Around the world the increasing availability and affordability of technology has fuelled the world of social justice video activism. Film-making - at its best - has the power to change the way people think, and create real social change, and now the tools to do it are more accessible than ever before. This book shows how activists and human rights campaigners can harness the power of images and stories for their own purposes - it's a step-by-step guide to the handicam revolution. Written by leading video activists, and staff of the world-renowned human rights organization WITNESS, this practical handbook will appeal to experienced campaigners as well as aspiring video activists. It combines a comprehensive analysis of what's going on in this growing global field with a how-to primer to doing it yourself.

Foreword by Peter Gabriel Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Using Video for Advocacy by Gillian Caldwell 2. Safety and Security by Katerina Cizek 3. Storytelling for Advocacy: Conceptualization and Pre-Production by Katerina Cizek 4. Video Production: Filming a Story by Joanna Duchesne with Liz Miller 5. Editing for Advocacy by Katerina Cizek 6. Video as Evidence by Sukanya Pillay 7 Strategic Distribution: Reaching Key Audiences in Innovative Ways by Thomas Harding Glossary of Terms Resource List Notes on Authors Appendices I.Witness Video Action Plan II. Witness Footage and Tape Description III. Sample Personal Release Form (Short-Form) IV. Sample Personal Consent and Release (Long-Form) V. Preproduction and Production Checklist VI. Script Formatting for Video Documentary VII. Costing-Out Your Video Distribution Strategy Index