Matthew sat down with Jake Faber from Blue Valley Schools and Samantha Fitzgerald of Park Hill School District to discuss various forms of storytelling and their recommendations and expertise.

“It cannot be beat. The power of storytelling is imperative.”

—Samantha Fitzgerald

The Heart of Storytelling
Storytelling goes beyond capturing content and special moments; it aims to not only inspire, but evoke a greater sense of community connection. It’s less about “finding the right story” and more about sharing the school district happenings with the biggest cheerleaders/supporters in your community (and beyond). Even every day lessons garner excitement and make guardians eager to share their pride for their school district community and student(s). Not only that, but Jake adds,  “the impact stories can have on kids and communities is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.” Communications departments play a significant role in overall district success; with their unique position and perspective, these teams impact the bottom line—including the climate and culture of the district and surrounding communities. Samantha also underscored the importance of storytelling in her district’s strategic plan. “A big part of how we show the community that our students are growing and we’re making school successful for them is through storytelling.”  

Authenticity always outshines production. It is important to understand, first, that what people relate to and engage with is authenticity and authentic storytelling. Jake added, “The things that get the most engagement for us are authentic storytelling [pieces] where there's emotion…and it doesn't have to be a crazy impactful thing, it can just be a student story." Aim for real versus perfect. “Storytelling allows you to convey messages in a way that is worth watching”, Samantha stated. “If you can highlight something that can be said in a board meeting in a story, it is going to hit closer to home…it can literally make a difference in someone wanting to move here or wanting to be a part of this district…” Samantha also mentions that how you tell stories demonstrates how you treat your staff and how you’re setting up your students for success. “You can put something on a poster or send it via email, but if you can tell it through a story—even just one single student or one single staff member—it will hit closer to home in a way that you can’t beat or replicate any other way…”

Although some argue the definition of a good story is subjective, Jake and Samantha broke it down for us in their own words based on what has worked well for their respective districts. Samantha recommends keeping it simple, focusing on a single staff member or single student story to connect and collaborate with the community. Jake and Samantha both touched on the importance of authentically showcasing stories in your district and the importance of just telling district stories—period. Good storytelling results in community engagement, but more importantly, it leads to connection.

So what are things that go into good storytelling other than intentionality and authenticity? Jake discussed the technical aspects of great storytelling, including underrated/undervalued strategies for evoking emotion such as music selection, unique angles, and including natural sound from the environment into videos you are sharing. 

“...a cell phone is not good enough…but sometimes it has to be.” 

—Jake Faber

Although preferences differ, what matters is the content you are creating and capturing—not necessarily what technology you are using to create it. When you are creating content—whether that is storytelling videos or an event recap for your newsletter—it is important to keep in mind how the viewer will be consuming content. Will they be using their phone? Will they be watching it on a big screen? Create with your community in mind. Below are a few things you can focus on to ensure even cell phone footage performs well. 

• Screen orientation
  • Consider whether the content is best served being vertical or horizontal.
    • If you are creating long-form content, it is best to shoot horizontal.
    • If you are creating short-form content for social media, it is best to shoot vertical. 
• Lighting
  • When setting up an interview or when having a subject face the camera for a shot, have them facing a window so the natural light illuminates their face. If the window is behind them, you do not get to see the subject as well. 
    
• Audio
  • Consider investing in an external mic.
• Consider the resolution of the videos you are capturing.
  • There is often discussion around whether school districts should shoot in 4k, but Jake and Matthew agree that 1080 is sufficient, as it looks great on a phone and that is where most consumers in the community watch content. 

If your district is in the market for videography and photography equipment, Matthew has compiled a list of what he uses and Jake mentioned using Canon DSLR cameras like the Canon Rebel t8i, which is great for photo and video. Jake also mentioned he has personally used a Panasonic AG DVX 200 for capturing video. 

Tips & Tricks

• If you are working on content about a student success story, make sure to get videos/photos from parents/guardians on their journey to success to add into the video/include in the video.
• Focus on angles and train your eye to capture creative shots before grabbing the newest technology.
• Stop filming when you think you have enough.
• Just start making content!

Content creation can be overwhelming, especially as a small department, but focusing on authentic storytelling can not only benefit your district communications team, but the community you serve as well. Jake shares some final thoughts:

Start creating. Tell the stories. Amplify voices. Cultivate district culture. Connect the community.