In the coming days, we learnt the art of interviewing and its intricacies. Theory lectures were over. We learnt photography and the tricks to capture slice of life. The best part was experimenting with video recorders, audio recorders and cameras. Post that we began to learn the software used to edit photos, audio and video components and then put everything together. So, experiment time was over too. Now we had to tell our story, through three components- Print, Photos and Video in a way that they complement each other. It had to be a complete package. These team projects would then be posted on the website created for the course. We assigned responsibilities within the team- Lead Writer, Editor, Lead photographer, Slide show Editor, Lead videographer, Lead Script Writer, Lead Narrator, Lead Web Editor and so on.

The video could be anywhere between 3 to 5 minutes. Who had imagined that it takes Herculean effort to create a video that barely lasts a few minutes. But also, what you can convey in those few minutes through a digital medium, is exceptional. Production, Post production, messing around with technology and fixing it absorbed all our time for the next five days. The amount of tricks of the trade that we learnt were infinite.

As deadlines drew closer, work pressure increased. Amidst all this, we did take time off to take the Marquette students around the city and enjoy. During the last two days, almost all teams had to make major changes in the video component. The last few minutes were nerve-wracking. And it was THE END of our work time.

The next morning was the closing ceremony, where everybody gathered to view the presentation of these projects and awarding of course certificates. Guests, Management, Staff, Marquette team and the backpackers saw what had materialised out of a ten day course. There were special prizes for those who did exceptionally well.

STXCA now