Learning to shoot and edit using a smartphone

The workshop, which combined theory and practical group work and was delivered by mobile journalism expert Oumar Coulibaly, known as Sharaph, lasted four days. MédiaSahel team members were among the eight workshop participants, and included the communications officer, coordinators, trainers and partners.

They were taught how to prepare reports, perfect framing and focusing techniques, and tell stories through pictures. Sharaph stressed that it is possible to carry out interviews and record high-quality audio and video all at the same time using a smartphone. He emphasised how important it is to use long shots, medium shots, close-ups, big close-ups and reverse shots to enhance the images.

The session had a fun atmosphere, with participants working in pairs to use the applications while following the principles taught by Sharaph. After the workshop was over, the participants said they were determined to put their new skills into practice in order to produce quality content at work.

Niamey (Niger) will also host a similar session in the weeks ahead.