Video Network Project:  

2020 Election Rapid-Response 

 
 
Table of Contents 
Background 
The Project 
Step-by-step instructions 

Join the Community 

 
 
 
Background 
 
This year has thrown monumental challenges at us—we’ve fought through a global pandemic and 
shown up for the Black uprisings. Now, leading up to the most important election of our lives, we are 
forced to defend our democracy as a losing president attempts to lie and cheat his way into staying in 
power. We’ve seen his desperate attempts at undermining the election and know that he will do 
anything he can to disrupt the democratic process that is about to unseat him—especially in the days 
and weeks following the election, when not all votes have been tallied but Trump will want to declare 
himself winner. ​We know that we can and must stop him from cheating his way into four more 
years in the White House. 
 
We know that Trump has sown lies about the legitimacy of mail-in voting, and that the right wing 
media is painting the left as instigators of violence. We know that establishment democrats lack the 
principles to confront the GOP for their dishonest and disruptive tactics. And we know that the Green 
New Deal can’t pass while Trump is in office, which will amount to catastrophic consequences for our 
communities. ​But we also know that this will be a narrative battle, rooted in credibility and 
legitimacy in the public’s eyes.​ We can take control of the narrative to expose Trump and the 
Republican party as the liars, cheaters and criminals that they are, and demand a fair election process. 
 
In the aftermath of the election, video is going to be critical to our movement’s success in the 
narrative battle,​ and you’re reading this, it’s because you’re here for that fight. Let’s get going! 
 
 
 
The Project 
 
On election day and after, we’ll be the eyes on the ground making sure that necessary stories get told. 
Think of yourself as a community reporter: what do people where you live need to know about the 
election? How can you polarize the public against anti-democratic narratives, to force mainstream 
media outlets and Democratic politicians to stand up for every vote? 
 
These videos won’t be perfect. Our goal is to tell effective stories ​quickly​, not artfully. 
 
 
Step-by-step instructions: 
 
 
Don’t have Adobe Premiere Pro? U ​ se one of the Sunrise accounts—instructions for 
downloading and logging in are in ​this guide​. 
 
New to Adobe Premiere Pro? ​This video​ teaches you everything you need to know in 20 minutes, 
and you can work on your project as you watch it. Also check out our​ guide​ ​for Sunrise-specific 
instructions like how we format videos and captions.  
 
 
STEP 1: Before the election, brainstorm a few stories you might want to follow. 
 
Is your area experiencing strange or confusing guidelines around mail-in voting? Will there be enough 
polling locations for everyone to vote safely? What are local politicians saying about voting, and are 
they supporting voter suppression tactics? 
 
You can’t know what will go down, but you can prepare. Ask your hub for help! 
 
For each story you can think of, brainstorm some people you might want to talk to. Think about: 
 
● People in your hub!​ Who are a few good spokespeople? Rope them into your project so that 
they know this will be something they should focus on come Election Day. You don’t need to 
know what they’ll say, but it’s a good idea to plan for the partnership. 
 
● People who will have experience with the issue. ​Is there a particular community being 
impacted disproportionately by voter suppression? Do you expect that polling locations will 
be crowded? Are there local officials or community leaders who you could talk to about the 
election? Again, you won’t know exactly what the story will be, but you can find and make 
connections with people who will be able to help you out. 
 
 
STEP 2: On Election Day (and maybe after), film!! 
 
Get as much footage as you can on Election Day. Go to a polling location to film and talk to people 
standing in line to vote. Go to a ballot drop location and film people turning in their ballots. Move 
around town and get shots that show what your home looks like on Election Day. 
 
Be aware of your situation. I​ n all cases, you should ask for consent from people before filming. Polling 
places might be tense, and people could rightfully get sketched out by some random person filming 
them. Explain that you’re there with the Sunrise Movement to document the election, and ask people 
what they’d like the public to know about their experience voting. This way, people know why you’re 
there and have the opportunity to tell you what to film, rather than the other way around. And as 
always, respect the privacy of anyone who doesn’t want to appear on video (and make it clear that a 
lot​ of people could potentially see them on our social media).  
 
 
STEP 3: Watch the news and get ready to respond… 
 
We’ll be coordinating election narratives in this doc. When you see a message that fits with something 
happening locally, put your name down to make a video about it! You can: 
 
● Film a spokesperson from your hub breaking down the issue. ​Here’s​ an example of a 
video built around a spokesperson. 
 
● Film an interview with one of the people you identified in your hub and/or in your 
community. ​Here’s​ an example of an interview-based video.  
  
● Look for news footage that covers your topic. This is fair game, so use it in your video!  
○ You might even want to just take footage of a local public figure, edit it down 
to a short length, caption it, and post it so that more people see it. ​Here’s​ an 
example of that style. 
○ Look for clips that relate to your story and download what you need with a 
free software, ​Clip Grab​. 
 
● Or, some videos work great with no interview! If you think you can tell your story with 
existing footage, clips you’ve grabbed from online, and explanatory text, that’s fine.  
○ If you’re ​really​ pressed for time, ​here’s​ an example of a video that’s almost 
entirely text-based. 
 
 
STEP 4: Import footage of speakers into Premiere and cut it down 
 
If you don’t have a recording from a spokesperson, news footage, or interviews, feel free to move on! It’s 
okay to explain your topic using text. 
 
As you watch the footage you’ve collected of people talking about the issue, what moments 1) 
explain the situation and 2) make you ​feel something​?​ These clips are the stars of your show. Cut 
them out, string them together, and fill in the blanks with other clips that make the whole story flow 
together. 
 
In the end, this string out should be ​no longer than 2 minutes. F​ or this project, you should even aim for 
1 minute. 
 
● This is the hard part of editing! It’s painful to cut out sections that feel important. But 
remember that every time you cut something, you’re helping the juiciest bits stand 
out. This step, more than any other, is what will make your video enjoyable to watch. 
 
● If you’re having trouble cutting your video down, ask for help! We get attached to 
things. Another person’s eyes will help you make decisions. 
 
If you don’t have any footage of people speaking, that’s okay! Write out a script of the words you want 
to put on the video, and write down video footage that would be a good match.  
 
STEP 5: Add music 
 
Music adds a ton of emotion. If you’re making a motivational video, add music! If you’re going for 
more of a reporting angle, it’s okay to leave it out (or find some low-key music that feels “explanatory” 
in tone). There is a collection of free music on the DAL ​here​ ​and at the free YouTube music library. 
 
We’re always looking for more music! ​If you’re looking for your own music and find some good tracks, 
drop them ​in the DAL​ for others to use. 
 
 
STEP 6: Add b-roll 
 
Video clips that help illustrate your speaker’s story are called “b-roll.” Adding these clips, especially 
when you arrange them as a sequence, pumps up emotion and supports the story through visual cues. 
You can also use them to cover up cuts that you’ve made in your speaker’s story. 
 
You should already have b-roll from your filming on Election Day! Here are some other resources: 
 
1. Search the Internet.​ News clips are fair game! Look for ones that relate to your story and 
download what you need with a free software, ​Clip Grab​. 
 
2. There is a folder of ​pre-collected b-roll on the DAL​ ​here​. 
 
 3. Ask the person you interviewed ​to hunt through their phone for photos or videos that 
illustrate certain events they speak about.  
 
DON’T BE GREEDY!! ​If you collect footage from your hub, a storyteller, or the Internet, upload it to the 
DAL other people can use it too. 
 
● Footage from hubs goes in ​this folder​ (great if you have a collection of videos from an action)  
● B-roll sorted by category goes in ​this folder​ (e.g. climate disasters, Republicans being evil, 
Sunrise being powerful). 
● If applicable, stories and b-roll from storytellers go in ​t​his folder​. If needed, create a new folder 
named after the storyteller. 
 
 
STEP 7: Format 
 
Don’t skip this step! It’s easy and will make your video look professional.  
 
This guide​ explains how to format your video. Everything you need is right ​here​ and ready to drop into 
your project. 
 
 
STEP 8: Add text 
 
Explanatory ​text can be used throughout the video to carry your message. Don’t be shy about 
explaining exactly what you want the viewer to know! 
 
Slogans​ at or near the end of your video can help reinforce its message. ​This doc​ ​has some good 
slogans you can consider on page 10. 
 
Calls to action​ show people how to take action: what do you want your audience to do now that your 
video has motivated them? Put a call to action at the end of our video that points them to where they 
can join the fight. 
 
 
STEP 9: Get feedback 
 
Post your video to #sunrise-video-network so we can celebrate each others’ work and help each other 
hone our videos! ​Need access to the Slack channel? Talk to Allyson and she’ll hook you up. 
 
 
STEP 10: Revise 
 
Polish your video until it’s so good that you want to watch it again and again. 
 
 
STEP 11: Add captions 
 
This guide​ explains how to caption your video. 
 
 
STEP 12: Get approval 
 
Be sure to solicit feedback and get final approval from the person whose interview you’re editing. As 
video editors, our goal is to use our skills to support people in telling their story. Taking their story and 
using it against their will is a harmful, extractive practice that we can avoid just by reaching out and 
getting approval (also, they’re really good thinking partners!). 
● If you interviewed someone who needs to be held accountable, not someone sharing a 
personal story, have at it without permission. 
● You might be planning a video where you use short clips from several interviews with 
members of the public. If you don’t think you’ll have capacity to reach back out to each person 
and ask for feedback and approval, ​explain this process and get explicit, enthusiastic 
permission​. 
 
 
STEP 10: Get it out there! 
 
Send your video to your hub’s social media team, post it to the #sunrise-video-network Slack channel, 
and upload it to the DAL ​here​. P​ lease include your name in the filename so we know who made it! 
  
 
 
Join the Community 
 
New to the Sunrise Video Network? We’re so excited for you to join us! Here’s how you can plug in: 
 
● Sign up for emails at ​smvmt.org/videonetwork 
● Join the private #sunrise-video-network Slack channel by emailing 
[email protected]