GLOCAL TIMES No. 22/23 (Sep embe 2015)
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Re hinking he de ini ion o pa icipa o y ideo
a he in e ace o heo y and p ac ice
By Da id Mon e o Sánchez and José Manuel Mo eno Domínguez
1
Abs ac
Since a leas he 1960s, pa icipa o y ideo (PV) has aimed o eadd ess ilm’s adi ional
ocus on en e ainmen and he media’s in e es in global news wi h he in en ion o
p omo ing local and communi y de elopmen . This has usually mean empowe ing
communi ies o wo k ia consensus o elabo a e di e en audio isual p oduc s which e lec
communi y p oblems and aspi a ions in a ious ways. In he wo ds o Shi ley Whi e, au ho
o Pa icipa o y Video. Images ha T ans o m and Empowe , PV ac s as “a powe ul o ce
o people o see hemsel es in ela ion o he communi y (…). I b ings abou a c i ical
awa eness ha o ms he ounda ion o c ea i i y and communica ion” (Whi e, 2003: 64).
This pape add esses he concep o PV comp ehensi ely by mobilizing c i ically bo h
academic akes on he subjec and he p o essional iews o a a ie y o p ac i ione s and
expe s. I aims o ou line a numbe o uses and modes which coexis wi hin PV wi h he aim
o gene a ing a mo e ui ul discussion on i s de ining ea u es and he ela ion be ween
canonical and ma ginal examples o pa icipa o y ideomaking. To ha e ec , ou
me hodological app oach combines a li e a u e e iew (including key wo ks in English as
well as heo e ical con ibu ions in he ield o La in Ame ican c i ical communica ion
s udies) wi h da a ob ained om a numbe o in-dep h in e iews wi h expe s and
expe ienced p ac i ione s. Th ee key a eas a e iden i ied as majo elemen s wi hin a PV
expe ience: p ocess, communica ion and esul s. Focusing on he analysis o how p oduc i e
ensions be ween pa icipan s and acili a o s play ou in each o hese a eas, we p opose a
b oad ins umen al de ini ion in he hope o con ibu ing o he ongoing heo e ical discussion
on PV. Finally, he main a eas o deba e as pe cei ed by ideo p ac i ione s - o ma , gen e
and he ole o he In e ne - a e discussed wi h a iew o es ablish how hese issues a e
cu en ly being nego ia ed wi hin he ield.
In oduc ion
Unde s anding he meaning o pa icipa o y ideo (he eina e PV) and how i wo ks is a
di icul ask. On he one hand, he concep i sel is e y b oad, ague and cons uc ed a ound
a numbe o ensions. PV has his o ically con igu ed i sel mo e as a label which encompasses
di e en p ac ices and expe iences on he common g ound o inco po a ing o dina y people o
he space o ilm p oduc ion han as an academic a ea wi h solid concep ual amewo ks in
place. Howe e , he con luence be ween heo y and p ac ice in ela ion o PV s ill e eals
sha ed wo king me hods amongs p ac i ione s and ecu en deba es which e ol e a ound a
up u e wi h adi ional au ho ship, a ou ing mo e collabo a i e p oduc ion o mulas.
Depa ing om ou own esea ch in o he ma e , his pape examines he ways in which
heo y and p ac ice in e sec when i comes o de ining PV as a ans o ma i e p axis. We
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unde s and ha he consolida ion o PV as a p ac ice is a mul ilaye ed p ocess whe e bo h,
heo y and ways o doing, in e ac in complex ways. Gi ing an exhaus i e accoun o such a
p ocess is beyond ou scope he e. Ins ead, we aim o iden i y pa e ns o in e ac ion in o de
o make hem isible o bo h p ac i ione s and academics. Shee a ie y, lack o
sys ema iza ion, sho age o in-dep h esea ch, he p e alence o mul idisciplina y app oaches
and he absence o a clea ly delimi ed p o essional ield (Milne, Mi chell y De Lange, 2012;
Suá ez e al., 2008; C aig and Po e , 1997) aise he need o concep ual exe cises which
compile and con as di e en oices in o de o p omo e sound deba e o PV as a p ac ice.
In he i s pa o he pape , we a gue ha he e is e idence o a space o p o i able
in e ac ion be ween schola s and p ac i ione s h oughou he his o y o PV a di e en le els;
howe e , such mu ual in luence has ye o be consolida ed in o a comp ehensi e a ea o
s udy, pa ly due o a lack o schola ly in e es in PV un il ecen ly, and also o he di use
na u e o PV expe iences, which has complica ed he eme gence o a ue communi y o
p ac ice. Taking he wo k o educa ional heo is É ienne Wenge as a e e ence (Wenge ,
1998), we use he e m "communi y o p ac ice" o e e o g oups o people who sha e a
common in e es o p ac ice and imp o e i by in e ac ing egula ly and helping each o he .
The second sec ion o mula es a h ee-legged desc ip ion o PV p ac ice based on
con empo a y iews, aking in o accoun academic de ini ions and engaging wi h he main
a eas o con en ion su ounding he p ac ice: e minology, o ma s and he ole o he In e ne .
The pape is he esul o an on-going in es iga ion in o con empo a y PV p ac ice and i s
ele ance in he cu en , global socio-poli ical con ex . We conside ou assessmen as a wo k
in p og ess based on he g ound al eady co e ed by his esea ch.
2
Ou analysis was in o med
by se e al me hods. P ac i ione s’ iews we e ob ained h ough a comp ehensi e su ey, wi h
o e 25 o ganiza ions in ol ed. The pa icipan s we e selec ed acco ding o hei expe ience
in he a angemen o ini ia i es and expe iences whe e PV plays a signi ican ole. A o al o
15 in-dep h in e iews we e conduc ed ia email be ween June and Sep embe 2014 (see
Table 1). The b ead h o he sample was he main c i e ia behind selec ion, because one o ou
aims was p ecisely o es ablish how PV p ac ice is seen by a numbe o p o essionals
( ilmmake s, educa o s, media ac i is s, ideo-a is s, e c.) and by o ganiza ions wo king in
ields such as new echnologies o in o ma ion and communica ion (he eina e NTIC), social
educa ion, media and in e na ional de elopmen . Geog aphical di e si y is also an impo an
ac o : while i was impossible o a oid a p eponde ance o Spanish p ac i ione s and
o ganiza ions as a e lec ion o he o iginal esea ch con ex , in e iews we e ca ied ou wi h
acili a o s and ins i u ions om B azil, Dominican Republic, UK, Venezuela and A gen ina.
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Table 1. Responden s. In bold hose who eplied as p ac i ione s o in an ins i u ional capaci y. Numbe s a e
p o ided o e e ences wi hin he ex .
A mo e ex ensi e li e a u e e iew was also unde aken, o which only a small sample is
included in he i s sec ion o his pape ( o a discussion, see Mon e o and Mo eno, 2014).
Ou examina ion o a ailable li e a u e on PV did no only co e academic accoun s, bu also
desc ip i e case s udies, esea ch p oposals and ins i u ional epo s. Fu he mo e, we used
discou se analysis o ideos esul ing om PV expe iences and o he websi es o he mos
p ominen o ganiza ions cu en ly wo king wi h PV.
De ining PV as a p ac ice
In an academic con ex whe e he con luence be ween echnology and communica ion has
cons i u ed i sel as a p oli ic a ea o s udy o e he las decades, PV s ill emains a p ac ice in
need o se ious a en ion wi h only a hand ul o schola ly con ibu ions app oaching he
subjec om a dis inc i e analy ical pe spec i e (see Whi e, 2003; Mi chell and de Lange,
2012; and Johansson, 1999). This lack o academic in e es does no go hand in hand wi h he
ela i e popula i y o PV p ac ices in a numbe o con ex s and places, p omo ed by e y
di e en o ganiza ions in se e al ields. E en oday, he landscape o PV is ske chy; in spi e
o e y aluable e o s, gene ally speaking i lacks clea poin s o e e ence, sys ema ic
app oaches and e en in-dep h obse a ion and assessmen o PV expe iences. While o
ex e nal obse e s his migh sugges ha heo y and p ac ice ha e gone hei sepa a e ways
when i comes o PV, his is no co ec . Mos PV expe iences a e he esul o a p e ious
O ganiza ions
•P oyec o Pe ey a (1)
•Coope a i a Cul u al Valle Vi o (2)
•Cen o Ca ibeño de Comunicación
y Cul u a (3)
•Insigh Sha e (4)
•Gimkho (5)
•P oplane a (6)
•Colec i o "Hacemos una peli" (7)
•La Lupa (8)
•Colec i o Ci ces (9)
•Úbiqa (10)
•Escola Popula de Cinema
•Va ious
•Va ious
•Va ious
•Acsu -Las Sego ias
P ac i ione s
•Pablo S é ano
•Ins i ucional
•Ins i ucional
•Soledad Muñiz
•Roi Gui ián
•Fe nanda Baumha d
•Miguel Ángel Rod íguez
•Me cedes Figue oa
•Raquel Ga cía
•José Luís Ronce o
•Albe o Bougleux (11)
•Ian Ingelmo (12)
•Gio gio Mosangini (13)
•Inmaculada Pa a (14)
•Lau a Cabezas (15)
P o essional ield
•En i onmen al educa ion, a is ic
educa ion
•Communi y ilmmaking
•In e na ional de elopmen
•In e na ional de elopmen
•Ci izen educa ion
•De elopmen /en i onmen al
educa ion
•Communi y ilmmaking
•Communica ion o de elopmen
•Social educa ion
•New echnologies o in o ma ion
and communica ion
•Popula cinema
•Film and audio isual edi ing
•In e na ional de elopmen
•A and social in eg a ion
•De elopmen /Communica ion o
de elopmen
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heo e ical e lec ion which encompasses aspec s such as media li e acy, isibili y,
documen a y heo y and social ans o ma ion.
F om a p o essional pe spec i e, pa e ns o ac ion ha e mos ly been de e mined by he use o
echnology by a subs an ial numbe o people, and by a emp s o alida e PV as a
me hodologically sound, scien i ic p ac ice. This has esul ed in a kaleidoscope o isola ed
p ac ices o limi ed ci cula ion and basically unknown o o he p ac i ione s (see Hube ,
1998). The la e 1990s saw he i s esul s in he o m o weigh y omes on PV as a p ac ice,
such as Shaw and Robe son (1997) and B aden and Huong (1998). A his poin , he ocus
began o shi owa ds me hodology and inding a common g ound amongs o he wise e y
di e en PV expe iences in e ms o bo h subjec and app oach.
Sha ing knowledge, be hey quanda ies o esul s, has led o he de ini ion o common lines o
analysis which, in he las ew yea s, ha e inally begun o shape an ex ended esea ch ield,
while consolida ing a p o essional landscape whe e a numbe o in e es ing p oposals ha e
been o mula ed, bo h a an in e na ional le el and also h ough mo e modes ini ia i es.
In e es ingly, in spi e o hei di e ences, hese p ojec s seem o sha e a common app oach o
images and an in e es in connec ing audio isual p oduc ion o p ocesses o ci izen
pa icipa ion.
In e na ional o ganiza ions such as UNDP (Uni ed Na ions De elopmen P og amme) and
FAO (Food and Ag icul u e O ganiza ion) ha e consis en ly used PV o p omo e ac ions o
local de elopmen and also in awa eness p og ams, publishing hei esul s in sys ema ized
assessmen epo s which, o his day, emain an impo an con ibu ion o inc easing he
isibili y o and dissemina ing wha can be achie ed wi h PV (see FAO, 1987, FAO, 1996
and Fa mesa, 1996). To his, we can add he guides de eloped by o ganiza ions specializing
in he use o PV, abo e all hose published by WITNESS (2005) and Inshigh sha e (Lunch
and Lunch, 2006).
Mos o he o ganiza ions we in e iewed in he cou se o ou analysis o ecen PV p ac ice
end o no only se up pa icipa o y expe iences, bu also o de elop a line o hough which
emb aces aspec s o isual cul u e and media heo y, gi ing hem a oice in public deba e on
collec i e audio isual c ea ion, cul u al pa icipa ion and ans o ma i e media p ac ice. Fo
ins ance, he ilm collec i e La Lupa sees i as one o hei aims o build b idges be ween
e lec ion, awa eness and ac ion, unde s anding e lec ion as “an analysis o he possibili ies
o e ed by audio isual discou se as a ool o deba e, o inc easing awa eness and social
ans o ma ion. I is necessa y o hink abou pa icipa o y me hodologies inasmuch as hey
allow communi y de elopmen , con lic media ion and he o mula ion o collec i e messages
by a numbe o ac o s” (La Lupa 8). I is he e o e no only abou doing, bu also abou
hinking abou wha is being done and how i is being done in o de o concei e ideo no
me ely as a ool o change, bu a he as a space o dialogue and c i ical hinking.
Such a c i ical app oach, mo eo e , helps pa icipan s o deepen hei unde s anding o hei
su oundings, om he ole o he media o he meaning o hei e e yday ac i i ies.
Acco ding o he A gen ine P oyec o Pe ey a, “such an analysis comes o ganically om
wi hin he g oup, om hei sea ch and om he hings hey need o say in o de o imp o e
hei li ing condi ions” (P oyec o Pe ey a 1). Fe nanda Baumha d (P oplane a) u he links
such c i ical hinking o demands o speci ic change. “I gi es hem a oice and i sha es hei
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oices wi h o he communi ies and decision-make s. I makes hem g ow, communica e
highe , communica e s onge ” (P oplane a 6).
O he o ganiza ions no e ha hey see i as pa o hei wo k " o gene a e deba e and make
ci izen conce ns isible by using digi al media" (Úbiqa 10). E en when he use o digi al
echnologies (mobiles, phone came as, GPS) is achie ing deep le els o pene a ion in many
cul u es, spaces o e lec ion and c i ical inqui y a e s ill needed in o de o e lec abou
hose uses and o ully unde s and he possibili ies hey o e us, pa icula ly when i comes
o wo king wi h o he s. “I is ou aim o p omo e discussion and social ans o ma ion by
ge ing people o in e ac and hink abou a numbe o issues: mul icul u alism and
in e cul u alism, iden i y and iolence, pa icipa o y democ acy, mul imedia mapping, e c.”
(Úbiqa 10).
This need o del ing deepe in o he issue pe mea es p o essional p ac ice and schola ly
deba e on PV. Ini ia i es such as he Open Uni e si y and Insigh sha e’s “Be e Pa icipa o y
Video P ac ice” a e based p ecisely on p ac i ione s coming oge he in o de o e lec on
di e en subjec s and PV expe iences h ough i ual spaces o in e ac ion. "So a , we ha e
hos ed a o al o six mee ings whe e PV p ac i ione s om a ound he wo ld exchange iews
and lea n om di e en expe iences and app oaches" (Insigh sha e 4).
This is in line wi h o he assessmen s which explain ha p ac i ione s hemsel es a e now
looking o ways o mee and sha e hei wo k. "Ne wo ks a e being c ea ed in o de o sha e
me hods and expe iences. In Colec i o Ci ces, we a e discussing he possibili y o cu a ing an
a chi e wi h all he audio isual ma e ial p o ided by people aking pa in PV expe iences. I
hink i is a key momen o b ing ideas oge he , sha e and gene a e c ea i e syne gies
be ween collec i es and people wo king wi h images using a pa icipa o y app oach"
(Colec i o Ci ces 9).
Such an assessmen would imply ha we s ill need o ein o ce he “communi y” elemen
wi hin PV´s communi y o p ac ice. In his heo iza ion o he concep , É ienne Wenge
explains ha a communi y o p ac ice should a leas ha e a domain (de ined sha ed in e es ),
a communi y (engagemen in join ac i i ies and discussion) and a p ac ice (ac i i ies which
equi e lea ning) (see Wenge , 1999). Howe e , i is possible o obse e ha spaces gea ed o
discussing PV ha e inc eased no ably, poin ing o he consolida ion o a be e de ined
communi y. This can be pe cei ed, o ins ance, in he conspicuous inc ease in academic
in e es on and a ound PV and wha i says abou images, media and he way people ela e o
hem.
3
App oaches o PV di e widely among p ac i ione s, om b ie and pe sonal insigh s (“a ool
o wo k wi h he sensi i i y o people and he emo ion o he momen ”, Inma Pa a 14) o
mo e complex assessmen s o PV as “a c ea i e me hodology o wo k which p o ides
collec i i ies wi h he language and ools ha enable hem o access audio isual p oduc ion. I
gi es hem he chance o app op ia e new communica i e esou ces and, in speci ic cases, o
e ec a change in hei e e yday eali y” (Albe o Bougleux 11).
Much mo e p agma ic and pedagogical iews eme ge om an examina ion o unding
p oposals pu o wa d o di e en ins i u ions. These documen s s ess accu acy and
in elligibili y in an e o o ge dono s o unde s and wha hey a e unding. The You h-Me

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p ojec o he in eg a ion o young mig an s a isk o social exclusion, o ins ance, de ines
PV as “a me hodology ha consis s o accompanying aining p ocesses in audio isual heo y
and echnique wi h hose in al e na i e communica ion, which allows di e en g oups o
c ea e pa icipa i e social documen a ies”. The EU unded p ojec VISTA. Pa icipa o y Video
and Social Skills o T aining Disad an aged Adul s also explains in i s sho guide o
acili a o s and aine s ha PV is “a highly e ec i e ool o engage and mobilize
ma ginalized people, and o help hem o implemen hei own o ms o sus ainable
de elopmen ”. The ins umen al na u e o PV, as well as he bene i s i b ings o educa ion
and social in eg a ion, a e he e o e emphasized
On he o he hand, a look in o academic de ini ions o PV also e eals ha , e en when mos
o hem main ain an app op ia ely inclusi e scope, app oaches and p io i ies s ill di e
none heless. He e, i is possible o dis inguish a leas be ween de ini ions 1) p i ileging he
p ocess o audio isual c ea ion as he sou ce o c i ical awa eness and social change, and 2)
o eg ounding social in e en ion as a p ocess leading, among o he hings, o highe le els o
audio isual li e acy amongs pa icipan s.
In he i s g oup we can men ion he wo k o Johansson, whe e PV is seen as “a sc ip less
ideo p oduc ion p ocess, di ec ed by a g oup o g ass oo s people, mo ing o wa d in
i e a i e cycles o shoo ing- e iewing” (Johannsson, 1999) and also Shaw and Robe son’s
de ini ion o PV as a p ocess, whe ein people hemsel es unde s and he ideo p ojec
me hodology and p ocess and con ol he con en o he ideo p oduc ions. Following his,
pa icipa o y ideo ocuses on empowe ing people a he han on p oducing, p o iding
pa icipan s wi h he skills and in o ma ion which allow hem o imp o e hei pe sonal and
collec i e ci cums ances (Shaw and Robe son, 1997: 26).
In he second g oup, we would like o highligh a less known de ini ion o PV p ac ice coined
by he Colombian schola Julián And és Espinosa. In his assessmen o wo PV expe iences in
Spain and Po ugal, Espinosa de ines he p ac ice as a p ocess o social in e en ion aiming o
ans o m he pa icipan communi y by p omo ing e lec ion abou iden i y. Social
ans o ma ion is achie ed by he communi y in an ac o emancipa ion linked o he use o
he ideo echnology which allows pa icipan s o c ea e hei own discou se (Espinosa,
2011). A mo e well-known accoun o PV is he one gi en by Shi ley A. Whi e in
Pa icipa o y Video. Images ha T ans o m and Empowe (2003). In line wi h Espinosa’s
iew, Whi e app oaches PV mainly as a ool o indi idual and social ans o ma ion,
p io i izing social change abo e he p ocess o audio isual p oduc ion in i sel . Conside ing
he p ima y in en o PV as a p ocess, Whi e men ions “p omo ing sel /o he espec , a sense
o belonging, a eeling o impo ance, a claim o an iden i y” (Whi e, 2003: 65), none o
which ha e any hing o do wi h ac ually making a ilm. He indica ion o ideo as a p ocess
has he pe e se e ec o demeaning he impo ance o ideomaking as such, e en i
unin en ionally.
To his day, bo h he ounda ional expe ience in Fogo in he 1960s and he launch o
Insigh sha e as one o he i s o ganiza ions o use PV sys ema ically in de elopmen p ojec s
in 2003 a e miles ones in he consolida ion and popula iza ion o speci ic me hods. Fo
Insigh sha e, PV "is a se o echniques o in ol e a g oup o communi y in shaping and
c ea ing hei own ilm. The idea behind his is ha making a ideo is easy and accessible,
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and is a g ea way o b inging people oge he o explo e issues, oice conce ns o simply o
be c ea i e and ell s o ies" (Lunch and Lunch, 2006: 10).
Ou su ey sugges s ha p ac i ione s inc easingly end o conside he aes he ic dimension o
a speci ic ideo as an impo an elemen in he equa ion i i is o each o he s and embody he
a ious c ea i e p ocesses which b ing he g oup oge he . As Gio gio Mosangini poin s ou :
"I a social-pa icipa o y documen a y lacks quali y as a p oduc and does no each
audiences, he whole PV p ocess emains jus a o ma i e expe ience. In o de o become a
eal exe cise in al e na i e communica ion, he documen a y should aspi e o achie e conc e e
quali y s anda ds, each as many people as possible and mobilize hem" (Mosangini 13).
Following his, some p ac i ione s indica e ha we un he isk o le ing clichés ega ding
collec i e pa icipa ion and poli ical communica ion in o m a ce ain PV language whe e
con en and aes he ics a e conside ed less impo an han he bene icial ou comes ha migh
possibly de i e om he expe ience o ge ing ou a speci ic poli ical message. In he wo ds o
Ian Ingelmo, such an app oach ob ia es ha “ ideo is no simply an ins umen o sp ead
messages, bu a he a ool wi h which g oups can ge o know wha a ec s hem” (Ingelmo
12). Taking his u he , some p ac i ione s s a e ha he ideas wi hin he g oups and
collec i i ies aking pa in PV expe iences can os e c ea i e and inno a i e app oaches o
ideo, o ins ance by e o mula ing he idea o a collec i e oice in di e en ways.
A h ee- old app oach
In any case, he a ie y o cases a ailable o anyone in e es ed in PV anges om he mo e
es ablished p ac ices -based on he idea o sha ing ideo equipmen and p o iding basic
aining as ool wi h which people can ell hei s o ies- o app oaches ocused on iden i y,
collec i e ac ion and al e na i e communica ion, h ough mo e s a egic PV ini ia i es linked
o conc e e social changes o which ideo echnology migh con ibu e. In spi e o his
di e si y, ou examina ion o PV h ough he expe ience o a numbe o p ac i ione s and
p ojec s e eals a leas h ee majo a eas o wo k which s uc u e i s p ac ice.
The p ocess highligh s aspec s o PV p ac ice which in ol e he eme gence o a c i ical
conscience, pa icipa ion, eamwo k and communi y building. A p ocessual unde s anding o
he phenomenon, he e o e, ends o o eg ound he use o audio isual echnology in di ec
ela ion o de ining au onomous o ganiza ional s uc u es, as well as p omo ing dialogue, sel -
awa eness and collec i e c ea i i y.
The so-called "p ocess s. p oduc " deba e -a dicho omy which has epea ed i sel in di e en
ilms and li e a u e add essing PV (see Whi e, 2003: 64-66)- poses he ques ion o whe he
pa icipan s should ocus on achie ing he highes possible aes he ic s anda ds in hei ilms
o whe he he p ocess o in e ac ion should ake cen e s age i espec i e o quali y. In i sel ,
his deba e conju es up an imagina y sha ed s anda d o aes he ic quali y which, a he same
ime, places indus ial ilm and media p oduc ion a he op o he scale, equa ing i wi h he
no ion o quali y and measu ing pa icipa o y ilms and ideos in ela ion o such a s anda d.
I he ideo does no con o m o indus ial p oduc ion s anda ds, we mus hen unde s and ha
p ocess was p i ileged o e quali y.
GLOCAL TIMES No. 22/23 (Sep embe 2015)
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Wha eme ges om ou assessmen o PV is ha i is much mo e p oduc i e o es ablish he
ways in which a p ocess app oach does indeed ha e an impac on he inal p oduc , a he
han simply assuming ha ocusing on he p ocess implies enouncing quali y. This equi es
ha we ac i a e a di e en se o c i e ia wi h which o assess he quali y o he p oduc ; one
ha sees he inal ideo as a e lec ion o he p ocess, a he han as an aes he ic p oduc
comple ely se e ed om i . Ins ead o p i ileging one o he o he , i is necessa y o concei e
each o hese concep s in di ec ela ion o one ano he . The mo e he ideo e lec s he
p ocess which leads o i s c ea ion, he be e i is in e ms o quali y.
In he con ex o PV p ac ices, bo h p ocess and p oduc o e people an a ac i e oppo uni y
o ge oge he and in e ac in a con olled en i onmen a di e en s ages. E en when he ilm
is inished, sc eening i o he wide communi y e idences he complex ways in which
“p oduc ” and “p ocess” in e ac . As p ac i ione s a Coope a i a Cul u al Valle Vi o
P oducciones poin ou , “ o us, he mos impo an hing is o ensu e ha sc eenings wi hin
pa icipan communi ies become a place o sha e and an oppo uni y o celeb a e he c ea ion
o he ilm. People b ing hei own chai s, hey sha e ood and d inks while enjoying he ilm
p oduced wi hin he communi y” (Coope a i a Cul u al Valle Vi o 2).
The communica ion, echnology and media dimensions wi hin PV expe iences a e mainly
app oached om a c i ical pe spec i e and e y o en di ec ed owa ds imp o ing he
isibili y o issues which a e o in e es o he communi y bu end o be igno ed by he mass
media. Aspec s such as c ea ing no el o ms o na a ion, imp o ing he communi y´s
unde s anding o audio isual language, educa ing he communi y abou how he media
unc ion and se ing-up al e na i e media op ions a e all cen al elemen s wi hin PV as a
p ac ice om a communica i e pe spec i e.
Vi ually all o he expe iences we ha e had access o con ain, in di e en deg ees, a
e lec ion on he use and ole played by he media whe he as a ool wi h which in o ma ion,
alues and a i udes a e dissemina ed, o as he sou ce o a public image o collec i i ies,
g oups and communi ies. Media b ing di e en subjec s in o ocus, and PV o e s people he
oppo uni y o ha e hei say in an inc easingly complex media ecosys em s ill domina ed by
adi ional ou le s.
Channelling issues conce ning he communi y h ough PV p ac ice is an impo an elemen
o p ac i ione s who see i as a way o empowe ing “ hose no ep esen ed a a wide le el by
he mass media” (La Lupa 8). Video is used as a powe ul means o educa e and mobilize
communi ies using en e ainmen . “Th ough ideo, communi ies ge o know, ques ion and
communica e hemsel es” (Cen o Ca ibeño de Comunicación y Cul u a 3).
The ole o a hi d sec o wi hin he indus y, cons i u ed by al e na i e media, ee o
co po a e, s a e o poli ical a ini ies and a icula ed a a local le el, is a he e y hea o PV
p ac ices which seek o coun e ac discou ses in o med by he economic and poli ical in e es s
o media co po a ions. He e, he deba e e ol es a ound he concep o gi ing oice (Could y,
2010) so ha di e en ideological posi ions can be ep esen ed, e en i inconsis en ly, in he
public sphe e. “I is abou de ending communica ion igh s. I equi es bo h collec i izing and
dis ibu ing access o audio isual p oduc ion, as well as p o iding people wi h he necessa y
aining in o de o c ea e audio isual p oduc s ha oppose hose ci cula ed by co po a e
media” (Lau a Cabezas 15).
GLOCAL TIMES No. 22/23 (Sep embe 2015)
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The esul s in ol e he consequences o hese expe iences bo h a a pe sonal and collec i e
le el. In his espec , many p ac i ione s no only alk abou he possibili y o acqui ing new
echnical abili ies, bu also abou he ideo i sel as a p oduc which can b ing abou bene i s
in e ms o isibili y, public impac and, ul ima ely, social change.
The e is no doub ha ension and gene al pa e ns o in e ac ion highligh less angible
aspec s associa ed wi h PV p ac ices such as conscien iza ion, mo i a ion, pa ne ship,
o ganiza ion and discussion, as well as sel -es eem and he de elopmen o communica i e
and c ea i e abili ies. Howe e , h oughou he expe ience ideo i sel is ega ded as a ool,
wi h a speci ic ins umen al alue in a wide p ocess o social change.
In any case, he inal alue o a ideo esul ing om a PV expe ience depends e y much on
he con ex o each pa icula p ojec , as well as on he esou ces and he ime dedica ed o i .
Use ul as hey a e, PV p ojec s o a sho du a ion (1-3 days) can ha dly be expec ed o esul
in comp ehensi e documen a y ilms, and a he end o ocus on ques ioning s e eo ypes
abou audio isual discou se and o e ing esou ces so ha i can be used au onomously in a
numbe o ways. These sho expe iences can also play an impo an ole when i comes o he
p omo ion o pa icipa o y dynamics wi hin a communi y in ela ion o wide de elopmen o
social in eg a ion p ojec s whe e ideo s ill ep esen s a new and inno a i e way o ge ing
people o in e ac .
In he wo ds o Albe o Bougleux when discussing his expe ience a he Escola Popula de
Cinema: "P ocess and p oduc (no mally a sho documen a y ilm) a e conside ed on he
same le el o impo ance. A p ocess wi hou a inal p oduc can no doub be he sou ce o
posi i e eelings people usually associa e wi h PV expe iences, al hough i will dep i e he
g oup o a collec i e image whe e hey can ecognize hemsel es and sha e wi h people
ou side he g oup. Keeping he g oup ocused on ma e ialising hei e o s in a way ha is
unde s andable and easy o sha e wi hou sac i icing he eedom o spon anei y o hose who
app oach a complex language o he i s ime is, in my iew, a clea key o he success o a
PV p ocess" (Albe o Bougleux 11)
When be e esou ces a e a ailable his usually opens he way o mo e complex, longe
p ocesses no only limi ed o a PV wo kshop o o he comple ion o a sho collec i e ilm,
bu also ocused on how he ilm connec s wi h he social demands o he pa icipan s and a
wide p ocess o social change. Following his, expe iences which a e a icula ed a an
in e na ional le el o in ol e di e en collec i es end o inc easingly equi e he de ini ion o
spaces o exchange and communica ion whe e di e en ac o s in e ac oge he and wi h
global ins i u ions. Examples o success ul ways o going global wi h PV include p ojec s
such as he a o emen ioned VISTA de eloped in six di e en Eu opean coun ies, in addi ion
o p og ams and p ojec s such as he “No icie o In e cul u al” by ACSUR-Las Sego ias in
Spain and Gua emala, Insigh sha e’s "Con e sa ions wi h he Ea h P og amme" and he
ini ia i e "Sumando oces" (Joining Ou Voices) by Pa icipa e, a global ne wo k o social
and academic o ganiza ions.
The na u al cycle o a PV p ojec comes o a close h ough he dissemina ion o he esul s
and he eme gence o a collec i e oice a di e en le els. Pa icula ly when pa icipan s aim
o global audiences a he han a limi ed public, he ci cula ion o a PV ilm poses a ho ny