Smartphone Storytelling Workshop

Learning Outcomes & Takeaways

By the end of the Smartphone Storytelling Workshop, you will be able to:

• Use your smartphone camera with confidence, controlling exposure, focus, framing, and stabilization to capture professional-looking shots.
• Apply core visual storytelling techniques—framing, lighting, perspective, and composition—to create compelling documentary-style content.
• Record clear, high-quality audio using built-in microphones and free mobile apps.
• Edit photos and videos using freemium apps on iOS or Android to produce polished, engaging content.
• Enhance your stories with music, graphics, captions, and voiceovers to create dynamic, audience-ready videos.
• Package and share your final project across digital platforms in a purposeful, ethical, and visually effective way.
• Produce a complete, polished multimedia story that showcases your current career goals and personal aspirations.

Your SummerUp Days: Day-by-Day

Subject to change.

Day 1 — See Like a Storyteller

Focus: Foundations of visual storytelling — framing, lighting, audio, and camera mastery.

• Navigate all core camera settings on your smartphone—including exposure, focus, white balance, and frame rate—with confidence.
• Use visual storytelling principles such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, and perspective to compose strong, engaging shots.
• Recognize and use natural and artificial light to enhance mood, clarity, and visual impact.
• Record clean, usable audio in real-world environments using built-in microphones and free mobile apps.
• Explain the three-act story structure and apply it to a short sequence of images or clips.
• Begin developing your final project concept, focusing on how to tell a compelling video story about your current career goals and aspirations.

Day 2 — Edit Like a Producer

Focus: Video & photo editing — building a story with audio, graphics, and narrative structure.

• Import, organize, and trim video clips using apps like CapCut, iMovie, or VN.
• Apply colour correction and basic colour grading to enhance the look and feel of photo and video footage.
• Layer music, voiceovers, and sound effects to strengthen emotional impact and story flow.
• Add lower-thirds, titles, captions, and simple motion graphics using tools such as Canva and CapCut.
• Build a structured 90-second rough cut of your final project video.
• Give and receive constructive peer feedback using a clear storytelling rubric to improve your work.

Day 3 — Share Like a Publisher

Focus: Finalising stories, platform strategy, ethics of sharing, and presentation of projects.

• Apply peer and instructor feedback to refine and finalize a polished 90–120 second story.
• Export and optimize your video for multiple platforms — including Instagram Reels, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok — so it looks great anywhere you share it.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of digital ethics, including consent, representation, and responsible storytelling when featuring real people.
• Present your completed story to the cohort, delivering a clear 60-second introduction that explains the purpose and message behind your video.
• Leave with a personalized creative toolkit—recommended apps, resources, and a repeatable workflow that you may use to keep creating independently.

Technical Requirements & General Information

1. The Lifelong Leadership Institute (LLI) presents this course as part of our commitment to expanding access to transformative learning experiences for Black youth — experiences that have too often been limited by historical inequities. We aim to nurture the talents, ambitions, and leadership potential that Black youth possess while ensuring they have full access to the skills and opportunities that drive future success. This workshop is given to supporting skill development in effective storytelling using a smartphone.
2. No prior smartphone videography experience is required. All lessons, workshops, and activities are intentionally designed to be accessible for beginners while still offering meaningful challenges for students with existing technical skills.
3. Because this is a fast-paced, three-day learning experience, only students who can commit to attending all three days should apply. Students who cannot attend the full program are encouraged to consider future opportunities.
4. The course emphasizes interactive, hands-on, and experiential learning. Students are expected to participate actively in discussions, collaborate with peers, and complete in-class assignments.
5. Students will need access to both a suitable smartphone (iOS & Android) and laptop computer for the technical activities planned.
6. Registrants will be provided with a listing of free smartphone apps (Free and Freemium) they may acquire to accomplish course objectives.
7. Parents’ Role: Students under age 18 will participate with the support of their parents. Parents or legal guardians are deemed ‘partners’ with responsibility for ensuring under-18 students arrive and depart the meeting space safely and on time, and for providing lunch.

Wednesday, August 5 to Friday, August 7, 2026 (Three days)

9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (includes a one-hour lunch break)
Attendance will be taken around 8:50 a.m.

In-person

TBA – in Toronto. (Details will be provided to registrants.)

3 days (Wednesday – Friday)

Rohan McLeish, Professor (Media), Centennial College

No charge.

Lunch will not be provided by the LBD program. Students are welcome to bring a packed lunch.

A reliable smartphone and laptop are required.

No.

• Leadership by Design (LBD) students, who in September 2026 will be in Grade 12 (C24) and Grade 11 (C25), or in first-year post-secondary studies (C23).
• Other Black youth in Ontario, who in September 2026 will enrol in Ontario Grade 10, 11, and 12, and who have required academic qualifications.
• Students interested in learning about the effective use of your smartphone as a storytelling tool.
• Students with no prior knowledge of productive videography (the course is designed to welcome beginners while offering meaningful challenge for students with some background).

Apply only if you can commit to attending all three days of this in-person course.