Social Science with a Stormtrooper

[Tilheyra[TK]]

A major benefit of teaching college/university courses in communication is the relative ease of connecting the subject matter to what we experience in daily life. Although this results in thinking of my academic discipline a little too much during my off hours, I (and my students) benefit from bringing lots of cool and interesting ideas into the classroom to enagage course concepts in various ways. Working through this habit, the question arose: How can I connect being a professor and a stormtrooper? The series Social Science with a Stormtrooper grew out of this question. 

 

These are supposed to be short videos of up to a few minutes that connect a specific concept in the social sciences (mostly within Communication Studies) to Star Wars. The most relevant and believable context for these videos is an academy for stormtroopers, with me playing the role of an instructor who helps stormtroopers with their abilities in interpersonal interaction. In these videos, I try to use plain language to avoid the lecturing and academic-speak common in college classrooms (not sure if I hit the mark). I hope these videos will eventually be a teaching tool for the classroom, but I thought it would be best to show some of the videos here first. I've also thought about posting these videos on Instagram for public consumption.

 

This video (helmet hair and all) is a test to see what I did well and to determine what needs improvement. I had created a basic script and worked from memory during the recording. Clearly, I need to improve the video quality the next go around. I am also thinking about how to make the video itself more engaging, because the plain background seems pretty dull. Given all the flaws, this video is currently unlisted on Youtube, so it can only be accessed through the link here.

 

If anyone is interested, give it a watch and let me know what you think!

 

 

Edited January 26 by Tilheyra

[revlimiter[Staff]]

If I may offer a humble suggestion - either a mic hidden under your chest or an over the ear mic which many of us use in our buckets anyway. The volume levels were quite low.

 

A green screen with a starry window projected on it might be a pretty awesome backdrop. Just since you mentioned it and were after suggestions.

 

But yeah, great idea! Post a bunch and keep tweaking. You'll have some very engaging ones for classes in short order!

[Tilheyra[TK]]

11 minutes ago, revlimiter said:

If I may offer a humble suggestion - either a mic hidden under your chest or an over the ear mic which many of us use in our buckets anyway. The volume levels were quite low.

 

A green screen with a starry window projected on it might be a pretty awesome backdrop. Just since you mentioned it and were after suggestions.

 

But yeah, great idea! Post a bunch and keep tweaking. You'll have some very engaging ones for classes in short order!

 

That's the kind of feedback I am looking for! Thank you!

 

I have plenty of concepts lined up to address, so I hope this project becomes quite the series over time!

[Nairy[Staff]]

8 hours ago, Tilheyra said:

A major benefit of teaching college/university courses in communication is the relative ease of connecting the subject matter to what we experience in daily life. Although this results in thinking of my academic discipline a little too much during my off hours, I (and my students) benefit from bringing lots of cool and interesting ideas into the classroom to enagage course concepts in various ways. Working through this habit, the question arose: How can I connect being a professor and a stormtrooper? The series Social Science with a Stormtrooper grew out of this question. 

 

These are supposed to be short videos of up to a few minutes that connect a specific concept in the social sciences (mostly within Communication Studies) to Star Wars. The most relevant and believable context for these videos is an academy for stormtroopers, with me playing the role of an instructor who helps stormtroopers with their abilities in interpersonal interaction. In these videos, I try to use plain language to avoid the lecturing and academic-speak common in college classrooms (not sure if I hit the mark). I hope these videos will eventually be a teaching tool for the classroom, but I thought it would be best to show some of the videos here first. I've also thought about posting these videos on Instagram for public consumption.

 

This video (helmet hair and all) is a test to see what I did well and to determine what needs improvement. I had created a basic script and worked from memory during the recording. Clearly, I need to improve the video quality the next go around. I am also thinking about how to make the video itself more engaging, because the plain background seems pretty dull. Given all the flaws, this video is currently unlisted on Youtube, so it can only be accessed through the link here.

 

If anyone is interested, give it a watch and let me know what you think!

 

 

I really loved it! It made me incredibly pumped of going out in Stormtrooper armor and take the vibe of the video out with me on a troop! I don't know why exactly, but I love the way this feels like we are being taught at the Stormtrooper Academy! I'm sitting here like a hype-man when you said the two words "Move, and along" I was like "THAT'S RIGHT!! MOVE!"  

 

If you had a mic and speakers in your helmet, that would be very cool and immersive! Also make sure that you are centered in the frame! I have used my phone for my videos and I think with the back camera (not selfie camera) you can get really good quality results! Although you'd need to have a piece of tape or something on the ground so that you'd for sure be in good position in the frame!

 

If you don't have a green screen or the means to get something like that - I like this monotone grey background! You could in an easy way create a Death Star corridor wall with plywood or whatever and spray it grey and have a pattern like that as a background! Or if not, maybe try to stretch out the fabric!

 

Awesome video idea and series and I'd watch every one!

[MaskedVengeance[Staff]]

Very cool idea, and I love the integration of real life education with our own little space fantasy! You had me at "social sciences" since my undergrad degree is in Sociology. =) Adam and Jonatan have some good ideas about a mic and backdrop above, and if you have the funds, you could even consider a wall panel like this one below. Not intentionally a Star Wars product, but inherently in-universe due to the design.

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Barrette-Outdoor-Living-3-ft-x-6-ft-Optic-Black-Polypropylene-Decorative-Screen-Panel-73050083/315970643

 

I've subbed your YouTube channel, and look forward to watching the series as it progresses!

[Sly11[Admin]]

That is pretty darn cool Brian, I think some of the above suggestions will have you taking this to the next level in a heartbeat.

Great work, can't wait to see what else you have coming.

[Harbinger[IPM]]

This has a lot of potential!

[Tilheyra[TK]]

On 1/26/2024 at 5:22 AM, Nairy said:

If you had a mic and speakers in your helmet, that would be very cool and immersive!

 

I was divided between helmet off versus helmet on for these videos. As I don't have a mic to wear inside my helmet, I elected to do helmet off, but keeping my helmet on may make this much more suited to the character. I'd also avoid the awkwardness of taking off my helmet on video and the visible helmet hair.

 

On 1/26/2024 at 5:22 AM, Nairy said:

I have used my phone for my videos and I think with the back camera (not selfie camera) you can get really good quality results!

 

The funny thing is I used my DSLR camera to record the video, so I am not sure why the quality is so poor. My guess is the lighting is not good enough. I was only using the overhead lights in my apartment, so better lighting seems to be in order.

 

On 1/26/2024 at 5:22 AM, Nairy said:

You could in an easy way create a Death Star corridor wall with plywood or whatever and spray it grey and have a pattern like that as a background!

 

I think a Death Star-ish background would be the right way to go. It would be much more immersive.

[Tilheyra[TK]]

On 1/26/2024 at 10:16 AM, MaskedVengeance said:

Very cool idea, and I love the integration of real life education with our own little space fantasy! You had me at "social sciences" since my undergrad degree is in Sociology. =) Adam and Jonatan have some good ideas about a mic and backdrop above, and if you have the funds, you could even consider a wall panel like this one below. Not intentionally a Star Wars product, but inherently in-universe due to the design.

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Barrette-Outdoor-Living-3-ft-x-6-ft-Optic-Black-Polypropylene-Decorative-Screen-Panel-73050083/315970643

 

I've subbed your YouTube channel, and look forward to watching the series as it progresses!

 

Yay! Another person familiar with the social sciences! Given your sociology background, you will most certainly spot the influence of Erving Goffman in some of the future videos I will create!

 

I like the idea of using this panel! I'll add this to the list of products to look into!

[Tilheyra[TK]]

17 hours ago, Sly11 said:

That is pretty darn cool Brian, I think some of the above suggestions will have you taking this to the next level in a heartbeat.

Great work, can't wait to see what else you have coming.

 

7 hours ago, Harbinger said:

This has a lot of potential!

 

Thank you, both!

 

I've so far written the scripts for 5 videos, and I have identified plenty of other concepts to discuss in the future! I have so many ideas that the real hold-up to recording anything else is going to be the time I have to do it.

 

It will probably be a while before I get a proper background, mic, and lighting set-up, but this will be a fun project to work on over time!

[Foxy[TK]]

Some tips from a fellow idiot who makes videos in a Stormtrooper costume.

 

1.  Don't worry about perfection. You're a person with a job and life outside of this. It takes more time and effort than people are aware of to make things look good. I have the all the tools to do better, but I embrace the wonkiness in my videos.

 

2. That being said and as other have said the sound needs to be improved. It is very hard to hear you. Either get a separate microphone or play around with your sound during editing. You can raise the volume and reduce background noise in post-production. But a new mic will give you the best sound.

 

3. If you're going to speaking helmetless don't wear one in the first place. It prevents helmet hair. Better yet record and reuse the same intro with the helmet on. Throw in a title card with the subject of today's lesson. When you return on camera, you'll look fresh face because you never had the helmet on.

 

4. A tablet can help as a teleprompter. If you've got 5 scripts written it be sure to recorded most of them in a row. Setting things up to record and getting armored up is an ordeal.

 

5. I use a green screen background. You can also build a mini Star Wars set. Another option is using your real-life kitchen. It is cheap, easy and adds a touch of humor. Why is the guy in stormtrooper standing next to the fridge? Thrown in a few props. Maybe find a Star Wars theme coffee mug and you can be in the Stormtrooper break room.  As the veteran trooper giving educational advice to the rookie troopers. I watched this and just see college instructor who giving a lecture who just happens to be in Stormtrooper armor. Try getting more in character. It will engage the students more. We know how to talk to students in a normal class but how would a Storm trooper talk to the troops? 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 2 by Foxy