Program

‘Steal My Workflow:’ A short-form video workshop series

Presented by The Lenfest Institute Communities of Practice and Video Consortium

August 27, 2000

Six sessions. Zero fluff. All insider intel. From Video Consortium x The Lenfest Institute’s Communities of Practice, we’re pulling back the curtain on how expert producers make short-form video journalism that hits, from the first spark of an idea to the moment you press publish. Come for real talk, real workflows, and real secrets — across every stage of the the pipeline: strategy, scripting, hosting, filming, and editing — all from VC members who’re in the field, doing this every day.

We’ll candidly and practically dig into every aspect of the process, from high-level strategy to filming on a phone, from techniques that elevate your look for quick turns to keeping things punchy in the script. Never hosted a video? Hosted a ton and want big picture tips? No matter your level, there are brilliant nuggets in each hour-long session for everyone.

If you want to make video that people stop scrolling for, with buy-in from your colleagues, this is your six-week crash course from peers who’ve cracked the code.

Join us from September 14th – October 22nd for this special six-part workshop series on producing excellent short-form video journalism. RSVP here.

And as a special welcome, Lenfest community members are invited to join the Video Consortium with a 25% discount. To join as an Essential member, apply to set up your profile via this link. 

Session details: 

Session 1: Building the Case for Video in Your Newsroom – Thursday, September 17th, 3pm EST

• Who: Jake Nicol, Video Journalist, Producer, NYT Hard Fork Podcast, VC Member
• About: Join us for a big-picture conversation with Jake Nicol, video journalist and producer whose work has helped shape video coverage at legacy newsrooms like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Jake shares hands-on strategies and organizational workflows that move the needle, and what it takes for newsrooms — both big or small — to make video a priority.

Session 2: The First 3 Seconds: Hosting & Scripting Secrets – Thursday September 24th, 3pm EST

• Who: Katrina Pham, Social Media Manager, The Chicago Reader, VC Member
• About: Producer and video host Katrina Pham breaks down her workflow for scripting and hosting short-form video, beginning with how to hone your “hook” and story angle. She’ll unpack why the first 1-3 seconds make or break a piece and how to start your script with a stand-out opener, using visuals, text on screen, and voice. She’ll also dig into nuanced hosting skills, whether or not to use a teleprompter, and a whole lot more.

Session 3: Sharpening Your Script – Thursday, October 1, 2026, 2pm EST

• Who:  Zach Toombs, Executive Director and Founder, Evident, VC Member
• About: Reporter and producer Zach Toombs surfaces different approaches for short-form scripts, from how to transform longer-form reporting into social video formats to the art of guiding reporters without a video background through filming and hosting. And, what does it mean to really know your social audience? Find out!

Session 4: Filming & Producing: The Synergy of Script & Camera – Thursday, October 8th, 3pm EST

• Who: Casey Mendoza, Producer, Encyclopedia Britannica, VC Member
• About: Get an inside look at producing & filming techniques with Encyclopedia Britannica’s Producer Casey Mendoza, who breaks down her holistic approach to hosted short-form video, where scripting and filming work hand-in-hand. She’ll cover filming on a budget, storyboarding visuals before you shoot, writing and filming with scroll-stopping hooks in mind, batch producing for a series, and the tiny-yet-essential details that make all the difference.

Session 5: The Art of the Edit: Quick Turn Short-Form Video – Thursday October 15th, 3pm EST

• Who: Stephanie Shen, Video Editor and Producer, New York Times Opinion Video, VC Member
• About: Stephanie Shen, of The New York Times Opinion Video, hosts a multifaceted conversation on video editing. She’ll show us her editing workflow, how she chooses edits that make the format work, the art of editing under deadline, and how to manage post-production across multiple platforms. She’ll also get into the nitty-gritty: software choices, edit timelines, logging, crops, graphics, and more.

Session 6: Title: Let’s Talk Social Strategy – Thursday October 22nd, 3pm EST

• Who: Carissa Quiambao, Head of Social Video for ProPublica, VC Member
• About: For our final session, get practical pointers on developing a social video strategy that’s right for your newsroom. Carissa Quiambao, Head of Social Video for ProPublica, will break down how she and her team approach storytelling across multiple social platforms. She’ll make sense of how to decide which platforms to prioritize according to your goals, how to decode analytics, and how her team works with reporters to translate in-depth reporting into video. She’ll also give us a look at her team’s work in action: their workflows and how they make those critical decisions that  influence performance, from thumbnails and captions, to publishing cadence, and more.

About Video Consortium

The Video Consortium is a global media nonprofit and grassroots community that’s dedicated to nurturing a diverse and dynamic network of nonfiction video storytellers. Its members represent the full spectrum of nonfiction visual media: from documentary filmmakers, video journalists, and creators to local newsrooms, community nonprofits, academia, and beyond. VCers enjoy access to a wide range of perks: skills building workshops, job exchanges, exclusive discounts, local gatherings, collaborative mentorship programs, strategic guidance, and so much more.

More resources on creator journalism from The Lenfest Institute

• The Creator Journalism Trust and Credibility Toolkit, made in partnership with Trusting News and Project C
• Inside Houston’s creator economy: What successful creator/newsroom partnerships look like
• ‘Context Creator:’ How local content creators are adding journalistic rigor to their work
• How to start and grow a journalism TikTok account

For more journalism resources on vertical video, creator strategy, product development, and more, subscribe to the Solution Set newsletter.