In the continually evolving digital landscape, the role of a content creator has emerged as one of the most intriguing and pertinent professions. Whether a YouTube video creator, blogger, photographer, or graphic designer, the opportunities in the realm of content creation are vast and alluring. However, to thrive in this competitive sphere, individuals must possess sufficient knowledge and insights to compete and produce content that is valuable and well-received by audience.
To address this need, the community service team led by a Mathematics lecturer from Universitas Airlangga organized a content creator training session at SMK Hidayatul Mubtadien Sampang. Conducted for one day on September 8, 2023, in Sampang district, East Java, the event was attended by students from SMK Hidayatul Mubtadien and SMK Potential Badrul Huda, specializing in the Department of Multimedia. The training featured professional and experienced resource personnel from the field of content creation, particularly the YouTube channel “Londo Kampung,” boasting 5.29 million subscribers.
The commencement of the day’s events saw Asri Bekti Pratiwi, the chief executive, delivering a speech in which she articulated her aspirations for the activity, stating, “Hopefully, this activity can be beneficial for participants in enhancing their understanding and skills of digital technology.” The vice principal of curriculum of SMK Hidayatul Mubtadien Sampang responded by expressing gratitude for the execution of the content creation training activities at the school.
The first agenda of the training session involved working on pre-test questions to gauge participants’ fundamental understanding of editing and content creation. As the program progressed to the main event, it was divided into two sessions: the material session and the practical session. Mas Farid, a member of the creative team from Londo Kampung, presented the initial material, covering topics such as content creators in Indonesia, the foundations of videography, and the basics of photography. Lessons included understanding light as a crucial element in photography, along with camera settings like ISO, shutter speed, and aperture, akin to the ingredients of coffee. Just as the correct combination is necessary for brewing good coffee, capturing quality images requires an appropriate blend of camera settings under specific conditions.
Following the first lesson, students were led outdoors, provided with DSLR cameras, and given the opportunity to capture photographs or videos. Guided by the Londo Kampung Team, students took turns applying the material they had learned. Various shooting techniques and film making practices were immediately implemented, taking into consideration environmental conditions and the desired image or video concept. In this session, it became evident that all participants thoroughly enjoyed and actively engaged with the diverse directions provided by the instructor team.
At the end of a sequence of photography and videography activities, an editing process is required to verify that the resultant image or film is ready for publishing. As a result, the activity continued with video editing material using Adobe Premiere, which was completed by Mas Rere, Londo Kampung’s cameraman. The results of the previously collected video segments are subsequently processed into a whole video. Participants learnt basic features like trimming films, blurring videos, introducing sound effects, and so on, which they immediately practiced on the computer/laptop given in the activity area. Following the completion of the entire set of materials and activities, the activity continues with posttest work to assess the extent of the participants’ grasp of the material presented, as well as a comparison to the previous pretest results.
The goal of this community service project is to widen SMK Multimedia students’ perspectives and develop their understanding and talents in videography editing, photography, and content creation so that it becomes their capital when they graduate later. This is consistent with Indonesia’s goal of producing job-ready SMK graduates. Furthermore, this activity contributes to the attainment of the SDGs, particularly the fourth point on excellent education and the eighth point on full and productive work opportunities.
