Behind the Lens: Real-World Journalism through Student Eyes

What does it take to tell a compelling story with nothing but a camera, an idea, and a journalist’s curiosity? In the Video-Storytelling course at Anglo-American University, students from the School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences spend a semester answering that very question, not with words, but with film.

Using semi professional DSLR cameras, wireless audio gear, and techniques drawn from leading media, and taught by our distinguished lecturer: Bjorn Steinz. This blog showcases their final projects: original, nonfiction short films that explore real people, real places, and real issues through their lens.

Before students hit record, they dive into the theory and craft of video journalism. Weekly lectures introduce them to technical fundamentals such as, lighting, framing, sound, editing alongside powerful examples from award-winning media outlets. Each week builds on the last, combining skill-building assignments with in-class feedback sessions that challenge students to improve, adapt, and grow.

Unlike many media courses, smartphones aren’t allowed. Why? Because this course is about learning how to tell stories with more professional tools instead of a just smart phone (which is what everybody uses nowadays). A smart phone can be a valid tool but students need to understand how to tell a visual story going further from simply pressing the record button. This focuses on the kind used in real newsrooms and documentary production. For many students, it’s their first time working with a DSLR camera, yet by semester’s end, they’re producing pieces worthy of publication.

The second half of the semester is dedicated to the students’ final projects, 4-minute nonfiction films that each tell a unique story. From the first idea to the final cut, students are responsible for everything: filming, editing, interviewing, and refining. They submit rough cuts mid-way, receive feedback, and shape their work into polished journalistic videos by semester’s end.

The results speak for themselves. Below you’ll find a selection of the final projects created in this year’s Video-Storytelling course. These films represent the students’ hard work, creativity, and commitment to telling real stories that matter.

The result? A diverse and thoughtful collection of short films exploring real people, places, and issues, all produced by students, many of whom had never used professional equipment before this course. These projects reflect not only the technical skills gained throughout the semester but also the personal investment and journalistic curiosity that each student brought to their work and most of all, what stories they are interested in to tell and what has meaning for them.

Watch the Students Videos here

Whether exploring hidden corners of Prague or shedding light on untold personal stories, these student filmmakers are doing more than learning, they’re creating. Through hands-on practice and critical feedback, they’ve taken on the challenge of visual journalism and produced work that reflects the world around them with clarity and heart.

This is storytelling in motion, and it’s just the beginning.