DNA, RNA, and CRISPR: A Stop Motion Video

By Siya Patel

This PSA group, with members Siya, Ashley, Hannah, Teresa, and Javier, decided to create a stop motion video for their PSA. In their video, they decided to describe the basics of DNA, RNA, coronavirus, and CRISPR. They chose these topics because they believed that the complex things should be explained in simplest terms for any audience to understand.

The group set up a phone in the ceiling overhead the whiteboard, where they made visual representations of each subject. Siya, Hannah, and Ashley were responsible for creatively constructing the models and taking pictures of each step. Teresa and Javier were in charge of writing out the script for the video. Teresa, Hannah, and Javier were the voices of the video and recorded each different point.

The process of constructing the video was “horrible,” according to Ashley, who took charge of editing each individual photo. It turned out to be a very stressful project when they figured out they had to edit the pictures individually, instead of cropping the video as a whole.

When asked how he feels about the outcome of the project, Javier says “I feel like it is going to be successful with getting our point across, but with the limitations we have with time, it will be difficult to fully get our message across.”

One common theme with this group is worrying about the timing of the script and video. Teresa said she felt pretty good while making the script. “I believe it worked the best when I was making it during the process of making the visual so that the script and visuals matched up.”

In the end, there were 505 pictures. The video is 2 minutes and 48 seconds. Here is the final product!