Beyond Borders Digital Media Academy - Course Introduction & Demo Day Prep
As our world has been transformed over the last year, digital media producers have been placed at the center of every organization. The problem is most Muslim, and faith-rooted institutions were not prepared for this shift, nor do they have the expertise on staff to make this transition in an impactful way. We believe with training and in connecting media producers across our diverse organizations, we can build an ecosystem to truly change the story and build narrative infrastructure that is needed in these times.
In this 7 part course, Dustin Craun teaches a master class on content development and digital media strategy for community institutions and individuals building their portfolios. Throughout the course, participants will work to develop strategies focused on key campaign moments for their institutions, startups, or media projects. With feedback and coaching throughout the program, the course will culminate where our organization teams and students will pitch their ideas to a panel of digital media experts.
Mustafa Dustin Craun has worked for eighteen years as a public relations and digital media strategist, and over the last six years as a filmmaker. Focused on faith-based and social impact storytelling he has built organizations and brands like MPower Change, Ummah Wide, and most recently the Center for Global Muslim Life and the Border Mosque.
He is the founder of Beyond Borders Studios a digital production studio focused on digital strategy and film production. With Beyond Borders Studios we have worked with clients startups, nonprofits, universities, and corporations of many different sizes including the University of California at Berkeley, The Othering and Belonging Institute, Port of Mokha Coffee, the Walt Disney Studios, The California Endowment, 500 Startups, Faith in Action National Network, The University of Colorado at Boulder, and CAIR California.
As an executive producer, producer, and director he has produced 10 short films to date including - A Prayer Beyond Borders, Hacking for Peace, The All Seeing Eyes of San Diego Surveillance, We Are California - Vote For Our Future, Transforming California from Red to Blue - How Community Organizing Changed the Political Landscape, and From Palestine to Mexico - Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib Visits the Border Mosque. He is currently working on his first feature-length documentary, A Prayer Beyond Borders.
Raised in Denver, Colorado, Dustin has spent his adult life building with communities around the world, having lived in Mexico, Ghana, Morocco, California, the Middle East, and Malaysia. Dustin brings a uniquely transnational lens to the interconnected world we inhabit.
Digital Media Academy Course Outline
Course 1 - Telling the Beautiful Stories of our Communities to Build Narrative Infrastructure
Foundations - Learning how to tell stories that shift narratives
Building Narrative Infrastructure within our Institutions & Movements
Understanding our diverse identities and communities for audience development strategies
Course 2 - Brand Building for Social Change
Brand Audit, Audience Development, and Brand Development
Course 3 - Digital Publishing Strategies for Nonprofits
Content Production - Copy, Design, Video, and Social Media
Developing Content Buckets for Digital Media Strategy
Course 4 - Publishing Strategies for 2021 - From Live Streaming to Podcasting
Solving your Content Puzzle at your Organization
Live Streaming Platforms for 2021
Social Media Platforms in 2021
Publishing for your Website and across platforms
Building your in house production studio
Course 5 - Telling Your Stories Through the Media - PR, Marketing, and Understanding your Data
Solving the puzzle of your organizational data
Marketing channels and digital advertising
Email marketing platforms for 2020
Course 6 - Marketing Strategies and Understanding Your Data
Business Development
Digital Fundraising Strategies
Digital Advertising
Final Projects pitch preparation
Course 7 - Telling Your Story in Ramadan
Ramadan is the biggest content and advertising month for Muslims around the world.
Muslim oriented content has 3-10x the reach during Ramadan compared to the rest of the year
Overview course on the month and culturally relevant marketing strategies
Demo Day
Over 7 Weeks participants in the course will work with Dustin Craun on content and digital media strategies focused on key campaign moments for their institutions
With coaching and feedback, the course will culminate with student pitches like a demo day where we bring together our ideas for 2021 & 2022 campaigns
DMA - Demo Day Course Homework
Course Homework
The goal of this course is for everyone to leave it with a product they are pitching in the demo day in Week 6. To do this you need to start thinking about what you are working on and how you want to present it.
This should be something that you know you can build, it can be a social media series, a website, a short film, a feature film, an end of year campaign, etc. Here is the slide from the course where we go over examples of what this looks like.
Examples of different ways you could present this during the demo day are:
1-page executive summary
Short video or trailer
Product / Organizational pitch deck. This is what I would personally recommend for most projects. Here are a couple of good articles to help you think about how to make a good deck.
How to Create a Great Pitch Deck - New Media Ventures
The Best Pitch Decks from Successful Startups - Slidebean
Nextview Startup Pitch Deck Template - Nextview Ventures