National Youth Leadership Training is a Boy Scout program that instills scouts with leadership skills beyond what is developed throughout the rest of scouting. It equips them with the tools and resources needed to lead others. These skills are not restricted to scouting culture but will be applicable to the rest of their lives.

The distinction between NYLT and traditional summer scout camp is not always directly apparent. The purpose of this promotional video series was to increase awareness and build anticipation for the program. It also serves to educate individuals as to exactly what the program is about. The goal is that with a better understanding of the program, scouts will realize their potential to lead.

Development

Before I started this video series, I spent time researching NYLT as well as Wood Badge—a similar program for adults. I looked into the goals of the program as well as the events and training that it entails. In addition to this, I looked at the origins of the course in order better understand it’s benefit within scouting.

I began to work on this project by outlining the types of videos I would create. It was decided that a series of videos would work best as it would allow for NYLT to remain top of mind with new videos released regularly in the months leading up to registration. Because it was going to be a series, I decided to vary the content with a mix of narrative and talking head interview pieces.

The first three videos were narrative driven, each one focusing on some aspect of scouting used as a metaphor for leadership. This method of storytelling is useful in engaging the target audience. This higher concept, fast paced style of promo is also great for building excitement. However, it does little to dive deeper on what the actual experience of NYLT.

This is where the talking head videos come in. While they are less visually stimulating, they are packed with crucial information on what NYLT entails and who it is for. In these final two videos, each one has a slightly different purpose. As one of the primary goals of this project is to delineate scouting camp from NYLT, the interviews should answer two crucial questions: “What is NYLT?” and “Why should I go?” Each talking head video tackles the questions individually. The first focuses on the program’s experiences, and the second hones in on the program’s takeaways.

Production

The majority of the visuals from the promos are centered around nature, as much of scouting takes place outdoors. In addition to this, the narrative videos focus on a single scout hiking through the woods. This serves to represent a leader capable of guiding and taking care of himself.

Editing

While the first set of videos told a narrative, the entire promo series was cut together with a story in mind. The overarching theme of this story is that of the growth experienced at NYLT.

Going along with the natural visual theme developed early on in the project, an earthy color scheme was chosen. Therefore browns, greens, and orange-yellows were highlighted primarily from the ground, trees, and sun.