DIYdoc
Categories:
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RoleCo-Creator, Product Manager
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ClientRed + Hot
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SkillsInteractive App Development, Filmmaking, Marketing, Product Management, UX, Instructional Design
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YearNov 2015 - Nov 2017
Project Overview
DIYdoc empowers people to make short films about themselves, their world and issues they care about with their smartphone. DIYdoc is a filmmaking app that enables organizations to train their teams and crowdsource the creation of short, branded stories in support of their mission. We have developed multiple private “white label” versions of the platform to-date. One version was created for Alicia Key’s We Are Here project (See Alecia Keys’s call to action below). It has been deployed to help educate on HIV in Uganda, Durban, Rwanda, and several cities in India, by Alicia Keys’ We Are Here Movement and Keep A Child Alive (KCA).
In September 2016 David and the KCA team trained activists in digital storytelling with social media to enable them to train their respective centers around the world to film personal stories in support of the cause. Another private version of the app was created for Advocates For Youth, to enable woman’s rights advocates to create short films for their cause. A public version of the app was available in the iOS app store for 5 years.
Process
It uses a template structure to help people with no filmmaking experience tell their stories in a professional way through cloud-based editing as well as added elements such as transitions, graphics, filters and music. Users fill in the template with video clips following a series of prescribed scenes, which are then uploaded and processed into polished films. The films are returned in a few minutes and can be shared automatically via social media, links or download.
Project Outcome
DIYdoc has empowered individuals and organizations to create short films that capture personal stories, social issues, and community-driven narratives using only a smartphone. By providing an intuitive filmmaking platform, DIYdoc has enabled organizations, educators, and advocacy groups to train teams and crowdsource the creation of branded, mission-driven content. To date, multiple private white-label versions of the platform have been developed, including one for Alicia Keys’ We Are Here Movement. This version was deployed to educate communities about HIV in Uganda, Durban, Rwanda, and several cities in India in partnership with Keep A Child Alive (KCA), demonstrating the power of digital storytelling in global health education.
In collaboration with HITN and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Youth Initiatives, DIYdoc launched a digital storytelling workshop series aimed at Brooklyn’s at-risk youth. This initiative focuses on juvenile crime prevention, fostering positive engagement between young people, law enforcement, and educators through storytelling. Using the DIYdoc platform, participants created and shared professional-quality videos on their phones, raising awareness on pressing issues like cyberbullying, sexting, cyber-banging, gun violence, and suicide.
The pilot Digital Storytelling Workshop provided a unique approach to addressing online conflict by giving youth a direct platform to share their perspectives and solutions with the prosecutor’s office. This initiative supported social justice education, enabling young people to document challenges in their communities while proposing actionable solutions. By combining technology innovation and social media, DIYdoc and its partners have equipped youth with digital tools to drive real-world impact and positive change, fostering responsible storytelling, civic engagement, and community dialogue.