Title: How to Be a Geocacher
Topic: A video tutorial on a fast growing and fun hobby that appeals to techie geeks and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
Goal Statement: The How to Be a Geocacher video will describe what geocaching is and how to do it.
- What is Geocaching?
- What equipment do I need?
- How do I get started?
- I’ve found one, now what?
- What if I want to hide one of my own?
If you can’t wait to see the video to find out more, see geocaching.com
Content Outline:
- Geocaching is a worldwide game of treasure seeking played with GPS devices.
- You will need a hand-held GPS receiver and an internet connection in order to do it.
Before you leave the house:
- 1st step is logging in to geocaching.com and creating an account.
- Use the search tools on the site to locate caches near you.
- Download waypoints to your GPS receiver or manually enter coordinates.
- Read up on the cache info-make sure you’re ready to tackle this one.
- Pack any outdoor gear you may need.
Some tips on finding caches:
- Using your GPS.
- Caches in the wilderness-Rock piles and camouflage.
- Urban caches-Strip malls and community parks.
- After you have found it, log your find in the cache log book and at home on your computer.
Want to hide one of your own?
- Preparing your container to survive the elements.
- Finding a location that will last.
- Publishing your cache.
Treatment
The video opens on a shot of a man in walking along a trail in a wilderness area. He is dressed appropriately for his activity with hiking shoes, backpack, and perhaps a walking stick. In one hand he carries a hand-held GPS receiver (GPSr). He glances frequently at the GPSr and the surrounding landscape. After a few seconds he turns and faces the camera. A narrators voice is heard, “This is Dave. Dave is a geocacher.” Dave smiles and waves at the camera. The voice continues to describe what geocaching is, finally ending with a question, “So how did Dave come to be here along this trail? It all started earlier today when he logged in to a website called geocaching.com”.
We cut to a screenshot of a computer, and the narrator continues to describe briefly the process of logging in, creating an account, and navigating the geocaching site. Live action video again when Dave plugs in his gpsr and downloads the caches he has located.
Cut back again to the wilderness location and we see Dave Walking up the trail again. He looks at his GPSr. We see a close up of his GPSr screen and he briefly shows us how to use it. Dave moves off the trail slightly and begins searching around some rocks and bushes. The Narrator reminds us of what we read about the cache Dave is looking for on the computer. He tells us a few things we can look for when searching for a cache in a wilderness area. Dave finds the cache, opens it, and shows us the contents of the container. We see a close up of the container and Dave writes his name in the log book and replaces it.
The narrator’s voice again is heard, this time describing the variety of locations and cache types that you could potentially find. We see a series of still pictures that highlight several different types of cache hides as the narrator speaks.
Back to the screenshot of the geocaching site, as the narrator describes how to log a find online.
Cut back to Dave once again and he is standing in a scenic location nearby the cache he had just found. The narrator’s voice is heard again, “Dave has enjoyed his hike and finding this cache and would like to share the joy of caching with others. He has decided to hide a cache here as well.” A few more words are heard about the guidelines for hiding cahes as we see Dave cast about for an appropriate spot. He finds one, and removes a container from his pac. We see a close-up of the container, he opens it, and we hear the narrator telling us about what items we should and should not include in any cache we hide. Dave hides it, marks the location with his GPSr, which he shows us before we cut back to a screenshot where we learn about how to report a new geocache listing. The last tutorial ends with a few words of invitation and encouragement to the watcher to give geocaching a try.
Script
How to Be a Geocacher
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VIDEO |
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AUDIO |
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SUPER: How to Be a Geocacher |
NARR: |
How to Be a Geocacher |
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EXTREME LONG SHOT THAT ZOOMS IN TO A LONG SHOT OF A MAN WALKING ALONG A TRAIL. HE GLANCES FREQUENTLY AT HIS GPSR AND AT THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE. |
NARR: |
This is Dave. Dave is a geocacher. |
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DAVE SMILES AND WAVES AT THE CAMERA. DAVE CONTINUES TO WALK UP THE TRAIL. |
NARR: |
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment. So how did Dave come to be here along this trail? It all started earlier today when he logged in to a website called geocaching.com.
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CUT TO COMPUTER SCREENSHOT DISPLAYING GEOCACHING WEBSITE. SCREEN CAPTURE SHOWS THE LOG-IN, ACCOUNT, AND GENERAL USE OF THE GEOCACHING SITE FOLLOWING THE NARRATOR’S DESCRIPTION. |
NARR: |
After logging in to geocaching.com and creating an account, you can search for nearby caches in many ways, but the best is probably by zip code. After locating caches within your zip code, it is useful to display them on a google map in order to learn what type of area they are located in, how to get to them, or to find even more nearby caches that you can look for in the same trip. |
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CLOSE UP OF HANDS HOLDING GPS RECEIVER AND CONNECTING IT TO A COMPUTER |
NARR: |
The easiest way to load caches into your gps receiver is by connecting it to your computer using a usb or serial connector and downloading them directly. |
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SCREENCAST OF CACHE PAGE, VIDEO DEMONSTRATES THE CLICKS NECESSARY TO DOWNLOAD A CACHE |
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Download the cache from the website by clicking on the ‘Send To GPS’ button, download the Garmin plug-in if you need it, locate your GPS, and click ‘write’. Next, read up on any important information from the cache page, read the clue if you like, grab your outdoor gear, and you are ready to go! |
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CUT TO WILDERNESS SHOT WITH DAVE WALKING UP THE TRAIL. HE GLANCES AT HIS GPS. |
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Dave’s GPS has indicated to him that the cache is near and it is time to begin searching. |
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EXTREME CLOSE UP OF THE GPS RECEIVER. DAVE OPERATES THE GPS TO DISPLAY THE NAVIGATION TOOLS |
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A typical GPS will show your distance from the cache and an arrow letting you know which way to go. You can also view a map screen that will show you the big picture of where you are in relation to other caches and landmarks in the area. |
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LONG SHOT-DAVE BEGINS SEARCHING AROUND SOME ROCKS AND BUSHES JUST OFF THE TRAIL. |
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According to the webpage we viewed, the cache that Dave is searching for is a regular sized container. These can typically be found on the ground, concealed in rock piles or in bushes. |
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CLOSE UP ON DAVE’S HANDS AS, HE LOCATES THE CACHE, REMOVES IT FROM ITS HIDING PLACE, OPENS IT. EXTREME CLOSE UP ON THE CONTENTS OF THE CACHE. DAVE LOCATES THE LOG BOOK, SIGNS HIS NAME, AND REPLACES THE CACHE |
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After finding a cache, the expectation is that you sign and date the log, write a brief note if you like, and then of course, there is the swag. Geocaches with sizeable containers may contain items for trade-usually typically toys and other items of little value. It is customary to leave an object in the cache if you decide to take something with you. After you are done, be sure to replace the cache exactly as you found it, it should be concealed well enough that it would not be noticed by other passersby. After finding a cache, be sure to go on line when you get home and log that find on the cache page. |
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CUT TO A SCREEN CAST OF THE LOG PAGE. MOUSE CLICKS AND KEYBOARD STROKES DEMONSTRATE LOGGING A FIND. |
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When you get home, log your experience online by going back to that cache page and using the links provided. The cache owner is automatically notified of your log and is always happy to know about your adventure, the condition of their cache, and any environmental factors. Upload photos to share your experience visually with other geocachers. |
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CUT TO A SERIES OF STILL PHOTOS OF PEOPLE IN A VARIETY OF LOCATIONS IN THE PROCESS OF GEOCCHING. |
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Part of the experience of geocaching is enjoying the company of others as you explore new and interesting locations. If you like outdoor activities, enjoy a mental or physical challenge, or maybe just need an excuse to get out of the house, maybe you should give geocaching a try. |
