Video Editing and Production

   Classroom technology has changed rapidly in the last few years, and as devices have changed, so has classroom instruction. I can think of no more clear example than how video production has permeated classroom curricula at all levels.
    In the lower school, a number of recent projects show how young students are learning about topics through the use of video production.  In the 4th grade, a video project had students making films about topics related to appropriate computer use; one film was about cyber-bullying, another about plagiarism and another about cyber-safety. This past week, I've watched a number of Upper School Units ready films about various Unit experiences.  And through the year, in all divisions, student video projects are regularly produced to add depth and understanding to a topic under consideration.
    No doubt, you've seen student films and maybe assigned video-based projects.  But do you  know what's involved on the production side? Exactly how difficult is it to make a movie?
    The biggest single reason accounting for the explosion of video projects is the easy availability of good video cameras.  For most student filmmakers, this means using their phones.  Smartphones, pretty much without exception, have built in cameras that can be used for still or video photography. The resolution is usually excellent, though the audio usually lags far behind.  But another important reason why video project work has caught on is that video editors are also cheap (or free) and widely available.  At school, the two most used video editors are iMovie (an Apple product) and Movie Maker (a Microsoft product).
     Both iMovie and Movie Maker are similar, however one only works in the Apple operating system and the other in the Windows operating system.  In both, you work in a timeline.  You can drag and drop still images or video clips.  You can add a separate sound track, or separate audio clips, again by dragging and dropping.  You can create title slides and credit slides. You can use transitions to bridge sections of you film. You can add some special effects as well.  In the end, in either editor, you'd export your timelined project to create a file on your computer or a DVD.  The file could be posted to YouTube, Vimeo, etc.
     I teach a Filmmaking class in the Upper School. There are occasionally students in the class who have never worked in a movie editor.  It usually takes one or two classes to a student to know enough to begin working.  In other words, it's a gentle learning curve with lots of quick progress if you're using Movie Maker or iMovie. But to be accurate, iMovie is a little more difficult to learn because it's a richer program.  But it's still pretty easy to learn and worth the very moderate extra effort.
    The pros don't use iMovie or Movie Maker.  They're far more likely to use Avid or Final Cut Pro.  I've never used Avid, but I do work in Final Cut Pro.  It's more difficult to learn and master because it can so do much more than the basic editors.  But for those with interest, the end products seem well worth the effort.
    Interested in learning more?  If you have a Mac, it's likely you have iMovie already installed. Many of our school Macs are bootcamped, so you'll need to be working on the Mac OS side to access iMovie. If you're using a PC, you can look at your programs to see if you have Windows Movie Maker. If not, it's a free download.  I'd be happy to help you get started if you'd like some assistance.