Video Experience

I made my first video this weekend!  My husband usually handles the videography of our family and I've never gotten involved in using the video camera or editing software.  If I assigned a video project to my students, it was always one of several product choices and they knew way more than I did.  I was really nervous I would not be able to figure the camera and software out. 

The list of shots and camera actions that we had to create scared me from the first time I read about the assignment.  However, the instructions on the Media College website were really helpful.  Armed with my list, I started taping.  My video camera is quite user friendly and I was able to get the shots I needed fairly easily.  My husband gave me a quick tutorial on where all the USB and power cords went on the camera and I was on to importing my video.  I decided to use iMovie to make my video.  Like most Apple software, it is extremely easy to use and I was able to figure out how to import video pretty quickly.

As I started to watch my video, I realized I need to make slower movements with the camera.  Many of my shots were too short or had too much motion.  When reading about camera actions, I clicked on an article about using the zoom on MediaCollege.com.  The number one piece of advise the author gives is use the zoom less.  I've definitely taken that into consideration.  I also learned I should shoot things more than once because some shots don't turn out as well as they seem to be while filming.  I would like to learn more about lighting and how light affects a shot.

Making a video with edits, fades, music, and titles seemed like something I could never do.  But once I started working with iMovie, I LOVED the editing process.  Organizing the clips was like creating a story.  Experimenting with all the fade, title, and effect options was so much fun.  Working with Audacity and royalty free music on previous projects made adding and editing music and voice over much less intimidating.
 
It was always difficult for me to require video projects in the past because I didn't really know how to help my students.  I now feel like I can give them instructions on how to create quality projects and help them troubleshoot problems.   Unfortunately, my husband was around to observe how much fun I had editing my video (and the fact that I did not curse at or hit anything while I made the video).  I'm now in charge of family videos...