Creating Movies

In order to be an effective educator, I see the need to use a variety of instructional delivery methods to help each student be successful. This desire has driven me to explore technology in deeper ways than I would have out of normal every day interest. While there are a number of pre-existing videos available for use in the classroom, there will be times when a teacher and/or a student will want to create a completely authentic piece of work. In a recent assignment for a Multimedia class, I captured my own video and created a movie using iMovie. As with most new adventures there are lessons learned. When making your own movies keep the following in mind:
· When working with small children, plan for breaks. I had a 7 year old actor in one of my videos who found the “thought” of being in a movie fun. The fun diminishes quickly when you ask them to do something again. Taking breaks and having snacks available made the experience smoother even though it took longer.
· Movie Maker does not support video recorded in HD. I planned to use a free software program to create my movie (Movie Maker). Unfortunately Movie Maker does not accept HD video. There are many compatibility challenges between hardware and software. It’s important to research compatibility for the products and equipment you plan to use before starting your project. Fortunately, I had access to a Mac and was able to use iMovie which will accept a HD video file.
· Record at least twice as much video as you think you will need. One of my final projects consisted of taking various camera shots. My final product was about six minutes. By having more than double the video needed for the final product, I was able to discriminate about the video used and it gave me the freedom to be creative in the editing process.

Using movies is an effective way for bringing emotion and experiences into the classroom that would not otherwise be possible. In addition, having students make their own movies allows them to practice planning, visualization, organization, and the process of telling a story using perspective.