Digital Media Made Easy

In this issue we wanted to talk a little about the opportunities for using Digital Video as part of the educational process.

It is our belief that today’s students are often much closer to the concepts and technology of digital media than their teachers. Many young adults have grown up in a rich media lifestyle, where digital media is as accessible as the air we breathe. So how can a typical school get a handle on this evolving industry and help today’s youngsters understand the concepts and methods behind the production, application and distribution of digital content?

Digital Video is likely to be the most accessible, engaging and useful route to establishing and integrating digital media production into the classroom. Digital Video may be used in any number of ways; Filming of Year end celebrations, Sports Days, Public service announcements, Creating commercials, Documentaries, Student assignments, course work, music video and creative video production.

The tools for creating Digital Video have never been cheaper and more accessible. Most PC and Mac systems now have the necessary hardware for basic video editing. Editing will work on older computers, but you need to make sure you have the following: a large hard drive, a firewire card (IEEE1394) and  a DVD burner. Basic editing software is usually provided with a firewire enabled PC/MAC, however if not, a program called “Windows Movie Maker” comes as standard with all computers running Windows XP. Finally you will need a DV Cam with firewire support (both DV-IN/OUT). This will allow you to transfer video easily to and from your PC or MAC.

Steps for creating successful video productions:

Planning

Before you start it is important to spend time planning the project, for example what time frame do you have for project completion, spend time brainstorming, inspire students with examples, involve students with discussion about how to approach the production process. You need to establish with your students a fixed concept or idea upon which to start building the script. You need an idea or principle/belief you can use as the focus of your script, around which to tell a story.

Writing the script

Script: A general term for a written work detailing story, setting, and dialogue. Encourage students to write down any new ideas, just because they have started a script doesn’t mean any new ideas they have are worthless. The more they write, the more the story develops. Encourage students who are struggling with ideas by doing some creative exercises. Perhaps just forming a story around a simple object.

TOP TIP: Encourage students to share ideas with friends and family. Sharing ideas in this way can often help gain a fresh perspective.

Storyboarding

Storyboard:  A sequence of rough sketches, created by an illustrator to communicate major changes of action or plot in a scene. This is perhaps the most important step in the production process because it is a pictorial vision of how the film will look when completed. Photocopy some A3 Storyboard templates and use them to create settings, suggest camera angles, describe types of shots, suggest picture composition, camera movement and shot sequencing. It is important for students not to worry if they can’t draw too well: the point of storyboarding is to communicate the vision of the film. This saves a lot of communication problems between ‘crew’ when you eventually come to filming.

TOP TIP: Leave space under each drawing box to write down details of the shot, for example details of location, and a brief description of the action that is occurring.

Preparing a Shooting Script & Schedule

Shooting Script: The script from which a movie is made. Contains scenes placed in order of filming. Usually contains technical notes and/or drawings. A shooting script is essentially a script that breaks the film into scenes, placed in sequence as they are to be filmed on set/location.

Organizing a schedule: A schedule gives you control over the day-to-day shooting of the film. You can allocate how much time you feel is needed for each shot, by looking at your storyboards and shooting script simultaneously.

Filming Roles and Training

Allow the students to experience different aspects of the film making process by varying their roles within the production. Acting, directing, lighting, camera & sound etc. All offer different yet vital roles in the production process.

Filming

For teachers, filming the production can prove to be the most stressful. It is important that the students understand the necessity to work together and to stick to a schedule. In this manner, the filming is both productive and entertaining.

Shooting tips

Get clear steady shots, use a tripod to keep the shots smooth. Always make sure the tape is rolling before calling ‘Action’. This will make cutting and editing much easier. Try to use an external microphone, poor quality sound will ruin your production. Ensure that your scenes are well lit. Bad lighting will make your footage unusable.