M101: Technology/Digital Storytelling

This section will look more closely at a video editing software called Windows Movie Maker. I choose this software because it is free, and the videos can be emailed and posted to Facebook, YouTube, OneDrive and Flickr. In my view, the editing interface is quite intuitive, and presents your film as a series of images, any of which can be clicked for further editing. For example, you can insert new images into the video or adjust the volume during particular moments.

There are two ways to import your files into the Windows Movie Maker: from a device or from a file on your computer. Movie Maker only permits the import of certain files ( .WMV/.ASF, .MPG (MPEG-1), .AVI (DV-AVI), .WMA, .WAV, and .MP3), but other file formats can be imported if appropriate programs are installed.

Windows Movie Maker

• Here's where you can download it: http://download.cnet.com/Windows-Live-Movie-Maker/3000-13631_4-10965753.html#editorsreview
• A version for Macs is found here: http://www.windowsmoviemakerformac.com/

Advantages

• Uploading is made easy with an easy-to-find upload button. This brings up your file browser and prompts you to select the file of your choice.

• You will be able to rotate videos that have been shot sideways. The rotate buttons are featured prominently under the "edit" tab.

• When you replace one image on the video with another, you can apply a variety of transition effects to make this process more interesting. Movie Maker includes effects such as fades, sweeps, shatters, curls and more.

• If you were shaking when you held your video camera, the resulting shakiness of your image can be distracting for the viewer. Movie Maker has a feature to correct this shakiness.

• To record your voiceover, click the "narration" button and begin speaking - the program will automatically link to the microphone in your computer. Later, you are able to move your voiceover to different parts of the movie.

• If you've uploaded background music, you can edit it to determine when it starts and stops.

• There are many options to customize the title page, including a large variety of fonts and colours. You can also animate the movement of the words (ie. have them fly into the screen).

• There are a variety of artistic effects that can give your images a different look. Some can blur your image, intensify the colours, or make it look like it was drawn by hand.

Disadvantages

• While you are working on Movie Maker, the program may crash and freeze. It is for this reason that Joe Lambert prefers to use commercial products when leading his Digital Storytelling workshops.

• iMovie is also a free software, and it also offers more themes that can change the appearance of your movie.

• While Movie Maker offers many transition and visual effects, commercial products have a larger set of options.

• If there is unwanted background noise in your video, you can remove it with some programs, but not with Movie Maker.

Tutorials

• http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows/movie-maker-add-edit-audio

• http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows-live/movie-maker-import-photos-videos-camera

• http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows-live/movie-maker-trim-video-how-faq

• http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows-live/movie-maker-publish-web-online-how