Documentation:Video Basics/DIY Media

Making a Video

Creating your own video is as easy as aiming your smartphone at a subject and pressing the record button. Creating video for educational purposes requires a little more planning and clarity about your goals. Here are some things you'll want to consider:

• Why am I making this video? Consider your objectives carefully and make sure they are in line with what's important for learning. What will students learn? How will I know when they've learned it? How does the learning relate to the overall learning objectives for the course.
• Who is it for? For example, recent research demonstrates that novices may benefit more from learning through video than more experienced students (Muller, D.).
• What kind of video will help me convey what I need to convey? Animations or whiteboard illustrations in combination with dialogue may suit purposes where you want to explain detail not easily seen by a camera or the naked eye. Video interviews are important when you want to capture an individuals story or experience in their own words. Screencasting allows you to capture action on your screen as you are interacting with it to show people how to search a database or use a software application - for example.
• How will learners use what they learn with the video? Will they participate in online or in-class discussion or problem solving, or will they self assess their understanding to better monitor their own learning?
• Is the quality (production value) important or is the purpose to document and share? DIY video production can be as effective as full professional production, but the quality will be different (in terms of lighting, sound and post production effects).
• What are my time and budget constraints? This may affect your decision about DIY vs. professional production and will also help you be realistic as to what you can expect to produce during your first attempt.
• Where will I host the video? Do I want it to be open to the world or limited to a specific group of viewers?

However you answer these questions, creating your video will involve essentially 4 stages:

1. Pre-production: planning your project
2. Production: creating your video
3. Post-production: editing your video
4. Distribution: hosting and embedding your video

Resources to stimulate thinking and planning:

• UBC's Design Principles for Multimedia: an overview of research and practice based principles for effective multimedia design, within a practical framework.
• What Makes an Instructional Video Compelling?: an interesting piece looking at factors like relationship to course content and conversational language, as contributors to compelling viewing of instructional media among students.

How Does It Support Learning?

"Visual culture is not limited to the study of images or media, but extends to everyday practices of seeing and showing, especially those that we take to be immediate and unmediated" (Mitchell, 2002, Showing seeing: A critique of visual culture. Journal of Visual Culture, p. 170).

Instructor Created

"for a novice learner, I have found that concise expository summaries do very little to improve learning - a key for me is to start with misconceptions and show how misconceptions can morph into a complete scientific truth."

Derek Muller of Veritasium in an interview with nottingham science on YouTube.

Student Created

"students can develop a deep understanding of a science concept by bringing together different ways of making meaning,: researching content, storyboarding, making models, using narration, labelling key aspects, etc."

Gary Hoban, Associate Professor, University of Wollongong, Australia who developed Slowmation

UBC Examples

Whiteboard Animation: Using Camera & Whiteboard

The UBC Science Writing Team developed a set of instructional videos to support the development of writing skills for communicating science effectively. The project was TLEF supported, so videos were produced by students with Faculty support for content development. Contact Eric Jandciu [1] or Jackie Stewart [2].

Camera set up for whiteboard animation

Why did they do this?

To insert a fun, engaging approach to support the development of basic writing skills. Their intent is to support writing projects aimed at communicating science. CTLT interviewed Eric Jandciu about the project.

How did they do this?

• Gather a dream team of collaborators: science writing specialist, student with a talent for drawing
• Create a DIY studio set up (see image above)
• Storyboard samples: These storyboards were circulated with scripts to faculty team for approval and editing prior to recording.

Whiteboard Animation using VideoScribe

Jim Sibley (Faculty of Applied Science) experiments with a whiteboard animation approach to a concept tutorial.

Why did he do this?

• To illustrate a concept.

How did he do this?

This was created using a tool called VideoScribe

Location Shoot with Interactive Google Map

For more in the series and access to the map: http://mlws.landfood.ubc.ca/videos/

The Master of Land and Water Systems (MLWS) program team has produced a series of videos to introduce the emergence of innovative designs and approaches to urban stormwater management. This series focuses on stormwater management at three different scales: Property, Neighbourhood and Watershed. The videos are used in UBC's Urban Watershed Management course (SOIL 516). This series is also useful for developers, students, real estate agents, municipal/regional planners, managers and engineers. Production of these videos is made possible by The Learning Centre at the Faculty of Land and Food Systems.

The videos are also associated with an interactive google map showing locations for each video shoot.

Why did they make this?

Although the series was initially designed for use in the online course (SOIL 516), they thought that presenting the videos with an interactive map would make the videos more interesting to residents of the Lower Mainland. All of the stormwater designs we feature in the videos are real locations in local neighbourhoods, and the map provides a great entry point for someone who may not have an interest or understanding of stormwater management and low impact designs. Contact: Julie Wilson [3]

How did they make this?

The videos were edited in iMovie and presented via the MLWS Program's YouTube channel. The map was created using an experimental app on Google Drive, called Google Fusion Tables. It essentially operates like a GIS, where GPS coordinates and other data are entered into a table, and points are projected onto a Google Map. Contact: Julie Wilson [4]

What Do I Need?

You likely have the tools to make a video already, even if you don't have a camcorder. Web cams, digital cameras, and smart phones often have video recording features—many digital cameras even have a simple switch to choose between stills and video.

Most devices record in either the .AVI or .MPG formats, both of which are supported by most hosting services, and the video shot with them can be uploaded directly from the device or after being edited on your computer.

Equipment

You will need to choose a basic set of equipment to create your project. Essentially, your needs can be broken down into the following categories

Video

• video camera or one of the following devices:
  • iPhone
  • iPad

Microphones

Sound is the most important aspect of a good quality video. You'll need a good microphone. Here are a few useful links if you're looking at microphones.

• The DIY Media website has a page on microphone suggestions, going over the various types of microphones available.
• Choosing Microphones is a 4-minute video from lynda.com which has some helpful tips for deciding what kind of microphone will best suit your needs.
• Wistia's Learning Centre demonstrates the quality of sound achieved with different mics in this 4.5 minute video.

Lighting

• DIY lighting set up

Editing

Video editing software: iMovie for Mac, Windows MovieMaker or another free video editing tool.

• iMovie
• Final Cut Pro
• Camtasia
• Screenflow (for Screencasting on Mac)
• Workstation with computer, monitor and headset

All-in-One

The following equipment comes with the iPad kit from CTLT, and is available for loan through your Faculty Liaison.

• iPad 16 GB wifi w/ AppleCare
• Apple Polyurethane Smart Cover for iPad
• Adonit Green Jot Pro iPad Stylus
• One Sleeve 11" Black with Shoulder Strap
• Rode smartLav Mic - Wired
• Joy Factory Unite Universal Tablet Carbon Fiber C-CLAMP Mount for iPad
• Audio Extension Cable

Additional resources can be borrowed and include:

• desktop lighting kit
• tripod (which C-CLAMP mount can be attached to).

Tip: Make sure you have all of the equipment you need and test it (including the transfer to the computer you'll be using) to ensure it is in good working order and the recorded quality is what you need. If you don't have your own equipment you may be able to borrow what you need.

How Do I Do It?

Step 1: Plan (edit)

Considerations: Before You Start Curate or Create? If a good quality learning resource already exists online that will help you meet your goals, you may want to consider adopting it and creating the learning wrapper around it (like self assessments, questions for reflection, in-class problem sets, case studies or other activities which will engage learners in using what they've learned by watching the video. Here are some questions to ask when considering curation/creation: Does a high quality learning resource already exist on this topic? You may want to check creative commons licensed sources as well as resources in the public domain to start. Can I build context around said resources specific to my goals? In other words, can you curate content by building some activities or context around a video that already exists or do you need to create something new? Here's an example of curated content (discussion question, self-assessment, etc) around a YouTube video describing MOOCs. What's the value of having my voice and emphasis in the video? Impact on learning Consider the potential impact your project will have on the learning environment. What role do learners have? What do I expect people to learn? What goes with the video to support learning? Will I need to create guiding questions, a list of things to watch for, or follow-up activities so learners can use what they learned? You may want to consider what activities the video may replace (eg. lab, lecture) and how you can use that time for other activities to support the learning from the video. In addition, knowing the needs of your learners helps you target the content and approach to them - making it more likely that you will be producing a useful learning resource. Objectives Consider the problem you are attempting to address by creating video for your students to learn from. Identifying broad goals can help you define what you intend students to learn or gain from watching the video. Identifying specific learning objectives help you identify what you need to assess to determine whether or not the video supported the learning you hoped for. (Gagne, Wager, Golas & Keller, 2005 in Frey and Sutton, 2010). What do I want students to to learn while watching my video? What approach is best suited to support that learning? i.e. expository video using visuals and diagrams, interviews, experiments, and/or live demonstrations. See: UBC's Design Principles for Multimedia. An overview of Mayer's principles (and Muller's research findings) for effective multimedia design within a practical framework. Assessment What measures will I use to see if my video had the desired impact on learning? Test scores, performance in collaborative activities, and post-video quizzes are some possibilities. A good instructional design principle is to ensure alignment between goals and objectives, the learning activities (associated with the video) and the assessment method you select. Test Once you have gathered your equipment and software, experiment with it. Test everything, create a test video and export a test file to your editing software to familiarize yourself with the process and surface any issues with sound or lighting that you'll want to fix before production. Format, Budget and Timeline The format you choose for your video should (ideally) support the objectives you are trying to achieve. That said, sometimes time and budget constraints dictate format. Check with colleagues who have done this projects like the one you are planning to get a sense of timeline, budget and impact and go from there. Planning Resources Plan It! section of the DIY media website. A Model for Developing Multimedia Learning Projects Frey,B; Sutton, J. (2010) UBC's Design Principles for Multimedia. An overview of Mayer's principles (and Muller's research findings) for effective multimedia design within a practical framework. The Media Scholarship Project: Strategic Thinking about Media and Multimodal Assignments in the Liberal Arts :an excellent overview of the process of designing multimodal projects from a faculty perspective. Full of good, practical information. Plan Your Project Worksheets:Video, Audio, Screencast: Guides to help you work out the learning objectives, content and associated learning activities.

Step 2: Script & Storyboard (edit)

Every minute you spend planning your project is worth two or three minutes of designing, recording, and editing. Before you do anything else, download and fill out this worksheet. Try to be as detailed as possible: it'll make life easier later on. Chunk content One of the most important features in the planning worksheet is the 'Generate Concepts' section. This will help you break your content down into easily digestible sections, a technique also known as chunking content. Chunking content involves breaking down large themes into manageable chunks or concepts: for example, if you intend to cover 4 concepts in a single video of 20 minutes, breaking the long video into four five-minute chunks will make it likelier that the material will be watched and effectively absorbed. Recent research indicates that the optimal length for student engagement is 6 minutes or less. (Guo, 2013). Review principles UBC's Design Principles for Multimedia provides an overview and basic framework for considering evidence based principles when designing multimedia for learning. For more depth, Carnegie-Mellon's principles for learning, Merrill's First Principles of Instruction, Gagne's 9 events of instruction and Mayer's principles for multimedia development are useful references for helping you think about how to approach your presentation as a learning resource. Storyboarding After you've selected one chunk to start with, you can fill out this storyboarding worksheet. You can fill this out however you want to: for more traditional video projects, storyboards usually include sketches of each scene with notes attached, but you can feel free to use text, draft your script, draw each slide, sketch diagrams you might use, or some combination of those and other techniques. Storyboard template (from Penn State Media Commons) along with storyboarding tips and examples. For storyboard pointers check out storyboarding for explainer videos by Common Craft. Create a script Writing a script will save you time in the long run. Creating a storyboard can help you see where you may want to add additional content, like b-roll images, to provide examples and raise interest. Once your storyboard is complete, you will get a sense of the flow of your project and can make decisions about editing more easily. Once your script and storyboard are complete, you'll get a sense of the flow of your project and can make decisions about editing more easily. Make sure to rehearse your script(s), to avoid unnecessary pauses or verbal stumbles when you're recording. Note which slide will be on-screen while you're speaking. Some people find it useful to include pictures of the slides in the script, to remind them of what the viewer will see while they're speaking. Time your script to ensure it fits within the 3-6 minute timeframe you should be aiming for. Try to write naturally: not only will people learn better (Mayer's 10th principle) but it'll be easier to read from: encountering the words it is when you'd usually say 'it's is distracting, and can throw you off. Review your presentation for extraneous material, and remove it: the occasional anecdote or tangentially related point is fine, but the shorter your video is, the likelier it'll be watched to completion, and staying focused on your topic is important. (Mayer's 1st principle.) For scripting pointers look at Scripting for explainer videos by Lee Lefever at Common Craft. Prepare Your Subject and Shoot Location. You will need to consider who will be involved in your production, arrange schedules, permissions, and any other needs ahead of time. You will also want to check out the location for things light conditions, power sources, noise and travel. Pre-Production Resources Storyboard/Scripts Storyboard template (from Penn State Media Commons) along with storyboarding tips and examples. For storyboard pointers check out storyboarding for explainer videos by Common Craft. For scripting pointers look at Scripting for explainer videos by Lee Lefever at Common Craft Forms You will require a release from any subjects who will appear on-screen in your production. UBC's Consent Form.

Step 3: Record (edit)

You will have tested your equipment and planned your shoot or screencast with a storyboard before you begin filming. Location Reduce echoes by filming in a room with soft surfaces such as your living room. Reduce or eliminate electrical sounds such as computer fans and other appliances. Avoid rooms with echoes or fans (even imperceptible fan sounds may be picked up by an external mic). Test your sound for quality in your location with equipment. Improving the audio even marginally will far improve the perceived quality. Ensure that you have permission to film in the space. Audio Use a noise-reducing microphone and keep the mic close to your voice. Lighting Prepare your lighting if you will be using your webcam. Create basic three-point lighting so that your focal point (person) is not flat (2D instead of 3D) with lighting fixtures. Utilize natural light appropriately when videoshooting outside such as having your lighting being lighting up the front of what you're filming and usually to one side and above rather than head on (so not mid-day but preferrably sunrise and sunset). Also best shooting happens on overcast days. Here are 3 quicktips for shooting outside. Lighting arrangement for recording yourself or someone else - DIY for web capture or more advanced DIY greenscreens. Mixig together different light sources is a bad idea as studio lighting is generally reddish-orange compared to daylight and normal flourescent lighting can be quite greenish. Recording Record in small chunks so that you can edit them more easily later. Record the same height of your subject and get more than just your object i.e. surroundings in the shot. Take more than one footage of the same scene and from more than one angle (follow storyboard as well). Control your lighting and use lighting as best you can or adjust what you're filming when you can't. Use a tripod to ensure a steady shot but don't lock the tripod position so you can follow moving subjects. Ensure filming device is on auto-focus and experiment with camerawork. Production Resources Software Software: Camtasia downloads (Camtasia for Mac, Camtasia Studio for PC). Note: UBC has a campus wide license key that you can enter after downloading the trial versions. Tutorials (Techsmith): (Mac, PC) or in-depth estimated 6 hour Camtasia PC Lynda.com tutorial. Final Cut Pro iMovie Techniques and Approaches How to Shoot a Good iphone video - Part of a great series from the iphoneographers. They also cover editing and app reviews for iphone moviemaking. Penn State's Video Production Tips Video Techniques from kdmcBerkely (School of Journalism) for more depth and detail. YouTube Tutorial Videos Video to help you with all phases of production. Indy Mogul's YouTube Channel Great Resource for DIY Video support for things like lighting, special effects. B-roll Content Find OER : Open Professionals Education Network UBC's Image Sources Guide UBC's Public Domain Guide Copyright Do you need to find copyright safe sound or images for your project? The following resources can help: Image Sources: UBC's Copyright resource provides an excellent list of various "copyright safe" image databases and also includes some discipline specific ones as well. Creative Commons Guide: UBC's Copyright Guide provides lists of databases for free and "copyright safe" sounds, music and video for your digital media projects. It also helps you understand Creative Commons licenses and how and why you may want to apply one to your work. Public domain resources: this page provides an overview of what public domain is, how material in the public domain can be used, and much more, including quick tips to check if something is or is not considered public domain in Canada, as well as links to public domain sources. Students and Copyright Why should I care about copyright?: this student-centered guide, put together by the UBC Learning Commons team, answers questions on the subject of copyright and addresses a number of myths and misconceptions surrounding copyright. Forms You will require a release from any subjects involved in your production. UBC's Consent Form.

Step 4: Edit (edit)

This is where you will be adding your intro, your credits and acknowledgements (including references to any source material, images, music or video clips you have included) and assemble your project. Software Final Cut Pro X Essential Training Final Cut Pro X is a powerful video editing program widely used by professional videographers and filmmakers. It is available for use at various Mac Workstations in UBC Vancouver Library locations. This course will help you with the full editing process, from preparation to exporting. Or, for students: Basic Tutorial for iMovie and Final Cut Pro. Camtasia for PC and Camtasia for mac: Using Camtasia and need some training? These short (2-5 min) videos offer excellent training support for beginners to advanced. Auadacity is a fairly powerful program to help with audio editing.

Step 5: Publish (edit)

YouTube: is an option if your project relies on open sharing and wide audience reach AND if you are not REQUIRING students to set up their own accounts. Setup your own youtube account or you can upload to the UBC youtube account with this documentation. Kaltura: a UBC hosted service and thus offers a layer of security and content moderation. Offers an option for learning activities that require students to record, upload and share video content through Connect. These videos will be transcoded for easier viewing on multiple devices, stored in a central platform, and will be available for searching and viewing. Compared to Youtube Kaltura offers more granular control over content and contributors. Here is the documentation for adding Kaltura in Connect and uploading video.