
How to Spot Bad Acting in Your Favorite Halloween Movies
A common denominator of horror films, of course, is all of the cringe-worthy bad acting. Given the low investment in the scripts and sets, no one seems to mind this. As long as the good guys won—and they always did—no one really cared how hammy and melodramatic the performers were.

What Do SD Cards and Pawn Stars Have in Common?
Media content is like gold, so it is frustrating to lose it after filming. Whether you work with a small group of students in your video club, or you have several classes of 25 students in each, you need a good system of managing your media cards.

How COVID-19 is Shaping Schools and Online Education
An often overlooked byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the emergence of remote learning. The focus typically ends up on the evolving workforce, but the fact of the matter is that students across the world are being forced to adapt to online learning. Every aspect of instruction at schools is changing and everyone from professors at renowned colleges to teachers at elementary schools are learning to teach in this new environment.

Learn Easy Video Production and Streaming With This Free Book: The Unofficial Guide to vMix
Video production can have a steep learning curve for someone just getting started. With back-to-school in full swing, we know that teachers don’t have time to read a full guide to video production and streaming. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a concise solution to streamline your video production and streaming efforts so you can quickly get up and running creating content? Well, we have found it!

Tips On Making A Documentary From A Disney Cast Member
My first part-time videography job was with Trinity United Church of Christ, located at Canton, Ohio. They hired me right out of high school during the summer of 2015. While at this job, I met a someone who pitched a documentary to me about a closing church camp. I created a proposal with a summary, concept, and budget for me to complete the film for him. Little did I know that he started a fundraising campaign for the film and blew it out of the water.

Keeping Track of Camera Gear for Your Video Classes
During my first year of teaching, I sent a camera back to Sony for repair. When it was shipped back to the school, it was delivered to the main office. The principal called me to let me know it had arrived. I said I would send a student down to pick it up and bring it back to the studio. The principal replied, “Are you sure you trust a student to do that?” True story.

10 Tips for Telling a Story Without Video
With radio, however, there’s an entire spectrum of opportunity which eliminates the need for—and expense of—costumes, makeup, props, backdrops, lighting, and special effects. In fact, you could launch an entire podcast series with a few friends in your kitchen or basement and your listeners would be none the wiser.

The Tech That Makes Remote Student Newscasts Possible
That’s where I found my greatest use of Loom. The students could record themselves reading a script, send me a link, and I could pull them together for a show. Since Loom is a web-based app, the students only have to send the link.

Workflow Pro: Creating an Effective Teaching and Video Workflow
Tt's easy to see that the key to being a successful editor is workflow. And if you work in education, let's add to this scenario 50 to 100 students who will also be editing their project footage in your lab. This series provides you with some workflow strategies that make life easier.

7 Ways to Hide a Lav Microphone
In this article, we’ll explore how to capture audio with a lav mic cleverly placed on the human body, just outside the camera’s view. You’ll learn how to use a special mic that is great for hiding because it is super small.

Jon Pratchett Talks Esports in Education
Stream Semester's sports editor, Tom White, sat down with prominent esports announcer Jon Pratchett to discuss the evolution of esports in education. This video is filled with helpful tips for starting an esports club in your school, how esports benefits students, and what technology you need to be successful in the industry.

Make Online Learning Easier With This Free Book: Technology Tools for Online Education
In the next few years, education will continue to undergo rapid change. Given the sudden transition to distance learning, teachers and students alike have found it hard to adjust to the new learning environment and all of the technology that goes along with it.

Avoid “Zoom Bombing” K12 Remote Class Sessions
As the COVID-19 school closings hit last year a new term, “zoom bombing,” was quickly coined. This is when uninvited participants enter a Zoom©, Google Meet©, or similar remote class session and cause disruption. This can happen when a student intentionally shares the class invite code or it becomes unintentionally known to others. Here’s a better alternative designed for schools.

Why School Newsrooms Are Moving To PTZ Workflows
A school tv-station needs to reflect and emulate real-world studios in an effort to realistically prepare students for the workforce. Since the late 1990s, there has been an upswing of PTZ camera-based newsrooms popping up all over the world. Following suit, schools have also been switching to PTZ workflows. PTZ-based school newsrooms offer high-quality video, use the same technology as the professionals, and increase consistency and efficiency.

Q&A: How To Hone Your Skills As An Interviewer
Why is it that late night talk-show hosts can make their conversations with guests sound so effortless? How are news commentators able to cut to the chase on controversial topics? If you found yourself in an elevator with a celebrity you admire, what’s the one question you could ask to leave an indelible impression?

Three Steps To Starting Your School’s Radio Station
School radio creates one of the most interesting communities a student can find around campus. From the cool parties, music appreciation, and development of soft-skills, to the excitement and thrills that come with live air production, the radio is a very important outlet for students.

Must-Have Affordable Camera Gear for Beginners
The hardest thing about being a student filmmaker is not having the gear you need to start working on your craft. You are so eager to get started, but you don’t have anything to do so. Maybe you have the advantage of using your school’s gear for your projects, but you finally decide it’s time to start investing in your own because you don’t want to borrow anymore.

Unboxing SmallHD Focus 5" On-Camera Monitor
Watch as Stream Semester Unboxes the SmallHD Focus 5" On-Camera Monitor and walks you through the details for educators and student filmmakers. Let us know in the comments what you think of the monitor! We love it!

What You Need To Know About a Degree in Theater Arts
I’m a firm believer in following one’s passion. If you live, breathe, and sleep theater, and devote your years at university to earning a diploma in all things theatrical, it’s helpful to consider some career options in which this background could open doors … and pay bills.

Create Killer Videos with Teleprompter, Video Maker, and Editor Rolled Into One
BIGVU is a teleprompter, video maker, and editor rolled into a convenient cloud-based desktop and mobile application, so you can capitalize on this synergy and create killer videos seamlessly.