EditMentor: The Hands-On Way to Teach Video Editing
EditMentor is a web-based program that allows you to walk your students through the production process via an interface that is simple to use and editing software agnostic.
5 Camera Tips For Beginner Filmmakers
The number one thing I found out from throughout my experience in video production is that many beginners don't take advantage of their youth to get better at their craft. If you know at a young age that you want to be a filmmaker, I think that you should honestly start as soon as possible. At that note, you may not have an outlet on where to start with your brand new equipment. By writing this article, I hope to help someone with their first steps on the right path to success in camerawork.
Don't Hold Back: The Only Camera You Need Is The One That's With You!
Waiting on expensive gear is just an excuse for you not to create when you have a very powerful tool in your hand. Telling a story in the 21st Century has never been more accessible! The films below were all shot on early models of iPhone with some simple lens setups.
What is Dogme 95 and Does It Still Matter?
Raising above all other film manifestos, the lasting effects of this infamous dogme can still be seen today. Dogme 95 was a manifesto brought forth by Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg. This Danish film movement based on a manifesto also known as the “Vows of Chastity” caused quite a stir in the filmmaking community.
3D Printing Camera Gear & Accessories
Camera gear and accessories have a tendency to break the bank. As a teacher or student, working within a small budget forces you to compromise on the type of gear you afford. When you’re working with a tight budget, you can 3D print camera gear and accessories instead!
How To Name Your Files To Streamline Your Video Project
Are you looking for a suitable method of tracking projects for grading and archiving? Here is a standard of practice I developed for our students about ten years ago that drastically improved our workflow process. With hundreds of projects, shows, and events being produced each year, we needed a better system in place, and it had to start with project naming.
Veteran Documentary - The Best Production Project
You get to do so many great projects with students when you run a video productions and broadcast journalism program. News packages highlight some of the exciting things happening in your school and community, music videos bring out everyone's creative side, short films generate some unique narratives, and live sports provide a rush that is hard to beat. We have all of these forms of production going on at Hoover High School in North Canton, Ohio, in what we call our NCtv Media program, and it makes for an excellent comprehensive education.
What Student Filmmakers Can Learn From Watching Horror Films
As a starting filmmaker, horror is a scary genre to get right (pun intended). In this article, I am listing five movies that are great to introduce yourself to the horror/thriller genre. These five movies combine storytelling, aesthetics, and filmmaking in order to complement the horror genre. I’m also not trying to spoil anything about these films, so I apologize in advance if my comments are vague in this article.
How To Make the Fake Blood From The Evil Dead!
The Evil Dead is one of the best horror films of the 20th century. It is iconic, campy, and filled with blood. The 1981 American supernatural classic was written and directed by Sam Raimi and it stars the most famous B movie actor of all time --Bruce Campbell. If you are interested in making a short horror movie this is a great place to start. Bruce Campbell spills it all and shows us how to make his infamous fake blood that actually shows up well on camera.
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.
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.
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!
How to Keep Your Video Skills Sharp Over the Summer
I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a storyteller, so I was very excited when I started to take video production classes in high school. I learned a lot during my junior year and was hungry to learn more. At the end of the school year, there was one thing that terrified me the most: summer vacation.
The Truth About Documentary Filmmaking
In partnership with the Arizona Community Foundation, the Cronkite School launched a special year-long project to cover the rise of youth suicides in Arizona, including exploring the underlying causes and looking for possible solutions. The class is led by David Ariosto, an author and journalist who has managed, produced, and written for National Geographic, Time Magazine, NPR, Reuters, CNN, and Al Jazeera America — needless to say, I landed a pretty decent gig.
Free Video Editing Software for Students
While your school computers might have the same video editing software like the pros, students don’t have the same access at home. Some students don’t even have computers. But that shouldn’t stop you from editing your films and newscasts remotely. We gathered our favorite free video editing programs for your computers and phones.
Veteran’s Day Documentary - Part 3 - Ken Burns
To say that Ken Burns is a hero to me would be an understatement. Just take a look at his collection of documentaries over the years, and you will see that he is probably one of the most significant historical filmmakers of all time. Getting his attention just a few years after we started producing documentaries at our school was a career highlight for me and a pretty unforgettable teaching moment for our students.
Veteran’s Day Documentary - Part 2 - Behind the Scenes
You know the reasons I believe producing a class documentary about a local veteran can be one of the most exciting experiences for students. In summary, it pushes their script writing abilities, drives them to the edge of their technical limits, and tells a story that captures the attention of the community. Having shared why we produce stories about local veterans, I thought I would take time in this article to share the nuts and bolts of how we use a collaborative workflow to create them.
Shoot for the Edit
The first rule of shooting b-roll, BRING A TRIPOD! Yes they are bulky and a pain to carry and setup, but no one is the “human Steadicam.” Unless you have to shoot off of your shoulder, such as the sidelines of a sporting event where someone could get hurt running into a tripod and camera, don’t. Nothing says amateur like shaky video.
Do Not Fear Color
Up thru the 1990’s TV broadcasters needed to be timid about colors because the analog TV technology produced such unreliable results. One brand of cameras produced acceptable cool colors and earthy tone but throw a yellow or red at them and the TV set would look as though the image was on fire, while another brand could tame the tearing red, but washout the remaining parts of the color wheel. But we’ve come a long way.