I want to videotape a session.
What do I need to do?
Cameras are available in the TRC. You need to bring
the appropriate storage media – e.g., digital tape for filming,
VHS tape for final product, an external 10 gig hard for storage,
etc.
Before beginning, consider the following questions…
What kind of session will you tape?
Videoconferencing
Options:
1.
Record onto a VHS tape to record the far site – You will
need a VHS tape (or tapes depending upon length of session)
2.
Record local students with a digital camera – you will need
a digital tape (or tapes depending upon length of session)
Note: using a camera
to videotape the picture from a computer or a television will cause
problems due to different refresh rates.
Live
- Record onto a digital camera
- For the best results use a tripod rather than
hold the camera
Do you need more than one camera?
I
just want to film on-the-fly.
One camera, hand-held
or with a small tripod should be sufficient. Point and shoot.
I’m
filming an interview
Best with a camera poised
at each person (up to 3 people).
- Seat the subjects across from each other (or
in a triangle)
- Aim the camera at each subject, using the shoulder
of the other person as a point of reference. (Shoot over the shoulder,
but allow the shoulder and head to appear in the video.)
I’m
filming a classroom scenario
- Student teachers in the classroom could use
2 cameras – one taping the instructor; the other taping the students
- Place one at the back of the room aimed at the instructor, the
other at the front aimed at the subjects.
How
much editing do you wish to do to the tape?
(Software
is available on the LAEB Mac computers in 3292. Warning: unless
you have your own hard drive for storing the files, once you start
a project you must complete it in one session since the labs are
used for class and open times. Be sure you have enough time.)
I
want it to look professional
·
Plan on plenty of lead-time.
It
takes as much time as the time-length of the video plus about 30
minutes to copy each tape onto a hard drive. (A 45-minute tape takes
approximately 8 Gigs of hard drive space.)
Editing
time depends upon the amount of professionalism you desire in the
final product, the number of tapes to be spliced, and whether credits
and titles are used. A skillful iMovie user can creatively edit
a 50-minute movie in about 4 hours.
Music
adds at least 30 minutes to editing time – not including the time
to find the right music for your movie. It can add much more if
you choose to match movement or events to the music beat or change
in style.
When
the movie is edited, the video can be exported in several ways –
see the next section about the media choices.
Exporting to a VHS tape takes as long as twice the time-length
of the video plus a 15-minute set-up time. You must copy the edited
video to a tape on the camera, and then download to a VHS tape.
Exporting
to a CD-ROM can take a few hours to create (render), then another
hour (or more) to burn the CD.
I
simply want an archive for reference
·
You can keep the digital video tape as media or transfer
to a VHS tape
Tape transfer takes as long as the time-length of the video plus
about 15 minutes of set-up time.
What
media do you want to use for the final product?
QuickTime movie
(Use iMovie to create)
Streaming video for
the Web
(Use iMovie to create)
CD-ROM
(Use iMovie to create)
VHS videotape
(Copy directly from
the original tape or use iMovie to create)
Digital data for editing
at another time
(Keep on the original
tape or download to a hard drive – remember the files require several
Gigabytes of storage space)
Digital video camera
tape
(Take the tape out of
the camera and archive it)
Final instructions…
|
R
|
eserve the camera(s)
in the TRC prior to your session – reservations can be made
in advance!
|
|
E
|
xamine the best
places to set the cameras and test them (be careful of lighting)
|
|
A
|
quire the final
media product (e.g. CD-RW, Zip disk, VHS tape, etc.)
|
|
D
|
igital videotape
(or tapes) must be brought for recording.
|
|
Y
|
ou must have written
permission from anyone who is on camera.
|
