Educator Resources

Camera Use and Equipment Management

The basics of videography. Learn the functions of a camera.
  • Camera Functions: Introduction to different functions of a camera including zoom, focus, iris, white balance, audio, shutter, and effects.
  • Video Camera Tutorial: Basics on how video cameras work.
 
 

Copyright

Review the legal issues related to the music, video, and pictures in your digital video projects.

  • Copyright Kids: Website provided by the Copyright Society with good resources and information about copyright for teachers, students, and parents.
  • Join the @ Team: An educational program that introduces intellectual property to students.
  • Library of Congress’ Taking the Mystery out of Copyright: A great Flash interactive site for kids and teachers to learn about the many aspects of copyright.
  • Public Domain: Information about using music in your video projects.
  • Teaching Copyright: This site contains lessons and ideas for teachers to use when teaching about laws surrounding digital rights.  The Resources page is extensive and includes many useful items for teachers.
  • The Copyright Information Guide: This site contains copyright definitions, information about how to register a copyright, copyright FAQs, and copyright, patent, and trademark resources. 
  • US Copyright Laws: Copyright Law of the United States of America
  • A Teacher's Guide to Fair Use and Copyright: Website for teachers defining copyright terms and challenges. It has a great chart for Fair Use materials in the classroom.
 
 

Distribution of Youth Media

Various options for your students to get their movies in front of a larger audience.
 
 

Equipment

Software and hardware available for video projects, including editing programs, cameras, tripods, microphones, and other equipment.

We train you on the equipment that you'll use in your classroom. Keep in mind, peripherals (audio microphones, boom poles, etc) are optional. Minimum equipment recommendations include a camera, tripod, and computer with editing software program.

Computer

  • Mac or comparable PC computer with CD/DVD burner and firewire port
  • Lacie external hard drive (optional but helpful with project management

Camera

  • Canon ZR series Digital Video Camera
    The Canon ZR series works well. It’s affordable – make sure the model has an external mic input, offering the ability to use external microphones. The ZRs tend to have a decent-size screen, and metal threading where tripod plates are attached (metal lasts much longer than plastic).

Tripod

  • Quantaray QT-100 Compact Travel Tripod

Software

  • PCs (need Firewire) come with Windows Movie Maker
  • Macs include the iLife Suite:
  • iMovie HD
  • iDVD
  • Garage Band
  • iPhoto
  • iWe
More advanced options include Final Cut Pro (Mac) and Adobe Premiere (PC).

Audio

  • Headphones
  • Shotgun Microphone (optional): RODE VideoMic Directional Camcorder Microphone
  • Lavaliere Microphone (optional): Samson QL5
  • Boom Pole (optional): RODE Mini boom pol

Cables

  • RCA cable to connect camera to TV
  • Necessary XLR cables to connect optional peripheral microphones to camera
  • Firewire cables

Online Resources
 
 

How to: Editing, Audio, Video Composition, and Video File Conversion

 

Editing:

Windows Movie Maker:

iMovie:

  • Exporting a Finished Project in iMovie: Steps outlined for Mac and iMovie users to save their final projects as a .mov (movie) file. Upon completing these steps, movies can be burned to a DVD, uploaded online, or played on a computer.
  • iMovie Tutorials: In addition to editing tutorials, you can connect with other iMovie users to learn more about the software program.

Flip Camera:

Kodak Zi8 Camera:

Audio:

Shot Styles and Composition:

Video File Conversion:
  • Codec 6030: Instructions for installing Codec 6030, which may be necessary to run in order to import and edit video files in Windows Movie Maker. 

 
 

Images, Video, and Sounds for Project Use

Sites where you can find images, video and audio content for your movies online. Includes websites to download copyright-free music and other digital media.

  • http://freeplaymusic.com - Royalty free, copyright free music to use in projects
  • http://findsounds.com - Sound effects. Find them, save them, add them to your movie.
  • http://www.kitzu.org/ - Collections of media (primarily images), categorized by subject, for your students to use in the classroom.
  • Soundzabound: Resource for Utah educators to find music for video projects. Access through www.uen.org (you need to log in).
  • The Open Video Project: The purpose of the Open Video Project is to collect and make available a repository of digitized video content for the digital video, multimedia retrieval, digital library, and other research communities.
  • Ad Council Media: Find examples of Public Service Announcements and ad campaigns to share with your class.
  • Davis, CA School District: A Collection of websites containing video, audio, and other media available for use in student projects (primarily all public domain).
  • Create a Book Trailer: Lesson plans, templates, a rubric, and examples of book trailers to use in your classroom.
  • Musopen: Musopen is an online music library of copyright free (public domain) music. Musopen aims to record or obtain recordings that have no copyrights so that visitors may listen, re-use, or in any way enjoy music.
  • Pics4learning: A useful website offering copyright-free pictures categorized in various topics, include ocean, animals, United States, and a bunch of others.
  • Library of Congress: Great resource to find historical images to use for projects.
 
 

Sample Movies

Websites with student-produced and adult-produced movies.

  • School Tube: A site where teachers and students share videos.

  • TeacherTube: Just like YouTube, but for educators. You can search for student produced work, or make an account and upload your own films.
  • Ad Council: A great database of current and past PSA campaigns, many targeted for younger viewers. Goes great as examples to start a PSA lesson.
  • KQED: Great place to find youth-produced digital stories.

  • Digitales: A great website to find examples of storytelling through film, in addition to other resources.

  • iVIE Awards: San Diego County’s film festival website with examples of integrating video into core content at all levels and a good list of resources for educators.

  • Listen Up!:  A great resource for youth-produced media with information on film festivals, galleries, and more. Resources for educators and students.
 
 

Teach Digital Media in the Classroom

Find curriculum and other resources related to teaching digital video projects.

  • Online Storyboard Tool: This online tool helps students plan projects through storyboard development. It includes various elements of production, including setting, actors, audio, and transitions.
  • Digitales: A great website to find examples of storytelling through film, in addition to other resources.
  • NeoK12: A website with numerous free educational videos for K-12 students.  Content areas include physical science, life science, earth and science, geography, human body, social studies, history, math, and English.

  • ART4Cast: A site created by a SHIFT teacher that provides resources about the integration of video and visual arts in teaching.