IntroductionIt is all too easy to point a camera at someone or something and expect to get a good video recording automatically. In fact it takes quite a bit more than that if a professional looking movie is to be achieved. For video to be used in teaching, here are a few things to consider.

PlanningYou should ask yourself what you want to achieve from your shoot. For example you might ask:

a. Will you reach more students, replace a lecture, enhance a message or provide revision aids?

b. Are the audience experts, a research group, UG/PG campus-based or remote students?

c. What is your message to that audience, and what outcomes do you hope for?

d. How will the video be delivered – by DVD, download, or streaming from Victory?

e. Will the style be a lecture, interview, discussion, documentary, case study, Q&A, or a mix?

f. Will the video be short or long, and where will it be set (office, lecture theatre, on location etc)?

g. Will you want to use background replacement using ‘chromakeying’ against a green screen?

h. Do you already have images and clips you want to include in the finished production?

i. Is the production a one off piece, or part of a series of clips that will be menu driven?

j. When is the production to be ready, and does the venue & equipment need to be booked?

Preparationa. Write a ‘treatment’, defining the video’s purpose, duration, audience, style & delivery methods.

b. Write a list of questions if the production is to be interview style, or a script if a documentary.

PackageA long single scene video or ‘head and shoulders’ speech is no more interesting or definitive than an audio podcast, but is much larger in file size. So if all you want to do is talk to your audience and show slides, then a screencast might be a better choice. You can make one of these using Adobe ‘Captivate’ or TechSmith ‘Camtasia Studio’. A Guide to Screencasting is in the works – see the next issue of PBS Learning News.

To make a longer video you need to think about the scenes of the movie, and how they will be different. How will you frame the shot? How will you light it? If the video is an interview, how will you use backlighting and ‘depth of field’ to separate the interviewee from the background? What background props will you use – a table lamp or a wall poster perhaps. Where will you site the camera, and where will you locate the ‘fill’ and ‘main’ lights, while ensuring the lights are not seen in shot. There is some science for this, and videos are available to show you what to do.

ProduceSo you are ready to go. You are familiar with how your camera works. You have connected the microphone(s) you are going to use, and set up the camera to use internal or external microphone(s). You have set the depth of field by using the camera iris and f-stops. You have a tape or card installed with enough free space, or you have more ready to use. You ready the talent, and then its ‘lights, camera, action…’

PublishYou have shot the video, and you have imported it onto your computer for editing, or given it to the eTeam for editing. It is cut and then compressed for DVD or streaming distribution. That’s it!

David Starkey (Faculty eLearning Coordinator, PBS)

IntroductionIt is all too easy to point a camera at someone or something and expect to get a good video recording automatically. In fact it takes quite a bit more than that if a professional looking movie is to be achieved. For video to be used in teaching, here are a few things to consider.

PlanningYou should ask yourself what you want to achieve from your shoot. For example you might ask:

a. Will you reach more students, replace a lecture, enhance a message or provide revision aids?

b. Are the audience experts, a research group, UG/PG campus-based or remote students?

c. What is your message to that audience, and what outcomes do you hope for?

d. How will the video be delivered – by DVD, download, or streaming from Victory?

e. Will the style be a lecture, interview, discussion, documentary, case study, Q&A, or a mix?

f. Will the video be short or long, and where will it be set (office, lecture theatre, on location etc)?

g. Will you want to use background replacement using ‘chromakeying’ against a green screen?

h. Do you already have images and clips you want to include in the finished production?

i. Is the production a one off piece, or part of a series of clips that will be menu driven?

j. When is the production to be ready, and does the venue & equipment need to be booked?

Preparationa. Write a ‘treatment’, defining the video’s purpose, duration, audience, style & delivery methods.

b. Write a list of questions if the production is to be interview style, or a script if a documentary.

PackageA long single scene video or ‘head and shoulders’ speech is no more interesting or definitive than an audio podcast, but is much larger in file size. So if all you want to do is talk to your audience and show slides, then a ‘screencast’ (or screen recording) might be a better choice. You can make one of these using Adobe ‘Captivate’ or TechSmith ‘Camtasia Studio’. A Guide to Screencasting is in the works – see the next issue of PBS Learning News.

To make a longer video you need to think about the scenes of the movie, and how they will be different. How will you frame the shot? How will you light it? If the video is an interview, how will you use backlighting and ‘depth of field’ to separate the interviewee from the background? What background props will you use – a table lamp or a wall poster perhaps. Where will you site the camera, and where will you locate the ‘fill’ and ‘main’ lights, while ensuring the lights are not seen in shot. There is some science for this, and videos are available to show you what to do.

ProduceSo you are ready to go. You are familiar with how your camera works. You have connected the microphone(s) you are going to use, and set up the camera to use internal or external microphone(s). You have set the depth of field by using the camera iris and f-stops. You have a tape or card installed with enough free space, or you have more ready to use. You ready the talent, and check that everything else is ready. Then its ‘lights, camera, action…’

PublishYou have shot the video, and you have imported it onto your computer for editing, or given it to the eTeam for them to edit. It is cut and compressed for DVD or streaming distribution. That’s it!

David Starkey (Faculty eLearning Coordinator, PBS)

Making a Video for TeachingThings to bear in mind…

Making a Video for TeachingThings to bear in mind…

Making a PodcastAn overview of the process involved…

Making a PodcastAn overview of the process involved…

IntroductionThis leaflet assumes that you want to make a podcast using the podcast kit available to PBS staff from the Richmond IT Helpdesk. The kit includes microphone, USB2 cable, tripod, headphones, software, and the Guide to Podcasting already issued through staff pigeonholes.

Installing and/or preparing Audacity Softwarea. Book out a podcasting kit from the Richmond IT Helpdesk.

b. Turn on your PC – you need a PC with a built-in USB2 port, such as a home or office PC.

c. If haven’t already, install Audacity software (on the CD in the kit) as instructed in the Guide.

Note: you can download the latest version from the ‘SourceForge.net’ website if you like.

d. Open up the Audacity audio recording software – if it is a work PC you can find it in the menu:

‘Start…Utilities…Audacity’

e. Install the LAME plug in by unzipping its download folder. Then in Audacity, click:

‘File…Export as MP3’. Browse to the location of the LAME .dll file you unzipped. Click Enter.

f. You are now ready to record a sound file in MP3 format…but you need a microphone.

Preparing to Record a. Assemble the Rode Podcaster microphone tripod and cable, and connect it to the computer.

The Guide to Podcasting shows what is required in pictures.

b. The Guide describes methods for continuing in Windows, Apple OS9 and OSX, and Linux.

This leaflet describes further instructions for Windows only.

c. Plug in the Sony headphones to the microphone monitoring port, and set the volume at 60%.

d. Open the Control Panel, (Start…Control Panel), and click ‘Sounds and Audio Devices’.

Click the ‘Audio’ tab. Under ‘Sound Recording’ select ‘Rode Podcaster’ as the default device.

e. To adjust the volume, click the ‘Volume’ button, accept the selections and close Control Panel.

f. If you speak into the microphone, you should hear your voice through the headphones.

Recording a Podcasta. Click the red ‘Record’ button in Audacity, and speak into the end of the microphone.

The recording window will show the waveform of your voice, and any other sounds present.

b. Once you have finished speaking, click the black square ‘Stop’ button.

c. Save the project by clicking ‘File…Save Project As’, and choose a folder to save it in.

d. Save your podcast recording itself by clicking either ‘Export as WAV’ or ‘Export as MP3’.

e. Choose MP3 to upload a good quality file to the streaming server, so that students can play it.

Try It YourselfThe Guide to Podcasting gives more detail than the above, and covers playback and editing etc.

Have a go yourself. It’s easy to get a good result. If you need help with it, feel free to ask for it!

David Starkey (Faculty eLearning Coordinator, PBS)

IntroductionThis leaflet assumes that you want to make a podcast using the podcast kit available to PBS staff from the Richmond IT Helpdesk. The kit includes microphone, USB2 cable, tripod, headphones, software, and the Guide to Podcasting already issued through staff pigeonholes.

Installing and/or preparing Audacity Softwarea. Book out a podcasting kit from the Richmond IT Helpdesk.

b. Turn on your PC – you need a PC with a built-in USB2 port, such as a home or office PC.

c. If haven’t already, install Audacity software (on the CD in the kit) as instructed in the Guide.

Note: you can download the latest version from the ‘SourceForge.net’ website if you like.

d. Open up the Audacity audio recording software – if it is a work PC you can find it in the menu:

‘Start…Utilities…Audacity’

e. Install the LAME plug in by unzipping its download folder. Then in Audacity, click:

‘File…Export as MP3’. Browse to the location of the LAME .dll file you unzipped. Click Enter.

f. You are now ready to record a sound file in MP3 format…but you need a microphone.

Preparing to Record a. Assemble the Rode Podcaster microphone tripod and cable, and connect it to the computer.

The Guide to Podcasting shows what is required in pictures.

b. The Guide describes methods for continuing in Windows, Apple OS9 and OSX, and Linux.

This leaflet describes further instructions for Windows only.

c. Plug in the Sony headphones to the microphone monitoring port, and set the volume at 60%.

d. Open the Control Panel, (Start…Control Panel), and click ‘Sounds and Audio Devices’.

Click the ‘Audio’ tab. Under ‘Sound Recording’ select ‘Rode Podcaster’ as the default device.

e. To adjust the volume, click the ‘Volume’ button, accept the selections and close Control Panel.

f. If you speak into the microphone, you should hear your voice through the headphones.

Recording a Podcasta. Click the red ‘Record’ button in Audacity, and speak into the end of the microphone.

The recording window will show the waveform of your voice, and any other sounds present.

b. Once you have finished speaking, click the black square ‘Stop’ button.

c. Save the project by clicking ‘File…Save Project As’, and choose a folder to save it in.

d. Save your podcast recording itself by clicking either ‘Export as WAV’ or ‘Export as MP3’.

e. Choose MP3 to upload a good quality file to the streaming server, so that students can play it.

Try It YourselfThe Guide to Podcasting gives more detail than the above, and covers playback and editing etc.

Have a go yourself. It’s easy to get a good result. If you need help with it, feel free to ask for it!

David Starkey (Faculty eLearning Coordinator, PBS)