Focus on Video Editing (2000)

As technology allows us to teach and assess students in new and exciting ways, we are beginning to see more opportunities for creative projects. One such outlet that is gaining popularity in all levels of learning is video projects. With camcorders and digital video cameras becoming more commonplace in schools, more teachers are engaging their students in multimedia video projects. Just a few years ago, video editing in most schools essentially meant two VCRs cabled together to create a rudimentary edit bay. Now, however, a number of effective, easy-to-use editing solutions exist to provide near professional-level video editing functions at a price accessible for most schools. Following are a few such editing solutions that will get your students practicing their Oscar acceptance speeches. Apple's iMovie 2 is a desktop video editing program that we ran on a standard iMac DV. While not as robust as some of its professional-level older brothers like Final Cut, iMovie 2 is a very accessible tool for those unfamiliar with video editing. Running in a regular desktop environment, it is very approachable and surprisingly easy to use. The functions are easy to learn, and will allow students and teachers alike to make impressive-looking videos in a relatively short period of time. Of all the systems we've used, this one has by far the simplest video capture function, assuming that you are capturing from a digital video camera via the FireWire connection. You simply plug your digital video camcorder into the iMac via a FireWire cable, and from there, video capture is cartoonishly easy. iMovie even puts control of the camcorder (play, rewind, fast-forward, etc.) on the capture screen. Another handy bonus is that iMovie senses any change in camera shot and automatically creates a new video clip. Of course, users do have manual control over these clips, allowing them to make the segments as short or long as they please. Capturing audio is equally easy. If music from a CD is required, simply put a CD in the CD-ROM drive of the iMac and select the tracks you need. Voiceover can be recorded from the iMac's built-in microphone, and MP3s and AIFF sound files can also be imported for use in the project. Once the audio and video are captured, editing is a snap. All the clips are arranged in a standard bin setting, where they can be labeled and moved around at will. To arrange the clips, simply drag them down to the timeline. A simple trim function lets you cut unnecessary footage from any clip before or after laying it on the timeline. Once the visuals are arranged properly, a number of options allow fledgling editors to enhance their finished product. A number of transitions, such as dissolves, wipes and fade-outs, can be added with ease. Also available are a number of video effects, including soft focus, black and white, and sephia tone. A simple titling function also makes it easy to add credits and titles. Sound editing is a bit trickier, but the multiple audio tracks provided allow plenty of options. It is easy to lay down voice-over or a musical track. Simply drag and drop as you would with a video clip. Audio can also be separated from its video clip, letting the editor manipulate clips, create overlapping dialogue, add insert shots and more. Volume levels, fade-ins and fade-outs can be set as well. When finished, the project can be played back full-screen on the iMac, transferred back to tape, or saved in QuickTime format so that it can be placed on CD-ROM, be emailed, or be placed on the Web. Still images of the project can also be created and saved as a PICT or JPEG image. Overall, our use of iMovie went very smoothly. The interface is straightforward and easy to use. For making simple video and multimedia projects, it is a great tool. We did encounter some problems with the program locking up occassionally (as it chews on enormous video files), and the video trim/select function can be a little difficult at times. …