As you can see from the "Certificate of Completion" shown above, this morning I finished watching the iMovie '09 Essential Training videos at www.lynda.com. The process of watching the videos, taking notes and trying out some of the features reminded me of the final reflection I created in the TMD course. Once of the insights I gained in the TMD course was that I prefer to read instructional manuals when learning a new software program or becoming familiar with a new technology gadget, such as a camera or smart phone. However, when I was trying to figure out how to use iMovie for the first time, the digital instructional manual was not very helpful because I did not know the proper terminology for the various techniques I was trying to learn. Now I realize I could have saved myself many hours of frustration, confusion and mistakes if I had gone through the iMovie '09 Essential Training video a couple of months ago. Better late than never, I guess.
One of the features that I am curious about has to do with the various methods for sharing completed video projects. In previous courses we were asked to upload our videos to www.viddler.com - however, one of the downsides of using that website is that video content is removed from their servers after approximately 30 days. I discovered this the "hard way" when a video I posted for one of the courses I teach suddenly disappeared and I started getting emails from frustrated students who could not go back and watch the video before the first exam. I ended up posting subsequent videos to You Tube, yet I feel uncomfortable about having course related videos out there for the world to see. According to the essentials training, another option might be for me to share video files through my Mobile Me Gallery or through a dedicated channel on iTunes. I haven't had the opportunity to test out these options yet, but will do so before posting any videos for the upcoming semester than begins on January 24, 2011.
I was also surprised to discover that some of the features and techniques that were described through the training videos, were things I stumbled upon through my own trial-and-error approach as I experimented with the software in previous courses. In many instances I did not know what I was doing and had a hard time replicating actions, such as using the precision editor to trim clips or using the "ducking" function to reduce the volume of music so that narration could be heard more clearly. These are some of the same issues or problems with which my students have struggled, so now I know what language to use to point them in the right direction or offer quick tips on how to resolve the issues.
The iMovie project that I am working on to include later in this blog, will help me demonstrate to students some ways to improve the quality of their videos - for example, stabilizing shaky clips, adjusting the volume of audio and slowing down the credits that roll at the end of the production. I am looking forward to experimenting with some of the advanced editing tools as well, such as customizing the images or clips that appear during transitions in the "Photo Album" theme and incorporating key words to help me organize clips for easy retrieval. Stay tuned to future posts to see how I am able to utilize some of the many fun features that were highlighted in the iMovie '09 Essentials Training.
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