Broadcast News Production 101
In news and documentary work, the safest and most professional approach to handling controversial subject matter is to suppress your own views and biases and present both sides of the issue as fairly as possible. Give this quiz to your students to ensure they know everything they need to about the broadcast industry.
Image is Everything
Politicians, teachers, students and all individuals have a brand worth building and protecting. As owners of our brand, we portray ourselves to improve that public image rather than destroy it. There are three important reasons we should learn and teach branding and image concepts.
WARNING: Your Video Contains Copyrighted Material
I was prompted to write this article because school administrators kept mentioning to me they had been cited for having school related videos on YouTube that contained copyrighted music. In some cases, they were asked to remove the video or pay fines despite the fact that YouTube had allowed the video to remain published in certain countries. This came after the uploaded video was flagged as containing a copyright notice.
Social Butterflies: The Use and Misuse of Social Networks
When creating videos, podcasts and other media projects in which you have incorporated the copyrighted works of others, be sure not to let deadlines drive you to make decisions that will be costly. Once the work is published or released – it’s out there, and taking it back may be difficult or impossible.
10 Things You Should Know When Starting a Video Production Class
I find it interesting that a person has to be certified in math to teach math but that teachers with zero production experience often fill a highly technical class like video production. If you find yourself teaching morning news or video production, you must understand what the students need to know. Here’s how you can do it.
Ethical Considerations in Good Journalism
The pillars of journalism (accuracy, fairness, and objectivity) are among the major ethical considerations for those who work in the news industry. Additionally, there are ongoing debates over bias, objectivity, favoritism, and a number of other ethical issues.
Crash Course for Mixing Sound - Part 1
There are two indisputable rules to follow when mixing sound. When these rules are followed, you are guaranteed to have a mix that will seem flawless to your audience and keep them focused on the story rather than the technical aspects of the production. If your mix strays from these rules, stop what you are doing and start over again!
White Balance 101
White balance is a camera control that adjusts the camera's color sensitivity to match the prevailing color of outdoor light (cooler), indoor light (warmer) or fluorescent light (greener). On most cameras, white balance may be set either automatically or manually. On professional cameras, white balance can be set to match exactly the light source you're shooting with.
How to Get Media Permissions for Your Videos and Other Media
Media permissions are a very important part of the modern, digital age in which we live, and are an integral part of digital citizenship as creators of works that applies to us all. Following it as a procedure will not only protect your network, but will also prepare students in their careers. This applies whether you are seeking media permissions of someone else or granting permissions for your own image, brand or works to be used in a media format.
Piracy in Education
Illegally copying and distributing music CD’s or selling bootlegged DVD’s are no different than students using Limewire to share music files or teachers publishing free resources online that are licensed commodities of companies or publishers. It is important to bring awareness to this topic of piracy in education so that other teachers, students, parents and administrators can prevent piracy in their organizations.
Lesson Plan - Interviewing
In this mini-lesson, your students will work on their interviewing skills, and possibly move away from the question and answer interrogation, to a conversation in which their character tells stories from which great soundbites are born.
5 Back to School Video Ideas
Start the new semester off right with a friendly Welcome Video featuring staff, facilities, and exciting upcoming events. This would be a great opportunity to showcase your school’s distinct personality and mission statement as well as welcoming new students to your campus. Since filming on an iPad is simple and user-friendly, students and staff will have no trouble creating a friendly and unique video message.
How to be a Film Critic and Learn From It
This lesson plan is all about applying what you see by watching existing films to your own screenwriting projects. Let’s say you're an aspiring movie critic or you're assigned to write an essay for a film appreciation class. Understanding the elements inherent in this medium is as important as being able to articulate what you liked and didn’t like about a movie or television show’s content.
Lesson Plan - Creating a Student-Produced Weather Forecast
In this lesson plan, I will be walking you through the process of implementing a weather forecast video broadcast for your student run television production class.
Running Out of Project Ideas? Unique Broadcast Education Lessons
I feel strongly that different styles of production should be taught in the beginning along with camera and editing basics so when they make it to the advanced classes, they are well prepared to take on a variety of projects as they improve their technical skills. Here are some ideas to get you started.