3D Printing Camera Gear & Accessories
Camera gear and accessories have a tendency to break the bank. As a teacher or student, working within a small budget forces you to compromise on the type of gear you afford. When you’re working with a tight budget, you can 3D print camera gear and accessories instead!
Streaming is Now a Felony
Sunday, Congress passed the newest stimulus package and I’ll admit my understanding of politics isn’t much than being a bill on capitol hill and the research I do about 2 weeks before I vote. I do know that with every “package” there are things you don’t want… unless it’s bubble wrap.
How To Archive and Keep Your Projects Searchable
There was a time I would archive all raw footage and an uncompressed MOV file, but the reality is that 99 percent of the time, I never need to access all of that. We mainly archive in an MP4 format, so that helps reduce the size of our storage needs.
How To Name Your Files To Streamline Your Video Project
Are you looking for a suitable method of tracking projects for grading and archiving? Here is a standard of practice I developed for our students about ten years ago that drastically improved our workflow process. With hundreds of projects, shows, and events being produced each year, we needed a better system in place, and it had to start with project naming.
How to Find the Perfect Monologue
While school drama departments and community theaters across the country are currently on hiatus, what better time to hone your acting chops than by identifying and practicing monologues you can use for future auditions and sizzle reels?
Veteran Documentary - The Best Production Project
You get to do so many great projects with students when you run a video productions and broadcast journalism program. News packages highlight some of the exciting things happening in your school and community, music videos bring out everyone's creative side, short films generate some unique narratives, and live sports provide a rush that is hard to beat. We have all of these forms of production going on at Hoover High School in North Canton, Ohio, in what we call our NCtv Media program, and it makes for an excellent comprehensive education.
Coffee, Tea, or Earbuds?
Half the job of an editor is working with sound. If you have students editing in a computer lab, you are probably having them use headphones when they are at their computer. We decided to eliminate the over-the-ear cans that students were sharing (yuck) and opted for earbuds.
How To Make the Fake Blood From The Evil Dead!
The Evil Dead is one of the best horror films of the 20th century. It is iconic, campy, and filled with blood. The 1981 American supernatural classic was written and directed by Sam Raimi and it stars the most famous B movie actor of all time --Bruce Campbell. If you are interested in making a short horror movie this is a great place to start. Bruce Campbell spills it all and shows us how to make his infamous fake blood that actually shows up well on camera.
What Do SD Cards and Pawn Stars Have in Common?
Media content is like gold, so it is frustrating to lose it after filming. Whether you work with a small group of students in your video club, or you have several classes of 25 students in each, you need a good system of managing your media cards.
Learn Easy Video Production and Streaming With This Free Book: The Unofficial Guide to vMix
Video production can have a steep learning curve for someone just getting started. With back-to-school in full swing, we know that teachers don’t have time to read a full guide to video production and streaming. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a concise solution to streamline your video production and streaming efforts so you can quickly get up and running creating content? Well, we have found it!
Keeping Track of Camera Gear for Your Video Classes
During my first year of teaching, I sent a camera back to Sony for repair. When it was shipped back to the school, it was delivered to the main office. The principal called me to let me know it had arrived. I said I would send a student down to pick it up and bring it back to the studio. The principal replied, “Are you sure you trust a student to do that?” True story.
Workflow Pro: Creating an Effective Teaching and Video Workflow
Tt's easy to see that the key to being a successful editor is workflow. And if you work in education, let's add to this scenario 50 to 100 students who will also be editing their project footage in your lab. This series provides you with some workflow strategies that make life easier.
Make Online Learning Easier With This Free Book: Technology Tools for Online Education
In the next few years, education will continue to undergo rapid change. Given the sudden transition to distance learning, teachers and students alike have found it hard to adjust to the new learning environment and all of the technology that goes along with it.
Avoid “Zoom Bombing” K12 Remote Class Sessions
As the COVID-19 school closings hit last year a new term, “zoom bombing,” was quickly coined. This is when uninvited participants enter a Zoom©, Google Meet©, or similar remote class session and cause disruption. This can happen when a student intentionally shares the class invite code or it becomes unintentionally known to others. Here’s a better alternative designed for schools.
Why School Newsrooms Are Moving To PTZ Workflows
A school tv-station needs to reflect and emulate real-world studios in an effort to realistically prepare students for the workforce. Since the late 1990s, there has been an upswing of PTZ camera-based newsrooms popping up all over the world. Following suit, schools have also been switching to PTZ workflows. PTZ-based school newsrooms offer high-quality video, use the same technology as the professionals, and increase consistency and efficiency.
Q&A: How To Hone Your Skills As An Interviewer
Why is it that late night talk-show hosts can make their conversations with guests sound so effortless? How are news commentators able to cut to the chase on controversial topics? If you found yourself in an elevator with a celebrity you admire, what’s the one question you could ask to leave an indelible impression?
Three Steps To Starting Your School’s Radio Station
School radio creates one of the most interesting communities a student can find around campus. From the cool parties, music appreciation, and development of soft-skills, to the excitement and thrills that come with live air production, the radio is a very important outlet for students.
Must-Have Affordable Camera Gear for Beginners
The hardest thing about being a student filmmaker is not having the gear you need to start working on your craft. You are so eager to get started, but you don’t have anything to do so. Maybe you have the advantage of using your school’s gear for your projects, but you finally decide it’s time to start investing in your own because you don’t want to borrow anymore.
Unboxing SmallHD Focus 5" On-Camera Monitor
Watch as Stream Semester Unboxes the SmallHD Focus 5" On-Camera Monitor and walks you through the details for educators and student filmmakers. Let us know in the comments what you think of the monitor! We love it!
Westmark School Gets Brand New Production Studio
The Westmark School is now operating with a fully functional professional production studio, thanks to TV Pro Gear, NewTek, Panasonic, and Fujinon. Based in Encino, CA, Westmark serves students with language disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia.