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March, 2008 |
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Shoot, Edit, Inspire! |
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By Bill Davis Part One - The Concept When I was a kid, “video” was TV. And TV was the ABC, CBS and NBC networks on a console in the living room. Back then, the idea that an individual, even a wealthy one, could produce, edit and display their own visual creations to the world was laughable. Well, nobody’s laughing today. Today’s students are surrounded by video—omnipresent screens in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, retail stores, restaurants, and lately in their own pockets in the form of video-capable cell phones, PSPs and iPods. They live in a world of digital storytelling and personal expression, the stuff that’s made MySpace, YouTube and Facebook household names. So it stands to reason that as soon as they learn they can take their camcorder and personal computer and make their own content, they're on it. And why not? They love the power and excitement of making their own mini-movies. But they also learn quickly that getting acceptable results isn’t particularly intuitive. And, as in so much of life, getting acceptable results is one of the primary things that makes all the work worthwhile. So, what are the fundamentals they need? One area of good news is that in modern digital video production, it’s no longer a matter of access to quality equipment. Modern camcorders—even the modest ones that schools can expect to have available—are perfectly capable of producing results that only TV stations could hope to achieve a decade or so ago. And every modern computer comes equipped with editing capability and the software you need. So what’s missing? Skills. Fundamental instruction in the art of camerawork, lighting, sound recording and editing. As pervasive and popular as video creation is today—there’s little in the way of resources and skill training available. I know this because over the years I have taught scores of seminars on basic and advanced video techniques. My classes are always packed with teachers trying to get the skills they needed to simply get ahead of the students they are charged with teaching. So take heart. Maybe I can help. In a series of short articles titled Camcorder Classroom: Shoot, Edit, Inspire, I’m going to do my best to help YOU, and other School Video News subscribers, help your students elevate their visual storytelling—putting them on the path to mastery of these exciting new tools: camcorders, lights, microphones, (and yes, even pen and paper!) These articles will be YOUR tools to make that happen. It’s going to be fun. I promise. Bill Davis is a video professional with more than two decades experience producing, writing, shooting, and editing video. He spent 10 years as Contributing Editor at Videomaker Magazine and conducts seminars and lectures nationwide on the art and craft of videomaking. Bill is the author and producer of the Videocraft Workshop series of video editing training programs, including the START EDITING NOW! Classroom Workshop Edition, available in the SVN On-line Store. You can reach Bill at
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