No Series: Using Video to Improve Practice: Video 101

Using Video to Improve Practice: Video 101

Lesson Objective: Learn tips for recording video in your classroom
All Grades / All Subjects / Recording
5 MIN

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

  1. Which device might you use to record your teaching practice?
  2. Think about the lighting in your classroom. Where would be the best place recording location?
  3. How could you do a test run before recording a lesson?

26 Comments

  • Private message to Kim Moore

Thanks for sharing your tips! I was struggling with how to video my lesson but now I feel that success is in the future.

Recommended (0)
  • Private message to Angela Simpson
This is a good video and I think I just my try this before class to get some practice.
Recommended (0)
  • Private message to Laurene Colahan
This was great! I love his sense of humor. The tips he shared will be very helpful and he's absolutely correct about the kids being technologically advanced!! My 3 year old granddaughter knows how to work an iPad way better than I do!
Recommended (1)
  • Private message to Cyd Mathias
The video regarding video tips, by the professor at the San Francisco Academy of Art, was very helpful. I will use his tips when taking videos in my classroom.
Recommended (0)

Transcripts

  • GRAPHICS ON SCREEN
    Using Video To Improve Practice: Video 101

    Richard Hart VO Hi, I'm Richard Hart. And I'm recording

    GRAPHICS ON SCREEN
    Using Video To Improve Practice: Video 101

    Richard Hart VO Hi, I'm Richard Hart. And I'm recording myself on a device like something...

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    Richard Hart Teacher And TV Host

    ...you might use in your own classroom. I'm a teacher, but I'm also a television recorder specializing in media technology. And that's what I teach here at Academy of Art University. More of us than ever are finding really good reasons to use video to record what happens in our classrooms.

    Female With Brown Hair VO Who can raise their hand and tell me they think they know where the climax goes? Where does the climax go on here?

    Richard Hart OC/VO Now the new tools like this one have made it less expensive and easier to do that, but it's more than the technology. It really doesn't matter what you use these days. You could use your phone or you could use an old flip camera like this one, the one that started it all. Here's one made by Kodak that's used by many students. This is a classic action camera, the Gold Pro. And you can use your phone, too. And let's not forget the new tablets like this iPad. None of this costs a lot of money.

    Richard Hart OC This camera or phone is resting on a tripod that costs less than the price of admission to a movie. So no matter what you use, it doesn't matter. The tips we're about to show you apply to everything. First, let's talk about where to put the camera.

    GRAPHICS ON SCREEN
    Location Location Location

    Richard Hart OC Take a look at this. I'm near a window with a really bright exterior scene. That's why I kind of look like I'm in witness protection. Video cameras...

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    Tip: The Light Shouldn't Be Behind The Subject

    ...don't handle simultaneous really bright spots and really dark spots in the same shot. So if you run into this situation, either move the camera as we're doing now...

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    Tip: Use Light By Moving Either Camera...Or Subject

    ...or move the subject to a better location.

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    Record

    Richard Hart OC/VO Now this might seem dumb or obvious, but don't forget to press the record button. I've seen it happen hundreds, it's happened to me. You get home after class and you have one of those head slappers. Duh, I forgot to press the button. So do whatever...

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    Tip: Don't Forget To Press Record! Write It On The Board!

    ...you have to do. Put a big sign up on the board that reminds you to record. Or make a student responsible to remind you. But whatever it takes, don't forget to press the red button, record.

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    Audio

    Richard Hart OC When you're recording someone speaking, get the camera as close as you can.

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    Tip: Move Close While Still Getting The Visuals You Need

    These little cameras are not designed to be really good audio, so the closer you get the better it is. Compare what I'm saying right now close to the camera with what I'm saying now farther away from the camera. Notice the difference? For good sound, get close.

    GRAPHICS ON SCREEN
    Aspect Ratio

    Richard Hart OC Often in concerts and other events, you'll see people who'll hold up their phones or cameras this way to take a picture. That's a bad idea for a video. From YouTube to television, it's...

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    Tip: The Correct Aspect For Video Is Horizontal

    ...always a horizontal world. So you're going to want to make sure to hold your camera horizontally. If you don't, you're going to have to be creative in how to fix that. And believe me, none of the results are pretty. So you got to hold it properly.

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    Steady Zoom Pan

    Richard Hart OC Probably the most common trouble with lightweight cameras is a shaky camera.

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    Tip: Steady On There!

    They're really hard to hold steady because they're so light. So either use a tripod or if you have to hold it, hold it close to your body to keep it steady. And speaking of moving the camera, it's okay to pan like this occasionally. But don't do it too fast.

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    Tip: No Swish Pans!

    This is called a swish pan and it can be really disorienting. Almost as disorienting as zooming too much. Be very judicious...

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    Tip: Avoid Too Much Zooming

    ...with the use of zooms. And in fact there's nothing wrong with not zooming at all. The idea is to keep this steady so your audience stays steady.

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    Viewing Your Video

    Richard Hart OC When you're finished, all of these devices will allow you to check your video on the screen. But it's a better idea to get this into a computer as soon as possible. And better yet...

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    Tip: Back Up Your Videos!

    ...save it on another hard disk drive. You don't want to accidentally lose any material. You can directly connect many cameras with a USB connector.

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    Tip: Connect To Your Computer

    Or phones all plug into your computer. And most of the time you can also take the memory card out of the device and put it directly into a reader in your computer. All of these things are not expensive. They're a wonderful way to document what happens in your classroom. They're great for teacher development and they're also not very expensive. Everything that you saw, this entire movie, was shot on the same devices we're talking about. So you don't need to hire a professional camera operator or audio technician. You can do it yourself. And if you get stuck, ask one of the kids. They're likely to know.

    Richard Hart OC And that's what I teach here at Academy of Art University. Wow, was that good. That was perfect.

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    Tch Teaching Channel

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    Special Thanks To Richard Hart, Jan Yanehiro And The Academy Of Art University In San Francisco, California