Here are this morning’s notes:

If using head phones with students, it might be good to purchase headphone splitters so that all can listen to sound. Also, if you have poor hearing, professional headphones are a must for hearing low audio levels, such as that recorded in a library.

Interesting Quotes
Scott says, “I’m going to talk to you like you’re from Mars and start from the beginning like you’ve never used iMovie before.”
Cindy says, “Up with beginners!”

The Message
People first, pedagogy, and then technology.

The Pedagogy
There are (at least) two different ways to teach technology. Scott prefers to lead everyone step-by-step so that everyone is on the same page and then turn everyone lose. On the other hand, Cindy prefers to turn people lose at the beginning to let them figure out where and how to get help and then clear things up step-by-step at the end. Since Scott is leading the workshop this morning and because we need to be really efficient this morning and get lots done, we’re using his method. If, we had some free time this morning, then Cindy’s way would be better and then we could go step-by-step at the end.

Learning iMovie
-attach video camera with Firewire (recorded tape from yesterday in video camera)
-Open iMovie
-Save things on the desktop to start
-Choose DV format (see note below)

NOTE:
If you’re not sure whether you shot in DV or 16:9 (widescreen), then choose to import video in DV or it will take a LONG time to import.

-Make sure that the blue screen shows in iMovie “Camera Connected.”
-Make sure it is in camera mode (camera mode is on left of slider and sissors are on right. Move it over to camera.
-Click rewind button to rewind tape

To import footage to iMovie
-Click import
The video that was shot will appear on screen. However much video you shoot, it will take exactly that long to import into iMovie. So, with students, it would be important to have them only shoot or import clips based on how much time you have.
-it should create lots of clips (whenever students power off camera, it creates another clip).
-if the camera does not create different clips, you can create clips by hitting the spacebar to stop and then click the spacebar to restart a new clip.

To work with clips
Click and drag to timeline (area under main screen)

You can rename clips if you want to identify what is on the clip

If clip is shaded in blue, it would just play that clip

The stuff to the right is the clip pane? (it’s like a file box or journal that is not part of the movie). The only stuff in the movie is what is moved to the bottom.

Splitting at the playhead
put the playhead (the down arrow) where you want to split, then select Edit > Split Video Clip at Playhead (or ctrl-click on the playhead and then you don’t have to go all the way to the top to Edit)

We’re writers, right?! Working with clips calls for arrangement and organization.

iMovie will not automatically empty iMovie’s trash can. (which is really, really good because then you can review clips you’ve trashed before you empty it permanently). iMovie’s trash can is at the bottom right of the iMovie .

The timeline is where you split from. The viewer is where you click to drag clips to the right side clip pane.

Effects
Choose effects on mid-bottom and you can click various effects and preview. Then “apply” if you want to apply it to the clip. Note: can undo if you’ve applied an effect that you don’t like. Or, you can go to Advanced and Revert Clip to Original.

Titles
drag a clip from the clip pane to the bottom row. click type, say centered and then type title. Then drag the effect to the clip you want to apply it to. Note: it keeps the original clip and creates a duplicate with the title effect.

To import an image into video
-File > Import > go find an image to import.
iMovie automatically applies the Ken Burns effect. Uncheck box if you don’t want effect. But, you choose the start and stop with the little sliders in the top right. You can also choose the duration of time with the tortise and the hare.

When the image comes in it becomes say, “frame 1″ so you’ll have to rename it.

To import audio
Import > Audio
Find audio file > Open

You can also click on the audio button to find clips in iTunes Library.

View > Show audio wave forms.

View > Show clip volume levels. Click somewhere on purple line and it makes yellow circles so you create the ability to increase or decrease volume levels.

NOTE: If you have a big sound file, you should bring it into audacity and then clip the piece you want and then import it into iMovie. It is just a little more efficient to do it this way as it prevents you iMovie from getting really huge! Also, it is good to layer audio with Audacity and use iMovie to assemble already layers you have already merged in iMovie.

How to extract audio from video
First, it might be a really good idea to copy a clip so that you have a clean version before you play with this and screw it up.

Click on clip to extract audio. Then, Advanced > Extract audio. Wait while it renders.
Then, there will be a purple row of audio under the video.

Click Show clip volume levels. Click on yellow dot and drag up to raise volume level of whole clip.

For the effect of talking over a beginning of a black title, when it finishes rendering, you can spit four seconds at the beginning of the clip. Then insert black title at beginning.

Lock audio at playhead to keep video and audio together at a point so that they don’t get all separated and screwed up from here on out since you’re separating audio and video.

To end session.
Save project.

The icon with the star on the desktop is the final version.

Open the Movies folder and drag it in. Then, here in class we’re using external hard drive with firewire. Make sure camera is disconnected (computer doesn’t like two firewire devices connected). Connect the firewire hard drive. double click on firewire drive on desktop. Create a new folder on hard drive and create a duplicate copy on hard drive. (Write external hard drive name on something so you’ll remember which one you’re using.) SAVE 20 minutes or so at end of session to do this. If movie is of any size, it will take a while to copy.

When you come in to the lab and want to work on it again. Connect the hard drive and drag it to the desktop to work on it again.

That’s it for now.