“Even with all these possibilities, the most difficult part
of crafting a video/multimedia text—as with crafting a print-based text—is knowing
not only what to put in but what to leave out.”
–Troy Hicks (Crafting Digital Writing, p 110)
When we speak, we can use as many words, phrases, hand
motions we need to get our point across.
In writing, it is not as simple since there is often a word limit or
just the fact that most people these days do not want to read an excessive
amount. The information we put in and
the way we put it can make or break a text.
Same goes for videos. If the
speaker rambles, if too many visual effects are used, or if the video is
overwhelming, it can lose its purpose. “You
can put in transitions, sound effects, and captions, for instance, but are
these the best media elements to help tell your story?” (Hicks, 110).
I think having the resource to include all these elements
can make students want to use every single one.
Even as I was recreating my video, I had a difficult time trying to
decide what effects to use or leave out.
Since I was learning how to use the media, I wanted to show my skills
and put all of them into my video in some way.
Obviously I knew, from reading the chapter that using all of the editing
tools would not necessarily create the best video. I withheld and tried to choose media that
would complement the video footage I was using. The MAPS heuristic helped me think about who my audience was and what purpose it had. You can view my video below:
The critical part of making a video is deciding what to use
and what to leave out. The students
should look at their videos in a strategic manner, determining what would be
the most appropriate effect (if any) for a particular shot. The list on page 111 of the text gives a list
of effects that could be used and questions to ask to find out if each would be
beneficial to use to create a certain feel.
Some effects do not even have to be edited in; framing, lighting, and audio
are great tools to use as well. These
days, so many people have smart phones with a camera readily available. Students can use their smart phones to create
awesome videos. Here is a link to help
students learn how to frame shots and use appropriate techniques when
filming.
Sources:
Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
I really liked the beginning of your video. I, too, had a difficult time trying to figure out what to leave out of my presentation. When I made the original, I only recorded myself speaking, so I had to keep adding information or speaking slower to make the video fit the length requirement. Hicks (2013) reminds us to use transitions, music, other media, etc. only if it helps the purpose of the video. The elements you used, especially the panning of photos at the beginning, really help enhance your video and tell your story.
ReplyDeleteHicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
I experienced challenges as well when trying to make decisions regarding my video resubmission. One of the ideas I learned was to think of my video creation as writing and put it on paper first. " Penny Kittle (2010) describes her students moving recursively from writing in their notebook to composing a digital video: 'We write in notebooks at the start of class the next day: take one part of your movie and craft that scene into words, I say. Use all of your skills as a writer to make that image lie on the page' (Hicks 2013, p. 110). This suggestion made it very helpful in my decision in editing my current video instead of creating a new one. I wrote down what I wanted to keep in and what I wanted to take out. Then after selecting my video media and looking through my options, helped me to decide what I wanted to add to it and make it different by considering the MAPS.
ReplyDeleteHicks, T. (2013). Crafting Digital Writing: Composing Texts Across Media and Genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
That should be quoted as (Hicks 2013, p.105).
Delete