How to make a video presentation

In the last couple of years, professors have embraced alternative methods of teaching that are more fun and interactive for the students. You will notice that in some of your courses, professors will require students to create a video instead of an oral presentation. For example, in HIS 240: History and Heritage, students are tasked with working in teams to produce a “Moments in Time” video that commemorates or explores a particular historical event or person that is part of a country’s history and heritage.

However, not all students have previous knowledge regarding video editing or the skills, so it could be daunting to take such a challenge. Here is a little guide to hopefully get you on the right track.

Video editing suites in the LLC

You should know that ITS has video editing suites in the basement of the LLC which are bookable by students, staff, and faculty members.

The editing suites have the following equipment installed:

• A 27” iMac pro
• A second 27” screen
• A 24 TB (terabytes) external video storage
• Devices to allow you to connect any form of external storage you may bring with you
• A top-quality voiceover microphone

The following software is included on the computers:

• Final Cut Pro
• DavinciResolve
• Screenflow (screencast recorder)
• Motion
• Color

ITS Helpdesk:
Located on the main floor of the Library Learning Commons
819-822-9600 ext. 2273
helpdesk@ubishops.ca

Free Editing Software

If you wish to work on your video at home, there are certain free software programs you can use for your project.

Some students opt to use Vimeo to create videos (https://vimeo.com/create). Users can choose from available templates and stock footage and songs. The downside is if you don’t pay for a subscription you are left with a watermark on your video. It might also be difficult to figure out how to add your own recordings or to record directly onto it, although it’s not impossible.

Then, there is Windows Movie Maker for Windows computers which you may have to download if your computer does not already have it pre-installed. It is a bit outdated compared to other software but it should be easy enough to use.

For Apple users, iMovie should come pre-installed on their computers. iMovie does not exist for Windows, so be careful not to install sketchy programs that claim to do that.

For both iOS, Windows and Linux, Davinci Resolve from Blackmagicdesign (https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/ca/products/davinciresolve/) is the best free and most professional option one can use for their videos. They offer a paid version but the free version is more than enough. It simply needs to be installed from their website. The downside is that it might take a couple of extra hours to figure out how it works and it can be daunting with all the features, but it is the most professional option available. There are many useful YouTube tutorials for beginners and for simple editing that can help you.

Sound Quality

To record sound, you can do it with your phone and headphones. Most new phones have great microphones, but headphones with a hanging microphone should work well too. Most phones should have a recording application pre-installed on them which you can use to record. You can then transfer that file to your computer and add it to your video editing software.

A free application to record sound on your computer, that works for iOS, Windows and Linux, is Audacity (https://www.audacityteam.org/). You also have to download the application and it might take a bit of figuring out how it works. Once again, there are a lot of easy YouTube tutorials to guide you. You can record directly onto the app and it is recommended you use an external microphone for this since most computer microphones are not the best quality. So headphones with a microphone should work fine.

Additional tips

• With whatever software you download make sure you are downloading directly from the company and not a proxy website.
• It is always best to try to have the best and most clear audio. A low video quality can be overlooked with most people still being able to enjoy the video if the audio is clear. Make sure to record your sound with no disturbances. Ask your parents or roommates to be quiet for the time you’re recording (microphones can be very sensitive and will pick up background noise). Close your door and windows to avoid outside disturbance. If police sirens or garbage trucks are passing by your house pause the recording and wait for the sound to stop. Background noise will decrease the quality of your video and it is very distracting to students.
• During editing, make sure to increase the volume of your audio. If you are working with different students who might have a quieter voice, it is best to increase the volume to match the rest of the audio so the sound doesn’t fluctuate throughout, which can be distracting to students.
• If you cannot meet with your teammates in person to record video or sound, then the students can transfer to the person in charge of editing their files. The easiest way to transfer is by using WeTransfer (https://wetransfer.com/). If the file is too large and it cannot be uploaded onto WeTransfer, try zipping the file first and then send it. Files can be directly transferred from your phone too, so if your recording or video is on your phone, simply go onto the site and send it that way. If your professor requires you to upload it to Moodle but the file is too large, you can also WeTransfer them your file, or upload the video onto YouTube and send it as a link.
• There are sites you can use stock footage or photos or songs for free for your videos. Always try to avoid copyrighted material by using photos or videos in the public domain. If you have a hard time finding copyright free material then make sure to source them correctly within the video. Most Wikimedia Commons material is in the public domain.
• If you wish to use music in the video you can, but make sure the volume is not too loud that it becomes hard to hear the narration. Sometimes it is best to omit background music. Also make sure that the songs are in the public domain. YouTube Studio has a bank of copyright free songs you can use in your videos without needing to give credit.
• When you are recording with headphones that have a hanging microphone, please do not bring the microphone to your mouth. It is not pleasant to hear. The microphone is at a perfect distance. Unless your microphone is not working properly, then you should not fiddle with it.
• During editing, always make sure you are saving your file every couple of minutes so you don’t lose your work!
• Make sure you render your video in the highest quality available.

Finally, you should begin your project in advance. Do not start editing the night before it is due, in case there are problems with the rendering of the video (i.e. the exporting). Sometimes (a lot of times) technology is unreliable and your computer or editing software can crash. Make sure you restart or turn off your computer for a few minutes after rendering your video to give it time to cool a little. Sometimes computers get headaches too and need a break, as do you. Take breaks every hour from your screen to stretch or go for a walk.