Challenge
Create a short promotional video for your impending website. Aim for at least 30 to 60 seconds of professional-looking documentary style filmmaking that would help introduce users to the content and mission of your site. Try to experiment with carefully edited still images and voice-over narration, but also feel free to branch out in other more ambitious directions if time allows.
Suggestions
Focus on three elements for a professional-looking video: (1) clear sound, (2) fast-paced and well-edited image selection, and (3) helpful opening and closing panels or musical introductions. In terms of content, just make sure to emphasize clarity. In video, simplicity and deft repetition are often the keys to delivering a successful message.
Production Tools
Here some video tutorials below that can help students prepare their filmmaking debut, but remember, you must first upload your video to a free cloud service, such as YouTube, and then embed it in a post or page at your website.
- Signing up for sites like YouTube ]is easy –and free– but does require you to pay attention to their various procedures for uploading. In this case, make sure to set your video or audio to PUBLIC viewing –at least until the assignment is evaluated. After that point, we will decide whether or not to publish via your course site. If not, then you can decide whether or not to keep your file online, or to delete it.
Windows MovieMaker tutorial (by Russ Allen, Dickinson College, Class of 2014)
iMovie tutorial (by Leah Miller, Dickinson College, Class of 2014)
Embedding YouTube Video in WordPress
You should also check out these FAQs pages from the House Divided Project, which provide a host of resources for the budding documentary filmmaker, including access to public domain images, music, sound effects and other tools:
Where can I find Public Domain Civil War Era Music?
Where can I find Images for Documentaries?
Does House Divided have any sound effects available? (Updated)
Where can I upload a Video?
How can I edit the audio for Documentaries?
Where can I download music for Documentaries?
How can I create Documentaries?