1) The document provides tips for improving videos and photos, focusing on story, audio, lighting, and editing. 2) It emphasizes that story is key and to focus on telling your story effectively. 3) Specific tips include using external microphones for audio, controlling light sources, using three-point lighting, minimizing transitions, and practicing skills like editing.

1. Simple Hacks to Make Your Videos and Photos Better

2. Why is this important? Educators as story tellers. We have great stories but don’t work hard enough to tell them effectively. Reaching the heart of the learner. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23-24

3. Story Story is king! Almost every video tells some kind of a story. Focus on your story first. Use storyboards As you are going through production of your video keep asking yourself, “how does this help tell the story.”

4. Three Key Elements Audio Lighting Editing *We are not going to look at any of these elements exhaustively.

5. Audio A movie that sounds good will look better Try to get your mic as close to the speaker as possible. Make every effort to use external mics if possible. A lapel mic costs about $30

6. Audio Monitor your sound input if possible, if not, play back the video with your eyes closed. Use background music to build emotion but don’t let it overpower. Music should always support the story. http://vimeo.com/forums/topic:15630#comment_1723756

7. Lighting Good lighting can make a mediocre camera look good. Use light that you can control Three point lighting http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/three-point/simulator.html More light is going to make your video look better

8. Example of an image without enough light

9. Lighting for still cameras Again, more light the better. I prefer not to use flash unless it is needed. Bounce your flash

12. Editing Video Tools Windows Movie Maker iMovie Adobe Premiere Elements or Final Cut Express Tips Make your cuts shorter. (Longer is not better) Don’t use fancy transitions. Make sure that you edit angles, sound and zoom in camera not in post. If you utilize still photos give them motion. (ken burns effect) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNTiyRDhlRY

13. Editing Photos Tools Gimp Picasa 3 Tips Take good photos (there is only so much you can fix) Use a histogram to adjust lighting

14. Random Tips. Megapixels aren’t everything And zoom isn’t either HD is the future but you can do great things with SD Practice, practice and practice some more Utilize online communities.