Category: Digital Media Studio

Exporting from iMovie (08 or 09) to YouTube

It seems increasingly popular for professors at AU to assign video projects to their classes. One professor even explained to me that after the final they have a mini-film festival of all the videos the students had done as projects. Another professor explained an assignment he gives where he asks his students to put their … Continue reading “Exporting from iMovie (08 or 09) to YouTube”

It seems increasingly popular for professors at AU to assign video projects to their classes. One professor even explained to me that after the final they have a mini-film festival of all the videos the students had done as projects. Another professor explained an assignment he gives where he asks his students to put their work on YouTube. The class then has to look at everyone else’s videos and make comments on the content. To be sure it’s a neat way to use to the Internet for educational advantage. And YouTube is simple enough to use. But what about getting your movie out of iMovie and ready for a YouTube uplaod. How do you do that?

Like this:

Please note that this tutorial only applies to iMovies 08 and 09.

Are there any special effects in iMovie HD?

Oh yeah, there are lots. Check this video out from an intrepid editor: A lot of the stuff you see here are actually not special effects from the iMovie HD program and are just simple editing tricks you can do in iMovie. For example, when the character vanishes completely @ 0:37, it’s simply a matter … Continue reading “Are there any special effects in iMovie HD?”

Oh yeah, there are lots.

Check this video out from an intrepid editor:
A lot of the stuff you see here are actually not special effects from the iMovie HD program and are just simple editing tricks you can do in iMovie. For example, when the character vanishes completely @ 0:37, it’s simply a matter of filming himself in the background and then the background by itself and then inter-cutting the two.
But what about that lightening effect?
That’s actually a special effect from the application. Check it:
Try to be patient with this kid… You will actually learn how to do the effect…

How to Use HandBrake

HandBrake is free software available for Mac and PC that can assist in the circumvention of professional copyright protection measures on published media. Before proceeding with this tutorial or any other act which proposes to circumvent any copyright protection measures it is a good idea to take a look at the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright … Continue reading “How to Use HandBrake”


HandBrake is free software available for Mac and PC that can assist in the circumvention of professional copyright protection measures on published media. Before proceeding with this tutorial or any other act which proposes to circumvent any copyright protection measures it is a good idea to take a look at the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) and the “anti-circumvention exemptions” it provides. If the purpose of your actions is not found in the DMCA it may be that what you are attempting is illegal; tread carefully here.

This tutorial can assist you in using HandBrake to rip legally-defined clips from various media for educational or critical purposes:
Please note that Media Services staff CANNOT assist you in any act which attempts to break copyright measures.

DMS Help – Extra Cool Websites for Inspiration

One of the hardest things about web design is trying to decide on what you want your site to look like. It’s true that some of the coding and development can be hairy, but the design can be just as difficult. So here’s some inspiration for you. This first list is a group of rather … Continue reading “DMS Help – Extra Cool Websites for Inspiration”

One of the hardest things about web design is trying to decide on what you want your site to look like. It’s true that some of the coding and development can be hairy, but the design can be just as difficult.

So here’s some inspiration for you.
This first list is a group of rather amazing websites. Many of them employ Flash and other bells and whistles. While some of these may seem to be well beyond your skill level, they nonetheless employ excellent design aesthetics. You can learn from these.
This list is a litany of much simpler sites. Many of these can be done with simple Dreamweaver templates. See our previous blog entries for more on Dreamweaver templates.

Todd’s Tips – Learn HTML and CSS. Now!

Kind of a sad state of affairs, no? I think one thing we can take away from this image is the idea that there are so many WYSIWYG applications out there that actually writing HTML code has become a sort of lost art. But it shouldn’t be. HMTL (Hypertext Markup Language) and its companion CSS … Continue reading “Todd’s Tips – Learn HTML and CSS. Now!”

Kind of a sad state of affairs, no? I think one thing we can take away from this image is the idea that there are so many WYSIWYG applications out there that actually writing HTML code has become a sort of lost art.

But it shouldn’t be.
HMTL (Hypertext Markup Language) and its companion CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) are essential for creating high-quality websites. While the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) applications like Dreamweaver and Front Page can take you a long way, when you really need to alter the page in a minute way to fit your awesome idea, you’re gonna need HTML and CSS.
Let me explain…
A web browser, like the one you’re using now to read this, is built to read HMTL. At least, that was the original idea. HTML allows you to upload text (Hypertext) to the net. In the beginning one could only do the bare minimum of formatting with barebones HTML. But, after a while, CSS came along. CSS is a scripting language that acts on HMTL elements in a page. It can add a number of attributes such as color, size and most importantly positioning. Moreover, it can also be used to position Java Script objects, Flash files and other, more interactive elements. So as of right now the basic developmental elements of a web page are its HMTL base and a linked CSS file that tells all those HTML elements where to go.
So, in order for you to create the best web pages you can, you need to learn these things. And here’s where you can start:
More Basic HTML Tutorials – This website might look crappy, but that’s because it uses no CSS. Despite this, you’ll find that the tutorials are very good at explaining the basics of HTML.
Also, there are a large number of tutorials on HTML and CSS as well as other web-scripting languages such as Action Script, Java Script, PHP, Ajax and Cold Fusion on Lynda.com.

DMS Help – Dreamweaver Templates

This time of year a lot of faculty offer their students the option to create a website instead of writing a final paper. But creating a website from scratch can be a very daunting task for the uninitiated. All that code. All those pages. One way to get around this it to use Google Sites … Continue reading “DMS Help – Dreamweaver Templates”

This time of year a lot of faculty offer their students the option to create a website instead of writing a final paper. But creating a website from scratch can be a very daunting task for the uninitiated. All that code. All those pages.

One way to get around this it to use Google Sites to make a code-less webpage. The problem with Google Sites is it’s gonna look like you used Google Sites. There are templates, but some are hard to manipulate…
Another, much simpler option, is to use a Dreamweaver template and then simply plug in your own content. Dreamweaver does have a few templates built in, but they are not very exciting. However, these sites have a large number of really nice and FREE Dreamweaver templates that you can download right to your computer:
Also, don’t forget that we have Dreamweaver CS5 down in the Digital Media Studio on the first floor of the library.

DMS Help – Adobe TV Brings You the Newest and Best of Adobe

It can be hard to keep up with all of Adobe’s product updates and new version features. But now you can. Adobe TV has a myriad of videos that will keep you up-to-date on your Adobe products. But that’s not all. There are also a number of tutorials on how to use all of the … Continue reading “DMS Help – Adobe TV Brings You the Newest and Best of Adobe”

It can be hard to keep up with all of Adobe’s product updates and new version features. But now you can.

Adobe TV has a myriad of videos that will keep you up-to-date on your Adobe products. But that’s not all. There are also a number of tutorials on how to use all of the different Adobe products. Most of them are in the “getting-started” range, but there are some higher-level tutorials as well.
What’s also cool about Adobe TV is the fact that you can create your own “homepage” of sorts. You create an account, tell the site what products you use and it creates a custom page for you with videos and tutorials that are specific to your needs.

DMS Help – Action Script 3.0 Tutorials for Flash

One of the most difficult things about using Flash can be adding interactivity. Animation is easy, more so in Flash than After Effects. But when it comes in interactivity in Flash users often find themselves quickly mired in Action Script. Adobe’s latest iteration of Action Script, 3.0, is nearly a misnomer. Gone are the days … Continue reading “DMS Help – Action Script 3.0 Tutorials for Flash”

One of the most difficult things about using Flash can be adding interactivity. Animation is easy, more so in Flash than After Effects. But when it comes in interactivity in Flash users often find themselves quickly mired in Action Script.

Adobe’s latest iteration of Action Script, 3.0, is nearly a misnomer. Gone are the days of a simple scripting language. Action Script 3.0 is a fully-functional object-oriented programming language with a robustness akin to Java. While this does offer tremendous power to Flash developers, it also adds a much steeper learning curve.
But here’s a solution. If you need Action Script 3.0 advice and solving a particular programming or interactivity problem, check out this website: Flash and Math. The site houses dozens of tutorials explaining not only how to accomplish specific effects such as developing a particle system but also how to learn to program in Action Script 3.0.

Todd’s Tips – Learn to Shoot Good Video

Have you ever felt like this when you finish a video? Felt like you’re carrying the corpse of your dead idea? Editing can obviously be a big part of making a good video, but before you ever even get to the editing suite, there’s a lot you can do to make your video amazing. You … Continue reading “Todd’s Tips – Learn to Shoot Good Video”

Have you ever felt like this when you finish a video? Felt like you’re carrying the corpse of your dead idea?

Editing can obviously be a big part of making a good video, but before you ever even get to the editing suite, there’s a lot
you can do to make your video amazing. You can shoot it well.

Now, for non-film students this might seem like a daunting challenge; without access to high-end video cameras or fancy lighting equipment high-quality shooting seems like a pipe dream. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few simple tips for shooting good quality video for your class projects with an emphasis on shooting interviews.
These tips are perfect for the Flip UltraHD and Kodak Zi-8 camcorders we have available in Media Services.
1) Use a Tripod. For serious. Nothing detracts from video like shakiness that shouldn’t be there. Don’t have one? No problem. You can always prop the camcorder on something. The goal here is steadiness.
2) Pay attention to your framing. Framing is the process of moving the camera (or subject) such that the subject is positioned in a dynamic, appealing way. What does that mean? It means using the “rule of thirds.”
Basically the rule of thirds splits the frame into three sets of horizontal spaces and three sets of vertical spaces. Where these thirds meet might be considered sweet spots. Like this:
Also notice here that this fellow is facing toward the part of the frame in which there is MORE space. This is called “nose-room.” Imagine if he were facing to the right instead? He would look seriously jammed against the side.
Finally, see how the top of his head is cut off a bit by the top of the frame. That’s called “head-room.” It’s generally ok to cut off the top bit or let a subject’s head have a touch of space between it and top of the frame. Go lower than that and it’ll look like the poor fellow is about to fall out of the bottom of the frame.
So when you set up your shot, take your time and make sure it looks appealing.
3) Light Your Subject. Even if you just tilt the shade of a lamp a bit to brighten up your subject’s face, do so.

Or you could use a reflector to reflect some local ambient light onto your subject. And this is as simple as stretching some aluminum foil over some cardboard. Like the one to the left.
Believe me, it makes a huge difference. But lighting is a huge subject in itself. So checkout Videomaker magazine’s website. They have a massive repository of educational articles and videos. Here are the ones on lighting.
4) Finally, and perhaps most important, test your gear before you get to your shoot. Make sure it works and you know how to work it.
Here’s the link to the main teaching section of Videomaker’s website. There are sections on pre-production, production and post-production. All are worth spending a bit of time on, even if you are only doing a short piece for your Anthropology class.

DMS Help – iMovie ’09 Tutorials from Apple

As we add iMovie ‘o9 to our repertoire of software in the Digital Media Studio it becomes clear that we have a serious lack of tutorials available for iMovie ’09. So here are some, direct from the source. Check out these video tutorials from Apple on using iMovie ’09.

As we add iMovie ‘o9 to our repertoire of software in the Digital Media Studio it becomes clear that we have a serious lack of tutorials available for iMovie ’09.

So here are some, direct from the source. Check out these video tutorials from Apple on using iMovie ’09.