After reading several articles during my Multimedia Video Technology Course, I chose three video editing software applications for my analysis. Adobe Premier Elements was recommended to us by our professor, Dr. Kay Abernathy, Windows Movie Maker is already loaded onto the computers on my campus, and Wax is a free, online software that I had never heard of. All three of them were mentioned in some of the articles I read this week. Of the three, I think that Movie Maker is my favorite.
Windows Movie Maker is a simple-to-use video editing software that teachers and students alike can use for projects. Adobe Premier Elements, while wonderful for more advanced users, may be overwhelming for a beginner or a middle schooler. There are many options and effects that can be used, including Hollywood-style themes, to make a very professional end product. Advanced users will love all of the options available. Wax seems pretty easy to use, however, since it is freeware, sometimes it can be unreliable. I had a trying time with downloading the software, since there were 4 links to places for downloading. Some of the links did not look very professional, and I was hesistant to trust them. I ended up downloading a version that had “debug” in front of it, and while it worked out okay, I will admit that I was nervous for my computer system!
Windows Movie Maker is a simple-to-use video editing software that teachers and students alike can use for projects. Adobe Premier Elements, while wonderful for more advanced users, may be overwhelming for a beginner or a middle schooler. There are many options and effects that can be used, including Hollywood-style themes, to make a very professional end product. Advanced users will love all of the options available. Wax seems pretty easy to use, however, since it is freeware, sometimes it can be unreliable. I had a trying time with downloading the software, since there were 4 links to places for downloading. Some of the links did not look very professional, and I was hesistant to trust them. I ended up downloading a version that had “debug” in front of it, and while it worked out okay, I will admit that I was nervous for my computer system!
Since I teach sixth grade, I feel that Windows Movie Maker is the software I would use in the classroom. Once you open the software to Movie Maker, the prompts are easy to follow and before you know it, you have created a video file. I imported my video photostory from last week’s assignment and within a few clicks, I had a new file ready to save to my computer, make a CD, share via email or the web, or send to a camera.
The strengths of the Movie Maker software include being able to import many file formats for video, audio, and images. The system is very intuitive, and it breaks it down into 4 main steps: capturing, editing, finishing, and sharing. The options available for transition and effects were enough for a beginner to be happy. It was also easy to adjust audio files so that it fit the mood of the story.
Weaknesses of Movie Maker include not being able to import mp4 files, however, this did not affect my decision to use it. Most mp4 files are not allowed, which is fine, considering copyright law. Movie Maker also does not have any preset images for use. Again, a beginner would appreciate the ease of importing his or her own material.
As a teacher, I would feel very comfortable introducing Movie Maker to my classes. "Media production demands writing and rewriting, research, group effort, and clarity of thought." (Garrison, 1999) Students will find it fun to be creative while showing mastery of content with such an easy-to-use video editing software option. The Help Menu is very user-friendly as well, and teachers and students will find that troubleshooting any issues will be easy by navigating the Help Menu. The only other pieces of equipment needed are a camera or video camera, and a microphone!
Click here for the table of strengths and weaknesses posted on my wiki.
Resource:
Garrison, A. (1999, Winter).Video basics and production projects for the classroom. Center for Media Literacy. Retrieved September 3, 2010, from http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article3.html.
No comments:
Post a Comment