Category Archives: Reviews of Science Videos

I analyze my own and others’ science videos in order to better understand what makes a good (and bad) science video. We improve by constantly assessing our work and that of other practitioners. By identifying key criteria in science videos, I develop protocols that, if followed, will improve your science videography.

A Real World Test of the iPad to Shoot a Video II

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In the last post, I began describing my experience using the iPad to shoot and edit video.  This was my first movie project with the iPad in a “field” setting.  The previous videos were done in a controlled setting (my home office).

So, how did things go in the real world where you don’t have so much control over your surroundings and subjects?  You never know whether there will be problems with background noise or shy interviewees who are self-conscious on camera.  Well, it went better than expected.  There was quite a bit of background noise to contend with, as you might imagine at a conference. However, I got around some of that by scheduling interviews in quiet corners away from the crowds. Of course, I wanted to capture some of the noise and activity surrounding the meeting events, so I did try some interviews in the midst of loud crowd scenes.

I was surprised at how well the microphone on the iPad picked up my subject’s voice in spite of the background noise.  However, I ended up having to import those clips to my full iMovie version on my computer to decrease the background noise and enhance my subject’s voice.  These expanded options are not available on the iPad version of iMovie.  All you can do is raise or lower the audio on the clip, but this will raise the volume of the background noise along with the desired audio track. I may do a tutorial later to show how to enhance an audio track (e.g., someone’s voice) while dampening the background noise (using iMovie 11).

Another thing I noticed with the iPad is that it was easy to accidentally cover the mic openings with my hand, especially when my attention was diverted toward dealing with my interview subject.  So I had to be careful how I held the iPad while shooting video.  If you make this mistake, it will definitely muffle your audio, rendering your interview useless.  This has never been an issue with my camcorders, which are designed for capturing video and audio.

In the next post, I’ll continue my critique.

A Real World Test of the iPad to Shoot Video I

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I decided to try out my iPad and iMovie app in a real world situation this week.  I wanted to make a video about some aspect of a conference I attended (SWS/INTECOL) this week in Orlando.  There were several options, but I settled on a video about the SWS Undergraduate Mentoring Program. I was participating as a mentor and was able to do a few interviews with my iPad and additionally shoot some of the events and activities.

Here are my observations regarding the iPad and iMovie app.  I found it convenient to use my iPad to shoot video and stills  because I also used my iPad to take notes during sessions as well as carry the conference schedule (electronic version) and have access to the Internet even when there was no wireless available.  I did not have to lug around a camcorder plus computer plus notebook plus  meeting schedule book. It was all on my iPad.

If I ran into someone I wanted to interview, I was able to whip out my iPad and shoot away.  It was also convenient to shoots clips directly into the iMovie timeline.  The trick was to shoot short clips that could more easily be manipulated or deleted later without having to scrub through long  clips looking for a specific  section.

The downside was that I found it awkward to hold the iPad steady and position the camera lens where I was comfortable and could see my subject.  See these brief clips illustrating what I mean:

I found myself yearning for my Sanyo Xacti, which I can handle with one hand like a pistol (in fact that’s what it looks like) and can hold as steady as a rock.  Granted, I did not practice much beforehand with positioning my iPad for doing interviews….compared with the time I’ve spent shooting interviews with a camcorder.  Although I did not try this approach, I think a possible solution would be to set up your iPad on a stand on a table with the lens facing the subject.  You could then be in the scene I if you chose to without worrying about a wobbly camera.  Of course, you may be going for  that unsteady effect and want some camera movement.

In upcoming posts, I’ll continue my critique of the iPad camera and the iMovie app as well as conclude my series of tutorials.