Some time ago, I promised a tutorial on iMovie 11, and I finally got around to it. Instead of one long tutorial, I’ve divided it up into six parts, each three to four minutes in length. Be sure to select the HD version under “settings” and full screen for best viewing.
Tag Archives: Science Video Tutorials
How to Insert a Watermark Into Your Science Video
Those of us who make science videos put a lot of time and effort into our projects. So it is very annoying when someone uses our video content without attribution. Most of us want people to use our videos but it’s important to be credited for our work, just as we expect people to credit our technical publications when they describe our research findings.
Although video sharing sites such as YouTube recommend that users credit YouTube as the distributor AND the video content owner, no one is required to do so.
One way to protect your content is to insert a watermark into your video. Inserting your name or a logo that appears in every frame in your video effectively identifies you as the content creator and owner. This will not guarantee your work won’t be taken and used without attribution, but it will make it a bit more difficult.
What should be used as a watermark and how do you add it to your video? This tutorial shows three ways to accomplish this. I will be using Screenflow and iMovie 11 to illustrate, but you can adapt these methods to any movie-editing application. Be sure to select the HD version and full screen for best viewing.
New Gear for the Solo Science Videographer
I’ve just gotten some new gear to assist with making solo science videos with a Smartphone….for those times when you don’t have anyone to help you. In the following video, I introduce some accessories (microphone, cable, monopod) that will facilitate filming alone with your Smartphone and will also make your videos look and sound much better.
If you like the tip, please leave a comment!
Links to where you can purchase this equipment are given below the video.
The microphone you will need:
Edutige EIM-003 i-Microphone
The cable you will need:
Smartline (ESL-001) Extension Cable
The monopod you will need:
iStabilizer ISTMP01 Smartphone Monopod
How to Create a Science Video with your iPhone
Scientists and students: How much time would you invest to learn how to produce an informative and effective science video, requiring only an iPhone or other Smartphone that shoots video? In this new 15 minute tutorial, you can learn how to plan, shoot, edit, and share a professional-looking video that describes a research project, an important science topic or research finding, or a new method.
Such videos can then be used to meet the Broader Impacts criterion of the National Science Foundation or other funding agency, as supplemental online information for your journal publications, or just to enhance your website and show off your work.
All you need is an iPhone or other Smartphone that shoots video and supports the necessary software to edit the footage. Note that this tutorial is different from the one I previously posted, which used the Videolicious app. In this tutorial, I use the iMovie app for the iPhone (download from the App Store) and briefly show how to navigate the program to create a movie project.
Check it out:
There are other movie-editing apps and, of course, professional editing software that provide more bells and whistles, but these take more time to learn and are more expensive. The iMovie app for the iPhone is designed to use video shot with the iPhone, but you can also import media shot with a camcorder or digital camera (I use iTunes to transfer files from iPhoto to my iPhone camera roll). You will also notice that I included some animations that I created with PowerPoint and Photoshop, exported as movies, and uploaded to my iPhone. See previous tutorials for more information about doing animations in Powerpoint here and here.
Even though most of my videos are shot with a camcorder and edited on my computer with professional software, I increasingly find it easy and convenient to use my iPhone to capture video on the go and to quickly edit the footage and upload to a video-sharing site. As the cameras on these smartphones have improved, the quality of the images has gotten better and better. There has even been a full-length movie shot with a Smartphone (Nokia): go here to see the trailer and behind-the-scenes footage.
I hope you find this tutorial helpful and inspires you to use your iPhone or Smartphone to produce videos about your science projects.
Where Should I Publish My Science Video?
You’ve finished producing your science video and are ready to publish it. Where is the best place? YouTube? Your own website? In the following tutorial, I discuss some points to consider in making your decision because, in the end, it will depend on your particular situation and your objectives.
Be sure to select the HD version and full-screen options (on the lower right of the player window) for best viewing:
Download the script for the video here: