Before going any
further, create a file in your documents in which you will save
ALL components of your video. THIS
IS VITAL.
Below are a few examples of Digital Stories. Simply click on
the picture to see the video. These few videos should give
you an idea of what you can do with Movie Maker.
Step
One. Write your essay. It should be no longer than 1 ½ pages
typed, double spaced. This will give you a four to five minute
video. Because the essay is short, take the time to revise each
sentence. Paint a picture with words. Be sure the essay has a
beginning, middle and an end.
Step
Two Once you have finished writing your essay and are happy
with it, give it to your editor to revise. An editor is an
integral part of your project. He/she will approve each step of
your project and should be mentioned in your ending credits. When
your editor has approved your essay, he/she will sign the top of
the essay and give it to your teacher.
Step
Three Your teacher will read your essay. If there are any
corrections or revisions to be made, your essay will be returned
to your editor who will work with you to make the needed changes.
Following this, the editor signs off again and gives the essay to
your teacher for a final read.
Step
Four Once your teacher
approves your essay, sign up to record the finished project.
It’s a good idea to have a clean, large print copy of the essay
to record. Your sound editor will help you to record your essay.
Listen to his/her suggestions. Be sure to mention your sound
editor in your finished credits. While you are waiting to record
your essay you should be choosing music to use in your video. If
you are recording your essay at home, follow these instructions.
Step Five Once your microphone is connected, you are
ready to record. If you make a mistake and need to rerecord, just
delete the narration and begin again. When you have finished, you
will be prompted to save the narration. Be sure to give it a name
that will identify it as your narration.
Open Movie Maker.
Click on Tools:
Click on Narrate Timeline:
Step
Six Create
a story board. To learn how to create a story board, click
here.
Step
Seven It’s now time to add your photos and videos. Before you
try to download any photos or videos, be sure that they are the
correct type of file. Photos must be jpeg, WMV, AVI files. To
import a photo or video, simply click on import video or import
photo.Remember,
before you import anything into your video, save it to the folder
you created in My Documents and then import it to Movie Maker. To
learn how to search for and copy images from the internet click
here.
Step
Seven Import your music the same way. Again, be sure to save it
to your folder before importing it into Movie Maker.
NOTE: Be sure to abide by copyright laws. To
understand what you can and can’t legally do, click
here.
Transitions
and effects
You can add interesting transitions and
effects using Movie Maker.
Open Movie Maker. Click on Tasks
After highlighting a photo or video, click on
transitions. Choose the transition you want. Click and drag it to
the photo. Generally, you will not want to use more than one or
two transitions. Sometimes, Less is more.
You can adjust the volume, fade music in or
out by moving the curser over the sound you want to adjust and
right click. You will be given several choices.
Step
Eight SAVING
A VIDEO
To save a finished video, click on Save to my
computer. Next, name your video. Follow the prompts to save your
video. Save it to your video file in your documents. Once it has
been saved, you can burn a CD or DVD following the instructions
for your particular program.
