In Media Collage, one of our main goals is to explore thoughtful and inventive ways to use our devices. To this end, we have spent some time experimenting with YouTube Editor. At first, we mainly used the Creative Commons function, which allows users to remix footage posted by people from all over the world. Eventually, though, it was time to create and use our own footage. The first original video project had basic criteria: a 1-2 minute video using a range of shots, a specific object, and a twist at the end. Students had great fun crafting their short films. In particular, they enjoyed trying out a range of shots, which gave their videos a more polished look than when people film everything from the same distance and angle.
Once they finished filming, the footage was uploaded to YouTube with a Creative Commons license so that each person in the group could access the clips and edit their own version. While everyone agreed that the process was fun, most also admitted that the amount of work needed was surprising. Even though the videos had pretty silly plotlines, crafting them required deep focus, patience and an attention to detail that students did not expect, but ultimately appreciated.
Here's one example of their work. These four girls decided that their object would be a dollar bill. As for the twist, you'll just need to watch to see how it ends.
