Video Recording & Editing Using Microsoft Movie Maker

Video Recording & Editing Using Microsoft Movie Maker This document is intended to serve as a guide for teachers who need to record live classroom activities for edTPA requirements. General Video Recording Guidelines Ensure the video recording equipment you have is up to the task. To be sure, do a short test recording on location ahead of time. Ensure your recording device has enough available storage space for the recording. This may require you to archive existing video or photos to free up space. Recommended recording devices include: a laptop with built-in web camera, a mobile recording device such as an iPhone or Android phone or tablet, or a camera with video recording capability. Adjust the lighting in the room if necessary, and carefully consider the optimal placement of the recording device. Use a desktop stand or tripod with appropriate mounting adapter to ensure adequate framing of your video. Whenever possible, keep your recording device plugged in to AC power during recording. Video Equipment Checklist: Recording Device (laptop, smartphone, tablet, or video camera). Power Cord Tripod or mounting adapter. Duct Tape Getting the Software Microsoft Movie Maker is free to download and provides the necessary video editing and production features for producing the video clips you will need for edTPA requirements. Use the following page link to download Microsoft Movie Maker: ovie-maker Note that you should choose the custom install option, and uncheck everything except Movie Maker and the require Photo application to keep the install lean. 1

Once you have installed Movie Maker you should be ready to begin recording video using a webcam in the Movie Maker application, or import an existing video. Recording from a Webcam If you have a Windows computer equipped with a web camera you can record video straight to the computer. Step 1: Start Movie Maker. Step 2: Click the Webcam Video option. The screen will change and you should see a live image from the webcam. Clicking the Record button begins recording video. Clicking the Cancel button returns you to the main interface. Clicking the Stop button stops a recording in progress. Note: The current record time is shown in the lower right corner of the window. The thumbnail-sized movie clip icon on the right side of the screen represents the current recording, or clip. Dragging the black vertical line left or right across the film image of the thumbnail icon scrubs playback, to allow you to quickly peruse the content. 2

Importing a Video Clip You can import preexisting video files into Movie Maker. Files recorded from iOS or Android mobile devices should be readily importable into Movie Maker. Recordings from video cameras Step 1: Start Movie Maker. Step 2: Click the Add videos and photos button. You will see a file request window that will ask you to choose a file to open. Click a video file, then click the Open button. 3

Depending on the length of the video, you may need to wait several minutes for the video to be processed. When the video clip is imported you will see a preview area, as well as a thumbnail area. The thumbnail-sized movie clip icon on the right side of the screen represents the current recording, or clip. Dragging the black vertical line left or right across the film image of the thumbnail icon scrubs playback, to allow you to quickly peruse the content. In the preview area you will see several controls below the video preview, and a playhead control on a horizontal track, allowing you to choose the current playback frame. 4

Editing a Video Clip You can import preexisting video files into Movie Maker. Files recorded from iOS or Android mobile devices should be readily importable into Movie Maker. Recordings from video cameras Step 1: Make sure you have recorded a video clip, or have a imported a clip. Click the Edit tab video tool near the top right area of the screen. You will see rectangular trim “handles” on either side of the playback bar. Moving either of the trim handles will change the start and end points of the video. Step 2: Trim your video to the desired start and end points using the handles, or by numerically typing the time points in the Set start point or Set end point fields. 5

Step 3: Click the Save Trim button to save any changes to the start or end points of the video. You should now be ready to export your video. 6

Exporting Video Movie Maker supports a variety of video file formats. You will need to choose the option that best suits your needs. For edTPA video purposes the For computer option is usually best. However, there is no harm in trying other formats and settings to see which produces the results you want. Note: The single greatest limitation is that your final exported video must be no longer than 100 MB in size, which is the file size limit for uploading your video to Tk20 and Pearson. Step 1: Click the Save movie button in the main interface. Step 2: From the drop-down menu choose for Computer. The exporting process requires all of the video data to be converted. Depending on the size of the video and the export settings, the task can sometimes take several minutes, or longer for the computer to render. 7

When the exporting process is complete Movie Maker will let you know the processed video is ready for playback. Note too that you should name your exported video according to the LastName Lesson# convention, to follow edTPA guidelines. Movie Maker Projects Movie Maker allows you to save what is called a project. A project file includes all video clips you have imported, their edit settings, as well as the export settings you last used when you exported video. It is handy to save the project file to simplify doing additional work later. To save your Movie Maker project file, refer to the screen image below and name your project accordingly. 8

Note: If you plan to move your video project to another machine, be sure to create a folder that includes all of the video files, as well as the Movie Maker project. This will help ensure that all necessary file resources are available when you open the project file in Movie Maker. 9

Once you have installed Movie Maker you should be ready to begin recording video using a webcam in the Movie Maker application, or import an existing video. Recording from a Webcam If you have a Windows computer equipped with a web camera you can record video straight to the computer. Step 1: Start Movie Maker. Step 2: Click the Webcam Video .