I talk to at least a few classes each semester about using DV cameras and iMovie to create very basic movie projects. Typically the students are placed in groups of 3 or 4 and given very general parameters (2 minutes long, must contain narration, must use a tripod). Unfortunately these movies don’t typically turn out very well. I could discuss at great length the shortcomings of student video projects. I consider most problems to be a simple by-product of not spending enough time on pre-production. These people should be storyboarding at the very least, but they are also apparently not viewing their footage at all before handing in final products. Lack of planning aside, my main two technical criticisms are sound and lighting. Students rarely use external mics. This should be an absolute requirement, especially when shooting outside. They also tend to do a bad job of lighting their scenes. This is not the fault of the students. We lack the equipment, time, and experience to teach a student these details in depth for a single short movie project.

In order to get these topics covered more adequately, we purchased a few training DVDs that cover lighting, sound, and linear editing. These are still too long and difficult to place into a course with a focus that is not film. As a result I’ve been looking for a short, practical guide to present to students who wish to make a quality video product. The best I’ve found so far is the YouTube Video Toolbox which provides an easy, basic series of guidelines for creating a decent movie project. I especially like the easy guide to varying camera angles and height. I think I’ll be providing a few of those links to interested students from now on!