b. Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

By the End of Grade 7-Students know how to work in teams to use hardware and software tools (e.g., concept-mapping software, word processor, database, spreadsheet, publishing software, Web publishing software, drawing software, puzzle development software, timeline development software, digital still and video cameras, probes, motion detectors, light detectors, digital microscopes) to support learning, research, productivity, and creativity.

Students know how to identify, evaluate, select, and use collaborative tools to survey, collect, share, and communicate information within and outside the school community.

Windows Movie Maker 2.1 makes home movies amazingly fun. With Movie Maker 2.1, you can create, edit, and share your

home movies right on your computer. Build your movie with a few simple drag-and-drops. Delete bad shots and include only the best scenes. Then share your movie via the Web, e-mail, or CD. Using third-party software you can even take movies you've made and turn them into DVDs. You can also save your movie back to the video tape in your camera to play back on a TV or on the camera itself.

The layout consists of a storyboard/timeline (click the Show Timeline or Show Storyboard icon to toggle), collections (for organizing imported video), and a preview screen. When in Storyboard view your "project" (the video you are making) appears as a film strip showing each scene in clips. The storyboard/timeline consists of one 'Video' (with accompanying 'Audio' bar), one 'Music/Audio' bar, and one 'Titles/Credits' bar. In each bar, clips can be added for editing (e.g., a .wav music file will belong on the 'Music/Audio' bar). Still images can also be imported. The Video and Music/Audio bars can be "cut" to any number of short segments, which will play together seamlessly, but the individual segments are isolated editing-wise, so that for example, the music volume can be lowered for just a few seconds while someone is speaking.

Like all non-linear editing systems, the original camera file on the hard drive is not modified in any way; the "current" project is really just a list of instructions for re-recording a final output video file from the original file. Thus, several different versions of the same program can be simultaneously made from the original camera footage.

When you first save a project in Movie Maker 2, the program generates a “movie maker project file” on your computer’s hard-drive. You can name and save this project file anywhere you want, though Movie Maker will attempt to place it within your “My Movies folder.”

The project file is a “linking file“ that keeps track of every item in your home movie. This includes every video clip, music song, picture, and voice track … the project file knows where each of these items are located on your computer, how they are laid out on the movie timeline, and what effects and transitions should be applied to each.

However, these video objects are not actually “embedded” within the project file. If you examine the project file itself, you’ll see that it is only 1 meg in size … while your movie may contain several gigabytes worth of video files. That’s because the project file only “links” to the actual multimedia files. Because of this, you really need to organize all your files if you ever want to re-edit your project.

Suppose that sometime in the future you decide to give your computer a “spring cleaning” and reorganize some of your media files. You can damage a project if you inadvertently move or delete a file that is used in one of your videos. The next time you open up your video project, Movie Maker won’t find the media file “where it expected to find it” and your project will be forever ruined.

To avoid this problem and keep your project intact, I recommend creating a new folder for each of your video projects. You should then save every movie element into this folder before you import them into Movie Maker. This folder should include your captured video, background music, pictures, voice narration, and the project file itself. With all your files together like this, there is no chance of a file being inadvertently deleted or moved. Plus, this method allows you to easily transfer your entire project to another computer (or backup onto an external hard drive) … all you have to do is copy and paste this single folder.

Don’t underestimate the importance of organization when it comes to editing video. Unless you stay on top of things, your hard drive can quickly become cluttered with random video clips and pictures, and you won’t know what’s safe to delete. Organizing each of your movies into its own folder will save you a lot of trouble and heartache down the line.

Transitions, Titles and Effects

There are over 130 effects, transitions, titles, and credits available in the program. They are applied by using a drag and drop interface from the effects or transitions folders. For titles and credits you have the option of adding them as stand alone titles or overlaying them on your clip by adding them onto the selected clip. Titles range from static (non-animated) titles to fly in, fading, news banner, or spinning newspaper animations.

Although the range of dissolve/fade effects are fairly limited, quite impressive effects can be had by importing still images from a photo editing program. For example, you can fade from an original version of a still to one where the brightness has been selectively manipulated to highlight one particular person in the scene.

When first presented with such a plethora of transition options, you may be tempted to use them judiciously throughout your video. For a home movie, that’s fine, as your audience will probably enjoy them. However, if you are trying to create a “professional looking” video, you may want to go easy on the transitions … after all, you don’t see any transitions in movies or TV shows.

Actually, there are a few transitions that you will see in movies and film, but they are subtle and you probably don’t notice them …

The audience should be focused and engrossed with the movie and not with your transition effects. So, it’s important to keep your transitions “transparent” or “invisible” by using them sparingly.

An exception to the rule
One place that you might want to use fancy transitions, is in a photo slideshow. Movie maker lets you import pictures from your digital camera and lay them on your timeline as a “video slideshow.” You can even add music or a descriptive voice track over these photos.

Because photos are static and non-moving, transitions are great because they add “motion” to your movie. A photo slide-show is one place that you can get away with those crazy transitions and still create a video that looks professional.

Other ways to transition …
There are other ways to create “transitions” between scenes that don’t rely on your computer but careful planning. If you ever want to see a movie with clever transitions, rent the 80’s action movie “Highlander.” The main character in this movie (a 1,000 year old sword master living in New York) has constant “flashbacks” to his youth in medieval Scotland. To transition to these flashbacks, the director uses only clever editing. In one scene, the camera will zoom in on the character’s eyes while he drives his car, cut, then zoom back from his eyes while he is in the middle of a ancient sword fight. In another scene, the camera pans over to his office aquarium and moves up to the aquarium water’s surface … then the scene cuts to the water surface of a medieval lake. Clever stuff … but it takes a lot of preplanning!

Rules are meant to be broken, and the above transition recommendations are only observations. If you wan

Adding Special Effects Between 2 Clips

MovieMaker 2 comes preinstalled with a number of video effects that you can add to your movie clips. These effects are numerous and easy to apply. Despite the large assortment of effects, you’ll find yourself using certain effects more often, and some of them not at all. Here are some of the most useful effects and some uses you might not have though of.

Brightness Increase and Decrease
These brightness effects are very useful for fixing your video’s exposure levels. If you filmed an indoor scene that looks too dark, you can simply brighten the video with the brightness effect. If your video still isn’t bright enough, you can repeat the effect several times until you get the look you want.
Grayscale and Sepia Tone
Both of these effects remove the color from your film, and the sepia effect gives your film a pleasant “yellowed old photograph” look. You can use these desaturating effects to make your movie look classy (like those black and white DeBeer’s diamond commercials) or to create a “flashback” or “dream sequence” scene within a larger home movie epic.
Rotation effects
There are several rotation effects, but they are not useful for video. However, they work great for photographs, and allow you to align your photos properly. If you hold your digital camera sideways (to get those full-body pictures) these rotation effects allow you to rotate your pictures in the proper direction so you can create “video slideshows” of your picture collections.
Slow down and speed up
These two effects can be useful for creating comedy “movies.” For example, you could make a fake kung-fu movie with your kids and use the speed-up effect to create rapid-motion fighting scenes. Likewise, the slow-down effect could be used to create the clichéd “slow motion punch” that is common in American action movies. You could also use the speed up effect to make funny slapstick comedies … like the British “Benny Hill” skits.

There are many other effects available within Movie Maker, though they aren’t as useful as the ones mentioned here. Some of the effects, like the artistic watercolor effects, seem to be included simply for the “wow” factor. One effect that Movie Maker is sorely missing is the “reverse video” effect, which is unfortunate as there are many special effects you can perform by reversing film.

How to apply effects
To apply effects to your film you need to open up the Video Effects collection. You can preview each effect in the preview monitor by double clicking on the effect thumbnail. To apply the effect to a video clip, simply grab the effect and drop it onto the clip in the storyboard.

Another way to apply effects is by right-clicking on the clip and choosing “Video effects.” This mode allows you to see exactly what effects are being used. This view is useful if you have to add or remove multiple effects to your clip.

Various special effect

You can use special effects to change how your clips play in several different ways:

•	Speed up a clip using Speed Up, Double, or slow down a clip using Slow Down, Half.
•	Zoom in using Ease In, or zoom out using Ease Out.
•	Make a clip appear older by using Sepia Tone, Film Age, or Grayscale.
•	Rotate a clip using one of the Rotate effects (perfect if someone accidentally holds the camera sideways).
•	Fade in using one of the Fade In effects, or fade out using one of the Fade Out effects.
•	Fix exposure problems using Brightness, Decrease or Brightness, Increase.

To add a special effect

1.	Download video from your camera to your computer, and add clips from your collection to your storyboard.
2.	In the Movie Tasks pane, under Edit Movie click View video effects.
3.	Preview effects by double-clicking them and watching the Preview Monitor. Once you’ve found an effect you like, drag it from the Video Effects pane to one of your clips. This adds the effect to the clip, which you can see by looking at the star in the lower-left corner of the clip.
4.	In the Preview Monitor, click the Play button to watch your effect in action. You can add more than one effect to a clip. For example, if you want to both brighten a clip and add a zoom effect, you can add Ease In and Brightness, Increase. You can also add a single effect multiple times to increase the effect. For example, add multiple Brightness, Increase effects to brighten a scene even more, or add two Speed Up Double effects to quadruple the speed of a clip. If you don't like the effect, right-click the star icon in the lower-left corner of the clip, and click Delete Effects.

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Add Titles and Credits

You can use the same techniques that movies and TV shows do to begin and end their films. By using the title and credits feature in Windows Movie Maker, you can easily create an interesting title sequence at the beginning of your movie and provide a list of credits at the end. You can also place titles in between scenes of the movie.

Opening titles introduce your movie to your audience and provide background information about what they're about to watch. For example, a good opening title might be, "Tom's Fourth Birthday Party" or "Hite Family Vacation 2006." You can show a title on a blank background or over your first clip.

Example of Movie Maker title

Credits at the end of your movie provide a more satisfying ending while telling the viewer who was in the movie. This is also a great place to thank the people who helped you make the movie. You can show credits on a blank background or over your last clip. In Movie Maker, credits are considered a special type of title that can comprise many lines.

Example of Movie Maker credits

You can also use titles throughout your movie to introduce scenes or describe what is happening on screen. For example, in a vacation movie, you might add a title between scenes that reads, "Day 2: The Water Park". Or you can use titles to introduce people. For example, the first time each of your family members appears on screen, you might display a title over the video that shows their name.

Example of Movie Maker overlay title

To add a title screen before your movie

1.	Download video from your camera to your computer, and add clips from your collection to your storyboard.
2.	If you want to add a title before, after, or on top of a clip, click the clip on the storyboard or timeline.
3.	In the Movie Tasks pane, under Edit Movie, click Make titles or credits.
4.	Choose the type of title you want to add.
5.	Click Change the title animation. Notice that you can choose between one-line titles, two-line titles, and credits, which can be many lines. You can use credits any time you need to display more than two lines of text, not just at the end of your video.
6.	On the Choose the Title Animation page, browse through the different animations and watch them in the Preview Monitor to get an idea of what they'll look like. When you find the animation you want to use, click Change the text font and color.
7.	On the Select Title Font and Color page, choose the color and font you want to use. If you're adding the title over a clip, use a dark font color for bright scenes and a light font color for dark scenes. Then click Edit the title text.
8.	On the Enter Text for Title page, enter your text. Then click Done to add the title to your movie.
9.	If prompted to switch to the timeline view, click OK.
10.	In the Preview Monitor, click the Play button to see how your title will look in your video.
11.	If you want to change your title (for example, to change the color of the text to make it more readable), right-click the title on the Title Overlay row of the timeline, and then click Edit Title on the shortcut menu. Remember, you can add titles any time you want the viewer to know what you're showing or who someone on the screen is. Top of page

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Adding Background Music

A music background can really spice up a home movie. Music is easy to apply on your computer with a program like Movie Maker 2. In fact, this program has as audio track specifically for music … all you have to do is import a song and drop it onto the music track in the timeline. It’s really easy.

After your song is in place, you can trim the end of the song (so that it is the same length as the video) and adjust the volume so it doesn’t drown out your video.

You can use any song for your video, and some are perfect for home videos. Some of these include:

The Bear Necessities (Disney’s Jungle Book) -- great for the zoo or any video with animals
Under the Sea (Disney’s Little Mermaid) -- perfect for the beach or water sports
Yellow Submarine (Beetles) -- water sports or the aquarium
I want to ride my bicycle (Queen) – kids on bikes
Born to be wild -- the ultimate driving music
The Little Rascals – useful for any kid movie (they just released a “little rascals” soundtrack that you can find at Amazon. COM)

Where can you find these songs? Moviemaker 2 can import most sound formats, including MP3 songs … If you already own a CD with a song you like, you can always import that song onto your computer using Windows Media Player. If you need royalty free songs, you’ll need to find royalty free CD collection or online buy-out music (these are typically expensive, though).

A simple background music can turn a dull, monotonous video into a snappy musical montage … you just need to find a song you like and stick it in.

There's no better way to create a mood or crank up the energy in your home movies than by adding music. If you haven't yet copied your CDs to your computer, read Quickly Rip CDs to Your Computer to learn how. With Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Movie Maker, you can add any music from your CD collection to your home movies.

1.	Download video from your camera to your computer, and add clips from your collection to your storyboard.
2.	In the Movie Tasks pane in Movie Maker, under Capture Video, click Import audio or music.
3.	In the Import File dialog box, click the name of the song you want to use in the background. Then click Import. This adds your song to your collection but does not add it to your video.
4.	Drag the song from the collection to the video clip where you want the music to start playing.
5.	If prompted, click OK.
6.	Movie Maker shows your song on the timeline. If the song extends beyond the end of the movie, drag the right edge of the song so that it ends at the same time as your movie. Otherwise, the song will keep playing after your movie is done. It's a nice touch to have the music stop during a quiet spot so that it doesn't just stop abruptly.
7.	Click Play in the Preview Monitor to watch your movie and listen to the background music.
8.	If the background music is too loud or too soft in comparison to the movie, right-click the music on your timeline, and then click Volume. If the audio and music sound good, you can skip the next step.
9.	In the Audio Clip Volume dialog box, move the slider to the left to make the music quieter, or to the right to make it louder. Then click OK. Return to step 7 to listen to the audio again and make another adjustment if necessary. Next time you're filming video, think about the background music. For example, if you're filming a football game, see if you can get a copy of the team's fight song. If you're on vacation, buy a CD of local music so you can add it to your movie.

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Adding Narration

Movie Maker 2 makes it really easy to record a voice narration over your movie. The program even has a built-in recording wizard that allows you to record over a microphone while you watch a preview of your movie.

This feature is very useful, and allows you to quickly narrate descriptive videos. For example, if you are selling a house, you could film all the rooms and later record a running commentary to go with it. Another great use for a voice track is in creating picture slideshows. You could take pictures from your digital camera, lay them on the MovieMaker timeline, and then record a narration for your “slideshow!”

To use this function, you’re going to need a microphone. Fortunately, most cheap desk microphones work fine for voice recording. For the best results, you may want to invest in a headset mic – the earphones will give you real-time feedback of what your voice sounds like. This allows you to annunciate clearly and correct for voice-popping and inadvertent mouth noises.

Once you’ve got your microphone working, you can record your narration. The narration wizard will play your movie, and you can record your dialogue while watching the movie preview. When you are done talking, click “stop.” The wizard will try to save the voice track file onto your hard drive … you should save this audio file inside your project’s main folder to keep your files organized.

Moviemaker 2 will automatically import your narration into your collections. To place it in your movie, simply drag the audio-clip onto the timeline. You can then move or trim the ends of the voice track, and change the volume level with the volume button.

The “narrate timeline” option is done very well in Movie Maker, and this is one function that Movie maker 2 does better than competing products.

Often, home movies don't have much audio. For example, if you filmed your child snowboarding, there might be nonstop action but nothing to listen to (except the cheering audience). Or, the audio in the background may be distracting if you're videotaping in a noisy area or from a moving car. Fortunately, with Windows Movie Maker, you have two options if you want to make up for the lack of audio: you can add or replace the audio with your own narration of the action, or with music.

Note: If you want background music instead of narration, you can use titles to introduce people or describe settings.

To add narration to your movie

1.	If you have a desktop computer, connect a microphone. Microphones are available from most electronics stores. If you have a portable computer, you can use the built-in microphone. However, you will get a better-quality recording if you connect an external microphone.
2.	Download video from your camera to your computer, and add clips from your collection to your storyboard.
3.	In Movie Maker, click the Tools menu, and then click Narrate Timeline.
4.	If prompted, click OK.
5.	On the timeline, click the clip you want to narrate. You can narrate clips one at a time, or you can narrate the entire movie all at once. If you narrate individual clips, you can rearrange them later and keep your narration synchronized.
6.	Speak normally into your microphone, and adjust the Input level so that the bar is about halfway up when you are speaking.
7.	Under Narrate Timeline click Start Narration.
8.	Speak into your microphone as Movie Maker plays your movie. You can narrate your entire movie at once or just one clip at a time. When you're done narrating, click Stop Narration.
9.	Movie Maker will save your narration as a separate file. In the Save Windows Media File dialog box, type a name for your narration. Then click Save.
10.	Movie Maker adds your narration to your video. If you only narrated part of your video and you want to add narration to other clips, return to step 5.
11.	Click Play in the Preview Monitor to watch your movie and listen to the narration.
12.	If the narration is too loud or too soft in comparison to the movie, right-click the narration on your timeline, and then click Volume. If the audio and narration sound good, you can skip the next step.
13.	In the Audio Clip Volume dialog box, move the slider to the left to make the narration quieter, or move it to the right to make it louder. Then click OK. Return to step 11 to listen to the narration again, and make another adjustment if necessary. If you don't like the way your narration sounds, don't worry—nobody likes to hear their own voice. Just relax and speak in a normal tone, as if you were telling a friend on the phone about your movie. It may take you a few tries to get the timing right so that your narration doesn't go on longer than your movie. If you misspeak often, it might help to write a script that you can read during the narration. To delete narration so that you can re-record it, right-click the narration on the timeline, and then click Delete. You should also delete the narration from the collection.

Ann Zinyemba
Decatur Middle School Computer Applications
5108 S. High School Rd.
Indianapolis, Indiana 46224


	Doug Opel Ann Zinyemba








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