Class Six: Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Class Six Topics
Review
Assignments from Class Five
For last week's assignment, you were asked to: "continue
our discussion on copyright and educational fair use. First, review the
materials and reading assignments above and then go to the course discussion
blog at: http://cuin7346.blogspot.com/ and under
Discussion Assignment Five, post a comment in which
you discuss
your reaction to any of the Class 5 resources, readings, or in-class discussions
that deal with copyright, educational fair use, digital rights management, etc.
For this assignment, you may discuss your opinion and/or experiences related to
any of these topics, ask questions about items you feel are confusing, or bring
up other related issues that you would like us to address in more detail in
class."
|
I enjoyed the handout Dr. Robin gave us in class. I think there is a
great misunderstanding among teachers about what can be used in the
classroom. I previously considered anything game unless it was being
sold, but apparently we can even sell copyrighted materials in certain
cases. I feel that copyright is something similar to censorship, and so I'm naturally against it. However, there should be systems in place to distribute money to those who creatively produce the products we like to use. Who knows... I like to think that in a perfect society, everything is free. Maybe someday. |
|
I really enjoyed “The Fair Use Guide Offers Copyright Shelter”. I agree
with their statement that Fair Use is a flexible interpretation of the
law and it very well might be strangling educators because it has not
adjusted to current needs. Educators need to claim their right to use
Fair Use instead of being scared into submission, in turn, we need to
teach our students so that they can appreciate copyright and learn how
to use copyrighted material in an effective and meaningful way for their
own learning. I also agree that when it is used properly, Fair Use can
assist students in developing critical thinking skills and communication
skills that are necessary in 21st century thinking. Maybe if educators
provide a positive example of how to use copyrighted materials in the
classroom and encourage students to do the same, fewer people will
violate copyright. Maybe… While watching the video that accompanied the article, I saw “SchoolTube” flash across the screen. I had not heard of it before, so I looked at it and found it to be quite cool. It’s all student produced or video of student performances. I looked under the Arts and Entertainment category and found student productions of plays, like Beauty and the Beast, which could be used in the classroom to talk about literary terms or character development, etc. Very cool! |
| There is a LOT of confusion where I work when it comes to copyrights. Regularly, we get updates on options regarding copyrighted material from our librarians. Unfortunately, these individuals don’t seem to be as well informed as possible. Rather than blame big corporations on overzealously protecting their intellectual property, I prefer to chalk this situation up to weak governmental oversight and a weak court system that allows small and medium businesses to get wallpapered when they step out of line. If the federal courts would throw out more frivolous lawsuits and slap the real offenders, that is, the attorneys for these media sharks, we wouldn’t be living in an environment of fear and confusion. While I applaud the intent of these messages and have sent much of the information to our library manager, I don’t intend to boldly go where our college hasn’t gone before. That is, until or unless someone above my pay grade blesses a change in policy, then, I’m just not going to be the first. I guess Big Business triumphs again (sigh). |
| My district tends to be more conservative than others, especially when dealing with technology. My principal in particular is a stickler about copyright to the point that we are unable to show any videos other than what is available to us through UnitedStreaming (using a paid subscription to this video library). I received a large collection of children's storybooks on DVD that I received as a gift when I started teaching Kindergarten. The videos were purchased at a teacher supply store and are from Scholastic. They even contain a disclaimer that the videos can be used by classroom teachers. I, however, have had to pass them along to a friend at another school since I am unable to show these in my own classroom. I feel that my children miss out on many possibilities and opportunities because of this strict interpretation of copyright law. |
| After reading the articles, my conclusion is that there is no conclusion but only prudent behaviors in the use of copyrighted materials for education purposes. The fair use guide prepared by the education lab at Temple University coupled with a general policy of attribution seems to be a reasonable guide for classroom behaviors. I have only come up against copyright laws a few times before this class and never before addressed the issues associated with ripping DVDs. In studio classes I have always believed “anything goes.” In a sculpture or painting class, I allow students to freely borrow, plagiarize, or copy the work of other artists. In an art history class plagiarism is strictly forbidden and attribution is demanded. I usually wind up talking about sources of ideas more in studio classes and insist more on documenting sources in an academic class. This seems to be a double standard. I allow students to freely appropriate materials and ideas for art but not academics. More consideration of the problem is needed. |
| Like Bruce, I would generally
allow students to appropriate material from other artists or designers
in their work because so many contemporary artists do the same. However,
in many school districts, there is a strict "no-copy" policy because
administrators do not wish to deal with copyright issues and because
they want students to learn to draw from life. I can understand wanting
to teach drawing from life instead of from a photograph, but so many
interesting works of art, particularly new media, will incorporate
popular images and videos in their work. Not allowing students access to
these materials severely limits the scope of their work, and I was
unaware of much of what was happening in the art world until college as
a result. I do think that high school students at least should be able
to copy and appropriate images. I personally would not use anything that has not been repurposed, deconstructed, or used to make a specific point in a presentation. I would not just show a video to keep kids entertained (and most districts would not allow this anyway.) However, I have shown an entire music video to show aspects of surrealism used in popular culture, and I purchased the video from i-tunes. I still think that this is "fair use" because the video was too short to crop and because it was used to illustrate a specific aspect of visual culture. What do you think? |
Camcorders
Canon ZR-500 front view
back
view
Shooting your Own Video with a Digital Video Camcorder
http://courses.coe.uh.edu/brobin/TDV/chapter3/camcorder.htm
Camera Angles
There are three different camera angles we will look at to see how they can
affect your shot. This should help you be aware of how unintentionally using a
specific camera angle could affect your final video.
Eye-Level Angle
In this angle, the camera is at the eye-level of the subject, whether they are standing or sitting. It gives a feeling of equality or neutrality with the subject.
High-Level Angle
The high angle puts the viewer in a superior position of the subject. Beginning videographers often unintentionally use this angle when they, the camera operator, is standing, and the subject is sitting. A high level angle can make the subject look small, diminished, or weak.
Low-Level Angle
The converse of the high-level angle is the low level. Here, the camera (i.e. the viewer) is looking up at the subject. The subject may appear stronger or fuller than if an eye-level angle was used.
Again, be aware of these angles to avoid getting unintentional effects. But, how might you use them appropriately? Consider this simple scenario: A teacher is disciplining a student. One might choose to film the teacher with a low-level angle to reinforce her position of authority and film the student with a high-angle, to convey a sense of shame.
When filming a conversation, often beginning videographers will frame the shot, then not change nor cut away until the conversation is finished. Using the same angle for such a long time can make the conversation seem dull. It is useful to change angles to keep the video dynamic. Two of the most useful angles are the two-shot and the over-the-shoulder shot.
For a short conversation or the beginning of a longer one, you can use a two-shot, so named as both people are present in the frame (be sure to follow the rule of thirds, discussed below).
For a longer conversation, you can use the over-the-shoulder angle, in which you film one conversant over the shoulder of the other. This gives the viewer more of a sense of being involved in the conversation. In order to do this effectively, you will have to film multiple takes.
Keeping a few composition rules in mind will help your video look more natural.
Some of you who are experienced in photography may already be familiar with this concept and its use in video is the same. Take a video frame and divide it into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. You don't want to place the subject's eyes in the center of the shot nor in any of the areas where the lines don't touch. You always want to try to place the subjects eyes along one of the lines. This is called "avoiding center-frame orientation," which makes the video appear dull. (Consider most of the filmed college lectures you've ever seen, they are almost always shot with center-frame orientation, giving a "talking head" look.) Here are some shots with superimposed gridlines:
Using the rule of thirds in video also gives a certain balanced dynamism. Also, with the subjects placed off-center, it gives room for other people or objects to enter the frame. This keeps the eye looking and subconsciously keeps the viewer interested.
The rule of thirds is also very useful when filming people of drastically different heights in the same shot, such as a teacher and a student. If you align the taller person's eyes along the top-third line and the shorter person's eyes along the bottom-third line, the shot will look well-balanced.
What an odd section title! You need to be careful not to cut people off exactly at the waist; it looks strange on video. Cut a higher higher or a little lower than the waist. You also never want to cut at the various "joints" of the body. Do not cut off at the neck, knees, nor elbows.
Understanding the concept of lead room (also known as nose room) can take you a long away in making naturally looking videos. Unless your subject is looking directly at the camera, they're going to be looking somewhere else. You want to put space between the person and the direction they are looking. The further away they are looking, the more space you want to use. Consider the examples below:
Be careful about using close-ups unless it is really
necessary. CU shots imply a feeling of extreme closeness, like being in the
same room as the subject. Keeping some of the background in the frame is known
as using good head room. Also, keep in mind what the viewer has seen so
far. For example, you probably wouldn't want to introduce a character in a CU
shot.
Due to our low-budget (no budget?) equipment, you're going to want to keep the camera stationary on its tripod as much as possible. However, there are several ways you can move the camera:
Panning moves the camera left or right on its vertical axis.
Trucking is very similar to panning except the entire camera moves left or right.
Dollying is moving the camera forwards or backwards from the subject. This generally provides a better motion than zooming. However, it is difficult to do this while walking. A trick is to use an office chair and have someone push/pull you (slowly!) towards/away from the subject. With a dolly, the proportional distance between objects chances because the camera is physically moving closer or farther away.
Zooming, in contract to Dollying, changes the lens and the camera remains where it is. Zooming is difficult to do and often makes your viewers sea-sick as most beginning videographers do it too fast. (The fact that most consumer cameras have way-too-responsive zoom controls doesn't help much, either.) Also, when you zoom, the proportional distance between objects remains the same. Zooming provides the sense that the frame is being enlarged/shrunk, rather than the viewer walking closer/farther away.
Unless you have access to a very nice drafting stool, the pedestal camera movement is very difficult to do. A pedestal is a vertical dolly. The camera remains level, and it (and the operator) are moved up or down.
Tilting allows you to dynamically adjust the perceived stature of the subject. If you start with a high-angle shot and tilt down, the subjects perceived stature diminishes. Likewise, if you start with a low-angle shot and tilt upwards, the perceived stature of the subject increases.
In addition to composing your shots, noting any special camera movements, it is important to indicate what your actors are doing. If they're moving, indicate how they are moving. Are they walking or running? In what direction? Are they interacting with props? Which props? How are they handling them? When interacting with other actors, indicate any important nonverbal behavior, such as frowning or posture changes. (This will help you when you are directing during filming).
The director's line is an oft-overlooked concept that is crucial to making your viewers don't feel lost or confused during a scene. When you are filming a scene with more and one actor, imagine a line running between them, bisecting the space. This is the director's line. When changing angles, thou shall not cross the director's line in a scene! Doing so interferes with your viewer's notion of the spatial relationships of the actors.
Perhaps the best advice when planning your video is to remember that you are telling a story. Every scene has a beginning, a middle, and an end. You will want to sequence your shots properly. Viewers like to be introduced to a subject and their environment. That's why its a good idea to begin a scene with an establishing shot that introduces the environment and the subjects. As you proceed in the scene, feel free to progress to MS's and CU's as the subject matter dictates. Whenever you need to reorient your viewer, pull back to a medium-to-long shot, keeping in mind the Director's Line. Also, try to close with a medium-to-long shot, which gives a sense of closure to the scene.
See this link on video composition for more information:
RCA Cables
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These 3 cables on the left are
called RCA cables and are one of the most common types of cables
we will use during this course. These cables can be used for
both video and audio signals. Three male ends are shown in the
graphic. The 3 colors are also helpful when using these cables:
usually, red is used for the right audio channel, white is used
for the left audio channel, and yellow is used for the video
signal. We will use an RCA cable to connect an analog video source (VIDEO OUT) to the computer's digitizing card (VIDEO IN). |
BNC Cables
| BNC is a type of video cable that uses what is called a
bayonet connection, because of the way it twists on and off,
like a bayonet knife that connects to a rifle. |
This graphic shows a close-up view of a male BNC connector. | |||
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Mini Plug
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This cable is a mini-plug or sometimes it is called a 1/8 " connector since the male end is one eighth inch in diameter. This type of connector is almost always used for audio and is frequently found on headphones used with portable audio players, or small speakers connected to a computer. A single red stripe seen near the end of the metal plug indicates that this is a monaural cable. Stereo connectors will usually have two red stripes. |
| This graphic shows an XLR connector which is normally found on professional microphones. XLR stands forXtended Locking Round. |  |
Firewire Cables
 |
Firewire, also known as 1394, is a high speed computer cable that is used to transmit several different types of digital data, including audio and video. Firewire connections come in several different sizes, with small and large ends, as shown here. |
USB Cables
| USB stands for Universal Serial Bus
and are found in many different technology applications. Like Firewire, USB cables also come with different size ends. USB-A is the most commonly found USB connector. It's used with many desktop computers as well as portable flash drives and other devices; while the more square shaped USB-B connector is often used to connect to various devices, such as external hard drives. |
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You will also find that there is a USB cable with a smaller connector, called USB-mini. This type of cable is often used to connect devices such as digital cameras and camcorders to computers. The USB-mini is also used with many laptop computers, to keep the size to a minimum. |
S-Video Cables
 |
S-Video is a type of connection that separates brightness from color information in a video signal, resulting in a higher quality image than can be obtained by using the yellow RCA connection described above. |
Additional Resources
Assignments for Next
Class
Reading Assignment
Class Six
Assignment (Due on March 11, 2009)
For this week's assignment, begin to shoot some video
footage with a camcorder. You may videotape anything you like, but you may wish
to try to find things to shoot that are related to the final semester project
you are considering.
Then go to the course discussion blog at:
http://cuin7346.blogspot.com/
and
under Discussion Assignment
Six,
post a comment in which you describe
what you chose to shoot with the camcorder, how you think it turned out and any
additional information you feel would be of interest to the rest of the members
of the class.
Midterm Project Assignment (Due on March 25, 2009)
As we discussed in this week's class, for the midterm project, you are being
asked to put together a list of equipment that could be purchased for
approximately $500 to put together a digital video kit that a student could
check out from the lab. This kit would more than likely include a digital video
camcorder, a microphone, a tripod, assorted cables, and any other items you feel
should be included. For this assignment, you may find the Additional Resources
listed above helpful as you research digital video equipment, as well as using
web search engines and in-person visits to stores that sell this type of
equipment.
When you have determined what items should go in the kit, please provide the
following information for each item:
When you have completed the midterm assignment, please
email the information to: brobin@uh.edu
