What Makes a Good Video

So as I said in the last blog, I am going to expand on the list of 5 things you need to have to make a good video... and by video I mean a presentation including pictures, video, and music edited with the intent to share. Some examples would be a school project, activities (sports, dance, etc.), or a special occasion video (birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, etc.). The DVD yearbook my students create 2-3 minutes clips for is a perfect example. We are not talking about documentaries or movies... That's for the more advanced video editor.

Anyway, here we go...

1. Good pictures and video - A good picture is well cropped, clear (not fuzzy), and not washed out because of bad lighting. Never take a picture looking into the sun or lights. The subject will come out dark and it just makes for a bad picture. Sometimes you can make some adjustments using Photoshop, but bad pictures aren't always fixable! In regards to video, you really need to keep the camera steady. Nobody, likes feeling sick because they feel like they are on a boat, watching the clips. If you are panning across your view, do it slowly! When you go too fast, it is worthless footage. For the most part, you want your clips to be between 3-7 seconds. You don't want it to drag on and on. Be sure to get in tight on your subject, but don't zoom in too much, because it is nearly impossible to keep the camera steady when zoomed in a lot.

2. A good song - OK, this is important! What you are hearing when you watch a video can make or break the presentation. I can't express enough how a good song can create the emotion in your audience that you want. Pick wisely...

Now, on the subject of music. I should be clear that it is not legal to use someones song in your project without permission... but it happens all the time. Does that make it right? Probably not. These are the moral dilemmas, that have to be dealt with when it comes to content that has =. There is certainly nothing wrong with using music you have created or copyright free music, which there is a lot of. Anyway, good luck figuring it out, but you have to have something good to set the mood.

3. Well timed transitions - A transition, in this sense is when a picture or video cuts to a new picture or video, either with a fancy transition that comes with the video editing software or with a simple cut from one picture to the next. The timing aspect is important, because it adds to the drama of the video. When clips and pictures are moving with the beat of the song, it has a cool effect on the viewer. It just gives the video more life.

4. Readable title and credits - This is straight forward. Don't make the words too small or too big. Don't have them scroll off of the page too fast or too slow. Make the correct adjustments. Attention to detail is very important! This is where the good become the great!

5. Not too long and not too short - Again, very straight forward. If it is too long, it gets boring. If it is too short, you are left wanting more.

I am sure there are a ton more tips and tricks to think about, so if you have any, post them! If I think of anything else, I'll let you know...

Putting the Past Behind You

Now that the 2018-2019 school is underway, (my 20th year in education) we all have a chance for a fresh start and a chance to set new goals. Quite frankly, last year was one of the most challenging years, as an educator, that I have every had. In the late fall the city of Ventura was ravaged by the Thomas Fire forcing our students to be out of school for 3 straight weeks which ran up against our winter break, keeping them away from the structure of school for 5 weeks. Upon coming back after the new year, our school was thrown into the public eye as it dealt with some very serious social issues. To say the least, it was a turbulent year, of which I could go on and on about, but that's the point. It's in the past! With the end of the school year and recuperation during the summer, we are moving forward. For me that means getting the start of another great basketball season underway for our boys and girls teams here at Balboa, continuing to develop and grow our robotics program and competition team, sending my extremely intelligent and talented yearbook staff off on another amazing journey of capturing the moments through out the year, as well as educating my computer skills students on all the great ways you can create on a computer. The positive energy is high and the excitement is real. My question is, do we have to wait for some big change, like a new school year to put the past behind us when things aren't going our way? I would suggest that we don't. Life can be broken down into smaller parts. A year, a month, a day, an hour, a minute, a second... To the best of our abilities it is a good idea to use these increments of time to let go of our struggles or problems. Try not to stay mentally stuck on those people or situations that are causing you grief. Simply put the past behind and move on. Or course, that can be easier said then done, but if you work at it and you make a conscious effort to give it your best shot, I am confident you will see yourself getting better and better at it. Take advantage of every day as it is a fresh start every time you get up in the morning!

Balance

Here we go again... The start of yet another school year. So what does "balance" have to do with that. Well, as I sit at my desk making decisions on what needs to be done to get the school year off to a good start, I have to decide on what to focus on. Class room set up, beginning of the term paperwork for my students, curriculum, etc. For me, I work best taking all of them on a little at a time, bouncing from one to the other. I'm trying to balance my efforts using my time an energy as efficiently as possible. All of this focus on balance just makes me think about the weeks and months to come, not just as a teacher, but as a parent with school age kids. The beginning of the year can be an extremely hectic time with all the school related activities and obligations, not to mention fall sports and activities. Most people I know also try their best to keep a bit of that summer fun rolling with the amazing weather we have here in Ventura. So... how do we balance it all? My only suggestion is to just take it all one thing at a time while trying to look ahead at what's to come to be prepared and when it all gets a bit crazy, be willing to breath and let it go! We just can't do it all and it just won't always be perfect, what ever it is you are doing. Keep the conversation going... How do you work best? All at once or one thing at a time, can't start something else until one task is finished? Best of luck to all as we transition from summer to fall!

Creators, Not Just Consumers And What To Do With Our Creations

The new school year brings new energy and focus. As a technology teacher, I am in a field that is always evolving and fast. With the various social media opportunities as well as how relatively easy it is to create new content I am making a push to bring technology and creativity to my students, while showing them what's possible and how to get it out to the masses.

So what does that mean? 

When I talk about technology and creativity, I am referring to making something from nothing using the technology tools at our fingertips. Anything from a simple document to a full on movie that includes imagery and sound. We have access to programs/apps that allow us to edit pictures, make music, design in 3D, create our own videos games, etc. Pretty much anything multimedia, can be done. 

Now What?

It's time to share... Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube... and the list goes on and on... My goal is to help my students become creators, not just consumers. And once we are able to create something, how do we share it...

Well, the following is a list of how you can stay connected;

Instagram

@balboaroom50 

@balboayearbook 

@balboa_basketball 

Facebook

Room 50
Balboa Yearbook
Balboa Basketball

YouTube
The BMS Channel

Sound Cloud
Balboa Newscast
The Room 50 Podcast

When Things Don't Go Your Way... Now What?

Disappointed? In your grades, your choices, the people around you... Not getting enough playing time? Now what? Are you going to stop trying? Quit? Or do you find the strength to overcome your feelings and worries and do something about it. It's easier just to give up, but what does taking the easy path get you. Determination, relentlessness, courage! These are the attributes that will take you from your low and catapult you up to where you want to be. What ever it is that stands in your way, take it down piece by piece, one day at a time. There will be no quick fixes or magic buttons that makes it all go away, but if you are focused on your goals and work towards achieving them daily, you will be surprised how successful you can be!

Build Them Up

Spring is here! And so begins the annual process of renewal. Not just in nature, but in our personal and public lives. It's a chance to break out of the aspects of your life that bring you down, focusing on the positives. As a parent, teacher, and coach, I am constantly trying to help young people to do better and be better. The very nature of these roles that I have forces me to point out where my children, students, and players are acting or doing something correctly and/or incorrectly. I must admit, at times people in my position, including me take for granted the good things young people do, focusing only on what they have done wrong. Well, I am going to take this opportunity of renewal that Spring has brought us and make an extra effort to really promote and highlight the positive actions and choices being made all around me by some pretty amazing young people. Remember, they are our future! Build them up, because as we hand them the keys to this ship we are on, it will be up to them to keep it moving forward.

Can't Control Everything

No, you can't control everything, but some of us sure do try... Being a husband and a father of four I am constantly in a battle for control. Whether it is my two boys dragging me into their arguments or my three year old telling me "No, I don't want to", with more attitude then should be humanly possible for a person of such a small stature, I am surrounded by a constant tug of war for control. As a middle school teacher, you better believe I am constantly being challenged for control of the classroom. It is apparent that self control is an ongoing challenge for young people... most adults too! So in my quest to maintain control over my life and the lives of people around me, I find that the harder I try the harder it is to keep control. It's like a big blob that I am able to grab, but inevitably, a piece of the blob squeezes out and when I go to grab that piece another piece oozes out somewhere else. So, does that mean we quit trying to direct our lives and the lives of the young people we are responsible for the way we want them to go? No! But I do suggest that you pick your battles and realize that all you can do is focus on the things you have control over. What are some examples in your life? How you do on a test? Your pet dog? How clean your room is? Etc. When the title wave of life is not going your way, find one little thing you can hold onto that is yours that you have control over to get you through storm and in regards to the rest of it, learn to go with the flow and that life is not always about doing what you want to do. And with almost any situation, there is a silver lining, something positive that comes out of a negative situation.