Power Podcasts

Welcome to ACE Power English – Podcasting

This document and supporting files available at: http://www.esnips.com/web/ACE-Podcasting/
Download videos from Youtube etc via: http://javimoya.com/blog/youtube_en.php

This is a very exciting class. You are going to make a short movie over the next 4
weeks. You will be working in a small group in case students leave or join the class
during this time.

We’ll show you some examples, help you plan, write, film and edit your story, and
then we’ll have a fun day watching our short movies. Your teacher will upload the
best movies as podcasts on Youtube and Myspace.

Our movies will be short, about 5 minutes, but it is still very important to plan it
properly before filming. Otherwise you will have big problems in editing.

You can use your own camera or mobile phone camera for this option, but it must
record onto a removable memory card. Remember to bring it to class. (You can
borrow one for the first week.)

This is our plan for learning how to make a short movie:

Adapted (from sources as shown) by Mike Smith for Australian College of English Created on 4/25/2007 14:59:00 a4/p4

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How to Make a Short Movie
adapted from http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Short-Films
Other resources http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Movie_making_manual

• Decide your topic. We have some examples and suggestions for you. You
have only 20 minutes to choose a basic story. You must decide in your group.
Tell your teacher your idea.
• Write a script story. Introduce your characters, and describe their situation.
Let your people show different personalities. You must give your script to your
teacher before you can go out filming.
• Watch our example short movies and, instead of watching for the story, pay
attention to the shot selections and camera angles. Think about why certain
shots were chosen (to create mood, etc). Write down your ideas and discuss
them in you group. Tell your teacher your ideas.
• You need to work as a team with your group members. Don’t work alone.
You can each play multiple characters in your movie.
• Draw out a storyboard, showing the shots you plan to use. Don't worry about
following the storyboard perfectly, it's just a good idea to get your thoughts on
paper.
• Get all of the materials you will need ready, such as clothing, props, etc.
• Go out with your group and start filming! Film plenty of footage. This will
make editing easier.
• Edit your movie using editing software. We’ll use Windows Movie Maker. It
is really basic but OK for us.

Week 1
Each Power Option weekly class is divided into 3 sessions of 40 minutes.

In Week 1 we look at some example short movies and podcasts, choose a story topic,
and write a script.

You will work in groups. You MUST work as a team to succeed and pass this option
class.

0-40 minutes
• Allocate workgroups to make maximum of 6 groups.
• Look at example movies
o ACE prepared
o Selected appropriate Youtube/MySpace/Google examples)
MySpace http://www.myspace.com/
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/
Google Video http://video.google.com.au/
Other http://www.niceshorts.com.au/

Adapted (from sources as shown) by Mike Smith for Australian College of English Created on 4/25/2007 14:59:00 a4/p4

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“just in brisbane”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvKdDt4dZb0
“My dog is a jedi”
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2022885937
“How to get a beer quickly at a bar”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLtRp6qV1mA
“monty python dead parrot sketch”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H6DSoqZz_s

45-80 minutes
• Choose a story concept (from this list),
o how to get from Central Station to ACE
o a good place to eat in Post Office Square
o what is ANZAC day
o how to act in a lift (what to do, what not to do)
o tour of ACE campus (where is everything)
o how to buy a phone card, bus ticket, train ticket, etc
o a good internet cafe in the city
o a good night club in the city
o where to buy coffee
o interview a teacher or staff member
o a nice place to eat lunch outside
o other ESL schools in the city
o excuses for being late to class or absent from class
o how to find accommodation through ACE
o how to find out about school activities
o how to tie a tie
o show Australian money (notes and coins)
• Develop a 5 minute storyline/script.
You need a good plan, and a script helps you clearly understand what you are
going to do with the camera.

• Hand-in work at end of lesson.

85-120 minutes
• Test hardware cameras and software.
• Record your partner’s self-introduction (5-10 seconds).
• Download to PC
• Try editing with Movie Maker

Adapted (from sources as shown) by Mike Smith for Australian College of English Created on 4/25/2007 14:59:00 a4/p4

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Week 2:
0-40 minutes
This week we look at storyboarding. This is the next step in planning your short
movie or podcast. A storyboard is a series of simple drawings to help you explain the
story. The drawings can be very simple.

For example (from http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Lesson:Thumbnail_Storyboard )

YOUNG PERSON: That was a great movie ...

CUT TO

YOUNG PERSON (cont): But I don't understand one thing.

Adapted (from sources as shown) by Mike Smith for Australian College of English Created on 4/25/2007 14:59:00 a4/p4

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OLD PERSON: Hum... What's that?

YOUNG PERSON: I don't understand how anyone

can be 'seduced by the dark side'.

Look at storyboard presentation video.

“Making of LBAH Part 01 - storyboard presentation.flv”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuDvfT22mjk

45-80 minutes
Develop a storyboard for your podcast - 15 to 25 frames. Work in your group. Hand
it in to the teacher at the end of the lesson.

85-120 minutes
Watch the video tutorial on Moviemaker from Ayumilove
“Ayumilove Windows Movie Maker Tutorial (Part 1)”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI-dhd_eHXs

Either:
• work on storyboard more (storyboard must be finished today), or
• (if storyboard finished) test camera equipment and Movie Maker software.

Adapted (from sources as shown) by Mike Smith for Australian College of English Created on 4/25/2007 14:59:00 a4/p4

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Week 3
This week we do our actual camerawork – filming. We use our script and storyboard
to help us film efficiently and not waste time.

0-40 minutes
• Allocate movie characters to group members (5 mins). Group members can
play more than one part. Gender doesn’t matter.
• Look at “how not to act on a first date” to see a guy acting as a girl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_HQqHLdjvQ
• Check script and story board a final time.
• Check location is OK to use.
• Check actors are ready.
• Check camera is ready.

45-80 minutes
• Go on location and film, film, film!

85-120 minutes
• Transfer all footage to teachers PC.
• Teacher will convert to mpg format for Movie Maker
• Students to plan presentation to class for movie premiere in the last week.
• (if time) start some basic editing. Students need USB memory keys.

Homework
Yes... homework.

Try playing with your movie footage and Movie Maker. You need to save to your
USB memory key. Different PCs may have different versions of Movie Maker.

Watch the video tutorial on Moviemaker from Ayumilove

Ayumilove Windows Movie Maker Tutorial (Part 1).flv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI-dhd_eHXs
Also watch some of her other videos on YouTube.

Adapted (from sources as shown) by Mike Smith for Australian College of English Created on 4/25/2007 14:59:00 a4/p4

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Week 4
This week we do our final editing, and film premiere. Students will give a brief
presentation and then premiere their masterpiece. Teacher to select films for
uploading to ACE Myspace/YouTube/Google account.

0-40 minutes
• Again watch the video tutorial on Moviemaker from Ayumilove
“Ayumilove Windows Movie Maker Tutorial (Part 1)”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI-dhd_eHXs
• Edit your movie with Movie maker. Make a title screen (at the beginning) and
a credit screen (at the end). If you can, try putting some music into an audio
track.

45-80 minutes
• Complete editing
• Transfer to Teacher’s PC. Students need a USB memory key.

85-120 minutes
• Movie premieres. Each group introduces and shows their finished short
movie.
• Eat popcorn.
• Class votes on the best movies.
• Teacher chooses which movies to upload as podcasts.
• Graduation Certificates.

Adapted (from sources as shown) by Mike Smith for Australian College of English Created on 4/25/2007 14:59:00 a4/p4

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Teacher Notes
Hi Jon,

I've brainstormed this with Simon to gain his input. We can have
this ready for next week.

Advertising Blurb:

"Power Podcasting. All famous movie directors started by making

short films. In this 4 week option you create a short movie from
planning, storyboarding, filming, and editing to final production.
We finish with a premiere showing all the student films (with
popcorn!)."

Tools required:

It seems that we'll be able to use any version of Movie Maker,

although version 2 would be slightly better. Simon mentioned that we
might be able to have it installed remotely by Sydney IT support.
The file can be downloaded from here:
http://www.download.com/Windows-Movie-Maker/3000-2194_4-10187903.html

I recommend the school gets one of the new breed of card reader, good
for any of the latest memory cards (approx $30 from Rabbit Photos).
That way we can use student cameras and camera phones, which also
reduces the need to downsample video files prior to uploading. We
can use my cardreader in the meantime.

The teacher may need a video conversion tool to cope with the
possibility that Movie Maker may not be able to read the raw video
files from various late model cameras. I recommend the free utility
AnyVideoConverter which I have stored here for download:
http://www.esnips.com/web/mikejcsmith-software

Course Overview:

Week 1: Allocate workgroups to make maximum of 6 groups. Choose a

story concept (from an approved list), look at example movies (ACE
prepared, and selected appropriate Youtube/Myspace examples), Develop
a 5 minute storyline. Hand-in work at end of lesson.

Resources Required: Laptop with projector. PCs not really required as

yet.
Internet not required if teacher has downloaded example movies.

Week 2: Look at examples of storyboards. Use

Incredibles/Spiderman DVD
extras? Develop storyboards - 5 to 10 frames. Test camera equipment
in class with 10 second self-introductions. Test file download from
camera to PC. Teacher to test conversion. Teach how to use Movie
Maker.
Hand-in work at end of lesson.

Resources Required: Laptop with projector. PCs required for Movie

Maker.

Adapted (from sources as shown) by Mike Smith for Australian College of English Created on 4/25/2007 14:59:00 a4/p4

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Internet not required if teacher has downloaded example movies.
Cameras, card readers, video conversion/editing software.

Week 3: Filming, download, file conversion, import to Movie maker,

editing. Hand-in work at end of lesson. Teacher to archive files
on recordable CD.

Resources Required: Laptop with projector. PCs required with Movie

Maker / (Any Video Converter?). Internet not required if teacher has
downloaded example movies. Cameras, card readers, video
conversion/editing software.

Week 4: Final editing, and film premiere. Students to give a brief

presentation and then premiere their masterpiece. Teacher to select
films for uploading to ACE Myspace/YouTube account.

Resources Required: Laptop with projector. Internet required for

later uploading to ACE Myspace/Youtube. Cameras, card readers, video
conversion/editing software. Popcorn.

Adapted (from sources as shown) by Mike Smith for Australian College of English Created on 4/25/2007 14:59:00 a4/p4

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