COLLECT
California Missions - An Excel Project
Step 1 - Create a spreadsheet file with a first-row title of California Missions Listed from North to South that has three columns labeled on the next row:
Mission | Year Founded | County Location Step 2 - Using the California Missions Map (found above in the more... section), list the missions by name in the exact order shown on the map from northernmost to southernmost in column 1. If you're not sure of the mission's name, see Step 3. If the missions are too close together on the map, be sure to zoom in a little to make it clearer. Also, please don't use the word "Mission" in the name. Step 3 - Find the link to the California Missions Timeline on the Cool Links page above, and enter the correct founding year for each mission in column 2. Note: the full and proper names of the missions are shown on this timeline. Make sure they are used for Step 2. Step 4 - Upload your completed spreadsheet using the box on the left Step 5 - Download the image file below and using Paint.net, open the file and white out all the county names that do NOT have missions in them. Leave the names showing of counties that DO have missions. When you have finished, save your fixed map and upload the saved image using the box on the upper left. 
|
COMMUNICATE
Creating a Complete Video Story
| ||||
| locked_door_sequence_for_storyboards.xls |
2. FILMING
Everyone will follow someone else's storyboard to film the scene. You MUST set up your shots according to what is depicted in the storyboards. If something is not right or incomprehensible, please mark it on the storyboard sheet, and describe the problem you are having with that. Please also check off the shots that you have no problems with while filming. You MUST turn in your storyboard with comments when you complete your video, so DON'T LOSE IT!
It is STRONGLY suggested that you organize your film shoot as efficiently as possible. That means you should film ALL the shots you need from one camera setup BEFORE you change the camera setup.
Now, it's also important to remember that you are filming ACTION, not still photos. Your storyboard shots will appear as still shots, but that's not what is needed in making your video. Your actor should at some point move through the position shown in each storyboard frame, but they should not pose in that position. Try to film an action from beginning to end, including a little before the action begins and a little after the action ends. You'll want the extra footage when you edit the video in step 3.
Now, you could just setup the camera in one place and have the actor do the entire sequence of actions, then setup the camera in another position and have the actor do the entire sequence of actions again, now from a new viewing angle, and so on. Then, in the editor, you'd remove the parts where the actor is not seen properly and keep the parts from each sequence that can be fitted together to make the video according to the storyboard.
...You COULD do that...
...but you SHOULDN'T.
You shouldn't because it wastes time. The better way is to use your storyboard to shoot all the shots in a group in one session. A group could be all the shots that have the same camera setup. A group could also be all the shots that are in a particular location. A group could also be all the shots using a character with a particular look, costume, etc.
For example, if some of your scenes took place on the field, you wouldn't want to shoot the first scene indoors, the second scene on the field, the third scene back indoors, and then the next scene outside again. That would be a waste of time. You'd shoot all the scenes on the field at once while you had the chance, and then shoot the indoor scenes at another time.
You might also have scenes with an actor you can only have for a short time. You'd shoot that actor's scenes out of order while you could and then "shoot around" the actor when that actor was not available.
You might also have a situation in which your actors had to wear special costumes or makeup that was complicated to apply. You would shoot all those scenes out of order while you needed to focus on the costume/makeup, and then do the easier scenes at other times.
All of these examples point to the need for a storyboard that keeps things best organized. Don't ignore the benefits of your storyboard when you do your filming!
It is STRONGLY suggested that you organize your film shoot as efficiently as possible. That means you should film ALL the shots you need from one camera setup BEFORE you change the camera setup.
Now, it's also important to remember that you are filming ACTION, not still photos. Your storyboard shots will appear as still shots, but that's not what is needed in making your video. Your actor should at some point move through the position shown in each storyboard frame, but they should not pose in that position. Try to film an action from beginning to end, including a little before the action begins and a little after the action ends. You'll want the extra footage when you edit the video in step 3.
Now, you could just setup the camera in one place and have the actor do the entire sequence of actions, then setup the camera in another position and have the actor do the entire sequence of actions again, now from a new viewing angle, and so on. Then, in the editor, you'd remove the parts where the actor is not seen properly and keep the parts from each sequence that can be fitted together to make the video according to the storyboard.
...You COULD do that...
...but you SHOULDN'T.
You shouldn't because it wastes time. The better way is to use your storyboard to shoot all the shots in a group in one session. A group could be all the shots that have the same camera setup. A group could also be all the shots that are in a particular location. A group could also be all the shots using a character with a particular look, costume, etc.
For example, if some of your scenes took place on the field, you wouldn't want to shoot the first scene indoors, the second scene on the field, the third scene back indoors, and then the next scene outside again. That would be a waste of time. You'd shoot all the scenes on the field at once while you had the chance, and then shoot the indoor scenes at another time.
You might also have scenes with an actor you can only have for a short time. You'd shoot that actor's scenes out of order while you could and then "shoot around" the actor when that actor was not available.
You might also have a situation in which your actors had to wear special costumes or makeup that was complicated to apply. You would shoot all those scenes out of order while you needed to focus on the costume/makeup, and then do the easier scenes at other times.
All of these examples point to the need for a storyboard that keeps things best organized. Don't ignore the benefits of your storyboard when you do your filming!
3. Editing
All right. You've created and improved your storyboard. You've shot the scenes in the most efficient way you could. Now it's time to get those shots into the computer and into a finished product.
Your camera is equipped with a USB plug that you can plug into the USB port on the front of your computer. When you find your video files on the camera, you need to copy them into a folder on your computer where you can find them.
Open up Windows Movie Maker 2.6 and choose Import Video from the Movie Tasks list on the left. You'll have to navigate to where you saved the camera file(s). Movie Maker will place the video clips from your camera in the middle section (Collections) of your screen. Don't worry if Movie Maker creates more clips than the number of files you imported.
Using the Storyboard view, drag the clips in proper order to the big rectangles along the bottom of the screen. If something ends up out of order, you can just drag the clip over on top of another clip and it will move out of the way. You can watch the sequence of clips in the preview window by clicking on the right (play) arrow inside the little circle just below the window. (There's another play arrow on the upper left end of the Storyboard ribbon down below.)
Movie Maker is designed to help you clean up your movie, and to make it as interesting to your audience as possible. In the Timeline view, you can slice off pieces of clips to shorten them. You can re-arrange clips by dragging them, and you can add your sounds exactly where they're supposed to occur. You can also add a title and end credits.
Once you've made all these changes, your movie is still not quite finished. There's one final step: you must "render" your movie. In Movie Maker, this is found in two places: one is in the 3. Finish Movie section where it says "Save to my computer," and the other is in the File menu where it says "Save Movie File." When you choose either, you end up going to a window that asks you where you want to save your file and how you want it saved. In most cases, all you need to do is agree with the choices offered and things will usually turn out okay.
Did you notice that neither of these choices says anything about "rendering" your video? That's okay. That's still what it's doing. The computer is digitally "sewing" together all the cuts you made with your clips and is making one single video out of all the little pieces. This is the form you want your video to end up in so that you can upload it or share it with others.
Your camera is equipped with a USB plug that you can plug into the USB port on the front of your computer. When you find your video files on the camera, you need to copy them into a folder on your computer where you can find them.
Open up Windows Movie Maker 2.6 and choose Import Video from the Movie Tasks list on the left. You'll have to navigate to where you saved the camera file(s). Movie Maker will place the video clips from your camera in the middle section (Collections) of your screen. Don't worry if Movie Maker creates more clips than the number of files you imported.
Using the Storyboard view, drag the clips in proper order to the big rectangles along the bottom of the screen. If something ends up out of order, you can just drag the clip over on top of another clip and it will move out of the way. You can watch the sequence of clips in the preview window by clicking on the right (play) arrow inside the little circle just below the window. (There's another play arrow on the upper left end of the Storyboard ribbon down below.)
Movie Maker is designed to help you clean up your movie, and to make it as interesting to your audience as possible. In the Timeline view, you can slice off pieces of clips to shorten them. You can re-arrange clips by dragging them, and you can add your sounds exactly where they're supposed to occur. You can also add a title and end credits.
Once you've made all these changes, your movie is still not quite finished. There's one final step: you must "render" your movie. In Movie Maker, this is found in two places: one is in the 3. Finish Movie section where it says "Save to my computer," and the other is in the File menu where it says "Save Movie File." When you choose either, you end up going to a window that asks you where you want to save your file and how you want it saved. In most cases, all you need to do is agree with the choices offered and things will usually turn out okay.
Did you notice that neither of these choices says anything about "rendering" your video? That's okay. That's still what it's doing. The computer is digitally "sewing" together all the cuts you made with your clips and is making one single video out of all the little pieces. This is the form you want your video to end up in so that you can upload it or share it with others.
