We are presenters
Unit
3.3
Videoing performance
1 About this unit
Software: Apps: Hardware: Outcome: Microsoft Movie Maker® or iMovie
iMovie
Digital cameras, flip cameras (or similar),
tablet computers/iPod Touch or similar
One minute of edited video of children performing
an activity, with narrated commentary
UNIT SUMMARY
Do your children love watching sport or other
performances on TV? This unit gives them a chance
to make a short narrated video of themselves
practising a sport or other skill, and to use this to help
improve their performance.
CURRICULUM LINKS
Computing PoS
Select, use and combine a variety of software
(including internet services) on a range of digital
devices to design and create a range of programs,
systems and content that accomplish given goals,
including collecting, analysing, evaluating and
presenting data and information.
Work with various forms of input and output.
Use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly.
Suggested subject links
PE: Making a video provides pupils with an
opportunity to develop an understanding of how to
improve in different physical activities.
English: This project develops skills in spoken
language, particularly participating in presentations
and performances.
Maths: Evaluating performance in sports whose
results are compared by time or distance links to
work in measurement. Evaluating performance in
sports whose results are compared by scores links
to work in number.
TRANSLATING THE COMPUTING PoS
The children will be using a range of software, in
particular, video editors, to create content in the
form of an edited video, which accomplishes a
specific goal.
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In shooting their videos, the children collect
information. Their commentaries will include
analysis and evaluation. Some pupils will also draw
on data in their work, perhaps including times or
measurements in their commentary.
The unit also develops pupils’ understanding of
working with different forms of input and output
– as pupils record video and commentary, and
source images and effects, they are working
with digitised forms of images and sound (input);
the Movie Maker project file is a sequence of
instructions to assemble this media into a final set
of output audio and images shown as video.
As pupils will be filming one another, it’s worth
emphasising that they should behave respectfully
and responsibly.
LEARNING EXPECTATIONS
This unit will enable the children to:
gain skills in shooting live video, such as framing
shots, holding the camera steady, and reviewing
edit video, including adding narration and editing
clips by setting in/out points
understand the qualities of effective video, such
as the importance of narrative, consistency,
perspective and scene length.
The assessment guidance on page 40 will help
you to decide whether the children have met these
expectations.
VARIATIONS TO TRY
Pupils could record music, dance or drama
rehearsals.
Use a ‘jigsaw’ approach. Some children could
look at camera work, some at sound and some
at how the programme or clip has been edited.
They could then come together to discuss the
programme from these various perspectives.
2
Getting ready
THINGS TO DO
Read the Core steps sections of Running the task.
Decide which software/tools are most accessible/
appropriate for use with your class. Watch the
Software in 60 seconds walkthroughs provided for
Movie Maker, which can be found on the CD-ROM.
Alternatively, see online support for iMovie (see
Useful links).
Spend 60–75 minutes familiarising yourself with
Movie Maker and digital video cameras.
Think about the individuals and groups you have in
your class. Could you use any of the Extensions on
pages 34–39 to extend your more able children?
Could you use any of the suggestions in Inclusion
(see below) to support children with specific
CD-ROM RESOURCES
Software in 60 seconds – Movie Maker® (1 and 2)
Letter template – Parental consent for filming
Storyboard templates
Video planning sheet template
Pupil self-assessment information
Sound effects
Unit poster – Top tips for filming
E-SAFETY
Even if video footage is used only within the
school, parental consent should be sought.
Brief the children and parents in advance.
With the consent of the children and parents, some
of the edited video might be made available on the
school website or external sites. Keep to school
policy. Never include any information in the videos
that might identify children.
INCLUSION
Some children may feel uncomfortable being
videoed in PE. Offer children alternative contexts,
such as music or drama.
Some children may be reluctant to be filmed.
Similarly, some parents may withhold permission for
their children to be filmed. Make sure each group
contains at least one child who can be filmed.
Some children may find it difficult to hold the
camera steady, so have a few tripods available.
needs, e.g. SEN or EAL? Have you considered
how a Teaching Assistant will support you and the
children, if one is available?
Secure the children’s and parents’ consent for
filming. A letter template for parental consent is
available on the CD-ROM.
Liaise with colleagues about videoing at school
events such as sports day, assemblies or school
performances.
Ensure appropriate software is installed on the
computers. (Mac users would be advised to use
iMovie, which is provided as standard.)
THINGS YOU NEED
Computers/laptops/tablets loaded with the
software you have chosen
Digital video cameras
Tripods (optional)
WWW
USEFUL LINKS
Software and tools
Movie Maker is a free download from Microsoft:
www.windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windowslive/movie-maker-get-started.
iMovie is available for the Mac: www.apple.com/
ilife/imovie; and iOS devices: www.apple.com/uk/
apps/imovie.
Online tutorials
Movie Maker overview: http://windows.
microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/moviemaker#t1=overview.
iMovie tutorial: http://support.apple.com/kb/VI103.
Information and ideas
BBC’s iPlayer might be useful for reviewing
sporting video clips: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer.
www.mediacollege.com/video provides a good
introduction to video and editing techniques.
Futurelab’s handbook, Digital literacy across the
curriculum, discusses the concepts and contexts
of this sort of work: www.futurelab.org.uk/sites/
default/files/Digital_Literacy_handbook_0.pdf.
The Information Commissioner’s good practice
note on taking photographs of children in school
is online at www.ico.org.uk/~/media/documents/
library/Data_Protection/Practical_application/
TAKING_PHOTOS.ashx.
The FFmpeg toolkit can usually remedy technical
difficulties in converting between multiple file
formats. See www.ffmpeg.org. Windows graphical
user interfaces for this are available, e.g. http://
winff.org/html_new.
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3
Running the task – We are presenters
Software: Microsoft Movie Maker® or iMovie Apps: iMovie Hardware: Digital cameras, flip cameras (or similar), tablet computers/iPod Touch or similar
Outcome: One minute of edited video of pupils performing an activity, with narrated commentary
Core steps
Step 1: Reviewing sports TV
RESOURCES
WWW
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/
wimbledon-bbc-coverage-behindscenes-2002921
POSSIBLE OUTCOME FOR THIS STEP:
Extensions
SCHOOL
Invite the children to discuss any sport they have seen
on TV recently. Ask them to discuss the large numbers of
people who are involved in making and distributing these TV
programmes, and the different jobs they have. Show them an
example of an end credit from a sports programme and ask
them to research some of the roles listed. The article listed
in Resources gives some insights into how the BBC covers a
major sporting event.
Show a few selected clips of a range of sports coverage.
Ask the children to look carefully at the different camera
techniques, to listen to the commentary and to look out
for other information, such as scores, times or other
measurements. Ask them to list their observations.
As a class, brainstorm these ideas, perhaps using a mind
map to provide structure.
Share the Learning expectations for the unit (see page 32)
and explain the success criteria.
The children could draw up additional success criteria,
returning to these later in the unit. For example, that the
commentary helps the viewer understand what’s happening,
that the camera work is steady, well focused and includes
all the action, and that other material is used to make the
programme interesting and engaging.
Some children could look at a range
of TV programmes from a critical
perspective, focusing on a particular
aspect such as camera work, sound
or editing. If several children do this
extension activity, you could give each
a different aspect to explore and then
ask them to come together to discuss
the programmes from these various
perspectives.
HOME
Some children may enjoy researching
further aspects of TV and film-making
at home. www.firstlightonline.co.uk and
http://cineclub.org.uk are good starting
points, as is http://simple.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Filmmaking.
Step 2: Working with video cameras
RESOURCES
Unit poster reverse – Top tips for
filming
WWW
Tutorial videos or instructions for
the cameras you’re using, if available
POSSIBLE OUTCOME FOR THIS STEP:
Introduce the class to digital video cameras. This is an
opportunity for the children to familiarise themselves with the
equipment and to discover how the devices work. Organise
the class into groups, the size of the groups depending on the
number of video cameras available.
Before they shoot any video, give the children advice on
avoiding common mistakes. Common errors include camera
shake, excessive use of zooming and panning (moving the
camera from side to side), not keeping the camera level, and
pressing the stop button too soon. (The poster provides some
advice on good camera work.)
Encourage the children to think about different shots:
close-ups, which tightly frame the person or object, often to
focus on detail or emotion; establishing shots, which set up
the context for a scene by showing the relationship between
figures, objects and their environment; and cut-aways,
where the action is interrupted by showing other material,
such as crowd reaction. Other possible techniques include
follow shots, in which the subject being filmed appears to
be pursued by the camera; long shots, in which the whole
scene is shown; low- or high-angle shots, in which the
camera is positioned very low or very high compared to the
subject matter. You could illustrate these different shots using
examples from the TV coverage in Step 1.
Ask the children to practise camera techniques by recording
a short clip, perhaps interviewing one another about their
favourite sports. If you have time, show some of these clips in
a plenary.
SCHOOL
Some children could apply their filming
and editing skills to enhance learning in
other subject areas. For example, they
could produce video diaries in the role of
a storybook character, or interview one
another about something they learned
in a lesson to develop their spoken
language skills.
HOME
Children with access to a digital video
camera could continue experimenting
at home.
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36
Core steps
Step 3: Shooting the videos
RESOURCES
Video planning sheet template
POSSIBLE OUTCOME FOR THIS STEP:
Extensions
SCHOOL
Explain to the children that they will be working in groups
to create a film that is one minute long. They will film one
person from their group practising a sports skill (or another
performance-related skill). Discuss which skills will be
easier to film, and why. Ask the children to plan their filming
carefully, so that they’ll have the camera in the best position
to capture the action. Suggest that for many activities, it will
be easiest to keep the camera still, allowing the activity to
take place in front of the lens.
Explain the different roles of group members: the subject
concentrates on practising the skill, while the camera
operator takes care to frame shots and keep the camera
steady, ensuring they capture high quality, useable footage.
Other members of the group could note down observations
and measurements for use later, when adding commentary.
Give the children time to shoot their videos. Suggest they
review the ‘rushes’ of footage taken on the camera display,
perhaps deleting it if another take is needed.
If more than one person in a group has permission to be
filmed, give the group time to repeat the process of filming
and reviewing.
Once the children have mastered the basics of capturing
good, useable footage, encourage them to experiment with
more advanced shooting techniques. For example, they could
do a close-up of some of the action, they could include a postaction interview, they could use panning shots appropriately to
capture the flow of movement, or they could use establishing
shots of the place where the action happens.
After reviewing their footage on camera, encourage the class
to consider other elements that might be necessary to make
an effective video (e.g. audio commentary, titles, music, etc.).
Some children could rehearse and film
interviews with one another, asking
questions about the techniques used in
performing the skill that was the subject
of their first film. Alternatively, they could
film an interview with the subject teacher
or coach.
Some children could record footage at
an event for which the earlier practice
was preparation, such as a sports day,
concert or play.
HOME
The children could ask their parents to
record them practising a skill at home,
and then review the footage; this could
be the same skill they practised in school
or something more domestic, such
as washing up or baking. You might
consider lending equipment to children
who do not have access to resources at
home. If this includes children receiving
free school meals, you could consider
using Pupil Premium funding.
Step 4: Editing the videos
RESOURCES
Software in 60 seconds – Movie
Maker® (1 and 2)
Storyboard templates
Sound effects
POSSIBLE OUTCOME FOR THIS STEP:
SCHOOL
Demonstrate how to upload the video clips taken in Step 3
onto the computers you will be editing them on. To do this,
connect the camera to the USB port and use copy and paste
to move the movie files across, often from the ‘DCIM’ folder
on the device. It’s usually best to save work onto the local
hard drive (typically the C: drive on a Windows computer)
as school networks rarely provide the speed needed for
video editing.
Storyboarding may be a useful technique to explore before
the children start to edit their videos. (Storyboard templates
are provided on the CD-ROM.)
Encourage the children to explore Movie Maker’s interface by
themselves. What do they think each of the buttons do? How
might they use them when editing their video? Encourage
them to experiment with their clips to see what is possible, and
then ask them to share what they’ve discovered with the class.
Correct any misconceptions about Movie Maker, and draw
the children’s attention to any features they may have missed.
Remind them that Movie Maker is simply another computer
program. Like all computer programs, it works according
to algorithms written by programmers in computer code.
Encourage them to think what the algorithms Movie Maker
follows need to do, and how the program might do that.
Ask the children to review their clips in Movie Maker,
selecting the best bits of each clip and then dragging them
to the beginning of the timeline. It’s perhaps easiest for
the children to duplicate clips, and then trim them at the
beginning and end of the interesting section. An alternative
approach is to set in- and out-points (i.e. start and end
points) on the clips used. They should take care that their
assembled sequence of clips tells the story effectively.
Some children could insert additional
material into their original video, taking
care to integrate this into the narrative
flow. With the additional material from
the extension activity in Step 3, the
length of the video could be extended
to, say, two minutes.
HOME
As Movie Maker is a free download, you
could encourage children to continue
experimenting with it on their home
computers, perhaps bringing the work
they produce into school.
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Core steps
Step 5: Improving the videos
RESOURCES
Sound effects and backing music
POSSIBLE OUTCOME FOR THIS STEP:
Extensions
SCHOOL
Show the children some of the more advanced editing
tools in Movie Maker, if they haven’t discovered these for
themselves. These might include how to add a title clip and
rolling end credits, how to import and animate still photos,
and how to add transitions between clips.
Also demonstrate how to create a slow-motion replay of
part of their footage, by splitting, copying, pasting and then
adjusting the speed of part of their footage.
Encourage the children to explore the audio tools in
Movie Maker. Afterwards, ask them to share what they’ve
discovered with the class. Draw their attention to anything
that they miss. Make sure the children are aware of how to
record an audio commentary, how to import sound effects
or backing music, how to position or reposition audio on the
timeline and how to adjust the volume of original audio and
recorded commentary.
Ask the children to rehearse and record an audio
commentary that focuses on an analysis of the child’s
performance, perhaps drawing on observations and
measurements made on location. You might like to ask the
children to write their commentary as a script. Appropriate
sound effects and/or backing music could also be imported
simply by dragging the MP3 file into the folder where they’re
assembling their media, and then into Movie Maker’s
timeline. It’s useful to keep all the media assets in just one
folder.
Give the children time to work collaboratively to improve their
edited video, perhaps seeking feedback from other groups.
Show the children how to export their finished movie in a
standard format, such as MP4 or WMV.
The children could explore how the
computer code generated by Movie
Maker relates to what appears on
screen. Explain that Movie Maker works
by creating a project file that describes
where to find the original media, which
clips to use, and in which order. Open
a .wlmp Movie Maker project file in
Notepad or another text editor and show
the children how the computer code there
relates to their edits. Save a copy and
tweak some of the numbers, showing the
children the effect this has when the new
file is opened in Movie Maker. Encourage
them to explore this further themselves.
HOME
Encourage the children to show their
videos to their parents. Depending
on your school’s e-safety policy, you
could post the videos onto the school
learning platform, host them on private
or unlisted YouTube or Vimeo accounts,
or invite parents into school to watch
them. Encourage the children to ask their
parents for feedback and perhaps make
further changes based on this.
Step 6: Evaluating the videos
RESOURCES
Pupil self-assessment information
POSSIBLE OUTCOME FOR THIS STEP:
SCHOOL
Encourage the children to review critically the clips they have
edited, looking particularly at how they might approach a task
such as this differently in the future, and providing feedback
on creative and technical aspects using keywords such as
steady/shaking, focused/blurred, clear/muffled, etc.
If you established additional success criteria in Step 1, ask
the children to assess their finished videos against them.
You could challenge the children to add a ‘DVD extra’
such as a director’s commentary, in which they record an
additional audio commentary, this time explaining how they
filmed and edited the video rather than the activity itself.
In a lesson related to an appropriate subject, ask the
performers to have another go at the skills they practised
in the video, taking into account the advice and analysis
provided through the commentary, as well as their own
reflections on their performance. This too could be recorded,
with before and after footage being compared.
If time allows, the children might like to experiment with video
analysis software such as Kinovea (www.kinovea.org) or the
Coaches Eye app, which allow measurement and annotation
to be made on a layer over the video.
Use a final plenary for the children to review their learning
during the course of the unit, both in relation to the practised
skill and in terms of their work using video editing software.
You could invite teachers and parents to
watch the final video presentations and
provide constructive critical feedback.
HOME
Encourage the children to continue to
experiment with video shooting and/or
editing at home, perhaps working
with holiday footage or footage of
family events.
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4 Assessment guidance
Use this page to assess the children’s computing knowledge and skills. You may wish to use these
statements in conjunction with the badges provided on the CD-ROM or community site and/or with your
own school policy for assessing work.
ALL CHILDREN SHOULD BE ABLE TO:
Operate a simple
video camera correctly
LOGICAL THINKER 2
COMMUNICATOR
LOGICAL THINKER 2
LOGICAL THINKER 2
Import and edit their footage
CONTENT CREATOR 2
MOST CHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO:
COMMUNICATOR
CONTENT CREATOR 2
Combine software on a range of digital
E-SAFETY 2
SEARCHER
devices
SEARCHER
PROBLEM SOLVER 2 PROGRAMMER 2
LOGICAL THINKER 2
COMMUNICATOR
PROGRAMMER 2
E-SAFETY 2
COMMUNICATOR
Export the movie in a standard format
Record creative footage
Make use of data in their commentary
Use more advanced video editing tools,
such as transitions, captions or credits
Work with various forms of PROBLEM
inputSOLVER 2
PROGRAMMER 2 COMMUNICATOR
CONTENT CREATOR 2
SEARCHER
COMMUNICATOR
LOGICAL THINKER 2
SOME CHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO:
PROBLEM SOLVER 2
Use
software on a range
of digital
E-SAFETY 2
SEARCHER
devices
CONTENT CREATOR 2
CONTENT CREATOR 2
PROGRAMMER 2
Work with various forms of input
PROBLEM SOLVER 2
CONTENT CREATOR 2
LOGICAL THINKER 2
Critically review their footage
PROBLEM SOLVER 2
LOGICAL THINKER 2
Record a detailed, informative commentary
LOGICAL THINKER 2
PROGRAMMER 2
COMPUTING PoS REFERENCE
E-SAFETY 2
Analyse existing sports coverage to learn
CONTENT CREATOR 2
how this is shot
Record high quality footage
COMMUNICATOR
PROGRAMMER 2
Record useable footage
Record an audio
commentary forCOMMUNICATOR
their
LOGICAL THINKER 2
footage
BADGE
COMMUNICATOR
PROGRAMMER 2
CONTENT CREATOR 2
LOGICAL THINKER 2
COMMUNICATOR
CONTENT CREATOR 2
E-SAFETY
2 2
LOGICAL
THINKER
SEARCHER
COMMUNICATOR
LOGICAL THINKER 2
COMMUNICATOR
Analyse
and evaluate
information
E-SAFETY 2
SEARCHER
PROGRAMMER 2
PROBLEM SOLVER 2
PROGRAMMER 2
PROBLEM SOLVER 2
Use
software on a range
of digital
E-SAFETY 2
SEARCHER
devices
Work with various forms of input
PROBLEM SOLVER 2
Present
informationSEARCHER
E-SAFETY 2
PROGRAMMER 2
PROBLEM SOLVER 2
PROGRAMMER 2
PROBLEM SOLVER 2
PROGRAMMER 2
PROBLEM SOLVER 2
Evaluate
information
E-SAFETY 2
SEARCHER
CONTENT CREATOR 2
Design
and create content
E-SAFETY 2
SEARCHER
CONTENT CREATOR 2
Present
data
E-SAFETY 2
CONTENT CREATOR 2
The following units will allow your children to develop their knowledge and skills further.
4.6 – We are meteorologists
Unit 6.6 – We are marketers
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SEARCHER
Use a variety of software to accomplish
E-SAFETY 2
SEARCHER
given goals
PROGRESSION
Unit
PROBLEM SOLVER 2
5 Classroom ideas
Practical suggestions to bring this unit alive!
DISPLAYS AND ACTIVITIES
Artwork depicting movement could be used to
create ‘moving’ displays throughout the classroom
and may touch on movement in music, dance,
drama and sport.
Props, such as defunct microphones, could be
used to help the children practise and improve
their public speaking techniques on and off
screen.
Old sporting equipment donated by parents and
staff could be used to explore changing materials
over time.
WWW
WEBLINKS
Two sites for young film-makers are: www.
firstlightonline.co.uk and http://cineclub.org.uk.
For examples of BBC sporting footage visit
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/tv/categories/sport and
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport. Similar resources are
available for music and drama footage.
www.filmclub.org provides access to thousands
of films.
A repository of free film clips is available at:
www.filmstreet.co.uk/pages/movies/index.
php?moviefilter=all%20films.
Media Education Association: www.themea.org.uk.
British Film Institute Education: www.bfi.org.uk/
education-research/education.
VISITS
The children may enjoy recording aspects of
educational visits using hand-held video cameras.
Editing footage from visits into brief summaries
would be useful and interesting follow-up work.
There may be a secondary school or college in the
area that has a TV studio you could visit.
BOOKS
Darkin, C. The Really, Really, Really Easy Step-byStep Guide to Creating and Editing Digital Videos
Using Your Computer: For Absolute Beginners of
All Ages. (New Holland Publishers, 2009)
Gipp, J. Microsoft Windows®Movie Maker Basics.
(Course Technology/Cengage Learning, 2010)
Kelly, J. F. Getting Started with Windows Live
Movie Maker. (Friends of ED, 2010)
Schulman, M., Krog, H. and Newbigging, M. Attack
of the Killer Video Book: Tips and Tricks for Young
Directors. (Annick Press, 2004)
Underdahl, K. Digital Video for Dummies.
(John Wiley and Sons, 2006)
Wells, P. Digital Camcorder Technique.
(The Crowood Press Ltd, 2006)
6 Taking it further
When you’ve finished, you might want to extend the project in the following ways.
Explore ways of using video to support or extend
learning across the curriculum, such as during
science experiments, interviews and educational
visits.
The children could adapt or create video for
showing on digital displays around school
(assuming permission is granted by parents and
children).
The technique of reviewing video to improve
performance has applications across the
curriculum, and a number of schools are using this
to support teachers’ professional development.
You could explore using video editing software
to combine still images with video images, and
experiment with title effects and transition effects.
Dedicated video analysis software is available.
This includes Dartfish: www.dartfish.com and the
open source Kinovea: www.kinovea.org/en.
Encourage the children to be more critical when
watching television and film, looking closely at the
techniques of editors and directors.
PE specialists and others may be interested in the
‘Observing Children Moving’ resource from the
AfPE and Tacklesports: www.tacklesport.com/s/
movement-observation.
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