Making Videos Takes Skill and Effort

When encouraging staff, or students, to make videos, please consider the effort involved. While they may have years of instruction on how to write, how much training and practice have they had in making videos?

I was reminded of the work needed to make a video recently when I came across a VHS tape of "Bicycles". This was a student exercise for the course "Audio-Visual Video" (for training) at the ACT TAFE in 1989.

After spending one evening a week for several weeks leaning the basics of video, I spent a day recording video of cyclists around Lake Burley Griffin. It then took several hours to edit this into a 90 second video. Someone looking at this might think "I could do that!" and they could, but it takes hours of work, after learning the basics.

Note that this video used paper caption cards and analogue tape editing. The mechanical part of the process is now much quicker and easier with a digital editor. However, working out how to tell a story and assembling  the material still takes a considerable amount of time and skill. Staff and student needed to be provided assistance with how to do this and given a realistic idea of the work involved.

The ACT TAFE, where, I learned to make analog videos, is now know as the Canberra Institute of Technology. My instruction from 1989, Brian Oakes, is now running Video for Youtube courses.

ps: One thing which has not charged in the transition from analogue to video is worrying about use of copyright material.  My video was edited in time with the song "Bicycle Race" by Freddie Mercury, performed by Queen (1978). When I uploaded it to YouTube this music was automatically identified and advertising revenue assigned to the copyright holder.