Editing an audio or video file is easier than you might think...

Trim audio

Not a lot of people know this but if you need to trim a video or an audio file, like an MP4 (video) or an MP3 (audio), it's easier than you think. Just open the file in Quicktime Player, and use the editing features to trim the track.

Audio trimming in Quicktime

Edited audio can be saved it to iTunes as AAC (Apple's version of an MP3) using the Export option, if you really need it to be an MP3, iTunes can convert audio files to MP3 if you need it to.

Now you can do more complex editing, but not as an audio file, so one way round this is to record the audio as a video, then edit as described below, then at the end discard the video and export as audio only. The same works in iMovie.

Edit video

If you're not bothered about transitions, and picture in picture, then the editing option in Quicktime are all you need. You can trim the video just as you a would audio, (which incidentally is exactly the same on any iOS device, same conventions). But where it really rocketh is in it's accuracy with splitting and deleting bits of video, or moving them around.

Just choose View > Show Clips to reveal a simple editing timeline at the bottom, click to select it (it will have a yellow outline) then move to the section of the video you want to split, you can even nudge the split point frame by frame using the arrow keys.

Once you've found the split point just choose Edit > Split Clip (or command Y) and you will see the video split into two (or more, if you split more than once) lozenges. Those bits can be deleted, or even moved about, simple.

You can even view the audio waveform to make editing easier, see where the quiet parts are...

Combine multiple clips

Just drag a video onto a video you have open and see the magic unfold before your very eyes! Now you can trim, move, split and of the clips. 

When you're finished Export and choose the kind of video you want.

Convert video/audio file formats

For a final phenomenal feature, got video that is to big? No problem just right/secondary click, choose Encode Selected Video Files. The in the dialog window that pops up choose a size, 480p will create a smaller, web friendly version of your video.*

* You can make video files smaller, but you cannot make them bigger! 

Say NO to Vertical Video!

VVS (Vertical Video Syndrome) caused by vertically recorded video seems to be becoming an epidemic, you can make a difference, just say NO to vertical video!

I frequently encounter video editing catastrophes where students and teachers attempt to successfully edit vertical video, it doesn't go well, generally the only solution is to reshoot the video. Think about it, the most likely situation where your audience will view your video is on a laptop, a desktop computer or or a television—none of these can be rotated to a vertical (portrait) orientation to aid viewing. So it make no sense at all to record video that does not work for the majority of contexts where it will be viewed.

It's important to always hold your smartphone/tablet horizontally (landscape) when recording video.

Grade 5 Myth Movies

Andrew Finn has been doing some exciting work with his Grade 5 class.

During term one grade 5 were involved in writing myths as part of their Voice unit. A strong recommendation from the Writing Workshop staff development was that children are given the opportunity to publish and celebrate their writing in a range if diverse formats. 

5AnF spent several lessons in the ICT Lab converting their personal myth stories into movies. 

They began the process by speaking the myth into the iPod touch using the Voice Memo App, which then then emailed to their teacher for reviewing. 

Following feedback, and further editing of their myths, the children then recorded their narration a second time and these were then added directly to their story boards using Adobe Premier Elements on PCs.  Students imported the audio track first, and then edited their video to fit the recording. 

A key focus for the children was to select images and music that held significance for their myth, and to ensure the timing of images correlated with the audio. Cooperative learning was also a large aspect of this work as many students we very capable with the selected software while others were not.

Finally students uploaded their videos to share with each other and comment, via a Picasa web album that their teacher shared with them.