My delusions of grandeur have lessened with time. This week, for example, I’m reminding myself that I’m not getting my masters in video production- it’s in education. All the same, this should be in my wheelhouse, right? I’m a theatre major: less words, more story! Lights, camera, and all that.
I spent days toying around with ideas in my head, but the how remained pretty limiting. This is not the time to teach myself complicated video editing software. I’ve worked a tiny bit with WeVideo, but it’s not inspiring. YouTube frustrated the heck outta me before they developed their Editor, so we’re still not on friendly terms. GoAnimate and I are pretty chummy, but it’s not quite what I had in mind. Camtasia sounds tempting, but what if I fall in love and then my free trial expires?
And then, like Clooney, the iMovie trailer templates swept me off my feet. Music? Done! Melodramatic styling? Check! “Economic” pacing? Indeed! There were only two elements missing that I’d have to work around:
- Voice: Preview templates don’t include a straightforward way to add, as TechSoup puts it, “The Gift of Your Voice”. The more effective videos I’ve seen let the viewer see and hear the producer, if only for a shot or two.
- Conflict: After a few years of teaching teenagers to write novels, I know the amateur’s tendency to wait way too long to introduce conflict. iMovie templates are made to showcase vacation photos or kid pictures; they don’t have any conflict at all.
Thanks to a quick web search, I learned that I can begin with a template, and then import it as video and edit away. Conflict and voice will be able to have a seat at the editing table after all. Better yet, playing around with a template got me out of my “But how?” and changed my tune to, “What if?” It is always so nice to be handed a scaffold! I just hope my 90 seconds in the director’s chair leaves me with enough energy to complete my capstone...