The Simplicity of Microsoft Movie Maker Program
Multimedia Students Learn Basics from Windows Software Handbook
Microsoft Windows Movie Maker is just one of the many simple tools enthusiasts can use to organize and edit video footage. Because it inexpensive it is often readily available on Windows operating systems. It is therefore often chosen in schools as a convenient tool for students to learn the basics of video editing.
Birney, Lichtenberg, and McEvoy talk of the basic simplicity of the program in their 2,000 Microsoft® Windows® Movie Maker Handbook. As they open chapter 1, they claim that with a video capture card and Movie Maker, students can
- import video from a camcorder or VCR
- edit film into a movie,
- and distribute the finished movie through email or over the Internet
The Simplicity of Microsoft Movie Maker Program
The authors claim that the program is as simple as using a word processor. Students will be able to work with their videos in the same way that they are able to work with text in a word processor.
They are able to select sections to manipulate them by creatively reorder the material.
They can
- delete unwanted sections
- move pieces around
- copy and paste
The authors point out the good points of the basic and simple program. It is because of its user friendly interface and the basic functions, that students will be able to experiment with their material. Through this experimentation they will come to understand the editing process itself.
The Nature of Video Editing
In the Movie Maker Handbook, the authors point out that editing is much more than correcting mistakes or shortening overly long videos. For the serious student, editing is about the creative and recreative process of movie making. Students may start out by first using the program to correct mistakes when working on their footage. It does not take long, the authors claim, for the student to realize that there is potential for much more than tweaking film.
Potential for Creation and Recreation in Film
As students begin to see the potential combinations of still shots, film, music and other artwork created in programs such as Photoshop, or short pithy animations created in freeware such as Pivot, whole multimedia scenarios become imaginable and achievable.
Video editing not only allows students to cut out unwanted sections of film, it allows students to tell story by sequencing, and connecting bits and pieces into a coherent whole. That is to say – make a movie. The process of placing bits and pieces side by side to make a whole is called juxtaposition. As students become more attuned to the process of making movies, they are likely to develop an intuitive sense of caring about what the audience sees and experiences when viewing the film. When students begin to think this way, they have made their first steps into understanding the process of movie making. Developing an intuition about how to pitch films to an audience is often called rapport. The development of rapport is essential if students are going to become adept at the craft of film making.
Learning to be a Film Editor
Birney, Lichtenberg, and McEvoy say that the art of film editing is learnt by hands on experience. If students get plenty of chances to work on their material, they will become intuitive. As a result they will get better and faster at editing film as they go. As students experiment with the craft they may be caused to think about their career pathway.
As well as think over the idea of becoming an editor, some students may develop a feel for directing. The authors point out that this feel for directing might come about because, through experience, they will come to know exactly what types of things to shoot to make a scene work when it is edited.[p4] The authors point out that editing is an art and students may become as passionately engaged as a painters or novelists often do.
Resources:
Birney, B., Lichtenberg, M., McEvoy, S., Microsoft Windows Movie Maker Handbook (Book & CD-ROM) Microsoft Press. 2000 (Chap1)
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