Blog #6 - Animoto (Multimedia)

And the top 2009 music video award goes to… Canadanz!!! The crowd cheers frantically, as Canadanz makes her way to the stage to deliver the following speech: “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my husband, my editor and of course all of my fans! I spent 10 minutes creating this music video and I never thought that these few minutes would lead me to this!!! Thanks to Animoto my dreams have come true!!!”

Umm, ok so this might be a bit of a stretch (especially if you’ve been following my post and know that my knowledge and ability is lacking when it comes to music), but the multimedia web 2.0 tool, Animoto, really does allow its users to create professional quality music videos. And yes, it really can be done in 10 minutes! I challenge you to come and ‘rock out’ with me as I explore how Animoto works and how this web 2.0 technology has impacted me personally and professionally.

Reflections on learning to use Animoto

It only takes a minute to sign-up to Animoto and begin making your own music videos. Here’s how the makers of Animoto describe the site:
“Animoto produces TV-quality music videos using your photos and video clips in just minutes. It's so simple to do too. Choose a song as the soundtrack to your video and Animoto will analyze every nuance of it. Producing a totally unique video each time, no two videos are ever the same. Sharing them is a cinch as well. Add them to your MySpace & Facebook profiles, on your blog, e-mail them to friends, put them up on YouTube or download them onto your computer. Some of Animoto's founders used to produce shows for MTV, Comedy Central & ABC, study classical music in London, play in rock bands in Seattle and develop software in Japan. They developed a patent-pending, Cinematic Artificial Intelligence that thinks like an actual editor and director.”
This description that they provide accurately highlights what Animoto is and what you can do with the videos – it truly is that simple. Since signing up to the site a week ago I’ve made multiple music videos and have shared them with my family, friends and students. I’m still in awe over how Animoto dances my photos and videos across the screen to the beat of the music. Although basic in appearance, the site is visually appealing and provides effectively simple instructions on what to do. To begin with the user has the choice of making an ‘Animoto short’ (30 second video) or a ‘full-length’ (extended length) video. Users are reminded that approximately 12 images equal 30 seconds worth of video and that while ‘Animoto shorts’ are free, full-length videos, are of an extended length with unlimited remixes, cost a few dollars. A remix is where you allow Animoto to recreate your video either with or without edits that you have the option of making. After selecting the length of your video, you are prompted to retrieve your images and/or videos by uploading them from your computer, selecting them from their collection or by retrieving them from another site. You are able to add text, rotate, duplicate and spotlight special photos and videos. With videos you are also able to select a specific clip from them, rather than playing the whole thing, and you can decide if you would like the sound to be on or off. The next step is to add music. You may upload your own music (providing that you are not infringing copyright) or select music from Animoto’s collection. Lastly users have the option of altering the pace of the images, selecting the video’s screen cover, providing a title, description and can identify the producer (I enjoy seeing my name in this position!). By clicking on the ‘create video’ button Animoto will process, analyze and render your video with their technology. This process takes about 3 minutes and they will send you an e-mail when your video is complete; in the mean time you can create another video. From here you may share your video via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. You are also able to leave a comment under your music video and can send a personal message when e-mailing it to others. It should be noted that users require an e-mail address and must be at least 13 to register. However, Animoto offers an educational version where teachers (and students 13 and older) can sign up their students of any age and receive an ‘all-access pass’ that allows users to create full-length videos for free. The educational site also hosts a ‘case study’ link that provides teachers and students with examples and ideas of how to use Animoto in the classroom.

Animoto – For my own Personal Learning

To be point blank Animoto has impressed me! I love the fact that in a few short minutes I can create a professional music video that others will ooohhh and ahhh over. The program is so easy to use and the end result is something that would have taken me hours to do with power point. I genuinely enjoy sharing photos with my family and friends and often struggle with sizing photos and individually attaching them to my e-mails. With Animoto these problems are not only rectified, but present my photos in an even more attractive way. Within minutes of signing up to Animoto I was e-mailing my music videos to others and began receiving feedback with much positive energy. Needless to say, this motivated me to create a few more! Check my blog to jive along to one of my finer creations! Although, I don’t have any special engagements or presentations in the near future (e.g. a wedding, university presentation), I can see how this multimedia site could come in handy. The only down side to Animoto is that the user has limited control over how Animoto mixes the video. For example I found that some of my photos moved too quickly and that the pictures become blurry when seen in full-screen mode. Animoto does allow for users to alter the speed of the photos (within parameters) and one can also purchase a full-length video DVD if they want professional quality. Personally, I’m willing to give-up some control for an easy to use program, especially one like Animoto that I foresee myself using in years to come.

Animoto – for my Professional Learning

Almost as soon as I began using Animoto in my personal life, I began using it professionally. In fact the day I signed up, my students participated in a Science FUNdamentals presentation and I captured their learning in photographs, which I uploaded into an Animoto music video. My students loved the video and it sparked a thought provoking discussion about what they learned about our new science unit, Evidence and Investigation. A few days later I created another video of our school’s professional development day and shared it with the staff. Not only did they enjoy the video, it helped to introduce the capabilities of web 2.0 tools to new users.

The educational projects that can be developed with Animoto are as endless as the imagination of the user. The photo, video and music collections also contribute to ease of use, as students don’t need to get into the tricky business of uploading these items. Because Animoto is so easy to use, division one students and English Language Learners may be able to navigate the site successfully on their own to meet the criteria of a specific assignment. This would help them to create a sense of accomplishment and motivate them to share and explain their work. Older students may enjoy taking their own photos and videos for their music video. Unlike some other web 2.0 technologies, Animoto music videos can’t be accessed by the general public, so security is not a huge issue. Parents may also enjoy participating in their child’s education via music videos, which may provide information, tell a digital story and/or demonstrate the child’s learning.

Here are a few sites that offer tips and examples on how to use Animoto in the classroom:

Rockingham County Public Schools - explains how to use Animoto and provides a number of examples (field trip, scientific method of study, preschool play) and tips for many different grade levels.

Classroom 2.0 - uses a video to demonstrate how Animoto works and gives specific suggestions on how to use it in the classroom.

Putting the Pedagogy into the Tools - tips on how to use Animoto.

Teaching Tomorrow - shares how to use Animoto as a guest speaker.

Thoughts from a Tech Specialist - highlights why Animoto is such a great tool for education.

Learnhub - shares how Animoto can be used with other sites, such as Flickr and YouTube.

from the guys at animoto - educational suggestions from Animoto themselves.

After perusing these sites your mind will probably be spinning with a number of projects for which you could use Animoto to enhance the learning of the 21st century learners in your classroom. I’ve already begun using this web 2.0 tool and I can’t wait to use it again. Without further adieu, let me leave you with some of the pros and cons regarding the use of Animoto in the classroom:

Pros
Easy to create an Animoto music video
Music videos connect with students on their turf
Great for digital storytelling
Able to adjust some of the settings
Personal photos/videos can be uploaded
Photos/video from other sites can be uploaded
Can stimulate higher order thinking skills
Encourages collaboration/networking
Connect/share with others locally or from around the world
Real audience
Cross-curricular
Allows for differentiated instruction
Creates excitement (engaged students)
Deepens understanding of a topic
Supports inclusive education
Music videos are private
Doesn’t require a lot of equipment

Cons
Can’t control all aspect of the final product
Students need their own e-mail account
Negative outcomes (e.g. embarrassment)
Quality can be upgraded with a fee
FOIP is an issue if students use their own pictures/videos