Teaching Moving Image Arts

Setting up the Workspace

Your teaching area needs to clearly provide:

  • Projector screening area – internet/DVD (You will need both linked to a projector to show student work, relevant films and your own DVD based resources)
  • A copying station (DVD & VHS player & portable TV & DVD Recorder)

Detailed advice is given elsewhere in this site about equipment so I will attempt here to summarise your needs. The overwhelming factor is budget. Budget will dictate the quality of your student’s experience completely so be very careful that yours is spent in the right place.

Solution 1 – Low Budget

You will not be able to deliver the course without:

  • Up-to-spec computer and mini DV camera per 2 students (Remember some students will have access to a camera at home)
  • DVD Player and projector or TV
  • Firewire cables

Solution 2 – Mid Budget

In addition to the above:

Video Lights

  • Tie-clip microphones
  • Higher end editing software (Final Cut Express or Adobe Premiere)
  • Macromedia Flash (animation software)
  • Portable Hard Drive

Solution 3 – High Budget

In addition to the above

  • Boom microphones
  • One three-chip (broadcast quality) camera

C2K to date have been unable to provide a solution for video-editing and this does not look likely to change in the immediate future (although the windows moviemaker package is available, without firewire and adequate memory it is of little use)

Video editing is the most demanding thing you can ask your computer to do. PCs are notoriously unreliable so if you can go for a mac solution then do so. The advantages of macs are that they rarely crash or get viruses and tend to come with everything built in (speakers, cards, microphones, etc.). The new Macmini model provides a lower cost, space-saving solution which is perfect for the course and Apple have recently promoted a big educational discount for the new iMac G5.

Remember that, while you do need at least what’s in solution 1, it is important that you are as resourceful as possible with what you have. Zero budget film-making is an Art form of it’s own with specific and unique parameters.