Augmenting Video
LAB TIME: 30 MINUTES
ADD COMMENTARY TO VIDEOS WITH ANNOTATIONS AND CLOSED CAPTIONING
IntroductionTo augment is to make (something) greater by adding to it. Video can be augmented so it is made greater for the audience. Adding music, captions, and transitions are basic augmented additions. Adding notes, tips, numbers, or even contact information to a clip gives the audience additional information. With YouTube, you can take this one step further with timed annotations and bring your content to life.
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Basic Augmentation
If you have ever recorded a voiceover for a PowerPoint presentation, you have technically already begun to experiment with the realm of augmentation. By taking a series of slides, automating them by being a video, and adding your narrative to it is indeed a form of augmentation. You’ve added to it, increased its value, and made it greater.
Try adding some basic augmented elements to your next video:
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In this example of the 2014 Total Lunar Eclipse, the overlaid time stamps help the user understand the speed at which an eclipse occurs. With only the music and images, this video would not have the same educational value.
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Adding AnnotationsThe easiest tool you can integrate into your videos to augment them is annotations. These are like the text overlays but are clickable. Annotations are used to boost engagement, give more information, and aid in navigation.
You can add annotations to a video so a student can pick a path in a sequence. Instead of having one 20 minute video, you can have 4 or 5, each linking to another in the sequence. Students can choose the path they would like to follow, but they still end up watching the entire compilation. In the example here, the person who made this card trick video used text to give instructions and information. Then at the end, there are hyperlinked spotlights that the viewer can click to go to the next part of the card trick. |
Add Closed CaptioningYouTube automatically provides Closed Captioning for videos but it doesn't always get everything right. You can actually update the captions without having to rewrite the whole thing!
You can edit the captions while watching the video and just tweak the parts it did not get right. Sometimes, if the enunciation of the original speaker was poor, the captioning will require more work. You can always type a script ahead of time and read that while recording your video and simply copy-and-paste in your perfect captions after the video is uploaded. The example here shows how well edited captions can be. |
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Do It Yourself with this Video Playlist Guide
Video Production Tips
- Don’t obstruct the actual content. Make sure annotations add value and do not get in the way of the viewing experience.
- Don’t bombard the viewer. This can feel “spammy” and may have an adverse effect.
- When appropriate, set annotations to open a new window when clicked. Be careful! Don’t take viewers away from a video too soon.
- Don't set music to be louder than the volume of the speaker. Listen to your video with headphones so you can make sure everything can be heard clearly.
- Upload the highest quality video possible to YouTube. The viewer can always stream the video at a lesser quality if their device and/or Internet connection cannot support the high quality version. This tip applies to any streaming media service.