Learning How to Use the Green Screen

After watching many video tutorials and through trial and error, I think I am ready to give my Middle School students their Green Screen assignments.  They are going to be working in pairs to create Green Screen videos about their favorite works of art, created this year, that will be included included in their iMovie and saved to their Digital Portfolios.  Each pair will receive an iPod Touch and will be set to work.

The trials and tribulations that led us on the path of preparedness have included a few practice photo shoots where some students stood in front of the Green Screen and shared their thoughts about one of their works of art.  After the first photo shoots, we purchased a steamer to get the wrinkles out of the Green Screen.  This helped.  Next, I uploaded some of the videos to my computer.  We were having some difficulty with the videos extending beyond the artwork that was substituted for the Green Screen.  I figured out that I need to make sure the photographed artwork is same size and oriented the same way (portrait or landscape) as the Green Screen video.  Also, we figured out that it is a good idea to be aware of the artwork composition.  The student will need to know this when standing in front of the Green Screen.  For example, if the details in the work of art the student wants to talk about are mostly to the left of the artwork, the student should stand to the right in the Green Screen video and leave lots of green screen space to the left.  This will prevent the student from "standing in front of" the subject they are talking about.  This is particularly important if there are words in the work of art.  It might be helpful to also have the students shoot the videos with lots of extra Green Screen above and to the side of the students.  This will allow the student to appear smaller than the work of art so more of the work can be seen.

So far, I have a list of ideas of ways we plan to use the Green Screen.  I also have some possible ideas.  If you have used a Green Screen in your classroom and would be willing to share ideas, I would love to hear them.  It has been exciting to see the excitement in the kids as we think of new ways to use it.

Ways we plan to use/have used the Green Screen during the remainder of this school year include:

1.  Each Middle School student will create a video about their favorite work of art that will be included in their Digital Portfolio.

2.  Our school principal utilized the Green Screen to shoot videos for a Gala Dinner dinner item some families purchased.  Students in the families stood in front of the Green Screen and introduced the courses of the Italian meal their parents purchased.  Their videos were dropped in front of Italian scenes.  As the meal was being served, the "kids" introduced each course through the video.

3.  I am planning to shoot a video about the different ways we have used technology in the classroom.  I have videos of students working as they are using the technology.  I plan to shoot videos of kids looking into the Green Screen like they are looking out a window and asking the kids to explain what they are doing in the prerecorded videos.  Those two videos will be combined.  (I will post the video when it is done.)

4.  Fourth graders created a Google Earth Artwork with Google Earth images.  I plan to have the students shoot a video (in front of the Green Screen) telling about their image and then replace the Green Screen with their Google Earth Artwork.

Next year I plan to:

1.  Continue creating videos about their works of art for the portfolios.  

2.  Have kids "stand in front of" a variety of Western and Non Western works of art and create a video analysis of each work.