Thing 11: Video
There are multiple options for watching, downloading, and sharing video content online. For Thing 11 you are going compare some of them with our University of Edinburgh media platform Media Hopper Create.
TikTok & Instagram – Short form video content and reels
TikTok and Instagram both provide a platform for creating and sharing short-form user generated video content. TikTok videos average between 15 seconds and 3 minutes in length, while Instagram Reels are up to 90 seconds in length. Both offer creative options to add text, gifs, stickers, AR (Augmented Reality) filters, and polls. Although neither platform allows content to be downloaded, the videos can be shared on other social media platforms, and easily embedded into websites.
Neither TikTok nor Instagram provide an option to apply licences to content created or shared on their platforms. Terms of use for both platforms require that creators not infringe copyright and provide music and soundscapes from an internal royalty free library.
The Duet feature on TikTok is interesting. It allows the creation of new content side-by-side with a video from another creator. So, a Duet contains two videos in a split screen that play at the same time. To allow others to use the Duet feature with their videos, creators must have a public account, and by making content on a public TikTok account creators are consenting to Duet use of their content.
YouTube & Vimeo – Long form video and film
YouTube is free to view, and users can sign up to share their own content or curate playlists. The videos can be shared and embedded in other webpages and platforms; but they can’t be downloaded. YouTube also offers livestreaming of events and chat channel interactions.
On YouTube users have two licensing options for content uploaded to its site. The first is a Standard YouTube licence which allows YouTube to share content via the YouTube platform and for the embedding and sharing of YouTube videos on other websites. The second is a Creative Commons CC BY Attribution licence on YouTube allowing anyone to re-purpose and re-use the video so long as attribution is provided to the creator of the video.
Vimeo is also free to view and again users can sign up to share their own content or curate playlists. The platform also can be used for live events, webinars, and virtual venues. It offers high-quality video resolution and creation tools and is often preferred by artists and film creators.
Vimeo media can also be re-shared and embedded within other websites. Creators can choose from Public Domain and full Creative Commons licensing options, and to allow others to download their content for re-use outside of Vimeo.
Long form video and film Media Hopper Create – our education media platform
Media Hopper Create (named after Grace Hopper) is the University of Edinburgh’s media platform. Staff and students can view content on the platform, and a large volume of content is also available to be viewed by the public. All staff and students – including distance learners – can create, edit, share, view, re-use and centrally store audio and video content.
Content can be re-shared and embedded within other websites. It offers Creative Commons and other licensing options, and to choose to allow others to download for re-use. And it has channels that are particularly useful for finding openly licensed content:
- Open Media Bank – a collection of licensed media originally created for MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course), for sharing, reuse, and remixing.
- Open Media Stock FootageOpen Media Stock Footage – a collection of openly licensed media snippets for sharing, remixing, and reuse.
Media Hopper Create Help and Support
Monetization
On most of the above platforms there are a variety of different options for creators to monetize their content including subscription plans, memberships fees, and advertising.
Creators also generate revenue in the form of sponsored content by promoting or reviewing products paid for by an advertiser. Many content creators will signpost when their content has been sponsored, but not always.
In the context of maintaining our ability to find, evaluate and manage digital data, it is good practice to evaluate the media we watch and consume to determine what motivations may be driving the creation and presentation of the content.
How to complete Thing 11
Step 1
Choose one short form and one long form video platform from above. Go to each platform’s Help pages and find the following information pages:
- Accessibility features information
- Algorithm or Rankings information
Step 2
Build on knowledge you’ve gained in previous sections of this course and write a short reflective post in your blog about what information you find on the help pages.
Further Resources
The Digital Skills team have created a series of training videos, ‘Getting started with Media Hopper Create‘ and run Media Hopper Create Introduction training sessions for University of Edinburgh staff and students.
DIY Film School course – The DIY Film School offers training and advice for students on using equipment designed for mobile filmmaking. An online course is available to work through at any time, and a webinar is run.
Thing 12: Audio and Podcasts
Podcasts are digital audio files that are available on the internet. Unlike radio, podcasts are episodes or series which can be subscribed to and streamed or downloaded through a range of platforms, apps, and services. All podcasting requires is an idea, a microphone and a desire to share and communicate with like-minded people around the world.
Although podcasting has now become very mainstream with many large corporations commissioning and hosting podcasts, many of the most popular podcasts were started by enthusiastic amateurs. This informal, anything-goes vibe can still be seen in many podcasts today.
Podcasts in Education
As more educational content is available digitally, podcasts are yet another way to catch up on educational content. Podcasts can provide an opportunity to critically engage with a range of digital media and enable students and staff to be creative with their academic learning and content creation.
In addition to this, podcast creators have the capability to upload transcripts of their podcasts, making the sharing of information accessible to more than just hearing people.
Here are two of the great podcasts created by staff and students at The University of Edinburgh:
- Sharing Things: a conversation between two members of our community, podcast
- Multi Story Edinburgh Podcast: snapshots of life as a new University of Edinburgh graduate
Creating Podcasts
Anyone can create and share a podcast if you have some basic recording (a Smartphone, or a computer or laptop with a microphone) and editing equipment. At The University of Edinburgh, we use Audacity for podcast editing. Audacity is an easy to use, free, open-source audio editor you can use to create podcasts, produce high quality voiceovers for videos and presentations, and much more. On campus, all PCs and Apple iMacs, except those in cafe areas and where stated, come with the Audacity software installed.
Finding and Sharing Podcasts
There are many apps and websites you can use to find and listen to podcasts. We’re going to look at two that provide the option to share Creative Commons licensed audio.
SoundCloud is a global online audio platform based in Germany, that enables users to record, upload and share original audio such as music and spoken word. Poetry, spoken word, interviews, readings, music, podcasts and sports broadcasting can all be found on the platform.
Anyone can listen to audio on SoundCloud, but if you sign-up and create a free account, you can also create playlists, comment, like and repost tracks on other tracks, and create and upload your own sounds. There are also paid membership tiers with features including ad-free and offline listening. One neat feature is the ability to comment on a specific point in a track. Content can also be shared and embedded within other webpages and social media platforms.
In Thing 11 you were introduced to Media Hopper Create, the University of Edinburgh’s media content management platform. Did you know that in addition to videos, lecture, and presentations, you can also create and share podcasts on this platform? In fact, many staff and students have done just that:
How to complete Thing 12
Step 1
Go to Media Hopper Create and find a podcast that was created by a University of Edinburgh Student. Then go to SoundCloud and find a podcast on your subject area or any other topic you’re interested in. Was it easier to find podcasts on one platform than the other? Could you find the licensing information on each platform? Write a blog post reflecting on your findings. What do you think about each of the platforms in comparison to other places you may go to find podcasts? Do you think you’ll try to make your own podcast, using Audacity, Media Hopper Create, or something else?
Step 2
Find an OER in your field and share it on your blog. To do this, use either the Edinburgh OERs, or the resources provided on the Open.Ed ‘Where to find OERs’ page.
Further Resources
Training for staff and students is provided through a training webinar Introduction to Audacity: Audio recording and editing (Students can find and book training with Event Finder) run by Digital Skills.
There’s also an excellent 35-minute tutorial video which is a little more advanced, Introduction to Sound Recording & Postproduction, ECA Digital Support, (Video on Media Hopper Create) in which Laia Gazipo from ECA Digital Support introduces recording and editing audio using Audacity.
