Ok, all, here's the deal. I made a commercial for Animoto because I loved the idea of the service very much. And it is a great service. However, I may have to revise my stance on the best video making feature I've found so far in my Web 2.0 tools search.
Just today I found a service called Masher, and I am super psyched about this service! It uses a similar platform to Animoto, but has one difference that I am ecstatic about....it does not have a restrictive size limit like Animoto. For teacher users, this a one fabulous fact. After all, how much content can you squeeze into 60 seconds or less? For my Animoto commercial, I had a hard time fitting everything I wanted to say into the 60 second format, which is the challenge faced by ad execs every day. I, however, am not in the advertising business, although this service will allow me to use some of the best elements of advertising in my educational endeavors.
Masher uses a super simple format to allow users to create cool content with pictures, videos, and music. The service even includes a database of such resources for users to add to their content, and there are no "premium" services to entice users. It's pure and simply a free service meant to be used by the general public so they can create fun, rich media "mashups."
The great thing about a service like this is that besides being user friendly, there is no download needed, and no software to buy. Everything you need to create educational media is included in the website format, so long as you sign up for an account. That's it, and not a lot of information is needed to sign up.
The lack of expense, download, and time restrictions make this video creation service my new favorite for the classroom. While I love the super user friendly service of iMovie, my district does not have a Mac lab, so iMovie is not an option for my students, or for myself if I leave my laptop at home. And while a part of me would like to take my Mac to school to use, another part of me is scared to ruin my favorite new piece of equipment. So I'd rather use the computers I have at my schools, which I should work in conjunction with the technology I'll import to those specific computers. So that way I have piece of mind that my content is there for my use.
So, there it is, a revision in my assertion about video creation Web 2.0 tools. Try Masher for the ability to add more time to your presentations, you aren't likely to regret it!
www.masher.com
You have such a great voice in your writing:)! Great job on these!
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