The topic I talk about in the video is driver licenses and how important they are to us in the world. I discussed how they help us in the workforce and in solidifying our own identities.
To create this video, I had to do more than just film. First, I did the research online. Next, I wrote a script for me to read and speak out loud. After that was done, I went to the Vocal Booth at UMW to record myself and my voice lines since there wasn’t any soundproof location in my house. I moved the clips to Wondershare Filmora 15 on my laptop to sort out the order so that my video would flow perfectly. I added in my music, pictures, and audio, trimmed out any unnecessary content, and clicked Export. Once I was done, I uploaded the video onto YouTube Studio. This way, nobody but me could see the video.
As a Music Education major, I opted for a short lesson on a topic that lays the foundation for good musical practice: Diaphragmatic Breathing. Breathing from your belly instead of your chest is something we are born knowing how to do. Over time, most of us deviate to more shallow breathing, only filling our chests with air. Diaphragmatic breathing fills your lungs with air fully from the bottom, or belly, upwards. Taking proper breaths enables better performance and calmer nerves.
Podcast Outline/Script
Notes:
Record in my home office
Record on my Logitech Blue Yeti X USB Microphone, attached to my MacBook
Intro Sounds to by the Wind; Outro Sounds to be Sighs; Serene music during deep breathing
“Welcome! Today we are doing a two-minute micro-session on the absolute ultimate hack for stress management and musical performance: diaphragmatic breathing. By breathing using only your chest, you are telling your brain to stay stressed. Let’s take 90 seconds to make one positive change that your body will thank you for.”
[0:15 – 0:45] Set-Up and First Point
“Take a seat in a chair with your back straight and shoulders relaxed. Place your left hand on your chest and your right hand on your belly. The goal is for the left hand on your chest to not move at all. You should only feel the hand on your belly slowly moving back and forth with every breath.”
[0:45 – 1:45] Guided Practice Inhaling and Exhaling; Serene Sounds
“First, close your eyes. Imagine you are pulling air all the way from your toes, filling your lungs from the bottom up. Breath with me in through your nose, from your toes, filling your lungs for a count of 4. Starting 1….2….3….4…. Imagine you are filling a balloon with your stomach pushing your right hand outward.”
“Now, purse your lips slightly and exhale like you are extinguishing a candle, slow and steady. Exhale for 1….2….3….4…. deflating the balloon under your right hand all the way until no air remains. Allow the body to relax as you exhale. Again, feeling no movement from the left hand on your chest, only the right hand on your belly moving outward and inward with every breath.”
[1:45 – 2:00] Conclusion and Sign Off
“I challenge every listener to breathe thoughtfully. Just 3 – 4 minutes of breathing exercises twice a day can calm nerves for a meeting, assist in sleeping, or for any anxious situation. I promise your body will thank you! Use your breathing exercises to take control of your breathing and health!”
“Catch you next time on Mandy’s Digital Foray!”
My Process Thus Far
To start, I opted to use my Blue Yeti X microphone and Audio-technica ATH-M50x headphones. Both are highly rated for audio recording. Then, I chose GarageBand as my recording medium. Once all was plugged in, I opened GarageBand, chose a new project, chose classical vocals, changed my microphone input to the Blue Yeti mic, and started recording using my script. After several tries, I was finally happy with the resulting recording. I then selected and deleted the blank space at the beginning of the recording. Finally, I saved, compressed, and shared my file with OneDrive.
For the video, I used my iPhone and Canva for recording. I recorded an on-screen video in Canva and uploaded it from my phone. A steamboat video clip is from the elements available in Canva. The ragtime music was also a Canva element. I used Canva to generate the captions, then edited them for accuracy.
I chose Microsoft Stream to post the video, copied the embed code, and pasted it into this page.
This was an incredibly tedious process. Fitting the sound, the clips, correcting the captions, and making it all fit into exactly two minutes. The Canva video editing also had a steep learning curve, but it will be easier next time.
This video explores Mexican American Culture, specifically food, tradition, and identity. Through research, visuals, and narration, I examined how this topic affects individuals and communities while highlighting key facts and perspectives.
Band performance footage: personal recording by Ava Hild
Title Card: Created by Ava Hild on Canvas
New Mexico Drylands Picture by Ava Hild
Adobe Home Picture by Ava Hild
Greenery Picture by Ava Hild
Las Cruces Mountain Picture by Ava Hild
Rio Grande Trail Bike Ride Picture by Ava Hild
Copyright Free Audios
Intro: Con Carne (7 sec edit) by Grumpynora on Pixabay
Food: Frying Food by freesound_community on Pixabay
The Process
Creating this video involved several stages, from research and scripting to recording and editing. I started off by writing a script that explained my topic in a clear and engaging way. Once the script was done, I recorded the narration in a quiet room to ensure the audio was clear and free from background noise. After recording the audio, I searched through my own video footage to find visuals that would support the narration. I selected clips that added interest and helped illustrate the ideas being discussed. The sunset footage provided visually appealing scenery, while the fireworks and band footage helped add movement throughout the video. To edit the video, I used Microsoft Clipchamp. This platform helped me combine my narration with video clips, pictures, adjust timing, and create smooth transitions between segments. Once I finished putting together and editing the video, I exported and uploaded the completed video to YouTube Studio. By doing this, it allows me to embed the video directly into this blog post without having to leave my site. YouTube Studio also helped me to caption my video, which helps create a better viewing experience.
I created my video about my favorite artist, Billy Strings. He is a fascinating topic because of the unexpected blend of genres he creates. Thus, I narrowed down my topic to exploring some of the genres that influence Billy Strings’ music. I used information from publications by Local Spins, Live Music Daily, and The Bluegrass Situation.
Credits
I used the visual work of Cristian Geza and Maor Attias to supplement my video. I found both of these works on Pexels.
Creating my Video
Gathering clips
Recording
My A-roll was recorded in one sitting, and multiple takes on my iPhone. I first tried speaking the whole script out. After realizing that would hinder the editing process, I began to film individual takes of each major section.
My B-roll was shot over the course of two Billy Strings concerts I attended. I filmed these clips on my iPhone as well. At the time of recording, I did not intend for them to go in this video, so I was not intentional about recording. When I was selecting which videos to include, however, I tried to find ones that were good quality and exemplified the point I was making in the video.
Additional Video Elements
The stock video and image were chosen with the intention of being as seamless as possible. I wanted them to have the same general mood and aesthetic as my own videos. I also wanted them to match the audio, so I chose a crowd jumping when I was discussing the fans he was bringing to the scene, and a guitar when the guitar interlude was going on
The slides I made were meant to simply and clearly identify the main ideas I was presenting. I kept them basic and legible, but used color for interest. I also included one for the intro and acknowledgements because it seemed like a better fit than the other types of video I collected.
Finally, for the outro, I used an image of Billy Strings’ ensemble that I took at his concert. I wanted to stay on topic, so I tried a video at first. It looked off to see music and hear different music on top, though, so I decided a picture would be best.
Editing
I tried all three editing softwares Cartland suggested, but ultimately opted for iMovie on my phone, because the other two were creating weird lags and cuts in my video
Uploading
Once finished, I uploaded my video to youtube because I am already experienced with posting there. I struggled momentarily with closed captions, but figured it out with help from Internet of Bugs’ video.
For my video topic, I discuss various tips and tricks to elevate a simple boxed cake or brownie mix. As someone who loves baking, I wanted others to know that their common pantry staple can taste even better with some tweaks and additions, rather than simply following the box’s directions. For example, Brandie Skibinski of The Country Cook advises using an extra egg and swapping water for milk. Molly Adams of Simply Recipes suggests swapping some of the liquid in brownie mixes for coffee, and adding mix-ins to give them more dimension. These sources plus additional advice I learned over the years inspired me to make baking tips the focus of my video.
The Process of Making My Video
My video-making process was fairly simple and fun. Firstly, I used a template to create my shot list, sketching out my script and the visuals to add with it. Then, I searched for stock images, videos, and music to add alongside my A-roll. Along with finding this content, I also created my own B-roll images and videos, and recorded my A-roll/audio. Lastly, I edited all these pieces together to create a cohesive video.
The Recording Process
For my recording process, I used my phone to record my A-roll and B-roll. Alongside using my phone, I used various household objects to stabilize my phone, and lots of artificial light to brighten the video.
My Method of Choosing and Finding Additional Video Elements
My method for picking and finding additional video elements was extremely straightforward. I primarily used Pixabay for my stock videos, music, and images, along with Canva for my Intro and Outro slides. Then, I picked which images and videos best suited what I was saying in my script.
The Software I Edited With
After editing everything together, I collected all of my online stock images, music, videos, my A-roll and my B-roll, and put it all in a OneDrive folder on my computer. Then, I downloaded everything into Canva, trimming all of my separate video pieces to get rid of any outtakes or mistakes. Finally, I used my shot list as a reference for deciding which images and clips to put with my A-roll, creating a streamlined video.
The Streaming Platform I Picked
I originally picked Microsoft ClipChamp to stream my video, as I wanted to have the most secure control over the content I make. However, I struggled successfully embedding the ClipStream video into my post, so I opted for the less secure, but still feasible option of Vimeo. I mainly chose Vimeo over other streaming platforms like Youtube because I still got some security control over my video, especially who got to view and distribute it.
A List of Credits, Attributions, and Links to The Various Sources, Graphics, And Stock Videos I Sourced Online
This video provides a very visually stimulating overview of PostCrossing, and what it is all about. I discuss the origins of the program, and how it came to be, how it works, and a little bit about my own experience with it.
To created my video, I recorded a very long video of myself talking about this subject on my smartphone, and then edited it down to be within time (two minutes) on ClipChamp. This took a pretty long time, as I had a lot of cutting that needed to be done where I had either paused naturally, or looked away to refrence my outline. After that main section was edited, I added in some transitions to title/end cards that I made on Canva, and was able to integrate some more visuals of both the PostCrossing website, and other photos.
I chose to upload it on YouTube, because I was more familiar with the platform. I decided to mark it as “unlisted”, just so that people with the link could access it. This is just what I usually do for school video assignments, because otherwise I would have a very odd channel out there. Though, this would maybe be the one thing I actually publish publicly, because I am pretty happy with how it came out in the end.
For my video, I chose to film a day in the life of a waitress. A lot of behind-the-scenes work in a restaurant goes unnoticed. Also, every restaurant is different, so it’s interesting to see how different restaurants work compared to others. I titled my video a Day in the Life as a Waitress at Tim’s
Production Process
I recorded my footage on my phone during my serving shift at Tim’s (with my manager’s and coworkers’ permission). We are in our slower season, so I knew I wanted to use a stock video of a busy restaurant with some chatter in the background. I knew I wanted introduction segments breaking up the main things I do in my shift, so of course I had to add some music for each segment. I decided to use Canva to put together and edit my video since I was already familiar with the website, and then I uploaded my video to YouTube, where I added a caption, description, and made sure my closed captions were working.
Video Created by Jack Sturman, Video found on Youtube
About Topic
My video topic is why strength training is so important for soccer players. The key points I cover are how strength training helps players become stronger and faster on the field, reduces the risk of injuries, and improves endurance so they can maintain a high level of performance throughout an entire 90-minute match.
Stock Image of dumbbell rack: Creator Microsoft copilot AI, image found on Microsoft copilot
B roll video of squats/lunges: Creator by Jack Sturmn, Video taken by Jack Sturman
Stock Image of Muscle Chart: Image made by Microsoft copilot AI, image found on Microsoft copilot
Process of Making Video
In order to create my video, I had to complete several steps. First, I gathered all of the images, videos, and audio recordings that I wanted to include in the project. To find visual content, I searched online for stock images and videos and also used media from my own camera roll. Once I collected all of my materials, I began editing the video using Microsoft Clipchamp. I chose Clipchamp because it was easy to use and provided all the tools, I needed to edit my project effectively. Since I used Microsoft Clipchamp to create the video, I decided to upload it through YouTube for the streaming service. I did this because it was the easiest for me to figure out how to upload it into WordPress.
For my recordings, I used my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to capture the footage. Due to my topic having to do with blue light, I found an old backup phone. It was my LG G8 ThinQ, which has a much worse camera, so I only used it as a prop. I asked my boyfriend to help with recording when I had to be in frame. Additionally, I offered him to play a part at the end which he gladly accepted.
Additional Visual Material
The additional material I chose included a couple of diagrams that explain the biology side of things. Then, I found one image to help show one of my points. Lastly, the remaining material is all videos that visually support the audio from my podcast.
Basis for the Video
My Shot List
Click to View
Narration
Visuals
Background noise of an alarm blaring, person pressing snooze, and shuffling with an audible yawn
Record: person laying in bed then alarm and shuffling a yawn (sleep mask on person)
Have your parents ever demanded your phone at night so you would actually go to bed?
Find: stock footage of adults with hands out, beckoning
Sure, it was probably because you like to doomscroll and would end up falling asleep around 3am.
Record: person scrolling at night with phone on bright
But the fear of blue light definitely plays a role. What if I told you that it might not just be blue light that keeps you up at night?
Find: person looking shocked at blue light
Within your retina are specialized cells called ipRGCs (intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells) which are like built-in alarm clocks.
Find: diagram of ipRGCs
They measure the amount of light so they can set your body’s master clock.
Find: high cortisol alert diagram but with high vs low light
Morning light signals cortisol to keep you awake and simultaneously your body starts a 16-hour countdown and once this hits zero, it releases melatonin to make you sleepy.
Find: clock ticking by on fast forward
This is exactly why blue light should be considered a myth. Though ipRGCs are most sensitive to blue light wavelengths, scientific studies have shown that total light intensity matters almost as much.
Find: guy wearing glasses bluelight filtered
A 2011 study published by The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism states “As a result of this exposure to electrical light between dusk and bedtime, presleep levels of melatonin were reduced by 71.4%, and total daily levels of melatonin were reduced by about 12.5%.”
Make: text on screen of the quote
Background noise of another alarm going off, myself saying “Hey! I’m not done yet,”
Record: turn around (like a 4th wall break) and say that
The solution isn’t about the color of light coming out of the screen. Rather, it is about the amount of light.
Find: wavelength diagram and intense light plus dim light
If you want to use your phone at night, the best solution is to dim your screen and keep the phone further away from your face. You might want to keep your body clock in check!”
Record: dimming the screen, moving it away from the face
