February Update

Image: Verizon training specialist Rene Ryan introduces the Verizon badge program.

It was a big month for editing: AJ and Brian spent most days putting the final touches on the Verizon Technical Training (VTT) badge program (more below). With the start of the new semester, we also collaborated with several new faculty members on spring semester course and conference projects. Brian presented on “Putting Some ‘TikTok’ into Your Video Lecture” at the Spring ITS Virtual Fair, and on “Turning Slides into Stories: Build Engagement with Better Design” at the 6th Annual Pace Online Conference. It was great to collaborate with faculty at these events!

Media Production in January

  • • 47 hours of consultations with faculty and staff in Dyson, PESP, and Seidenberg.
  • • 4 videos produced (15 minutes total); 38 additional edited cuts (with over 2 hours of videos for VTT).

Project Highlights

  • – Verizon Technician Training is a Pace partnership and asynchronous course in telecommunications to prepare 6,000+ minority men and women to apply for jobs at Verizon. Last month, OLC staff completed the final edits of 33 videos for the program. The program will launch February 11th.
  • – Professor Alysa Hantgan will be collaborating with us to support senior English majors record recruitment videos.
  • – Professor Darren Hayes and the Cyber Security team will be creating videos for the upcoming Human Trafficking conference in March.
  • – Professor Ed Miller will use podcasting to support philosophy majors.
  • – Professors Woolley and Davison will once again be supporting production of the Senior Spotlights for BA Acting majors in March/April.
  • – Professor Martin (Law) reported a great first experience teaching an asynchronous course with weekly videos in the fall. We were excited to hear her update and ideas for updating video content in the future.

Production Tip of the month: You can create podcasts in the OLC. We have several custom studio set-ups for recording solo or with guests. We’ll also help you edit your episode in Adobe Audition.

Please contact OLC staff to reserve studio time or collaborate with us.

January Update

Media Production in December

  • • 35 hours of consultations with faculty and staff across ELI, School of Education, Seidenberg, and Pace Online. Shoots and basic editing for the Verizon grant is included in these numbers.
  • • 28 videos produced (225 minutes total); 25 additional edited cuts.

Please contact OLC staff to reserve studio time or collaborate with us.

December Update

Media Production in November

  • • 36 hours of consultations with faculty and staff across Dyson, Sands, Seidenberg, and PESP. Shoots and basic editing for the Verizon grant is included in these numbers.
  • • 32 videos produced (250 minutes total); 23 additional edited cuts.

Please contact OLC staff to reserve studio time or collaborate with us.

November Update

Image: OLC Student Assistant AJ editing a podcast-format project.

Media Production in October*

  • • 29 hours of consultations with faculty and staff across all Pace schools and colleges.
  • • 20 videos produced (227 minutes total); 3 additional edited cuts.

Project Updates:

  • – Mickael Pollard (Graduate Admissions) came on board to help host Verizon Technician Training lessons. He will translate the curriculum into high-impact, short video presentations.
  • – Gosin Center: We supported Gosin Center and DEI staff in creating outreach materials for their upcoming week-long conference on Days of Origin.
  • – Seidenberg Online: We recorded Professor Skevoulis in his software engineering lab to discuss his work with students.
  • – From the OLC Blog: Please see these great posts on student multimedia resources and using digital tools in the classroom.

Production Tip of the month:Did you know OLC staff are equipped for “field recording” on both campuses? This means we can shoot video on-site to capture the content you need to tell your story.

*These figures do not include consultations for the Verizon grant.

Meet AJ

Hey I am Agneya RN (AJ),I am currently working at Online Learning Center (OLC) as a Student Assistant.

At Pace University, I am doing master’s degree in Social Media and Mobile Marketing and juggling my life in the big apple. My affinity towards video production began when I got the opportunity to direct ads for my college events and this intrigued me and led me do a certification in film making and direction.

I have been in the creative and video production scene for quite some time now and I am excited to work in the pace online studio and help faculty get the best experience and the quality for their videos.

Setting Up a Budget Home Video Studio

Creating high-quality video content from home is easier than ever, thanks to smartphones. You don’t need an expensive camera setup to create professional-looking videos—your phone, budget lighting, a decent microphone, and a few essential tools can do the trick.

Here’s a simple guide to set up your home video studio without overspending on high end production gear.

Primary Camera or Smartphone :

Your smartphone will be your primary recording tool, and luckily, most phones today have excellent cameras. Make sure you shoot in the highest resolution possible (1080p or 4K). Lock the exposure and focus to keep the camera from automatically adjusting while you record.

Stabilizing your phone is crucial for a smooth, professional look. Invest in a budget-friendly tripod or phone stand. If you don’t have one, you can improvise by stacking books or using any sturdy surface.

Watch this video by think media about using the smartphone as primary camera.

Light:

Lighting is essential to make your videos look sharp and professional. You don’t need expensive studio lights to get the job done. Inexpensive LED panel lights, ring lights, or even regular lamps with daylight-balanced bulbs can work wonders. The goal is to light up your subject well enough to avoid shadows or overexposure.

  • Key Light: This is your main light source. Position it 45 degrees to the side of your face or subject to add dimension.
  • Fill Light: A fill light softens the shadows created by the key light. Place it on the opposite side, but make sure it’s less intense.
  • Backlight (Optional): If you want to create a bit of separation between you and your background, add a backlight behind you. This adds a nice rim of light around your outline, giving a more professional and cinematic look.

Light Angles & Position :

The angle and position of your lights can drastically affect the mood of your video.

  • 45-Degree Key Light Angle: This is a classic lighting setup where the key light is placed at a 45-degree angle to your face. It creates a soft, natural shadow.
  • Fill Light Angle : Just opposite to the key light, use a fill light to cover all the shadow casted by key light and smoothen the frame.Check out this video by JoshWiniarski about setting up lights for a shot.

Camera Angles & Position :

Camera angles are just as important as lighting. For a natural perspective, keep your phone at eye level. If you’re looking for a more creative approach, experiment with slightly higher or lower angles, but be careful not to disrupt the angle too much.

Duration, Cuts, and Editing :

When shooting, it’s best to record in shorter segments rather than filming everything in one go. This makes editing easier and allows you to focus on one part of the script at a time. During editing, aim for short, engaging cuts to keep the audience’s attention.

As for the duration of your videos, shorter isoften better for beginners. A 5-10 minute video is usually long enough to cover key points without losing viewers’ attention. If your content is longer, consider breaking it into multiple parts. Check our recent video here for editing in Capcut or Premiere.

Final Touches :

After shooting your footage, review it carefully. You can use free or affordable video editing apps to trim unnecessary parts, add transitions, and fine-tune the lighting or sound. Don’t stress too much about perfection—what matters is consistency and the value of your content.

With a smartphone, budget lighting, and an affordable microphone, you can create professional-quality videos without needing to invest a lot of money. Experiment with different angles, lighting setups, and editing techniques to find what works best for you!

October Update

 

Image: Michael Pollard records an informational screencast in the PLV studio. This photo features his foot, but see his final video here.

The new academic year starts with a busy studio. This month we collaborated with several new faculty members on course materials and special projects. Highlights below.

Media Production in September

  • • 27.5 hours of consultations with faculty and staff in CHP, Haub, PESP, and Seidenberg.
  • • 12 videos produced (130 minutes total); 11 additional edited cuts.*

Project Updates:

  • – Design Factory NYC: Professors Cotoranu and Scharff (Seidenberg) are recording weekly materials for their “Design Factory” course, an ambitious international collaboration between six universities.
  • – Seidenberg Online: Next month we will visit Professor Skevoulis’ software engineering lab in Beekman to film him working with students and sharing his view of the field with us.
  • – Verizon Technician Training is a Pace partnership and asynchronous course in telecommunications to prepare 6,000+ minority men and women to apply for jobs at Verizon. Last month, OLC staff worked with Pace’s subject matter experts – Diane and Gordon Snyder – to develop the first iteration of course materials. Next, we will revise these materials to be more visual and impactful in a video format.
  • – From the OLC Blog: Please see these great posts on student multimedia resources and using digital tools in the classroom.

Production Tip of the month:Did you know OLC staff are equipped for “field recording” on both campuses? This means we can shoot video on-site to capture the content you need to tell your story.

*These figures do not include draft content for the Verizon grant.

NYC Campus Resources for Students

When faculty assign multimedia projects, students can use campus and online resources to create, edit, and publish projects.

Macs at Pace

All Mac workstations in ITS computer labs (NYC: W200A, W200B, W202 open-access lab, BK805, BK906, BK1009) have the full Adobe Suite. Students should have a storage option (e.g., drive or cloud space) as lab computers allow only temporary workspace.

The CMS Podcast Lab in 512 Park Row is hosted by the department and available to all Pace students. Two Mac + RodeCasterPro recording stations are available for booking ahead.

Online

Canva and CapCut are two web-based applications that offer powerful free options.

Image: Canva and CapCut can both be used for adding rich graphics and animations. CapCut is better suited for video editing.

Multimedia tip: If you’re starting with video, use CapCut. If you want to build a video out of presentation materials, start with Canva.

Uploading Your Media to Classes

Compression makes video files smaller by reducing the visual and audio quality. While this isn’t idea for movie night, it’s essential for moving files around quickly. The MP4 (“.mp4”) file format is the best one to use (M4V is an equivalent Apple-born variant). But even MP4 files can be large, especially “4K” (3840 x 2160 pixels) or “full HD” (1920 x 1080 pixels). Try a “720p” setting (1280 x 720 pixels) for reduced file size.

With standard export settings (aka compression settings), your file will be about 100MB per minute. 2GB is the limit on Classes, which is a 20 minute video. This will take a long time to upload, and even more energy to store and stream. A 20 minute video at 720p can be compressed down to ~200MB… Look for a setting to reduce the megabits-per-second (“Mbps”) to around 2 Mbps.

Finally, always review your MP4 file to make sure the quality is appropriate and the audio is correct.

Good luck!

Video Studios… and More

The Online Learning Center’s main goal is to support faculty in the development of instructional materials – usually video. This means we often work on:

  • – Preparing the studio for shoots and creating sets (including virtual sets)
  • – Editing PowerPoint presentations and scripts
  • – Creating materials in Canva or other graphics tools
  • – Running studio tech: lighting, camera, microphones, teleprompter, etc.

We also support other video projects in collaboration with Pace staff and offices. These are often instruction-driven promotional videos for academic programs – interview-based videos that tell a short story about faculty, programs, and students.

As with all our video projects, we provide “top and tail” editing – quickly delivering the video to you. We primarily use the university’s streaming service, Panopto, to deliver and publish video, but we can also help you use YouTube.

While the Online Learning Center is comprised of studios and editing workstations, we are also a small team with creative experience and expertise. Pace Online Studios is our public-facing brand.

How can we help you reach your audience?

Please contact OLC staff to reserve studio time and collaborate with us.

Using Digital Tools In Classroom

In today’s digital age, integrating technology into the classroom is essential for enhancing the learning experience. The right tools can engage students while making lessons more interactive and enjoyable. Below are four digital tools—Canva, Quizizz, CapCut, and iMovie, that can help elevate your teaching.

1. Canva: Creating Stunning Visuals for Lessons

Canva is an easy-to-use design tool that allows educators to create visually appealing presentations, infographics, posters, and worksheets. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it perfect for teachers and students alike. In the classroom, Canva can be used to create engaging presentations, visually summarize complex topics with infographics, or even allow students to design their own posters for projects. Canva offers customizable templates, making it easy to create professional designs quickly, even for those with no graphic design experience. Canva’s free version is packed with features, and its interface makes it suitable for both educators and students.

2. Quizizz: Making Quizzes Fun and Interactive

Quizizz is a gamified quiz platform that adds excitement to classroom learning. Educators can create quizzes or use existing ones from the extensive Quizizz library to engage students in real-time. This tool is excellent for formative assessments, providing instant feedback on student performance, making it easy to identify areas that need improvement. Quizizz can also be used for homework, with automatic grading saving teachers time, or for review games to prepare students for exams. The platform’s game-like design keeps students engaged, while the ability to access quizzes on various devices makes it ideal for online classes as well.

3. CapCut: Empowering Video Creation for Projects

CapCut is a powerful, yet user-friendly, video editing app that allows students and teachers to create polished video content or lectures. Educators can also use it to edit or create the recap of the lectures : both online & offline. Its ease of use and powerful editing features, combined with the fact that it’s free, make CapCut a great tool for video editing.

4. iMovie: Crafting Professional-Quality Classroom Content

iMovie is a well-known video editing software available for macOS and iOS, offering powerful tools to create professional-looking videos. Educators can use iMovie to craft lesson recaps, instructional videos, or explainer content for students. iMovie’s features, such as transitions, voiceovers, and green screen effects, allow for creative and dynamic video projects, making learning more engaging. The seamless integration with other Apple products makes iMovie an ideal tool for Apple-based classrooms, empowering both educators and students to produce professional-grade content.

Incorporating digital tools like Canva, Quizizz, CapCut, and iMovie into your classroom can enhance learning by fostering creativity, collaboration, and engagement. Whether you want to create visually appealing lessons, make quizzes fun, or give students the opportunity to develop multimedia skills, these tools provide the versatility needed to enrich the learning experience.

Contact OLC staff to reserve studio time or learn more about these digital tools’ integration.