Technology Tips

What to do if...?

I have previous experience uploading digital videos...

If you have previous experience uploading video clips from your digital camcorder to your computer you can then follow these easy steps to upload your video submission to the contest web site:

1. Record your video clip.
2. Upload it to your computer.
3. Save the video on your computer as one of the following formats: MPG, MPEG, WP4, WMV, or MOV.
4. Visit the http://www.actflvideocontest.org web site. Log in using your email and password that you set up during the sign in process.
5. Click on the tab "Upload".
6. Here you have a choice. One option is to type in the exact file name (with full path) that you used to save the video on your computer. You may also select "browse" which will allow you to browse the files on your computer. Once you find the video file, click on it so that it appears in the dialogue box.
7. Once you have the file name in the dialogue box, click on "upload". This may take several minutes depending on the speed of your internet connection.
8. You will be asked to give a title to the video and you must fill in the student information. As a reminder, all students who appear in a video must have a signed release form. Verification of these forms will be obtained prior to announcing or posting any finalists.
9. To check on your video, click on the "My Video" tab. From that tab, you will see your video entry (or entries in the case of a teacher). By clicking on the video, you will have the option to edit the title and/or the student information. You can also delete a video. Once a video is deleted, it cannot be retrieved on the contest web site. If you accidentally delete a video, you will have to repeat the process beginning with #5 above.

I have little or no previous experience with uploading video clips...

If you have never created a video using a camcorder, or if you have never uploaded a video from the camcorder to your computer, here are some useful tips and resources:

• The basic steps are:
  1. Record your video using a digital camcorder.
  2. Upload your video from your camcorder to your computer. This generally is done through a firewire port or a USB port. Your computer must have some type of video software installed in order for you to open the video file.
  3. Save the video file on your computer in MPG, MPEG, WP4, MOV, or WMV format.
  4. Some video software allows you to edit your video after it has been uploaded to your computer. While editing is useful, it is not necessary as long as your video meets the submission requirements.
  5. Upload your video to the contest web site using the steps provided above.
• We highly recommend that you ask family, friends, and/or colleagues for help. Chances are you will know someone who has a digital video camcorder that has uploaded video to their computer. Once you have the video clip saved on your computer, you can follow the steps (provide above) for uploading it to the contest web site.
• Because of the variety of digital camcorders (brands and models) and the numerous video software packages available for MACs and PCs, it is not possible to provide one simple set of directions for creating and uploading video from a camcorder to your computer. However, there is an abundance of useful information available on the Internet that may help you better understand the process. Here are a few helpful links:
  • General information on digital video can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_video
  • General information on camcorders can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camcorder
  • General information about editing digital video using a computer can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_editing_software
  • Uploading video to your computer will require some type of software that will recognize a video file. PC World offers information and a link to a free download for Microsoft Movie Maker (for Windows). For details, visit: http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,22893-order,1-page,1-c,alldownloads/description.html
  • Other useful sites with information on iMovie (for MACs) or Movie Maker (for Microsoft Windows) can be found at:
    • http://www.apple.com/support/imovie/tutorial/imovieTutorial_t1.html
    • http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/21/dvpassthrough.mspx
  • Viewing and editing videos can be done using QuickTime software. The basic software is free and works with Windows or MAC operating systems. For more information visit: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download

Please note: The above is not a complete list of available resources and it is very possible that the information provided is no longer accurate. ACTFL and/or the other sponsors and supporters of the 2008 "Not Just a Language Class!" contest do not necessarily endorse the products listed in the above links.