iMovie: Documentary Video Making with Creative Commons Images & Music
The format of this page is based on the philosophy that:
Sample Video from 8 year old
Any reference to a "demonstration" below is for the EARCOS Workshop held in Bangkok in March 2019.
The entire course, however, can be managed independently by following the videos.
Our STEPS:
- Write a simple script (The story ALWAYS comes first!)
- Source images from photosforclass.com
- Add to iMovie project
- Place them in the proper order (The one that matches our script)
- Add Transitions
- Add Titles
- Narrate in another application. Why? Because, especially if you teach children you know, it is natural to try and pace your words to match the video images. It is better to record naturally and then do the opposite. We will use Quicktime.
- Import your narration to your timeline
- Edit out mistakes
- Lengthen / shorten image length to ensure the narration for each frame is slightly shorter than the lengh of the fram for pace
- Add a background music track
- Adjust to an appropriate volume
- Render you video for consumption!
This page goes on a long way down. I have included Lesson Objectives for teachers who wish to give this a go in class and to make it clear what you are meant to learn in each of the following videos. Let me know how it goes! There are loads of other tutorials and humour on my YOUTUBE CHANNEL. I hope you will subscribe.

Lesson Objectives below taken directly from G2 lessons
from an ongoing class. Not all may be relevant to your case.
1. Write a simple script / Intro to Creative Commons
(The story ALWAYS comes first!)
I suggest this as it is simple and everyone has this story.
Learn how THEN go creative!
* My name is...
* I come from (country)
* (Country) is located on the continent of...
* In (country) we love to eat...
* Thanks for watching!
DEMONSTRATION
Now go to photosforclass.com and download 4 creative commons licensed images.
(The story ALWAYS comes first!)
I suggest this as it is simple and everyone has this story.
Learn how THEN go creative!
* My name is...
* I come from (country)
* (Country) is located on the continent of...
* In (country) we love to eat...
* Thanks for watching!
DEMONSTRATION
Now go to photosforclass.com and download 4 creative commons licensed images.
2. Importing & Ordering images
Demonstration
Have at it!
Have at it!
3. Recording Narration in QuickTime
We don’t record right in the application because, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES WE SAY NOT TO, people try to speak the speed of the images.
This is backwards!
This room is noisy.
I have students use a quiet space in rotation (two locations is twice as fast)
Eliminate background noise wherever possible (Turn off air conditioning)
Musical backgrounds added later will cover up gulps, breathing and ambient noise quite well so don’t worry too, too much.
Demonstration
Have at it!
This is backwards!
This room is noisy.
I have students use a quiet space in rotation (two locations is twice as fast)
Eliminate background noise wherever possible (Turn off air conditioning)
Musical backgrounds added later will cover up gulps, breathing and ambient noise quite well so don’t worry too, too much.
Demonstration
Have at it!
4: Adding Transitions & Titles
Demonstration
Have at it!
Have at it!
5. Importing & Editing Narration
Demonstration
Have at it!
Have at it!
6: Importing Background Music & Adjusting Volume
Demonstration
Have at it!
Have at it!
7: Render to Movie File (The Final Frontier!)
Demonstration
Have at it!
Have at it!
Download the image below to end your documentary as a nod to proper attribution if you like.
It is my biggest hope that many of you will make documentaries of your experiences here at this workshop to share with your schools upon your return.
Thanks for coming!
It is my biggest hope that many of you will make documentaries of your experiences here at this workshop to share with your schools upon your return.
Thanks for coming!