WeVideo Review

 "We made the buttons on the screen look so good you'll want to lick them."

- Steve Job - 

The Web 2.0 Tool that will be reviewed this week is WeVideo. Here is the link to access the tool: http://www.wevideo.com/

I think the primary category for this tool is Creativity. However, if used well, it can also be a presentation tool.

Please check my screen-cast below for the description of this tool:

Note: The screen-cast was created with Screen-O-Matic, and edited with Adobe Premiere Element 12.

As mentioned in the video, you don't need to download and install any program or plug-in for the tool to work properly. 

What do you need to know before using this tool? Although the tool is easy to use, having an experience using other video editing tools can be very helpful.

What do you need to have before using this tool? 

It is a video editing tool that allows you to record and insert your voice-over to the video you are creating. Having a microphone will help you create a quality audio, and, in turn, quality video too. Also, since it is an online-based video-editing tool, a good internet connection is necessary for fast video rendering.

Here are the steps to use this tool:

Step 1. Sign-up

Step 2. Select your plan.Currently, WeVideo offers six different plans with various pricings, ranging from free to more than $399/month

Step 3. Type in your information.

You can also register with your Facebook account, Google account, or Yahoo account.

After signing up, you'll reach your WeVideo Hub. 

Step 4. Create a project.

Recently, WeVideo have added a video that gives a very useful information about the features that you will find in the Hub.

Here's how the Hub looks like:

Step 5. Click "create new video" to begin creating your video, and you'll reach your WeVideo Project Editor.Please note that the image showed here is for the advanced editing mode.

Step 6. Upload your media.

To upload your media, click on the "upload" button on the project editor.

Wevideo allows you to upload your media, either from your computer or cloud storage. You can monitor the uploading progress from the right column.

Step 7. Insert the title of your video .

After you've uploaded the media that you want to use for your video, you can begin working on the video. The first thing that you should do is insert the title of the video. You can do it by clicking on the "text"icon, then drag and drop "TEXT" to the timeline. 
There are two ways to activate the edit fuction (this also apply to editing other media):

• Double click on the media, or
• Click on the media , then click the pencil icon. 

Then, type the title that you want to use for your video.

Step 8. Drag and drop your media (images, music, video) into the timeline. 

Step 9. Edit and Trim your media. The steps to activate the edit function have been mentioned on step 7. To trim the length of the media that you want to use: 

• Select the scissor icon: Move the green slider to a certain part of the media, then click on the scissor icon, or 
• Click and Drag: Move your cursor to the edge of the media that you want to trim, then click and drag to trim it.

Step 9. Select your theme. 

After you're satisfied with the length and the position of your media, it's time to do the final touch. Select the theme that you want to apply to your video. To do it, simply click on "theme" and select a theme that you'd like to apply to your video.  Wevideo allows you to preview the themes, so that you can feel how it will look like when a particular theme is applied to your video. If you're satisfied with a particular theme, click "use this theme".

Step 10. Give a title to the video project.
You can do it by clicking the "Untitled video" text on the upper right corner of the project editor, then this screen will appear.

Step 11. Publish it.

For more information about how to use the features in Wevideo, you can visit Wevideo's YouTube channel.

Educational examples:

There are numerous educational videos that have been created using Wevideo. You can find some of them in here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/filmfestival

How this tool can be used in a teaching environment?

There are many ways that WeVideo can be used in a teaching environment.  

In my country, one of the main concerns of fresh graduates from medical schools is their ability to communicate with their patients. Many patients complained that their doctors’ tend to rush when explaining about their medical conditions. Even worse, the doctors used jargons that were strange to their ears. This condition not only will lower patients’ satisfaction, but also compliance to their treatments.

Video assignment can be one of the solutions for the communication problem. The students (medical students or interns) are instructed to create short videos that are intended to explain about some difficult topics to their patients. The main purpose of the assignment is to help students see the topics from a different perspective, identify the steps to explain the topic, and practice explaining in plain language. At the end of the assignment, students should be able to understand about the topics better, and to creatively explain difficult topics to their patients in a plain language as well. Plus, they will have videos that can be used in their future practice. WeVideo can be used in the video assignment process. 

The advantages and disadvantages of using this tool in teaching environment

 Advantages:

• Affordable price. It even offer a free plan, although with limitations
• Can be connected to various cloud storage to retrieve media (images, music, and videos)
• Provide all-in-one package tool for editing video
• Supports PC, Mac, ipad, iphone, and android phones
• Rendering speed doesn't depend on computer's ROM 
• Published videos can be shared directly to social media sites (premium feature)
• Students in a group can share their media with their colleagues and instructors through Wevideo (premium feature) 
• Students can work collaboratively on a video project (premium feature)

Disadvantages: Requires high-speed internet connection to be used effectively

My recommendation: I highly recommend this tool to those who'd want to learn to create their own videos.