How to Make a Teacher Introduction Video Using Apple Clips

As we near Spring Break, some teachers are necessarily making plans for their summer school classes, and secondary students are considering what courses they are going to take next year. A teacher introduction video is a great way to put a face and a voice on a class for students. Teachers can use the Clips app from Apple to make a quick and easy teacher introduction video. 

Plan

Think about what you’re going to say. The purpose of this video is to put a personality and a face on the class. Introduce yourself and your class. If you’ve got a great class description, you’re already halfway there. It’s a good idea to script out what you're going to say, but be careful not to sound like you're reading a script when you’re talking. Consider spending 15–30 seconds on you and 15–30 seconds on the class description. 

Shoot

Use Clips on your iPad to film the video. You can either shoot the video right in Clips, or import video you create somewhere else. Don’t worry if you mess up. For such a short video, you can always delete the take and try again. To make the best video possible, follow these suggestions:

• Film in a well-lit area. Good lighting is essential to a great video. Eliminate all light behind you and position yourself with plenty of light in front of you. Natural light from a window is your best friend. 
• Check your background for clutter or distractions. The focus should be on you, not your surroundings. This goes for background noise as well. 
• Stand or sit slightly off center. Rather than putting yourself in the middle, this will better capture your viewer’s attention. This is known as the Rule of Thirds.
• Be yourself. Have fun! Smile and speak clearly. As they watch, parents and students are asking themselves if this is someone they want to spend the summer with. 

Edit

Watch the video a few times. Does anything stand out as distracting or off? Reshoot if needed. Use the Clips trim feature to cut any awkward starts or stops. In addition, improve the "polish" of the video with these options:

• Add a "Poster" at the beginning of the video with custom text. A Poster is a background with stylized text. Access Posters by clicking the photo icon and tapping the Photos slider.
• Add music to establish a mood. Access music by tapping the music note in the upper-right corner. Clips has many Soundtracks built in that automatically adjust to the length of the movie.
• Trim clips to the length you want and to cut out any unwanted video. Tap the clip you wish to trim at the bottom and then tap the Trim tool.

You may also add other effects in Clips. Just remember, there’s a fine line between creating enthusiasm and stimulus overload. Adding effects and sound are good ways to get your potential students excited and show your personality, but too much can overwhelm. 

Post

Upload your video to your Google Drive or your YouTube channel and share it with the world!

Need some help? Schedule an appointment with your LTA for assistance with your video. You can also visit the Apple support page for Clips to get step-by-step instructions on how to use Clips. 

Video Production Example

STAGE ONE

First draft. Filmed using Clips in short segments. I decided to film each part separately instead of one longer take so I could later add labels and stickers to specific parts. Each time I messed up (which was a lot) I only had to reshoot the one small segment instead of starting again from the beginning. 

STAGE TWO

Added a poster and a filter. I chose to do a poster at the beginning to grab attention and introduce the course. You could also do posters in the middle or at the end to show important information. I chose the “Vivid Cool” filter for a more modern look and feel.

FINISHED PRODUCT

Added music and labels. Music goes a long way to make a simple video feel more professional. It also communicates emotion in a way words can’t.