introducing Animoto.com

We all want to be famous - we want to be seen and adored on youtube viral video; we want to be in a music video with Ke$ha or Rebecca Black (especially riding in a car with Rebecca Black while one of her 13 year old friends is driving); we also want to make our own movie or video game trailer for everyone to see.

Animoto.com is a web 2.0 technology that lets you create your own 30 second movie trailer with your own pictures, video, music, and text. You can add these items to the huge list of themes (they call them "styles"). Once you combine everything, it creates a video for you. The best part is that it's all saved online for you and is private.

This is your chance to play around with the technology that is used by movie and tv producers, and it's totally free. Many of your teachers will be using this as a culminating activity, so getting used to the technology now is hugely important.

YOUR TASK:

1. Read up on animoto.com by right-clicking and opening in a new tab the following link:
http://animoto.com/features#overview
2. Read through the list of Features on the left first (so you know what they offer).
3. Watch the 60 second video on how animoto works.
4. Click on "Sign Up" at the top and set up a free "Lite" account. Use only your initials when it asks for your name and make yourself at least 13 years old... and your done.
4.Create your own movie trailer about (choose one):

• a musician (even Rebecca Black!)


• a sport or an athlete (here's your chance to say why Bosh sucks!)


• a favourite author or book series (make a movie trailer for Hunger Games)


• a favourite TV show (please, no Jersey Shore)

5. BE SURE TO PLAN OUT WHAT YOU DO FIRST. Collect the images you'll use, and decide what music or videos you might want to incorporate. This "Challenge" will take at least 3 periods and we will have participants share their videos during an upcoming Library period.

Introducing Google 'My Maps'

Wouldn't it be great to create your own personalized Tourist Map, showing people pictures and videos of famous or notable places, or just favourite places that you like to hang out?

Knowing how to do this will be useful for your Geography projects, History assignments, for planning committees or groups at school, and for planning trips.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

During the next couple of periods, you'll be making your own City Tour, meant to persuade 12-13 year old tourists from overseas to visit your neighbourhood and the Greater Toronto Area.

1. You will collaborate in groups of 2-3 people.
2. The tour should start at our school and can end at any tourist destination in our city OR neighbourhood (Rogers Centre, CN Tower, etc.).
3. Your map should include "placemarks" to shopping, parks, historical/cultural monuments, schools, restaurants or anything else that would be of interest to someone your age. Make a list in Google Docs beforehand to help you plan out your route.
4. Make your City Tour unique and creative. What places would you like to visit if you were a tourist? Pick places that are not common.
5. For each place you choose, embed a picture or video, if possible.
6. Watch this tutorial first (right-click and open in new tab): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TftFnot5uXw&feature=relmfu This video tutorial will show you how easy it is to create your own map. Have it ready in another tab.
7. For help doing anything, visit this Help Page (right-click and open in new tab): http://maps.google.com/support/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=guide.cs&guide=21670&topic=21676&from=21676&rd=2
8. REMEMBER: most of you are trying this technology for the first time. Your map doesn't have to be perfect. You're just experimenting so take your time. Making mistakes and being confused is part of learning something new.