Word Caption Software - Free

World Caption is a free program for adding captions to a QuickTime compatible video, using a transcript of that video. While World Caption cannot be used to generate a transcript, it makes the process of synchronizing a transcript to video simple, and allows quick and easy generation of captions.

World Caption accepts UTF-8 encoded text files, which means it can handle a wide number of languages - including languages with non-Latin character sets such as Japanese.

World Caption allows addition of any number of tracks to the video. This allows the creation of caption tracks for several languages.

World Caption requires Mac OS X version 10.4 or later. It is offered free though the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin - Madison

Subtitle Software - Free

If you need to add subtitles to your DVD or video project the Belle Nuit Subtitler is an option. They have a full featured version for sale, but the offline version is free. It is an application to:

Spot, edit and render subtitles for video editing, DVD authoring and digital cinema. Translators can spot directly with a QuickTime movie and translate precisely. The subtitles can then be imported to Avid Media Composer, Avid Xpress, Avid DS and Final Cut Pro for editing. The same subtitles can be sent also to Adobe Encore DVD, Apple DVD Studio Pro, Sonic Producer and Sonic Scenarist for authoring. The subtitles can also be used for live subtitling on Texas Instruments Digital Cinema projectors. Belle Nuit Subtitler frees the video editors from repetitive work and from typo errors.

With the offline version you can freely distribute the program and use on any numbers of computers. The offline version is fully functional with the following restrictions:

• You can only export 10 titles at a time.

• Some tools in the Tools menu do not work.

Give it to your translator, your director or your producer or whoever is responsible for the subtitle text. With the offline license, you can also test the entire workflow (import/export, quality of titles) and buy only the online license, when you are satisfied with the result.

Hoover High School, Ohio

Hoover High School in North Canton, Ohio offers three different video production courses. On their website you can find examples of student work and a promo video for their program.

Learn Final Cut Pro Podcast

Eliot Baring has posted six episodes on the basics of Final Cut Pro. His website states:

Learn Final Cut Pro with filmmaker and multimedia teacher Eliot Baring in these exciting, easy to follow FCP podcasts. Ideal for editors, students and teachers, this will take you through absolutely everything FCP has to offer.

IndyMogul.com Tutorials

The website IndyMogul.com has a number of video tutorials that range from prop building to scriptwriting. They are all fun to watch and emphasize how to do things on the cheap.

Here is a tutorial on how to build a prop jet pack. They did it for $30. It looks pretty good.

iMovie plug-ins from GeeThree.com - FREE

GeeThree.com offers a free sampler of their Slick Transitions and Effects

You can get 20 fully functional plug-ins for free!

Supports iMovie HD 6, 5 and 4
Universal Binary for Intel and PowerPC Macs
(Plug-ins do not work with iLife '08's rewritten version of iMovie 7)

Give Slick software a try for free.

Requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later, including Leopard 10.5

Emerald Ridge High School Video Curriculum

Check out the website of ERHStv.com, which contains the curriculum of the three year video program at Emerald Ridge High School.