Environmental Biology

Digital Storytelling Project

Video Editing & File Management

Tisch Digital Design Studio: this media lab in Tisch Library (generally open until 11:30pm, Sun – Thurs; for other hours including holidays, visit this link) has resources for creating, editing, and troubleshooting your movies. Staffed by trained employees that can help with issues or questions.

SOFTWARE: iMovie is the most-used software by students who have created digital story projects at Tufts. You are welcome to use any video application of your choosing, but note that only iMove and Final Cut Pro X are supported by the Tisch Digital Design Studio. If you choose to use other applications, you assume complete responsibility for learning and troubleshooting them.

FILE MANAGEMENT: Managing multimedia project files is deceptively more complicated than most people assume. In-progress video projects (especially) require multiple files to be accessible simultaneously, and all referenced files must be in specific locations with specific naming conventions. To add to that, these files tend to be very large until the final, non-editable version of the video is exported.

The Tisch Digital Design Studio offers three file storage options for those working on video projects. Two of these options involve the use of FireWire drives.  (A FireWire drive is a specific type of portable drive that contains a FireWire connection port. A FireWire connection is necessary for its data-writing speed; a USB connection is insufficiently slow to meet the demands of editing video files.)

  • The Tisch Media Center continues to offer a supply of FireWire drives that students can check out on a one-week basis.  This year, we will be adding more, but please note that that supplies are still limited; these drives are always in high-demand and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • We now have a convenient new network storage option for students who wish to back up their work on the network.  There is an established workflow associated with storing student project and media files to the network and then retrieving them in order to resume work on a project. DDS staff and student workers are available to help orient students to this and all workflows of the DDS.
  • Students who will be engaged in frequent, high-intensity work in the lab may find that, for their own convenience, they wish to purchase an external hard drive of their own. In this case, DDS staff will gladly advise them on the best model to purchase to meet their needs.

EQUIPMENT: In addition to high-powered editing workstations, the Tisch Digital Design Studio also features a recording room (by reservation) with green screen effects wall and  audio equipment for recording voice-overs/narrations. For students wanting to borrow camcorders, microphones, or tripods for field recording, the Tisch Media Center (adjacent to the Digital Design Studio) has a limited number of equipment for short-term loan at no cost.