Skype Chats Start Tomorrow!

Teachers, students, librarians, homeschoolers -- the "LIVE" part of the Annick LIVEbrary starts tomorrow with a Live Skype Chat with author Mark Shulman discussing Do-It-Yourself Video at 2 p.m. Eastern Time.

To participate in tomorrow's chat, you must send your Skype Username to LIVEbrary@annickpress.com so that Lisa can let you into the chat. You only need one Skype Username per classroom, although you can have more if you want. If you don't have Skype software installed yet, here's the download link (it's free):

http://www.skype.com/download

You might need to get your school or library media expert to help you install and set-up the Skype software. It's fairly simple. Steve will answer any tech questions you have. You can email steveo@annickpress.com or Skype me at steveokeefe.

In exciting news for Annick LIVEbrary users, Skype announced today an agreement with MySpace making it easier for MySpace users to participate in Skype chats. Starting in November, MySpace users may be able to participate using their Instant Messenger program.

LIVEbrary chats will always be restricted access (you have to register and provide a Skype Username to get in), but this new relationship between Skype and MySpace will hopefully make it easier for students to participate in the Annick LIVEbrary in the weeks and months ahead.

STEVE O'KEEFE,
Producer, The LIVEbrary

About Annick's LIVEbrary

At Annick Press we stand up for the things we believe in. We strive to be bold and we talk about issues that matter to youth. We never preach; we never tell someone what we think they should believe and we adhere to the possibility that together we can work for change, even if the prospects of being heard seem remote.

Most of all we recognize that nothing can be achieved through literature if the books themselves fail to stimulate and entertain. As we read, we expand our world view and we recognize different perspectives. We develop critical and analytical thinking. In short, we connect with ideas, other people and our inner selves.

Our LIVEbrary program is about enhancing those connections. Technology allows us to put reader and author in a virtual room to continue a dialogue. Now it is possible to have a conversation with the writer of a book that resonated for you, the reader . You can ask the questions that demand an answer. And you can test out your perspectives with a recognized authority. It’s a remarkable opportunity; one that allows all of us to exchange ideas in an exciting and innovative forum. Is it possible to take a fresh look at media, science, health, history and current events? Absolutely, and we invite you to connect with the people who can take you there. LIVEbrary is going to be a lot like reading a good book: it will be a great journey; one that brings equal measures of satisfaction and inspiration.

We welcome any feedback or comments you might have.

Rick Wilks
Director,
Annick Press Ltd.

Q&A Thread for Mark Shulman, LIVEbrary #1

Teachers, Librarians, Students and Homeschoolers -- welcome to the very first week of the Annick LIVEbrary, where students get to interact with authors in a secure environment under the guidance of our Series Librarian.

Today begins our first program, D.I.Y. Video, Solo and Team Work. The Lesson Plan has been posted here, with a reading, an assignment, a quiz, and discussion questions: it's available on the blog or as a PDF download. On Thursday, you'll have a chance to chat LIVE with Mark Shulman, author of Attack of the Killer Video Book: Tips & Tricks for Young Directors, from Annick Press. In order to chat with Mark, you need to install Skype software and send us your Skype Username.

But you don't have to wait until Thursday to start asking questions. Go ahead, add them to this "thread" using the "comment" button on this message. Do you want to know how much it costs to make a movie? How about what kind of camera you need? Do you want to know how to put your videos up on YouTube? Pile your questions here and Mark will answer them, either here or in Thursday's chat.

Thanks for trying the LIVEbrary -- we hope you like it!

STEVE O'KEEFE
Producer, The Annick LIVEbrary

Ads without products or promises - just pictures!

Have you ever seen those ads on TV that feature middle aged men skipping down the street like they just won the lottery?
Or the ones showing middle-aged women confiding in each other in incomprehensible languages?
Or how about the campaign in which older guys from all over the world are shown in their showers, singing at the tops of their lungs?

Do you remember what product the commercials were selling?

All three were promoting a prescription drug for adults. But Canada has laws that discourage drug companies from advertising drugs directly to consumers. So these ads aren't permitted to make any claims about the benefits of the drugs. They can't promise to cure any medical or health problems. They can't use language to convince people they're effective. Instead, they use images and sounds to engage and pique curiosity. And then they flash up the name of the drug, and say "Ask your doctor."

The practice has become really controversial. In my next posting, I'll tell you why!

LIVEbrary Lesson Plan #1: DIY Video

LIVEbrary Lesson Plan #1
DIY Video: Solo & Team Work
(for a colorful, downloadable PDF version, click here)

Topic/Subject: Media Awareness
Age Range: 9-13
Grade Level: 4-8

Contents:
- Reading
- Assignment
- Quiz
- Discussion Questions
__________________________________________________

READING:

"DIY Video: Solo & Team Work"
an excerpt from the book
ATTACK OF THE KILLER VIDEO BOOK:
Tips & Tricks for Young Directors
by Mark Shulman and Hazlitt Krog
Published by Annick Press.
Reprinted here with permission.

~ Full Team Ahead ~

So you're the director. In Hollywood, directors make the decisions because they're the experts. At your house, you're the director because you've got the camera. But that's no reason to hog all the fun. If you don't let the other kids share the pleasure, you'll end up videotaping the flowers out back. All alone.

Like most of us, you probably have one or three friends to shoot with. That means people will be doing double duty behind the camera (the "crew") and in front of the camera (the "talent"). Since everyone can't hold the camera, you'd better know what jobs to offer instead.

~ One Live Crew ~

Here's a list of essential roles for making a video. Sometimes just a few people do everything. And if you're going to do everything, you might as well find out what you're called.

• Writer -- in charge of the story
• Director -- the visionary who controls and manages the movie's creation
• Camera Operator -- sets up, operates, and deals with the camera
• Sound Person -- deals with all aspects of microphones and capturing sound
• Gaffer -- in charge of the lighting and related visual solutions
• Grip -- in charge of sets, main props; sometimes helps the camera operator
• Stylist -- in charge of costumes, makeup, actors' props
• Talent -- those who work in front of the camera
• Effects -- creates and executes the special effects
• Editor -- pulls all the pieces together at the end
• Producer -- supervisor, also known as "a responsible adult"
• Caterer -- see Producer
• Transportation -- see Producer
• Executive Producer -- a producer who provides funds or very good food
• Studio Chief -- the owner of the video camera

~ The Talent ~

Who's the biggest ham on camera? The actors are called the talent, but that's no guarantee of actual talent.

"Casting" means choosing the right actor for each part. If there are only two of you, it also helps to be a master of disguise. If your video has a script, encourage your actors to memorize their lines before the shoot. It's all right if they change their lines if the changes make sense for the movie.

TIP: No Hidden Cameras! Everyone in your movie should know they're in your movie. Get people's permission before you videotape them.

~ Going Solo ~

What's that? Your crew is home doing homework? Relax, Hitchcock... solo projects don't have to make you psycho:

• Keep it simple. Don't bite off more than you can shoot.
• Plan ahead. Plan ahead. Plan ahead.
• Travel light. All you really need is a camera, a blank videotape, charged batteries, a charger (just in case), a camera bag to keep things safe, and a shot list in case you want to know what you're doing.
• Non-fiction videos especially lend themselves to solo shooting: interviews, events, and nature video.
• If you've got fiction on your mind, puppets, dolls, and hands make surprisingly well-behaved actors. You'll have to do the talking, though. Or, set up the camera somewhere stable and strut your stuff onscreen.

~ Enough Reading! Let's Make a Video! ~

Ready. Get set... grab your camera! Get a videotape that fits in the slot. Find the red REC button. Aim the camera at something. Sooner or later hit the REC button again to stop taping.

Rewind the tape. Match the colors on your audio/video cord plugs with the colors of the jacks on your TV or VCR. Figure out how to get the video to play on the TV. Sit and watch. Cool, huh?

Go ahead and satisfy that itchy recording finger. Let practice make perfect, then come back to the book for your next steps up the video ladder.

# # #

Copyright 2004 by Mark Shulman and Hazlitt Krog. Excerpted from the book, "ATTACK OF THE KILLER VIDEO BOOK: Tips & Tricks for Young Directors." Published by Annick Press, ISBN 1-55037-841-4 (library binding), ISBN 1-55037-840-6 (paperback). Reprinted with permission. For more information, please visit http://www.annickpress.com. Thank you.
__________________________________________________

ASSIGNMENT

Team Video Project.

Divide your classroom into 5-person teams. Assign each person to one of these 5 jobs:

• Writer
• Actor
• Director
• Set Person
• Camera Operator

In addition, every team has a Producer -- that is, "a responsible adult" who supervises the film shoot (and catering). That adult could be a parent or a teacher or a librarian or the person you borrowed the camera from. NOTE: If you can't round up a 5-person team, you can assign two or more jobs to one person.

Your assignment is to videotape a simple process. Here are some examples:

• making a sandwich
• mowing the lawn
• washing the dog
• giving a wet dog a sandwich on the lawn

Your team has 10 minutes to make a movie. The Writer decides what simple process to shoot and what the actor will do. The Director gives everyone their assignment, keeps track of the time, and tells the camera operator what to do. The Set Person makes suggestions for locations or props -- should we move the desk? The Actor decides how to show the process being demonstrated -- play it for laughs or play it straight? The Camera Operator has one minute to tape. If you have time left, you can do a "second take" and tape the process one more time -- but only for one minute. The Director is in charge of saying "ROLL" to start the taping and saying "CUT!" after 60 seconds of taping.

Next, everyone changes jobs and does it again: you have 10 minutes to make a movie. Then everyone changes jobs until you've had all 5 jobs. In 50 minutes, you make 5 movies and try 5 jobs. Not bad for a one hour class!

TIP: Let the action happen on its own, so it seems as natural as possible.

You can let the camera stay in one place or try close-ups, wide shots, and different angles to help tell your story.

The simpler and shorter the process you tape, the better. Here's what you can accidentally learn by making simple process videos:

• how to show the individual steps of doing something
• how to capture a series of nice-looking shots
• how an actor can change the mood of a scene
• how a writer can script action, not just dialogue
• how to work with sets and talent (even wet, hungry dogs)

When you are done, you will have told a short story on video. Elsewhere in our book, we talk about storytelling. For now, just get the feeling. Then plug it in, watch the results, and on each video, notice:

• who is the director?
• how does the camera move?
• what is the actor's best moment?
• how does the action tell a story or set a mood?
• how do the set and props add to the video?

Ready for more? Power down the camera and read up.
__________________________________________________

QUIZ

NOTE: Quiz answers are available to teachers upon request from LIVEbrary@annickpress.com. Quiz answers will be revealed during the live Skype Chats and made a part of the Skype Chat Transcripts.

1) Matching. Match the Jobs (numbers) with the Job Descriptions (letters). Put the correct letter next to each number. I'll spot you the first one:

Sample: 1. Studio Chief -- goes with -- B. owner of the video camera

Jobs:
1. Studio Chief
2. Camera Operator
3. Gaffer
4. Director
5. Sound Person
6. Grip

Job Descriptions:
A. in charge of lighting
B. owner of the video camera
C. sets up and runs the camera
D. deals with the microphones
E. manages the movie's creation
F. in charge of sets and props

2) Multiple Choice. What does the term "second take" mean?
A. You tried twice to get the camera away from your friend.
B. You filmed the same thing twice, in case you flubbed it the first time.
C. You got second pick from the sandwich tray on break.

3) For each person listed below, write whether they are "talent" or "crew":
1. A dog doing a dance for the camera.
2. The person looking for the battery charger.
3. Your friend doing a dance for the camera.
4. The person fixing lunch for everyone.
5. The dog that just ruined the shot of your friend dancing.

4) Multiple Choice. What does "casting" mean in moviemaking?
A. Making a cast of an actor so they can remember where they stood.
B. Asking the crew for ideas about what you should do next.
C. Matching an actor to each role in the movie.

5) Multiple Choice. Besides a working video camera, what is the one thing you must have to make a video?
A. A microphone.
B. A big investor.
C. A video tape.
__________________________________________________

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• How does working with a team make moviemaking easier? How does it make it harder?
  
  
• How is solo moviemaking easier than team moviemaking? How is it harder?
  
  
• Watch the video of LIVEbrary author Shari Graydon -- it's in the LIVEbrary or on YouTube -- and discuss it. It's only 2 minutes long. Do you notice anything about the lighting? The sound? The set or props? Does the camera ever go "in" for a close-up or "out" for a wide shot?
  
  
• Who are Mark Shulman and Hazlitt Krog? Use the ASK.com search engine to check them out. Series Librarian Gary Price will be giving ASK.com demonstrations before each weekly chat.
  
  
• Prepare questions for author Mark Shulman for the live Skype Chat on Thursday, October 18, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET. You can post questions on the LIVEbrary Blog, send them via email to LIVEbrary@annickpress.com, or ask your questions live during the chat program. Advance registration is required to chat.

__________________________________________________
Copyright 2007 by Annick Press. All rights reserved. Printed here with permission of the publisher. Please request permission from LIVEbrary@annickpress.com before posting this lesson plan in any public place. Thank you.

NOTICE: Registration Form Fixed!

We had a little glitch with our Registration Form and missed a couple of registrations. Thanks to those LIVEbrarians who brought this problem to our attention!

The problem has been fixed and the Registration Form appears to be working fine now. Go ahead and try it.

If you have not yet received your confirmation email, please let me know and I'll process your registration by hand and send you a confirmation letter.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Thanks for Your Understanding!
STEVE O'KEEFE
Producer of The LIVEbrary
Coming October 15 from Annick Press
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SAVE: Instructions for Participating in LIVEbrary

Annick LIVEbrary Instructions
(for a colorful, printable, web version, click here)
Last Updated: Monday, October 8, 2007

NOTE: Teachers & Librarians -- Please print these instructions
and share with the media specialist in your school.

CONTENTS:
1. Getting the Most out of The LIVEbrary
2. Ways to Participate
3. Instructions for Live Skype Program
4. The LIVEbrary Letter
5. Lesson Plans
6. Code of Conduct
7. Privacy Policy
8. Copyright Notice

1. Getting the Most out of The LIVEbrary

The LIVEbrary is a 2-year online educational program by Annick Press with support from the Canada Council for the Arts. It is designed for use by teachers and librarians at the middle school to junior high school level, grades 4 through 8, ages 9 - 13. The program is designed to bring classrooms together with authors to discuss issues of topical interest in a safe environment under the supervision of a highly-respected librarian. The goal is to provide educators with a quality program that helps students learn the benefits and drawbacks of online communications.

2. Ways to Participate

We recognize that classrooms, schools, and libraries don't always have the latest technology. We designed the LIVEbrary program to accommodate many different methods of access, from technologically intense (live chat) to no-frills email. Here are some choices:

• LIVEbrary Blog: Students may leave questions for the Author or Series Librarian through comments on the blog. Comments are held for approval before being released. These questions may be used in the live chat, in which case answers will appear on the blog when the transcript of the chat is posted. The blog is located at http://annickpress.blogspot.com.
  
  
• Email Exchange: You do not have to be on the web to participate. Teachers and librarians may email questions from an entire classroom or from individual students. Some questions may be used in the live chat program, in which case answers will be emailed in the transcript of the live chat. The email address is LIVEbrary@annickpress.com.
  
  
• Live Skype Program: A live, one-hour Skype chat where students can engage the Author and Series Librarian in a fast-paced question and answer session. This is a protected chat and preregistration is required. You must have Skype software installed (it's free) to participate in the live chat. See instructions, below.

3. Instructions for Live Skype Program

=> If you already have a Skype Username

• You need to send your Skype Username to LIVEbrary@annickpress.com so that you can be added to the participant list. Space is limited. You will be notified if the program is full.
  
  
• On the day of the chat -- Thursday at 1:50 pm Eastern Time -- your Skype Username will be invited to join a Skype chat with Username . You must accept the invitation to enter the chat room. The chat will begin at 2:00 pm ET.
  
  
• We strongly recommend only one connection per classroom or library. The learning experience is best when students take turns entering their questions at a central point, such as the teacher's computer. Teachers might want to designate a typist or type for the students.
  
  
• If you can set up a projector to display from the teacher's computer onto a screen, it will be easier for the students to see the interaction. In this case, teachers or librarians should keyboard questions for the students.

=> If you DO NOT have a Skype Username

• You must download and install Skype software on your computer. The download is free from the Skype download page http://www.skype.com/download. Skype requires a valid email address. You will be asked to select a username. We recommend one username per classroom or library rather than a unique username for each student. Once you have your Skype username, see the instructions, above, "If you already have a Skype Username."
  
  
• Installing Skype software on school or library computers might require the assistance of a media specialist. Please pass these instructions to your media specialist and have them call us or contact us and we'll "speak geek" with them until you get hooked up.
  
  
• Test your Skype connection in advance. It's possible that your school or library won't allow your computers to connect to Skype. Please have your media specialist contact our media specialist for technical support to get the Skype connection working.
  
  
• Installing software might be against school or library policy. In this case we suggest you participate in the program through the LIVEbrary Blog or Email Exchange and get the transcripts of the live chats. The LIVEbrary is a rich technology experience even without a connection to the live chats.

4. The LIVEbrary Letter

By registering for the program, you subscribe to the LIVEbrary Letter, our ezine for sending information about the program including any format or schedule changes. You may unsubscribe from the LIVEbrary Letter at any time. Unsubscribe instructions are at the beginning and end of every issue.

5. LIVEbrary Lesson Plans

LIVEbrary Lesson Plans are available for each week of the program and can be used anytime, with or without the blog or the chat. Each LIVEbrary Lesson Plan contains a reading from the featured book, an assignment, discussion questions, and a quiz. Answers to the quiz are revealed during the live chats and are then posted to the LIVEbrary Blog, distributed through Email Exchange, and included in the LIVEbrary Letter.

6. Code of Conduct

Annick Press promises to conduct the LIVEbrary program in a manner that best ensures the safety of participants, protects their privacy, and respects their rights. See our Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice, below. By registering for the program, you agree to conduct yourself in a similar manner, including not disrupting the live chats or disrespecting the people in those chats. Violation of the code of conduct may result in immediate expulsion from the chat and from the LIVEbrary program.

7. Privacy Policy

Confidential contact information, such as email addresses and Skype Usernames, is required to facilitate the LIVEbrary program and protect the integrity of the learning environment. This contact information is held by Annick Press and will not be rented or sold. If LIVEbrary users choose to reveal information such as email addresses on the LIVEbrary Blog, the choice resides solely with the User and is not Annick Press' responsibility.

8. Copyright Notice

The LIVEbrary is copyright 2007 by Annick Press. All Rights Reserved. By posting to the LIVEbrary blog, sending messages via email, or contributing to the live chats, you hereby give Annick Press all rights to display your contributions or use them in other formats. You agree not to post anything to the LIVEbrary blog or chats that you do not have the rights to post, such as copyrighted images, text, or video.

The LIVEbrary on Facebook!

The LIVEbrary has it's own Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5963403979

Find links to the LIVEbrary authors' websites, a video interview with media literacy guru Shari Graydon, and pictures of authors and their books.

Join now to post on the wall or to start a discussion about Media Awareness!

Introducing Claire Carmichael

Claire will be joining us in Week #5 of Season 1:
November 12-16
BE THE AD: The Future of Advertising is YOU!

As a child growing up in Sydney, Australia, Claire Carmichael enjoyed playing every kind of sport and reading. Among the many books she loved, her favorites included Anne of Green Gables and all of L.M Montgomery’s books.

Her writing career started very early on when as a young child, she would delight in telling other kids gruesome ghost stories, which she later wrote down. Since then, she has written numerous books for every age group from picture books to young adult fiction, plays, textbooks as well as two self-help books on popular psychology.

Claire is still an avid sportswoman, but now adds science to her list of interests. She currently lives in Los Angeles where she is a Senior Instructor at the UCLA Extension/Writers Program. Teaching advanced novel workshops is something she particularly enjoys, especially when her students get published

Her advice to aspiring authors is to read as much as you can and then write about what you love most to read.

You can find her online at http://www.clairecarmichael.com/.

Announcing Our Series Librarian: Gary Price!

I am really excited to be able to introduce the Series Librarian for The Annick LIVEbrary program: Gary Price!

Gary is Director of Online Resources for the search engine, ASK.com. That means Gary is that rare breed of uberlibrarian who assists other librarians all over the world with finding things on the Internet. He is the librarian's librarian -- reaching out to librarians to find out how he can make their lives easier -- well, at least make their Internet searches easier.

Gary is perhaps best known as the founder and co-editor -- with Shirl Kennedy -- of ResourceShelf, an amazing online news source for researchers, librarians, journalists and educators. Be sure to check out the section on Information Literacy, which has a lot to do with the Media Awareness program we are offering in the LIVEbrary this season.

You can read a terrific interview with Gary Price conducted by Andrew Richard Albanese for Library Journal (3/20/2006). You'll also find Gary quoted as the know-it-all in this CNET article by Candace Lombardi about how we're missing a lot of what's available online (July 23, 2007).

Gary was awarded the 2004/2005 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne State Library and Information Science Program. In 2004, he was the co-recipient of the Agnes Henbry Award from the News Division of the Special Libraries Association and in the summer of 2002 he received the Innovations in Technology Award, also from the Special Libraries Association. From 1995 - 2001, Gary worked as a Reference Librarian at George Washington University.

As our Series Librarian, Gary will be reviewing our instructions, lesson plans, and other LIVEbrary materials and assisting with our live chats. Do you have questions for Gary Price? You can add them as comments in this thread -- or visit with Gary before and during our LIVEbrary chats.

Gary Price, welcome to The LIVEbrary and thank you for helping us with our program!