The all-new Flipgrid Shorts Camera is packed with possibilities. Check out some of the new features and get started creating!
On August 1st, Flipgrid released an all-new camera that goes way beyond the simple recording tool it once was. The Shorts Camera can now function as a video recorder, screen recorder, interactive whiteboard, and video editing tool!
And of course, it’s completely free.
Want a peek at just some of the things you can do with the new Shorts Camera? Click here to see some “Shorts Camera in action” videos on the Flipgrid blog!
Below I’ll walk you through some of the new features offered so you can see how easy it is for you and your students to create and share! Be sure to scroll down for even more resources to explore including a link to The Creator’s Guide to Flipgrid Camera and Shorts FREE ebook.
When you first enter the camera, you will see this view. From the record view, you will be able to set up a canvas for a live recording or upload a video. Flipgrid supports uploads of .MOV, .MP4, and WEBM files. One important note: if you exit the video using the x in the upper left corner, you will lose all your work.
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If you decide to record a live segment, you have a variety of tools to customize your canvas beforehand. Like previous Flipgrid iterations, sticky notes are great to use as cue cards while recording. But there are a host of other customization options available. The first of which are camera filters to adjust hue or even give a Minecraft pixel feeling.
Check out this video to see examples of all of the different Camera Filters.
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The ability to add text to the canvas is a major addition to the camera. The text comes in a variety of different colors, including white text with black highlights and black text with white highlights. The highlight options are fantastic for making the text legible in situations where the background contains a variety of colors.
Once a text box has been added, it is easy to move or resize it. There are 2 different ways to resize. To just resize the text box, drag the handles on the sides. To resize the box and the text, drag the handles on the corners.
Click here to see a complete video tutorial on how to add text boxes.
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Stickers are a fun way to bring flavor to a video segment. There are a handful of preloaded stickers to add, but you can also search the Flipgrid library for emojis, text, and accessories to wear while you record.
Don’t limit your view of what a sticker can be. Any .png or .jpeg file can be uploaded to your canvas. This feature can be accessed from the upload menu.
This is a great option for presenting and analyzing charts, graphs, or artwork. These stickers can be resized, moved, and rotated just like a textbox.
To see how the new stickers feature works check out this video created by Scott Titmas.
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Another great new tool is inking on the canvas. This can be used to draw shapes, write, or annotate images. The color of the pencil can be changed. And just like a sticker, drawings can be resized or moved on the canvas.
The Shorts Camera can also be used as an interactive whiteboard. Students can change the background to white or black then use the inking tool to draw directly on their blank background while recording.
These tools offer a ton of possibilities when attempting to simply focus on an uploaded image or on work being shown using the drawing tool. The background can even be changed to a whiteboard during live recording!
To see the inking and the interactive whiteboard tools in action check out this video created by Jennifer Saarinen.
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While recording live many of the customization functions still work. The camera filter can be changed and text boxes can be added and moved. In addition, typing can be done live while recording. Stickers can be added and images can be uploaded. Stickers and images can be moved and drawing can be done live and moved while recording.
During recording, the record button can be used to pause for a moment and then start recording again. This is a great feature when students need a break when presenting large amounts of information or the canvas needs to be changed without adding dead air to the video segment.
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New segments can be added using the “Add [Time Remaining] more” button. This will take you back to the Add Segment View. The current segments can be dragged to reorder the sequence. If satisfied after viewing the entire sequence, hit the right button to finalize the video. If fine-tuning needs to be done to any segment, just click on it. That will take you to Drag and Trim View.
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Simply dragging the handles in the timeline allows for adjustments of start and end times. Then, the clip can be viewed with the play button before saving trims with the green check. If the user wants to delete that single-segment, she can just use the trash can to delete only that segment and return to the Multi-Segment View.
Check out this video tutorial to see how the trim feature works in Segment View.
As you can see, there are a lot of options for creation with Flipgrid’s new Shorts Camera. The fact that it works across a wide variety of devices like laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and smartphones means that it will be an expression tool available to a wide variety of students. Teachers can access these camera features in Flipgrid Shorts via Educator Admin to create their own videos.
The Creator’s Guide to Flipgrid Camera and Shorts
This guide will assume you have the basics of Flipgrid down from creating a Grid to viewing student Responses to a Topic. The focus of this guide is the working of the new Flipgrid Camera and Shorts. On each page, you will find information and screenshots of the new camera and bonus information throughout the guide.
Click here to download that ebook — for FREE!
If you’re looking for ideas for how to use the new Shorts camera in your classroom check out my latest blog post Applications for Flipgrid Camera in the Classroom.
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[…] Students pick a person and print a picture of that person. They write out several facts. Then, they record a Flipgrid video with the pixelization filter on. They read the facts, encouraging the viewer to guess their identity before turning off the filter. Click here to learn how! […]
Hello
I enjoyed reading your information about FlipGrid. I had a question about sending your FlipGrid to others. My question is when the people see the video how can you make the video not cut you in half so they only see a small portion of you? In otherwords the video only shows a small part of me when I send it. When i review the video it shows me completely as if I recorded it. Might you know how to fix this?