Well not an iMovie etc equivalent, here's an interesting
tool that is free, cross platform, and adaptable ...
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Net Happenings - From Educational CyberPlayGround
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From: Mary Watkins <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 03 Feb 2004 17:12:04 -0500
Delivery-Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 02:21:23
Subject: [WWWEDU] MAGpie 2.01: Captioning and
Description Tool for Multimedia
Version 2.01 of the Media Access Generator (MAGpie)--
free, do-it-yourself captioning, subtitling and
audio-description software for digital multimedia
developed by the CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible
Media (NCAM)-- available to download at
http://ncam.wgbh.org/webaccess/magpie/
By adding captions, subtitles and audio descriptions to
providers enable full access to millions people with
hearing or vision loss, as well as speakers of other
languages in the US. Captions added to multimedia
presentations ensure that the audio components are
accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Audio descriptions provide access for people who are
blind or visually impaired by adding narration that
describes the visuals, including action, scene changes,
graphics and on-screen text. Descriptions can also
assist students with learning disabilities by
reinforcing through audio what the user is watching on
the screen.
Using MAGpie 2.01, authors can add captions and audio
descriptions to the most popular media platforms:
Apple's QuickTime, RealNetworks' RealPlayer and
Microsoft's Windows Media. MAGpie is friendly to those
who are new to multimedia, educators and even to young
users. MAGpie 1.0 was released in early 2001. New
features greatly expand the software's capabilities and
ease of use.
MAGpie 2.01 features:
Java-based - will run on Windows 98, NT4, 2000 and XP,
and on Macintosh OS X. (There is currently no support
for earlier versions of the Mac OS.)
Support for playback of QuickTime, Real and Windows
media file formats
Audio description support, users can write, time and
record audio descriptions for digital media
Multiple captions and description tracks can be created
for a single multimedia clip
Spell check eliminates typographical errors more easily
Segmented captioning enables users to create captions
with karaoke-like effects
Improved user interface/authoring grid
Quotes from MAGpie 2.01 users:
"I use MAGpie 2.01 to caption instructional videos.
MAGpie 2 is the easiest step in post-production of a
video for the Web. Import a text transcript and easily
mark the start point for each caption on the fly, in
real time.
And then MAGpie 2 creates all the files for you!"
Candace Lee Egan Educational Technology Consultant and
Adjunct Professor of Mass Communication California State
University, Fresno
"I use MAGpie and teach people to use it for a number of
reasons. The fact that it is cross platform, it can prepare caption
files for QuickTime, Real and Windows Media and that it available free
of charge
are all factors in my use of the program. I like MAGpie because it can
be used in a number of ways: I can transcribe with the
program, import text files of media transcribed elsewhere, or even
pull in
caption files from previously captioned material. I have often taken
QuickTime text files with caption information, pulled it into MAGpie
and
transcoded it to Real or Windows Media captions. What a
time saver! I want to thank NCAM for all the hard work that went into
creating this product.
They have done a tremendous service for the community
working to create accessible media."
Alan Wolf University of Wisconsin - Madison
"I will use this to enhance the interactive books that I
create for my twins whom are both disabled; one has
limited motor skills and the other is visually impaired.
Mom, commenting via the MAGpie site
Additional Resources Available from NCAM Samples of
accessible multimedia delivered in the various formats
(QuickTime, SMIL and SAMI), and source code and
tutorials, are available from NCAM's Rich Media Access
Project at http://ncam.wgbh.org/richmedia.
Additional resources on making Web sites and software
accessible, including general captioning conventions and
general audio description guidleines, are available from
NCAM's recently published "Making Educational Software
and Web Sites Accessible: Design Guidelines Including
Math and Science Solutions." The Guidelines are
available free of charge in print form (contact
[log in to unmask], or call 617 300-3400) and to download
at http://ncam.wgbh.org/cdrom/guideline/.
Funding for MAGpie Development Funding for MAGpie 1.0
was provided by the Trace Research and Development
Center at the University of Wisconsin
(http://www.tracecenter.org/), as partof its Information
Technology Access Rehabilitation Engineering Research
Center which itself is funded by the U.S. Department of
Education's National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research
(http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/NIDRR/).
Funding for the development of MAGpie 2.01 comes from
the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the
Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation
(http://www.meaf.org/).
Media Access Group at WGBH The Media Access Group at
WGBH, with offices in Boston, New York and Los Angeles,
is a non-profit service of Boston public broadcaster
WGBH. The service group includes Descriptive Video
Service=AE, which has made television, film and video
more enjoyable to viewers who are blind or visually
impaired since 1990, as well as The Caption Center=97
the world's first captioning agency=97 founded in 1972.
The third branch of the Media Access Group, the CPB/WGBH
National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM), is a
research, development and advocacy entity that works to
make existing and emerging technologies accessible to
all audiences. Members of the Group's collective staff
represent the leading resources and experts in their
fields. For more information, visit
http://access.wgbh.org.
WGBH Boston
WGBH Boston is America=92s preeminent public
broadcasting producer, the source of nearly one-third of
PBS=92s prime-time lineup and companion online content
as well as many public radio favorites. WGBH is a
pioneer in educational multimedia (including the Web,
broadband, and interactive television) and in
technologies and services that make media accessible for
people with disabilities. WGBH has been recognized with
hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia
Awards=85even two Oscars. In 2002, WGBH was honored with
a special institutional Peabody Award for 50 years of
excellence. For more information visit
http://www.wgbh.org.
Contact: Mary Watkins/Media Access Group at WGBH
617 300-3700 voice
617 300-2459 TTY
[log in to unmask]
http://access.wgbh.org
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