In 2007 we began producing produced a set of International Students Stories video clips for the site as part of a revamp of the International area of the web site.
http://northcoast.tafensw.edu.au/studentservices/internationalstudents/Pages/Studentstories.aspx
We worked with our ELICOS teachers at Port Macquarie campus to have the students fill in a survey which we then selected a few of the best ones and used these to shot interviews based on the survey answers they had provided. The questions were fairly standard “What is your name?”, “Where are you from?” and “Why did you choose to come to Port Macquarie?” etc. This worked well in enabling the subjects to think about what they would say in front of the camera and meant they would be more relaxed and comfortable. The idea was that we could then use these examples not only to promote the TAFE to International students but also to use it as a means to justify the investment in some decent video equipment. I used my own circa 1998 MiniDV handy cam.
“This is the perfect place to study because it consists of a very good location, varied food and the people are very helpful and friendly. If you come here you will love it. I am studying English at Port Macquarie then I will continue my studies in Grafton, in conservation and land management. I enjoy studying here very much because all the staff are very helpful and my classmates are friendly. The study program is also well-organised. The experiences that learners gain from their course will improve their work and efficiency in the future.” Manisone Saysongkham – Laos PDR
There were technical issues such as the work team nearby using power tools etc. I had to do some tweaking to reduce the level of additional noise and hum on the audio tracks. Being usure at that point how the videos would stream on dailup (we still had significant % of local and international dialup visitors in 2007) I made a two versions for dialup and broadband to give users the option. We only have ADSL1 in 2010. I’ve since removed the dialup versions.
The first video in the list is a more recent 2008 clip shot with a better camera at Kingscliff campus. The last video in the playlist list was shot as part of a TAFE NSW program and is more recent and higher budget production.