Quick, fun, and engaging filmmaking for the classroom.

🔍 What does it do?

Apple Clips is a free video creation app designed specifically for mobile devices like iPad. Unlike complex video editors, Clips focuses on ‘capturing the moment’. It allows pupils to combine video clips, photos, music, and posters into short, punchy videos. One of its standout feature is Live Titles, which automatically generates subtitles as the pupil speaks.

 

🎓 Why is it useful?

If learners in your classroom are trying to demonstrate their understanding of a topic being studied then this app can provide a great means for them to illustrate their understanding of concepts.

• Instant Subtitles: Live Titles is a game-changer for literacy and inclusion. It helps learners see the link between the spoken and written word in real-time.

• Ease of Use: There is no “timeline” to manage. You simply hold the big pink button to record. If you make a mistake, you just delete that clip and try again.

• Safety & Privacy: Clips are stored locally on the iPad. It’s a safe “sandbox” for pupils to practice digital storytelling without the pressures of social media.

• Engagement: With “Memoji” and AR (Augmented Reality) spaces, pupils can “disguise” themselves as characters or film from inside a digital forest or laboratory.

 

⚙️ How does it work?

1. Start a Project: Open the app and tap the ‘Project’ icon (top left) to create a new video.

2. Live Titles: Tap the Speech Bubble icon and choose a style. Now, whenever you hold the record button and speak, text will appear on the screen automatically.

3. Record: Hold the Pink Button to record live video, or drag a photo from your library and hold the button to turn it into a video clip.

4. Add Flare: Use the Star icon to add stickers, labels, or emojis that can “track” objects in the video.

5. Music: Tap the Music icon (top right) to add built-in soundtracks that automatically adjust to the length of your video.

The YouTube video below from Apple Distinguished Educator Mat Pullen provides a tutorial on how to get started with Apple Clips (digital tools are always evolving, please note that some features and interfaces may have changed).

This guide from the Apple Teacher Learning Centre is a self paced way to learn how to use Apple Clips.

Mark Anderson (@ICTevangelist) has created a how-to guide for using Apple Clips in the classroom

This webpage from Apple gives more information on Apple Clips.

 

🚀 Beyond the Basics

• Have pupils record themselves reading a passage with Live Titles turned on. They can then watch it back to check if the iPad “heard” them correctly, which is a great way to practice clear pronunciation.

• Pupils can record a video in a different language and use Live Titles to see if their accent is accurate enough for the iPad to transcribe the correct words.

• Use the “Posters” feature to create title cards that look like breaking news alerts or movie intros to frame a historical report.