Over the past year, video systems have become critical to the global success of online instruction. Taking advantage of existing access to Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) has provided our Learning Services team with the tools for the creation of robust solutions to distribute fully custom branded videos in an automated manner. For faculty members and instructors at UBC Sauder School of Business, watermarking and branding video content has become an important requirement as it carries with it the reputation, visual identity and indication of copyright. The move to full online instruction challenged our small team of media producers to come up with innovative solutions for branding and delivering videos, without the need for manual video editing.
Our unique solution allows for instructors to customize their branding assets for each video, providing a convenient tool to brand video content to their specifications without requiring much fluency in media production. Once a video is submitted to our service, our process uses Python and the Panopto Video Management System’s API to automatically download the video, add a custom title intro, a brand watermark, and a standard outro. The video is then uploaded back to the server for sharing. Continued development of this solution is planned beyond the pandemic. Because the branding will be distributed automatically, it will continue to improve work efficiencies allowing our team to continue to provide support and innovative solutions that are being created for all areas of instruction at the Sauder School of Business at University of British Columbia.
Speakers
Jonathan Bird
Manager, Learning Eco-Systems | UBC Sauder
Jonathan Bird is the Manager for Learning Eco-Systems Support and Solutions, Learning Services, for the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. He has supported and implemented teaching-with-technology solutions for over 24 years at the University of British Columbia and University of Saskatchewan. With his background in computer science and education & research technologies he brings together innovative, solutions-driven integrations covering a wide spectrum of instructor and program needs.
Marko Prodanovic
Data Analyst | UBC Sauder
Marko Prodanovic is a Data Analyst at Learning Services, Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. He joined the Learning Services team in 2017 and since then, has participated in a wide range of initiatives surrounding media post-production, automation and video analytics. Using his multi-disciplinary background in Media Studies and Computer Science, he is specifically interested in the intersection of technology and educational media content, and works to solve problems in this space through data analysis and implementation of tools.
Jamie Stockdale
Production Manager, Academic Media Support | UBC Sauder
Jamie Stockdale is the Production Manager, Academic Media Support, for the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. He is variously involved in direct support of faculty where teaching and learning interface with technology. He is responsible for ensuring that technology aids, but is not the focus of, the classroom environment for the school’s undergrad, graduate, and professional programs. He is heavily involved in media production for the flipped classroom, and also for live event recordings and broadcasts. He has been involved in video creation for curriculum redesign projects for programs both on UBC campus and offsite, including a 6-course MOOC in EdX with 300 unique media objects and 500,000 total participants. More recently, during the COVID pandemic, Jamie has been instrumental in setting up and managing Sauder's 6 broadcast studios, which have been used to deliver online classes to students of the business school. In his spare time, Jamie plays football (with his feet), and races dragon boats competitively in the waters of Vancouver’s False Creek.