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Faculty Guide to Streaming Videos: Films on Demand

Answers to common questions about streaming video

Films on Demand at Foothill College Library

Films on Demand home page

What Is It?

What is it?

Films on Demand is an online collection of high-quality streaming educational videos and video segments on a wide range of subjects plus hundreds of HBO Documentary Films, with new titles added regularly.  

How do I create an account?

  1. Access Films on Demand from the library's homepage under Featured Databases or on our  A to Z Databases page.
  2. Login with CWID and MyPortal password (if off-campus); students, faculty and staff can create a personal user account.
  3. Locate "Your Profile" in the upper right corner of the screen. Then, click "New user? Sign up."

What are the benefits of doing this?

  • Allows tagging and saving favorites for easy recall
  • Allows curation of lists of films and segments that can be shared with other users
  • Gives control of user settings, including playback rate and automatic startup of closed captioning

Tips

Use Films on Demand's "Advanced Search" to filter by producer, copyright date, etc.

Embedding Videos

Films on Demand is fully integrated with Canvas. Use embed codes to enable viewing within a Canvas page.  Use the LTI link to enable viewing in a new browser window via an external link.

Embed an entire video

  1. Search for videos in Films on Demand within Canvas via the External Tools or Apps icon. Look for the icon in the top navigation bar. undefined(Note: you may need to click on View All to see Films on Demand.)
  2. Click on the Embed button to add your selected video.
  3. Add instructions for your students. Include an LTI link that opens a new browser window. 

(i.e., "Click on the play button to start the video. If the video does not load in the window below, use this direct link.  Be sure to return to Canvas to complete this module when done watching a video.")

Embed a predefined segment

  1. Go to Films on Demand and search for a video.
  2. Click on the predefined segment.
  3. Click on Share below the video player.
  4. Click on Embed/Link and copy the Embed Code.
  5. Add the Embed Code to your Canvas page using the Embed tool. cloud with brackets

Embed a custom segment

  1. Go to Films on Demand and log in to your personal account under Your Profile.
  2. Click on My Content to view a list of your custom segments.
  3. Identify the desired custom segment and choose Share under Actions.
  4. Copy the LTI Link.
  5. Add the LTI LInk to your Canvas page using the Links tool. link

Note: Refer to the Clipping section of this guide to learn how to create custom segments.

Embed a playlist

  1. Go to Films on Demand and log in to your personal account under Your Profile.
  2. Click on My Content to view a list of your playlists.
  3. Identify the desired playlist and choose Share under Actions.
  4. Click on Embed/Link and copy the Embed Code.
  5. Add the Embed Code to your Canvas page using the Embed tool. cloud with brackets

Create a playlist

  1. Locate the desired video or segment in Films on Demand.
  2. Click on Add to+ below the video player.
  3. The Add to Playlist option contains the following features and functionality:
    • Add Full Title - Click on this option to add only the full title to your playlist.
    • Add All Segments - Click on this option to add all segments for a video to your playlist. This will exclude the full title.
    • Individual Segments - Use the CTRL key and your mouse to select as many individual segments as you like.
    • Add To Playlist - Select an existing playlist to add more content.
    • New Playlist - Enter a name for the playlist and click on this button to create a new playlist from the selections.

Make a playlist searchable

  1. Click on My Content to view a list of your playlists.
  2. Identify the desired playlist and choose Edit under Actions.
  3. Click on Settings and check the box Make Playlist Searchable.
  4. Hit the Save Changes button.

Note: Embed searchable playlists via the Canvas External Tools or Apps icon. undefined

Clipping

Films on Demand provides predefined segmentation for the majority of their videos. You can also create and store custom segments within your personal account. You must be logged in to your personal account to access this feature.

Create a custom segment

  1. Go to Films on Demand and log in to your personal account under Your Profile.
  2. Search for a video and click on Segments under the video player.
  3. Cue the video to where your custom segment should begin and click on Set Start Time. 
  4. Play the video to where your custom segment should end and click on Set End Time.
  5. Enter a title for your custom segment and click on the Create Segment button.
  6. Go to My Content to view a list of your custom segments. See also Custom Segments in the record for the full title.

Note: Refer to the Embedding Videos section of this guide to learn how to embed custom segments in Canvas.