Films on Demand: FAQ

Streaming video is transmitted over the Internet and can be viewed online without having to wait for the entire film to download. (YouTube is an example of streaming video.) Through a license paid for by the library, Films on Demand provides educational videos that are not normally available for free on the Internet.

Look for the Films on Demand link on:

• Foothill College Library home page under “Featured Databases”
• The library's A-Z Database List.

The Films on Demand home page makes browsing by subject easy, or you can search by Segment name or Title in the search box. Click on any title to view that video, or click on “View segments in this video” to see a list of its segments.

Tips:

1. Many of the topic menus include subtopics. To access the subtopics, click on the + icon next to any subjects that display it to expand the view.
2. Refine your search with Advanced Search (see link at top right, below the search bar).

Yes! Foothill students, faculty, and staff can all access videos off campus via the Films on Demand page, but you need to click on the Films on Demand link from the Foothill Library home page. Then you will be prompted to enter your CWID and MyPortal password to log in.

You can also share a link or playlist with other members of the Foothill community; if they are off campus, they will be prompted to log in first.

There are several ways to share videos from Films on Demand with students, faculty, and staff at Foothill.

• E-mail
  • From the “Browse” or “Search Results” page, click on the Share icon below the summary to send a link to a specific video via e-mail.
  • Or, from the “View Video” page click on Share icon below the video player to send a link to a specific video or segment via e-mail.
• Copy and paste
  • From the “View Video” page, simply copy and paste the Title or Segment URL from below the video description onto a secure Web site (e.g. Canvas or MyPortal) to allow students direct access to that video.
• Create a custom playlist
  • To create a custom playlist you must be logged in as a user. If you do not have a user account, see How do I create an account?
  • Click on the + icon below the thumbnail image of the video on any browse or search results page. Then choose whether to add the specific title or segment to an existing playlist or to create a new one.
  • Or, from the View Video page, use the “Add to Playlist” icon to add videos to a playlist or to create a new one.
  • Once you have created a playlist, you can access and edit it from the “Playlists” tab at the top of the screen.
  • Custom playlists will all have a free-standing, persistent URL that can be shared with students or others at Foothill.

Personal folders are a great way to save quick links to frequently used videos for easy access. Once you add a title or segment to a folder, you do not have to browse or search for it in the future. Simply access it through “Favorites.”

First, you’ll need to create an account. See How do I create an account?

To create and add to a personal folder:

• From the Films on Demand home page, click on the Favorites tab. Now, click on Create a new folder, give it a name and click on Add Folder.
• From the subject browse or search results page, click on the heart icon below the summary of the video to add a full title or segment(s) to a personal folder. Add to an existing folder, or create a new one in one simple step.
• Or, from the View Video page, use the “Add to Favorites” icon below the video player.

In order to access all the features of Films on Demand, such as saving videos, it is recommended that you sign up for an account. After accessing the database from the the A-Z Databases page, click "Your Profile" in the upper right corner. At the bottom of the box, there will be a link for creating a new account. 

Yes, captioning is available for all the videos in our collection. From the View Video page, move your cursor onto the video screen. A toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen. 

Simply click on  to turn the captioning on or off.

No. Our license includes public performance rights as long as you are sharing the videos with Foothill students, faculty, or staff.