Group items tagged

Great article on multimedia storytelling using examples and articles and studies for support. "The Internet has raised concerns that digital media will spell doom for the narrative, replaced by constant bursts of information lacking any context and a flood of raw video and data. Younger people in particular are said to lack the attention span for reading in-depth stories and are supposedly turned off by long and complex narratives. Rather than undermining the traditional narrative, the Internet is an opportunity to experiment with multi-dimensional storytelling and new narrative approaches that provide context and depth and also are more compelling and engaging. So instead of a single linear narrative, a story can be broken up into a series of narratives organized as topical subsections that people can explore according to their own interests."

"I often use commercials as ways to teach journalists how to write compelling stories. Budweiser's "Puppy Love" Super Bowl commercial gives me one of the best examples of video storytelling that I have seen in years. So let me walk you frame-by-frame through the ad. The story teaches us how to build tension, how to use the "rule of threes," how to find narrow focus and how to build to the big explosion at the end of the piece - the payoff."

"Using the first section of the story as a kind of microcosm - and encouraging you all to read that much, at least - I offer the following critiques: 1. Most of the visual elements violate the essential credo of effective storytelling: Not to give away too much too soon. 2. Time and again the visual elements "step on the narrative." 3. There is a "kitchen sink" feel to the visual aspects of the story. 4. The first section of text feels out of tune with the second. 5. Most of all, there is no harmony between what I would call the Voice of the story and its Vision. Let me expand on these, in order:"

"Imagine an online environment for learning the art and craft of multimedia journalism, a place for media consumers to become media producers. We think this goal realizable because … we're doing it. In the Transom Online Workshop (TOW) a bunch of wanna-be producers come together as a group on Facebook, where a couple of instructors lead them through four basic exercises that require the students learn to use the tools and software involved in photo journalism, radio, and video production. It's not easy, but they figure it out, with help from each other. It's a prototype and we've made some mistakes, learned a lot. This is where we are now, starting the second beta test (Knight Prototype Fund-ed). We designed the workshops so people could quickly become better storytellers, and so we, the designers, could observe the way someone acquires a creative skill, such as storytelling."

Great site that explains the steps in creating a multimedia story.

"The Transom Online Workshop (TOW) is an experimental learning environment for conveying the art and craft of multimedia storytelling, supported by the Knight Prototype Fund. The mentor is Scott Carrier, Peabody Award-winning producer and Communications Professor. You can look and listen in at the TOW 0.2 Facebook Group page. We have started our final beta test, TOW 0.3. This workshop is now full and accepting no more testers. At this point we do not know if they'll be another instructor-led workshop. We will, however, offer an instructor-less (free) web-based path thru the learning materials, due out February 2014."

Multimedia graphic storytelling

"Earlier this month, a colleague sent me this piece about LeBron James from Grantland. The Grantland piece is a great example of: using data to tell a story converting complex numbers into digestible infographics drawing visuals from an interview, via animated GIFs the expanding array of people engaged in producing journalism (the author is a cartographer and geography professor) The piece clearly demonstrates the vast array of storytelling opportunities digital media present to us. But it illustrates something else to me: the tremendous expectations we have of journalism students and educators to keep up with these skills and tools."

"Serial's moment came on the heels of other successful audio moments. A couple of years earlier, a little podcast about design, "99% Invisible," became the most funded journalism Kickstarter ever. The resurgence has given a bounce to everything that radio now means: podcasts, NPR, crowdfunding and non-traditional storytelling delivered in non-traditional ways. It's in that last camp where I think journalism professors can be more committed and daring to the benefit of three key groups: themselves, their students and audiences beyond their classrooms. I know because as I continue to try and figure this out, my students' stories are getting aired throughout the U.S."

"A columnist must be quick and nimble with various platforms, such as Facebook or Twitter (and all those other platforms you've been avoiding) in order to promote a message with power and reach.  What is your genre of column writing? Pick a niche and own it and use social media to raise your presence to a higher level. Although excellent writing will always be the star of the show, on-line competition requires journalists to set themselves apart. "Create value to a column with reporting," Avlon said. Facts, studies, quotes from experts, new angles and research will add to a columnist's reputation as a go-to resource.  Although reporting is vital, capturing the emotion of an issue creates universal resonance.  Avlon said, "Storytelling with compassion cuts across ideologies." To craft a standout blog or column, Avlon offered these elements: A strong point of view Expertise Research A compelling read"

"A powerful multimedia piece by Maisie Crow about a young man with Prader-Willi Syndrome. For more from Maisie Crow, visit maisiecrow.com"

Slideshows from the Online News Site for Prince George HS in Virginia.

Not all stories make good multimedia stories. The best multimedia stories are multi-dimensional. They include action for video, a process that can be illustrated with a graphic (e.g., "how tornadoes form" or "how this new surgery works"), someone who can give some pithy quotes for video or audio, and/or strong emotions for still photos and audio. Most multimedia stories require that the reporter go into the field to report the story face-to-face with sources, rather than doing a story entirely by telephone.

How to Do a Rough Storyboard A multimedia story is some combination of video, text, still photos, audio, graphics and interactivity presented in a nonlinear format in which the information in each medium is complementary, not redundant. So your storyboard should be put together with all those elements in mind.

"As a part of our advanced curriculum, broadcasting students are offered a chance to create documentaries, and many of our students have gone on to receive national recognition for their films."

An article with a series of six pictures which could have been arranged in a slide show to tell the story.

A feature on the student media site of a high school in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It's a collection of pictures and captions that attempt to provide a sense of life at this high school.