EDU2400 Digital Stories Part 7

DIGITAL STORYTELLING: CHAPTERS 13 & 14PRESENTED BY: IMELDA VALDIVIESO, TERESA KOKKAS, MELANIE BIBLE, BRIAN BEGG, KUSUM BOODHUN-NUNKOO, CHRIS CATHLINEFrom: Digital Storytelling in the Classroom by Jason Ohler

AGENDA

Chapter 13: VIDEOHardware/Software requiredChapter 14: Media Grammar ImagesAudio/MusicEditing, transitions, and special

effectsQuestions or Comments

FINDING AND BUYING STUFF HARDWARE:

Reasonably recent computer Digital camera▪ Zoom capacity, removable memory, flash, view screen, usb capability

Flatbed scanner Desktop microphone Wireless microphone Other microphones▪ Boom mike▪ Shotgun mike▪ Flat conference mike

A video camera A music keyboard Other hardware (ex. cell phones, iPods, joysticks…etc)

FINDING AND BUYING STUFF

SOFTWARE Movie or Media Editing Software Audio-Editing Software Music Software Green Screen Software DVD Mastering Software Other Software

CHAPTER 14:Media Grammar for Teachers

Grammar is “a set of guidelines for the use of any language or medium that facilitates effective communication.”

“Bumps” in digital stories are similar to grammatical errors in essays. Readers stumble on bumps which hinder the smooth reading of an essay.Examples of factors that can end up being media bumps if not used effectively• Images• Audio•Music • Editing

IMAGES

“ A picture is worth a thousand words”

Images should be used effectively

i.e. The picture should be:

(i) clear and focused(ii) well-lit(iii) appropriately composed(iv) arriving at the appropriate time

THE PICTURE :

The picture should not:

Be blurredMake the audience

feel dizzyBe at odds with

the story.detract from the

experience of the story.

Pictures used in digital stories must “ support the story, be in focus, well-lit, well-composed, and well-selected.”

The Grammar of Using Audio

YES Narration is to be

clear Narration should

include emotion and inflection of the voice

NO• Narration should not be

overpowered by music or lyrics

• Narrator should not speak too fast, nor too slow

• Audio helps tell the story

• Audio is sometimes more important than the image

The Grammar of Using Music

Bad Example:- too many lyrics- song does not relate to

story- pace is too fast- song clutters narration

Good Example:- No lyrics to overpower the

narration

- even pace

- appropriate for the topic

• Music helps to set the mood or evoke an emotion

• Music selection ought to be appropriate

Grammar of Editing, Transitions, and Titling in Digital Stories

• Transitions help the flow between two images. • Effects are like transitions but happen only to a specific image rather than between

images.• Variety of effects and transitions; from subtle (like soft focus) to the purposely

obtrusive (pictures flipping end over end). • The goal in using effects is to make sure they are supportive and unobtrusive.

• Seamless Transitions, Unobtrusive Effects• Viewers should not notice edition• When is an unsubtle effect okay? When it supports the story so well that you do not

notice it.

• Clear Titles• Titles need to be clear and stable long enough to read.

• Clear Citations• Every digital story needs a clear citation page that cites the sources for all the

images, sounds, music, and other media used in the story that are not original.

The Grammar of Organization in Digital Stories

Media piece should flow unobtrusively, grammar should be well paced and employs effective rhythm.

Recommends that the teacher focus on two basic elements: structure and pacing.

Structure

“How did I get here?” Non-supportive image or scene changes, extraneous information and sub-plots, and poorly

edited narrative can also easily destabilize structure. The most serious infraction of structure is simply a weak or poorly constructed story. In terms of the story core, all problems and questions should be clearly connected and solved by

the end of the piece.

Effective Pacing

Good organization doesn’t ensure flow. Instead, flow is primarily dependent upon good pacing. A story’s pacing and rhythm often determine the audience’s interest and direct viewer’s sense

of expectation. Good pacing doesn’t mean consistent pacing. Changing pace is often an effective way to

support the action of the story. Infractions come in a number of varieties e.g. a digital story can spend too much time on one

part of the narrative, leaving little time for the other parts.

  Goal is always effective communication!

THE END

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS??