Please check out the offerings at iReport.com.
This is CNN's effort to get viewers to submit multimedia pieces.
Some are used in news shows.
Critique at least three submissions that have not aired on CNN.
At least two need to be video submissions rather than slideshows.
Criteria:
Is it interesting?
Why or why not?
Is it news?
If you were a CNN producer, would you put it on the air?
Could you do the same thing as well or better?
Post the critique on your blog by the start of class on Monday Oct. 31.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Soundslides Tips
You’ll need the following ingredients to create an audio slideshow using Soundslides and post it on your blog:
The Soundslides program (available for free from Soundslides.com).
A folder containing jpg photos.
An mp3 audio file.
An account with Divshare.com.
A bit of patience.
Getting started:
Open Soundslides.
Ignore the Registration page by clicking Later.
Select NEW Create a project.
Give your project a name and give the computer a place to save it.
You’ll come to a page that asks you to load your jpg folder and mp3.
First, select an Output size on the left. Try “small” because you’re putting it on a blog.
Now load your jpg folder.
Then load your mp3.
You can change the order of your photos, and change the amount of time they stay on-screen.
You cannot alter the mp3 file once it’s loaded.
To change the order of your photos, drag and drop them where you want them. If that doesn’t work – it didn’t work well for me – you can specify the time at which they appear. This is done in the Slide Info tab.
You can adjust the length of time a photo stays on-screen by clicking the side of a photo in the timeline and sliding it left or right.
Put captions on your slideshow by using the Slide Info tab. Give your slideshow a headline (and give yourselves credit) under the Project Info tab.
When you’re happy with your audio slideshow, click export.
This creates a folder called publish_to_web.
You must highlight all of the items in the folder and create a zip file of them – go to File, and select Create Archive. You will need the zip file when you upload the slideshow to the Web, so find out where it resides (I had trouble finding mine).
In Divshare, create a new folder and give it a name. Upload your zip file to that folder.
Unzip.
(If it asks, allow it to overwrite files.)
Delete the Archive zip file in the directory; you don't need it any longer.
Click Current URL to view the soundslide.
Copy the URL and paste it into:
www4.soundslides.com/apps/utilities/
This generates an embed code that you can place in your blog.
You can modify the width and height of your slideshow at this point. If you change them, click Modify. That generates a new embed code.
The Soundslides program (available for free from Soundslides.com).
A folder containing jpg photos.
An mp3 audio file.
An account with Divshare.com.
A bit of patience.
Getting started:
Open Soundslides.
Ignore the Registration page by clicking Later.
Select NEW Create a project.
Give your project a name and give the computer a place to save it.
You’ll come to a page that asks you to load your jpg folder and mp3.
First, select an Output size on the left. Try “small” because you’re putting it on a blog.
Now load your jpg folder.
Then load your mp3.
You can change the order of your photos, and change the amount of time they stay on-screen.
You cannot alter the mp3 file once it’s loaded.
To change the order of your photos, drag and drop them where you want them. If that doesn’t work – it didn’t work well for me – you can specify the time at which they appear. This is done in the Slide Info tab.
You can adjust the length of time a photo stays on-screen by clicking the side of a photo in the timeline and sliding it left or right.
Put captions on your slideshow by using the Slide Info tab. Give your slideshow a headline (and give yourselves credit) under the Project Info tab.
When you’re happy with your audio slideshow, click export.
This creates a folder called publish_to_web.
You must highlight all of the items in the folder and create a zip file of them – go to File, and select Create Archive. You will need the zip file when you upload the slideshow to the Web, so find out where it resides (I had trouble finding mine).
In Divshare, create a new folder and give it a name. Upload your zip file to that folder.
Unzip.
(If it asks, allow it to overwrite files.)
Delete the Archive zip file in the directory; you don't need it any longer.
Click Current URL to view the soundslide.
Copy the URL and paste it into:
www4.soundslides.com/apps/utilities/
This generates an embed code that you can place in your blog.
You can modify the width and height of your slideshow at this point. If you change them, click Modify. That generates a new embed code.
Audio Slideshow Project
You may work in teams or independently on this project.
Due dates:
Oct. 24: Post synopsis on blog.
Nov. 2: Post completed project on blog.
Guidelines:
Create a 2- to 3-minute audio slideshow using Soundslides.
Tell a story with this project.
Consider it a journalistic narrative, with a beginning, middle and end.
Include sound from an interview with someone outside of your team (and family).
You can mix the sound with your own voice(s), or just use the interview sound.
You can include a music bed.
Figure out how to identify the project at the top so the viewer will understand what is going on.
Change photos every 4 to 5 seconds.
Write a 400-word feature story to accompany the slideshow. The story should not be simply a transcription of your audio slideshow. They should complement each other.
Ideas:
Messy professors
Sporting event:
Rugby, soccer, intramurals, high school football, etc.
Campus tour
Cooking lesson
Concert or performance
Public meeting
Interview
How to…
Prepare for the upcoming ski/snowboard season
“Button up” a house for winter
Synopsis: Post a 200-word summary of your project on your blog. Explain what your slideshow will be about, which sound sources you plan to use, who the intended audience is, and what makes this an interesting story for that audience.
Evaluation:
Narrative: 50 points
The slideshow and the accompanying story engage the intended viewer. The photos are an interesting mix of wide, medium and close-up shots that exhibit good composition.
Mechanics: 30 points
The audio approaches professional quality; the writing is free of grammar, style, and spelling errors.
Format: 20 points
The project is posted correctly and meets the guidelines for length, sound sources, shot changes, etc.
A missing synopsis loses 40 points. Late work is assessed a penalty of 10 points per day (including the synopsis).
Due dates:
Oct. 24: Post synopsis on blog.
Nov. 2: Post completed project on blog.
Guidelines:
Create a 2- to 3-minute audio slideshow using Soundslides.
Tell a story with this project.
Consider it a journalistic narrative, with a beginning, middle and end.
Include sound from an interview with someone outside of your team (and family).
You can mix the sound with your own voice(s), or just use the interview sound.
You can include a music bed.
Figure out how to identify the project at the top so the viewer will understand what is going on.
Change photos every 4 to 5 seconds.
Write a 400-word feature story to accompany the slideshow. The story should not be simply a transcription of your audio slideshow. They should complement each other.
Ideas:
Messy professors
Sporting event:
Rugby, soccer, intramurals, high school football, etc.
Campus tour
Cooking lesson
Concert or performance
Public meeting
Interview
How to…
Prepare for the upcoming ski/snowboard season
“Button up” a house for winter
Synopsis: Post a 200-word summary of your project on your blog. Explain what your slideshow will be about, which sound sources you plan to use, who the intended audience is, and what makes this an interesting story for that audience.
Evaluation:
Narrative: 50 points
The slideshow and the accompanying story engage the intended viewer. The photos are an interesting mix of wide, medium and close-up shots that exhibit good composition.
Mechanics: 30 points
The audio approaches professional quality; the writing is free of grammar, style, and spelling errors.
Format: 20 points
The project is posted correctly and meets the guidelines for length, sound sources, shot changes, etc.
A missing synopsis loses 40 points. Late work is assessed a penalty of 10 points per day (including the synopsis).
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Slideshows
Here's an audio slideshow about a tug-of-war championship from the Guardian, a British newspaper. Notice how often the image changes. (Fyi, the first reader comment is hilarious.)
Here's a silent slideshow from the Washington Post about a shofar class. It would have worked better as an audio slideshow. I mean, come on, it's a SHOFAR class!
The Caledonian-Record and its sister paper, the Orleans Record, run a lot of photo galleries, especially from high school sporting events. Can you figure out why?
Here's a silent slideshow from the Washington Post about a shofar class. It would have worked better as an audio slideshow. I mean, come on, it's a SHOFAR class!
The Caledonian-Record and its sister paper, the Orleans Record, run a lot of photo galleries, especially from high school sporting events. Can you figure out why?
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Assignment for Oct. 24
Assignment for Monday Oct. 24:
Find two slideshows and one photo gallery on separate Web sites and critique them on your blog. One of the slideshows must have audio; the other should not. Photo galleries don't ordinarily include sound.
Include the URLs so we can find them.
Criteria: Do the slideshows and photo galleries function well as storytelling tools? Which does the better job? Why or why not? What difference does sound make?
Here's a slideshow created in about 5 minutes (and it looks it!) using Photobucket.
Find two slideshows and one photo gallery on separate Web sites and critique them on your blog. One of the slideshows must have audio; the other should not. Photo galleries don't ordinarily include sound.
Include the URLs so we can find them.
Criteria: Do the slideshows and photo galleries function well as storytelling tools? Which does the better job? Why or why not? What difference does sound make?
Here's a slideshow created in about 5 minutes (and it looks it!) using Photobucket.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Podcast Project Guidelines
- Create a 5- to 10-minute audio project and make it available on your blogs as a podcast.- Use at least two voices.
- Write a 400-word story to accompany it. Grammar and spelling count.
Deadlines:
- Submit project outline via blogs Oct. 5
- Submit project via blogs Oct. 12
Some ideas:
How-to
Dorm cooking tips
Wash your own clothes
Play rugby
Interviews
LSC’s interim president
LSC’s longest-serving prof
International students
Reviews
Lyndon’s Asian restaurants
Lyndon’s pizza restaurants
A musical band at LSC
Advice
Relationships
Best teachers Coolest GEU classes
Other
Public Safety log
Dead North
Evaluation criteria:
-Audience engagement
-Audio and editing quality
-Sound sources (voices, natural sound, music)
-Length requirements
-Mechanics
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