Digital Storytelling and Introduction to Sound

Here is a quick video I made to experiment with digital storytelling:

http://animoto.com/play/5dlfhr2vM1rYpzSTF4Nz6A


This week was fun for me because I got to use a few programs I have been interested in trying. I have never used iMovie before so it was interesting to experiment with it and learn a few tricks. I have used garageband a few times in the past but I had never explored the podcast feature. I love how all Mac programs allow for easy convergence between programs like iMovie, iTunes, iPhoto, etc, I guess that is why they say "Once you go Mac, you never go back."

This week was also interesting because we learned about digital technology and how it's used. For example, we were taught the difference between analog (electronic, chemically induced, magnetic, or vibration sensitive) and digital (the conversion of the original source into numeric data). The best way to describe the difference in these two processes is to relate it to photography. In traditional (analog) photography, there is a light sensitive, chemical process. In digital photography, light is captured onto CCDs and is then turned into numerical data. Digital is the best way to go because processing costs are virtually eliminated (still have to pay for print-outs), allows viewers to print high quantities of pictures at a lower cost, and allows for immediate viewing and manipulation.

This week's content will definitely be used in my major. In addition to learning about analog and digital, we learned about pixelation and compression. Both pixelation and compression will be important concepts for me to understand in journalism. I will have to understand the effect of pixelation on my graphics and the effects of compression on videos I may try to upload to my station's website. I will also have to understand the various encoding methods like uncompressed (flexible file formats that store a combination of bitrates), lossless (encodes silence and sound which requires more processing time that uncompressed but is also more efficient in space usage), and lossy (makes process easier by using compression). I will definitely use the lessons we learned about audio, digital and analog.

We are currently in a digital age but Polaroid is breaking that trend. Polaroid filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and many people were saddened to hear that those old cameras and their magic film would be disappearing. Fortunately, a new company has purchased Polaroid and will open a photographic paper factory in Holland so that the "quaint devices from the analog era" can thrive once again. Here's the link to the Business Week article:

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/eyeonasia/archives/2009/10/analog_in_a_dig.html

Week 6: Visual Literacy and Introduction to Digital Storytelling

This week's assignments focused on the importance of visual literacy, digital storytelling, and how to create this type of content.

While we have studied visual literacy before, I liked how the On-line Visual Literacy Project from Pamona College introduced visual literacy by saying, "Visual Literacy is the skills and learning needed to view visual and audio visual material skeptically, critically, and knowledgeably." They also mention that the alphabet is the basis for verbal literature because you must master the understanding of letters, words, spelling, grammar, and syntax. In contrast, visual literacy is the ability to interpret visual material, messages, objects, and experiences by using lines, dots, shapes, direction, value, hue, saturation, texture, scale, dimension, and motion.

Digital storytelling was introduced as "using computer-based tools to tell stories." These projects are a mixture of computer-based images, text, recorded audio narration, video clips, and/or music. Daniel Meadows described digital storytelling as, "short multimedia tales told from the heart."

I have iMovie on my Mac but have never used it so the tutorial was interesting to me. I am excited to use this program and experiment with the music, transitions, titles, themes, and the convergence it allows with other programs.

My journalism career is based on the central idea of digital storytelling. Journalists must use visuals, audio, narration, and text to bring the story to life in front of the viewing audience. I will use visual literacy and digital storytelling on an everyday basis. I would like to learn how to use iMovie because it would be a quick and easy tool for me to use while I practice the video editing skills necessary for my major. I am also anxious to learn how to better create projects that incorporate digital storytelling and the best ways to cohesively piece different clips, music, and narration together.

For more information on digital storytelling, check out the blog on the link listed below. The video allows viewers to see a practical explanation of digital storytelling and why it is effective. The blog offers step-by-step directions on how to create and produce a digital storytelling project. Anna Batchelder, who currently writes an ongoing blog called “Literacy is Priceless”, wrote the featured blog. The video can be found on Youtube but it does not directly state who produced the video. However, special thanks are given to the Common Craft Show.

http://literacyispriceless.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/digital-storytelling-in-a-nutshell/