Digital Storytelling Project

Creating and Collecting Media Files to Complete Your Project

Images from: http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/learnshops/digital/examples.php

Digital Storytelling

• Most important is a compelling story. Write this first.• Next consider the types of media that will enhance your

story.– Photographs– Music– Sound effects– Video clips– Other print items

• Begin to storyboard your project, matching narration with media.

• Choose between Photo Story 3 and Windows Movie Maker software to create your project.

Collecting Your Media

• Create a project folder on your Y drive.

• Print photos and memorabilia can be scanned in the small lab adjacent to the Commons lab– Directions are posted on the wall above the scanner.– Login to your account or use the guest account (already logged in)– Scan the image. Name it with a recognizable name (add your initials

if on the guest account). – Browse and place it in your project folder, or the project folder on the

guest Z drive.– Login later and move it from the Z drive to your project folder.– Use Windows Office Picture Manager to crop or edit scanned

images. (Right-click on the picture file and select Open With ->)– Illustrations and other print media can also be scanned.

Supported Image File Types• Best choice is jpeg, but other image files are

supported in Photo Story 3 and Windows Movie Maker

– Photo Story 3: For each story, you can import up to 300 pictures, which can be files with .bmp, .dib, .eps, .gif, .jhif, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg, .pcd, .pcx, .png, .psd, .rle, .tga, and .tif file name extensions

– WMM: At least 300 images can be used with these file types .bmp, .dib, .emf, .gif, .jfif, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .tif, .tiff, and .wmf

– The more pictures, the more the software gets sluggish.

Additional Images• Search online for images. • Save images to your project folder.• What about Copyright law?

– Keep a sources document for all intellectual property that is not yours.

– Up to five images can be used from one owner’s collection

• Consider drawing your own original art and scanning it.

• PowerPoint slides can be created and saved as .jpeg files and used as images.

Using Your Own Digital Images

• Take pictures at home, upload to your home computer.– Copy to your flash drive and bring to school.– Upload to project folder at school from flash drive (or

remote in)

• Use the school camera. Upload to project folder.– Always have camera off when connecting and

disconnecting cable.– Delete images from camera when they have been

uploaded.– Use the camera strap on your wrist.

To Upload from the Camera• Turn camera off.• Plug the cable into the camera and the computer and turn the

camera on.• From the camera dialog box, select Open folder to view files.• Look in the DCIM folder for your files.• Copy your files to your project folder.• Then go back to the DCIM folder and delete the files from the

camera.• Turn off the camera and unplug it from the computer.

Adding Images to Your Project

• Photo Story 3: – Click Import Pictures. – Browse to your project folder. Hold the Crtl

key to select multiple images.– Organize the images in the correct timeline

order by dragging the thumbnails to the correct location.

– Use the Editing tools to crop, rotate, brighten, or fix red-eye.

– If desired, remove black borders.

Add Titles and Format Them

Adding Images in Windows Movie Maker

• From the Task Pane, select Import pictures, then browse to your project folder.

• Use the Shift key to select and import multiple pictures.

• Rotate pictures first before importing them.

Drag the pictures to the timeline. Drag to reorder them.

Video Files• Video clips can be used in Windows Movie Maker, but not Photo

Story 3.• Short (a minute or less) digital video clips are best.• Easiest to use digital camera (rather than camcorder) and upload

using the camera cable.• Older family video can be converted to digital clips at places like

Wolf camera.• Some video can be captured from the video camera into Windows

Movie Maker, but this is complicated and requires firewire cables.• Flip videos can be used, but the mp4 files need to be converted.

Copy Flip files to project folder and then convert them.• Can download additional files at home from YouTube, etc. (with

parent’s permission). Use a downloader program and convert to .wmv files.

• Remember to cite the sources for intellectual property belonging to others.

Supported Video Files

• Windows Movie Maker support these video files:

.asf, .avi, .m1v, .mp2, .mp2v, .mpe, .mpeg, .mpg, .mpv2, .wm, and .wmv

• Use the YouTube Downloader to convert others to .wmv files.

YouTube Downloader version 2.6.2

Adding Video Clips to Your Project

• In Windows Movie Maker only.

• From Task Pane select Import Video and browse to locate the files in your project folder.

• Drag the video clips to your timeline.

• Use Clip menu to Fade In or Out, add video effects.

Click on the beginning or end of the video clip and use the red arrow to trim it.

Audio Files

• Includes music, sound effects, narration.

• Remember to cite the sources for intellectual property belonging to others.

• Copyright allows no more than 30 seconds of copyrighted music.

• Consider using music from www.freeplay.com and other public domain websites.

Audio Files• Photo Story 3

– Has a library of available music, or you can upload your own music selections.

Can record the narration for each slide using the headphone microphones and the Photo

Story software.

Audio Files

• Windows Movie Maker– From the Task Pane select Import audio or

music from the menu and browse to your file.

Select Microphone icon or Tools->Narrate Timeline to record narration.

Audacity Audio Recording and Editing Software

• You can create your own audio track to use in WMM using Audacity software.

• Record and edit narration.

• Add additional audio tracks such as music and sound effects. (Project->Add Audio)

• Export as an mp3 file to your project folder.(File->Export as mp3)

Importing Audio Files

Edit Sound Files

Fade in and Fade Out, move tracks, increase volume, trim tracks

Supported Audio Files

• Photo Story 3: Windows Media Audio (WMA), MP3, or WAV format

• Windows Movie Maker: .aif, .aifc, .aiff .asf, .au, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa, .snd, .wav, and .wma

• Audacity: Most audio files.

iTunes Files• Special file types for iTunes/ devices only-AAC.• Some are protected with DRM so can’t be converted.• You can use iTunes to convert unprotected media files to MP3

format. • Launch iTunes

– Depending upon the version:• Select ‘Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Importing'. • Change the 'Import Using' to 'MP3 Encoder'. • Save the settings. • Go to the library and right-click on a music track and choose the

option which reads 'Convert Selection to MP3'. • If the track is not protected then you'll be able to convert it to MP3

format. • However, if the track is a protected one then iTunes will pop-up a

window telling you that the protected track cannot be converted to other formats.

• You may wish to play the file on your home computer and record it using a microphone into Audacity software.

Convert iTune Using YouTube Downloader

• Launch iTunes• Right-click and copy the music from your

iTunes library.• Save it to your computer or your flash

drive. • Open YouTube downloader and browse to

the music file. • Use the Convert option.• Convert to an mp3 file.

Ripping Songs from CDs

• Use Windows Media Player• Put CD in drive.• Select the Rip tab.• Set Format to mp3.• Uncheck music that you do not wish to rip.• Click Start Rip.• Ripped songs will be located in the Windows

Media Player Library.• Use Audacity to trim to 30 seconds or less.

Special Features of the Software

• Transitions between images and/or video clips can be added in both software programs.

• Special effects can be used in both applications.• Titles and title slides can be used in both

software applications.• Timing for images can be adjusted in both.• Preview of the projects is available.• Motion can be customized in Photo Story.• Video clips can be added in Windows Movie

Maker.

Saving Project Files

• Important to save and keep all media artifacts in the same folder for the entire time while you create your project.

• In both software, you will save as a project while continuing to create and edit.

• When completed you will save the projects as movies. Once this is done the movie can no longer be edited.

Project Completed

• Save a copy of your final project to the Z drive folder.

• Submit a Bibliography of your sources with your completed movie.

• EasyBib can be a helpful resource for completing your citations.