multimedia storytelling 2019-20 pdf - wordpress.com · 2019-11-22 · however you define multimedia...

M U LT I M E D I A S T O R Y T E L L I N G I N T E N S I V EI M M J 2 0 1 9 - 2 0

P E R S O N A L T U T O R S - P L E A S E B O O K A N A P P O I N T M E N T I F Y O U H AV E N ’ T

A L R E A D Y.

S C H E D U L E

• Mon - MM storytelling

• Tues - MM Platforms & Shorthand + Pitch your story!

• Wed - Reporting Day

• Thur - Reporting Day

• Fri - Ethics and Visual Ethics & Representation /IMMJ Code of Ethics. Basic pointers on UX Design, Fact Checking, Copy editing. Editing.

M O N D AY

• AM

• What is MM journalism?

• The Power of MM journalism

• Taxonomy overview

• Story & Narrative fundamentals

• Story & Narrative for MM

• PM

• Selecting and combining media

• Shorthand Intro

• Brief Assignment & Pitch sheet

W H AT I S M M J O U R N A L I S M ? 2 0 M I N S

DISCUSS

What is a multimedia journalist?

What is multimedia journalism?

W H AT I S M M J O U R N A L I S M ?

▸ Multimedia, Digital News Package, Visual Journalism - What do all these terms mean?

▸ let’s start with this point: Multimedia Journalism was never a perfect term and every year we teach, it becomes less perfect.


▸ Legacy media (TV, print, radio) reporting is published on a single platform typically with a single media and requires a single skill-set.

▸ Of course there has always been mixed media storytelling - the combination of pictures and images was and still remains powerful.

▸ The internet, along with new, cheaper and smaller equipment changed things, providing journalists with platforms and tools to go beyond traditional storytelling formats. All of a sudden, single stories could be told with multiple mediums and across multiple platforms.


▸ In the early web days, traditional single-medium stories were still largely the norm, and it made sense to call stories that mixed multiple mediums together ‘Multimedia’.

▸ We also saw the rise of multimedia departments and onsite web sections called ‘multimedia’.

– D J C L A R K

“Each news organisations multimedia department is the everything else department… the everything

they didn’t do before department”


▸ DJ said this a few years back, so true!

▸ Legacy news organisations that used to work in a single medium started to explore and publish other mediums in the webspace.

▸ For legacy radio stations multimedia meant pictures and visuals, for news papers it meant audio and video, for TV broadcasters it meant text and data visualisation etc.


▸ Today we think nothing of combining mediums into a single story - that’s just how journalism works in the digital era.

▸ We could argue that the term multimedia is obsolete. Multimedia was once a common section of online news, not so today and it often means different things to different people.

▸ If we were to start this program today we’d probably rename it visual journalism - visual journalism is a newer terminology and is probably a more precise description of what we do, as we have always been visually driven - and today visual journalists require more rounded skills sets. We no longer simply illustrate reporting, we drive it too. (Last weeks Reuters Visual Journalist Ad a good example).


Still even though it’s not perfect, we (along with many others) are not ready to throw the term multimedia away quite yet - because it is still useful for describing both multimedia journalists and multimedia storytelling.


We’d describe a multimedia journalist as a journalist who has competence in a range of mediums and can use those skill-sets to tell stories in either a single or a combination of mediums - as the story requires.

A multimedia journalist should also have at least basic competence to create stories across platforms and devices, from legacy mediums to web, mobile and native platforms like facebook and instagram.

Multimedia journalists should be forward looking and experiment with ways of delivering news stories. The industry has been disrupted and hasn’t got this figured out yet at all!


We’d describe multimedia journalism in the same way our key text book uses the term ‘digital news package’. You’ll hear us use the two terms interchangeably

We’d describe multimedia journalism as the process of combining two or more mediums (text, image, sound, video, graphics), to tell a news story.

These stories are also digital - enabled by and designed for the web.


Sometimes people describe multimedia stories as better, more compelling, more immersive, more complete - implying that single media forms are limited.

That’s not something we agree with, a stand alone video, text or audio report can be as powerful, engaging or immersive as any multimedia report.

But some stories are enhanced by multimedia, and having multiple skillsets and tools allows you to pick the best tool(s) and technique(s) for the story at hand, and to take advantage of digital tools and web publishing to bring journalism to life in new ways.

Meanwhile, being able to publish across platforms allows you to reach your audience wherever they are.

T H E P O W E R O F M M J O U R N A L I S M

Multimedia can be used for both hard news and features. On this program we focus on feature reporting so when we talk about multimedia storytelling we mean multimedia features.


However you define multimedia there is no formula and multimedia storytelling shouldn’t be approached with a checklist.

Instead, the mediums and approaches used should be determined by the story or project on a case by case basis.

In the beginning stages we’ll give you ‘warm up’ assignments based on the style and format of the most established and conventional types of multimedia stories (and you will have a checklist) - but these are learning exercises.

As we progress - we’d like to see you take your own inspirations, shake things up and surprise us.

DISCUSS

How do you think you are going to reach a position to be creative, innovative and surprise us?

T H E P O W E R O F M M J O U R N A L I S M 2 0 M I N S

DISCUSS

You selected a MM program, why?

Give the class an example of a powerful multimedia story or project you’ve seen? Could it have been told in a single medium? How did multimedia elements enhance this particular

story? Did web publishing enhance the story? If so how?


▸ Three personal favourites

▸ https://time.com/finding-home/

▸ http://graphics.wsj.com/blue-feed-red-feed

▸ http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/10/13/russia/index.html

https://time.com/finding-home/

http://graphics.wsj.com/blue-feed-red-feed

http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/10/13/russia/index.html

http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/10/13/russia/index.html


▸ These three stories are stories I personally enjoyed. Of course, the issues and topics appeal to me on a personal level, interest in the topic is key. You will have other favorites.

▸ So once you have an audiences potential interest, how to make the story more powerful, more informative and more engaging?

▸ Let’s think about each one… first choose one and take a look with a partner. Prepare to discuss…


What is the story each feature or project tells?

What main message or point do you think each feature or project was trying to deliver?

How have they approached the story? Why do you think they used that approach? Was it effective in delivering the message or point?

How did multimedia elements / web publishing enhance the story or project?

Everybody will have different ideas, some students will like these works, others not - all perspectives are valid! Share!!!

TA X O N O M Y 2 0 M I N S

M U LT I M E D I A TA X O N O M YClassification of news packages

The taxonomy described in the book, essentially classifies and describes some different types of structures and approaches of multimedia features. Perfect, no. Useful, very.

They identify three categories for classifying multimedia news packages. These categories are not really separate, but include various levels of gradation based on a set of qualities that may be exhibited within each package.

We classify by saying a multimedia story fits mostly into a given section.

M U LT I M E D I A TA X O N O M Y

▸ I don’t want to spend much time on this - I just want to make sure you all are getting to grips with the categories - it took me some time.

▸ Any questions?

DISCUSS

In pairs discuss one of the three multimedia features from today. Where does it fit in the

taxonomy triangle? Why?

Is the story linear or non linear?

S T O R Y & N A R R AT I V E F U N D A M E N TA L S

3 0 M I N S


▸ We will introduce and discuss two concepts today

▸ 1 = narrative

▸ 2 = narrative arc

▸ We will discuss these concepts more deeply during Term 2. But at this point you should start to develop an understanding of both which you can deepen with experience and reading though the year.


Exercise: Each student should pick a favourite books or film. Fiction or nonfiction. Shout them out.


‣ Identify the main character or protagonist in the story.

‣ What was the conflict?

‣ What was the resolution of the story?

‣ Did all of these stories have a clear protagonist, conflict, and resolution?

‣ What was the theme or point or message?


▸ Good stories, from fairytales to documentaries to Hollywood blockbusters - pretty much all possess narrative components including:

▸ character | location | action | exposition | conflict | resolution

▸ Stories only differ in style and content. Fairy tales are fiction and contain a moral message. Journalism is non-fiction and contain facts and a central point (newspaper reporters call this point a focus). But, structurally, good stories all have narrative elements and follow a similar form.


▸ Narrative in journalism, or simply narrative journalism delivers accurate, fact-based evidence and well-researched and reported information but it also contains narrative techniques and elements such as developed charcaters, detailed scene descriptions, action that unfolds over time, and sometimes, even a subjective ‘voice’ or style. Another element of narrative is ‘theme’ - an overriding point or focus that runs through the story from start to finish.


▸ Narrative journalism is nothing new, it’s sometimes been more and sometimes less popular. Narrative is rarely found in daily news stories, though it sometimes is. It’s often but not always found in feature stories. After all if we want to keep someones attention for a longer time, we need to keep them interested and entertained.

▸ Narrative makes long-form stories both informative and engaging. It catches our interest, appeals to our emotions and often helps us to understand things on a human level.


▸ Of course there are different shades of narrative journalism some being very literary and others with limited narrative elements.

▸ *Wikipedia actually does a good job of defining narrative journalism if you need more info.


▸ Narrative arc refers to narrative structure, the beginning middle and end of a story.

▸ Story = everything that actually happened, all the WWWW+H information.

▸ Narrative = the architecture of the story information as selected and presented by the author - in most cases in a Beginning, Middle and End structure.


▸ For example, when you tell someone about your day, you don’t tell them every single thing that happened, you naturally select some parts, and leave others out - you arrange it so there’s a beginning middle and end. You imbue it with meaning.

▸ You compile all the WWWW+H information and structure a narrative - that’s your story.


▸ Let’s discuss narrative elements in the single medium of text to start…

▸ Many text features have strong characters right? We get to know the people at the heart of the story not just biographical information but also a little about their personality, how they feel and what motivates them etc. Descriptive writing also creates scenes, it presents action, this happened and then this - taking the reader on a journey.

▸ Some writers have distinctive styles too.

▸ As discussed before, a text feature needs one overriding single message or focus. Of course it makes other points along the way - but we can only really say anything deep and meaningful about one thing at a time. We’ll talk a little more about focus in the pitch session.


▸ Now let’s think about narrative arc.

▸ Text features have a beginning middle and an end. They don’t all apply the same structure, some might follow the diamond, while others might tell a story in chapters.


▸ Some might be chronological, others not. But all have some kind of beginning, middle and end. And, importantly the theme or focus or main point runs intertwines throughout the story.

▸ The most classic narrative structure looks like an arc… you can find it in most individual mediums and multimedia stories too.

S T O R Y & N A R R AT I V E F O R M U LT I M E D I A F E AT U R E S / P R O J E C T S

3 0 M I N S


▸ In digital news packages we have way more options for narrative elements and arc.

▸ For example, opportunities for non-linear and interactive stories just don’t exist on legacy platforms.

▸ Multimedia web published stories have way more options, this can be complicated and confusing, and exciting at the same time. Especially in terms of narrative.

▸ Like we said before, we’d like to start simple in T1 but in T2 & 3 the world is your oyster!

DISCUSS

How about the 3 projects from this week. Do they all have narrative elements? What are

they?


▸ Not all features have narrative elements, they don’t all have charcaters or scenes, they can also simply be based on the facts and information at hand.

▸ The RED/BLUE project does not have narrative elements. It does of course, like all journalism stories, have a strong point to make.

▸ Finding home has strong narrative elements, it focuses on a single character, and sets the scene. It has a strong voice and style. It has movement and conflict, emotions and a strong message to deliver.

▸ The Russia story has strong narrative elements, a variety of charcaters, various locations, conflicts and a clear point to express.


▸ Narrative arcs can get way more complex in web published multimedia stories.

▸ Let’s take a scroll story like snowfall for example…


▸ All have some kind of narrative structure, most have a narrative arc with a beginning, middle and end but not all.

▸ Finding Home takes us on a journey, the story unfolds through the action as it happened chronologically.

▸ The Russia story is not chronological, it’s structured by different chapters in the form of locations along a map. We move through various locations. Each chapter has it’s own little narrative arc with a beginning middle and end. There is no explicit conclusion at the end rather the mosaic of stories reveal the main point.

▸ The RED/BLUE project does not have a classic narrative arc, there is not beginning middle and end. It’s non linear - the order the viewer travels through the project is not determined by the author, it’s determined by the viewer.

F I N D I N G H O M E

R U S S I A L E F T B E H I N D

R E D & B L U E , W H O O P S …

R E D & B L U E , W H O O P S A G A I N …

R E D & B L U E , W E L L , K I N D O F…


▸ Beginning, middle end - we say this a lot, but what do we really mean?


▸ The beginning should captivate the viewer and compel them to keep viewing.

▸ It should also present the main focus via a statement or maybe a question or by presenting some kind of dilemma, challenge or conflict.

▸ Finally a beginning may introduce us to the charcaters and location of the story and set the mood or atmosphere.

▸ Let’s look at the beginning of our three stories


▸ The middle is usually the most substantial part, it delivers the bulk of information, facts and details about the main focus.

▸ The middle may describes the course of events, gives detail and context about the issue or topic. It may draw out the complexities, different sides and perspectives of a story. It also raises other connected and important points. It tells us the movement of the story - what’s being done and what is not being done.

▸ Let’s look at the beginning of our three stories


▸ Note: Many features tell big issue stories through small human stories. Some give more weight to the bigger issue while others give more weight to the human story. The choice is the authors.

▸ Multimedia can sometimes do both via different mediums


▸ The ending comes back to main focus and reveals a conclusion, some kind of resolution or solution.

▸ How did the story turn out, where are things at now and how do they look for the future?


▸ Pay attention, many multimedia stories also have some kind of introduction before the main lead… an explanation or instructions to help and guide the audience, and to tell them what to expect.

C H O O S I N G A N D C O M B I N I N G M E D I A I N A S I N G L E S T O R Y

2 0 M I N S


▸ One of the the most critical decisions a multimedia reporter must make is what type of media would best be used to tell a particular story and when producing a multimedia story which mediums should be used for which parts.

▸ Should you shoot video? Would is make a great text and photo piece? Could audio or graphics be employed?

▸ Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of different types of media, you need to start thinking abut which mediums might work well for different kinds of stories and different parts of stories.

▸ These are no rules or formulas – just general guides to help you make smart choices.


• We have already discussed some of the qualities and strengths and weaknesses of individual mediums.


▸ Video

▸ shows action (natural disasters, sports - elderly folks skating, a chef cooking)

▸ captures character let’s you see and hear a person. Delivers emotion through direct quotes (witnesses at an accident site, a cancer survivor talking about her ordeal)

▸ takes viewers somewhere they wouldn’t have access to (behind the scenes at a concert) or places they might want to visit (a rollercoaster ride, the World Cup) and gives a sense of place.

▸ shows process (how is an iPhone manufactured, how is a jianbing made)

▸ raw video and archive footage can be used powerfully too


▸ Photo

▸ evoke and capture emotions or a key moment in time (two friends reunite, the aftermath of an explosion.

▸ photos are good for showing places, built and natural environments

▸ capture central characters through candid shots or portraits

▸ People can study pictures in detail and have more time to reflect. Maybe you want to show the aftermath of a disaster, or the dense population of city.


▸ Audio

▸ We will have an audio seminar in Term 2, but no longer study it in depth as a stand alone skill. It’s actually one of my favourite mediums so if you are interested let me know.

▸ But don’t forget the power of audio. Usually we use it with video - and it can really transport us to a place or event. If there’s a strong sound in your story you should get right up close to it with a mic to immerse and transport your audience


▸ Audio

▸ Captures character and emotion – audio is good for stories that are particularly emotional. The human voice especially evokes emotion and hearing someone’s voice gives you a sense of who they are and creates an attachment to them.

▸ Central place in a story – audio can really transport us to a location, ambient sounds are really important.


▸ Text

▸ Great for delivering context and detailed information, the written word works well for abstract, complicated aspects of a story.

▸ Analysis and explanation, this can be done in other mediums but works particularly well in text

▸ Historical context – although a graphical timeline can sometimes be more effective

▸ Introductions, instructions and transitions between mediums – For example a summary to tell people what the package is about or how to use it.

▸ But don’t think text is only about the ‘dry’ information, good writing can be so engaging and powerful.

▸ Headlines and photo captions are important too!


▸ Graphics

▸ Can visualise and deliver complex information in easy-to-digest and fun to explore ways.

▸ Stories with lots of numbers and statistics can benefit from graphs, showing trends or relationships (clothing exports over the last decade, wage growth).

▸ Diagrams can show how things work or how something came about (where floodwaters reached, how the bridge collapsed).

▸ Maps show where the story unfolded and can be layered with interactive elements.

▸ Timelines can give historical background.

S H O R T H A N D B A S I C S 3 0 - 4 5 M I N S

Shorthand is the platform that brands, publishers, non-profits, universities and others use to create the world's most engaging stories,

annual reports, case studies and other content.

Trusted by everyone from the BBC to Business Insider, TOMS Shoes to Honda, Amnesty International to the Red Cross, and Cambridge to

Harvard, Shorthand elevates your stories and communications from the everyday to the exceptional

https://shorthand.com/about/

S H O R T H A N D - A B O U T

https://shorthand.com/about/

S H O R T H A N D - T U T O R I A L

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlFFnFuB1S4&t=966s



S H O R T H A N D - T U T O R I A L S

• See more tutorials at Shorthands YouTube channel

• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsKU5_fUZlvzQcjKpOk_TRw/videos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsKU5_fUZlvzQcjKpOk_TRw/videos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsKU5_fUZlvzQcjKpOk_TRw/videos

B R I E F A S S I G N M E N T & P I T C H S H E E T I N G R O U P S W I T H S U P P O R T

3 0 - 6 0 M I N S

T U E S D AY

• AM

• Shorthand Exercise

• PM

• Multimedia Production Workflows, pre-production, production + post-production.

• Pitch your stories!

• Intermediate Reporting tips

• Planning session

S T O R Y & N A R R AT I V E F O R M U LT I M E D I A E X E R C I S E 4 5 M I N S

S H O R T H A N D - E X E R C I S E

• Work in your teams

• Take the media from the folders and arrange into a multimedia story on shorthand

• You do not need to use everything

• Here are few points to bear in mind

K E Y P O I N T S M I N D Y M C A D A M S

https://medium.com/thoughts-on-journalism/re-defining-multimedia-journalism-1f4966df37bc



M I N D Y M C A D A M S - K E Y P O I N T S

• Complement, don’t repeat.

• In multimedia storytelling, various media types (not only video) are employed and interconnected. Ideally, each one is used in a way that makes the most of its strengths. Components of the story are crafted to complement one another. Redundancy will detract from the experience—that is, if aspects of the story are told in video and also in the text, users might lose interest quickly.

• Don’t be scared of a little little overlap however.


• For example, a common approach is to use video to humanise a story via a single or a few charcaters. While text is often used to add detail and context.

• Even in this scenario, a video will often need some big picture context to make sense. You can repeat a few of the key facts.

• Meanwhile, while you don’t want to use all the quotes in the video in the text, if you have a killer quote you might occasionally double up and for sure you can and most likely need to include your human subjects in the text too.

There’s always an exception to the rule… this is a nice one!


▸ https://www.revealnews.org/nightshift/

▸ But for the most past you should be thinking complimentary not redundancy.

https://www.revealnews.org/nightshift/

• Integrate media types. Don’t marginalise the visual media. Don’t privilege the text. Position information graphics where they serve the story, not the layout.


• Simplify - When planning stories, journalists must decide what really needs to be included, and what can be omitted. Adding too many parts and pieces can make a story overly complicated and even off-putting (TDLR too long; didn’t read).

• We don’t need thousands of words in text.


• Grab the audience’s attention visually. An enjoyable story offers a hook immediately, as soon as you open it.



• Low interactivity is okay - Some multimedia stories invite interaction with the user but many offer a mostly passive experience - which is totally fine!

• Calling these stories interactive is not accurate in many cases—if a user has no choices apart from clicking play, pause, or stop, that story is not interactive. Scrolling on a website or swiping on a mobile device provides only the lowest level of interaction. Hyperlinks are barely interactive; clicking a link is like turning the page of a book.

K E Y P O I N T S

• A good story and good reporting are essential! We don’t care how pretty your page looks if you haven’t told us anything new or interesting.

L E A R N S H O R T H A N D

▸ Watch video tutorials to ensure you know how to use all of the features in Shorthand with the greatest effect.

▸ Check out our Pinterest page and seek inspiration from other storytellers.

▸ Download their planning documents.

▸ Have a look at their blog, the Craft, for more advice and tips.

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/shorthandapp/

https://shorthand.com/the-craft/

P I T C H Y O U R S T O R I E S 4 5 M I N S

F I N D I N G F O C U S & N A R R AT I V E F O R T H E P U B L I C AT I O N R O A D S & K I N G D O M SWhat is the central point?

▸ What’s the story really about? What question or questions must the story answer to be worthwhile?

▸ Why do people need or will want to know about it?

▸ If it’s a “big” topic, how can it be broken down so it’s easier to explain?

▸ If it’s a “small” topic, is there a story behind the story? Does it reflect a larger trend or theme?

F I N D I N G F O C U S & N A R R AT I V E F O R T H E P U B L I C AT I O N R O A D S & K I N G D O M S

What is the central evidence?

▸ What evidence verify or explain the central point of the story?

▸ What evidence proves that the story is relevant or newsworthy?

▸ How good is the evidence? Is it verified information or assumptions or assertions?


What is the central place?

▸ Where is the central place of the story?

▸ Will the reporting and photography include covering the central place?

▸ What information will come from somewhere other than the central place or places?

▸ What will not be covered in the story?


Who are the central characters?

▸ Who can give us insights or information about the story through their personal experience? What can we learn from them?

▸ Who can put the facts in perspective?

SMALL SUBJECT & BIG PICTURE/NARROW STORY & BROADER STORY

▸ The narrow story is the story of the food/person/etc that you will focus on during shooting in the field.

▸ The broader story will be the overarching national/international issue your small story represents or highlights

R E A D I M M J C O D E O F E T H I C S 1 5 M I N S

• Read the IMMJ code of ethics - if anything there confuses you - please bring it to class after lunch!

• Come prepared to talk about a specific ethical dilemma that you have encountered while reporting a story either on the program or for another media.

V I S U A L R E P R E S E N TAT I O N & E T H I C S / I M M J C O D E O F E T H I C S /

6 0 M I N S

• See separate slides:

• Visual Representation & Ethics | IMMJ Code of Ethics

P R O D U C I N G M M S T O R I E S 6 0 M I N S

M M - W O R K F L O W S - M E T H O D O L O G Y

• All mediums have 3 major phases

• Pre-production

• Production

• Post-production

• Each project differs, but as a rule of thumb production is the least time intensive phase. Typically pre-production takes 40% of time, production 20%, editing 40%. You’ll need to manage your times, roles and duties for success.

M M - W O R K F L O W S - M E T H O D O L O G Y P R E - P R O D U C T I O N

▸ issue & story research

▸ sourcing subjects - gaining access

▸ pre-interviews reccie locations

▸ identifying style and approach (treatment). Finding inspirations plus associated testing and practice.

▸ Planning visuals / interviews

▸ Time / team / budget management plans. Defining roles and associated workloads

▸ Planning story presentation / storyboarding / platform testing

▸ equipment / technique testing

M M - W O R K F L O W S - M E T H O D O L O G Y P R O D U C T I O N

▸ interviewing

▸ filming video

▸ shooting stills

▸ directing

▸ producing

▸ research & reporting for text

M M - W O R K F L O W S - M E T H O D O L O G Y P O S T- P R O D U C T I O N

▸ transcribing interviews

▸ translating interviews

▸ video editing

▸ video subtitles + copy editing

▸ photo editing

▸ platform build and design

▸ text

▸ UX testing

▸ copy editing

▸ fact checking

P R E - P R O D U C T I O N

▸ You should already have done research & probably sourcing

▸ Let’s talk about the rest…


▸ Pre-interviews, reccie-ing locations

▸ A pre-interview is not an interview. It’s a tricky dance. You’ve told your subject that you want to find out about them. They are ready to talk. And you want them to talk but not too much. Which they may not understand. But the reason is simple. A person’s story is like a kiss. The first time can feel special. So it’s your job to dance around the edges, getting just enough information to ensure it makes sense to move forward and to plan your shoot, but not so much information that you ruin the first kiss.

▸ https://transom.org/2016/art-pre-interview/

https://transom.org/2016/art-pre-interview/


▸ Pre-interviews, reccie-ing locations

▸ Planning a multimedia or video story is a lot like planning a movie. At the beginning you storyboard. You think about your dream scenes, plot and characters. You cast your charcaters. If your story is the movie, the pre-interview is the audition. Not everyone you pre-interview will get the part.

▸ Ask yourself the following questions during the pre-interview to help you figure out which interviewees are the right fit for the story.


▸ Planning visuals / interviews

▸ You’ve all done this before.

▸ Think discussion points rather than questions - however one or two set questions are often useful. Anticipate your visuals and plan them - if you are working with a subject you’d better map out their day.

▸ Check the weather and the way the light will fall / light conditions.

▸ What are the visuals and action - real things that are actually happening - that you can capture?


▸ Time / team / budget management plans. Defining roles and associated workloads

▸ Divide and conquer

▸ Make a timetable for each person and each persons tasks. Interview transcribes and logging footage will need to be done ahead of Friday - otherwise people will be waiting around. Synch sound too.

▸ Have an archive system so each team member has a complete set of assets and back stuff up properly.

▸ Aim to complete the edit by Friday pm. Leave time for testing and polish editing (Saturday or Sunday). I advise switching with another team in class for User Testing.


▸ There are lots of things to consider when planning a multimedia story, from the structure it will take and the media to include, to the overall experience you're wanting to create.

▸ A multimedia story that is well planned and prepared results in a better experience that drives the reader through the narrative.

▸ So, before you set off on your storytelling adventure, the points here will help bring all of these factors together, and ensure your final story has a great structure, engaging flow and use of media that will bring the story alive...



▸ First off make a few key decisions. Focus on your narrative - the spine of the story needs to be clear and strong to deliver information and engagement.

▸ What will your overarching approach to the narrative be? Continuous for sure, but…

▸ Will you have text drive the narrative, or perhaps go for a more integrated and immersive approach - or another approach?

▸ Is there a multimedia story that’s a model or inspiration for your team? If not - find one, and find inspirations for each of your mediums / sections.


▸ What about your narrative elements and arc - you won’t know these things exactly but you should be able to anticipate plenty.



▸ Break the story down: consider the key points / sections and best way to tell each part.

▸ Consider the most effective ways to tell each part of the story. Could be images, video, graphics, illustrations, interactives, etc.



▸ Think just as carefully about how you might approach the hook / beginning to invite readers in, how the middle will keep them hooked, and how the end will give them a satisfying take away.

• Consider the flow from start to finish.

• Draw things out - some people like to mind map, theres like to story board. I like to draw narrative arcs for video assignments and sections on paper for MM. I then make a mock up on platform. On a longer story this might go through a number of iterations.

• Is the sequence of sections logical, how can you entice the reader to continue scrolling?

• Plan plan plan…

• I’ll want to hear about

• Issue & story research, narrative elements & arc, style and approach, time and group management,Planning visuals / interviews

• I’ll want to see some form of storyboarding

• Do you need to do any equipment / technique testing

multimedia storytelling 2019-20 pdf - wordpress.com · 2019-11-22 · however you define multimedia...

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