Page 218 - Mediapedia Mobile

PART III SHARING YOUR WORK
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the stills. A second track with music can be added later. Also, anticipate adding some sound effects.
Step 7: Titles are key, but keep them short. A show title at the begin- ning should stay on screen for two to three seconds. It plays a powerful role in orienting your audience, so choose the words well. An “end credits” sequence can be placed at the tail of the piece. Resist the urge to thank your mother, un- less she is in it or she is a funder!
GALLERY
Step 5: Use images as filler. My observation from hundreds of digital stories is that audio carries the dramatic flow. The pictures can be directly rep- resentative of the story, or they can be somewhat more abstract, creating some- thing that holds the eye while the ears receive the deeper message. Steer clear of appropriated photos ripped from the Web or scanned from printed sources.
Although digital storytelling may appear extremely structured in terms of its constraints, the work that results can be dazzling in its variety of tone and subject. See for yourself by going to mediapedia.net and linking to the four shows sampled in these pages. Even without seeing the movies, you can get a feel for these authentic voices.
Step 6: Edit. Even with a short
slide show, it makes sense to follow
the guidelines that hold for editing any production. First, make a rough cut. This will show beginning, middle, and end. It ought to be no longer than three min- utes. Second, make a fine cut. The voice track and the accompanying images are locked: transitions and special effects are added. The fine cut is a good time to invite some fresh eyes to view the work. Add music and sound. But before you finish . . .
In this Webisode, Dworeck collaborated with Lette, the narrator, to build an amus- ing, spirited piece. Oxygen’s Web site no
longer accesses the series of the thirty “Our Story” shorts that were originally produced.
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CHAPTER 7: PROJECT IDEAS
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Step 8: Output and upload. Your movie or slide show should be saved as a QuickTime file that compresses the vi- suals and audio for use on the Internet. E-mailing a compact version to friends will earn you lots of points!
“THE PUMP” FROM OXYGEN’S “OUR STORIES” SITE (1:30)
Accompanying an informal retelling of the summer incident, these key frames establish a hot night and a birthday party. Things are getting hot inside, so our heroine, Lette, remembers “the pump,” the fire hydrant plus neighbor- hood “pool.” She and friends go outside and get cool. Lette has a momentary fear that the cops will come, but her
pals tell her not to worry: “You’re in the ghetto!” Stuart Dworeck, producer/editor; Kimberly Mercado, associate producer/inter- viewer; Dorelle Rabinowitz, visual director; Kit Laybourne, executive producer