2008 workshop session for print journalists just getting started with multimedia storytelling. Covers tips and suggestions for working with audio, digital photography, video and slideshows.

1. Multimedia Storytelling:
Tools, Tips and Workflow

2. Why Incorporate Multimedia Skills?
• The Internet is all about mixed media.
• Most print publications now have online counterparts.
• Companies are looking for one-stop options.
• Multimedia offers a wealth of storytelling possibilities!

3. Objectives
• Introduce multimedia options.
• Make you familiar with audio-visual terms.
• Give you an overview of the production process.
• Give you a starting point with multimedia.

4. Multimedia = Multi-tasking
• Broader Job Descriptions:
• Reporters need stronger visual skills.
• Photographers need stronger writing and reporting skills.
• Designers need new software skills.
• New Tools For Everyone:

5. How can we be good
(or at least better) at everything?
• Hands-on practice: Get out
and try it!
• Know and use your strengths.
• Acknowledge and improve
your weaknesses.
• Maintain a passion for
STORYTELLING!
Photo by Alan Youngblood

6. “The story means more than the delivery systems
involved, and that includes the writer ... For a while I
was very aware that I was looking at a screen and
bopping a button instead of turning pages. Then the
story simply swallowed me, as the good ones always
do … It became about the message instead of the
medium, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
Stephen King about the Kindle …

7. Getting Started With …
• Digital Photography
• Audio Recording
• Audio-Visual Combos (Slideshows & Video)

8. … Digital Photography
• Basic Tools:
• Digital Camera
• Photo Editing Software

9. Production Tips
• Composition
• Background
• Lighting
• Moment

10. Composition
• Rule of Thirds
Position the subject of your image in one third of the frame rather than in the
center. Put them on the far right, far left, top or bottom.

11. Poor use of the Rule of Thirds
Good use of the Rule of Thirds

12. Photo by Crystal L. Lauderdale

13. Photo by Crystal L. Lauderdale

14. Background

15. Clean
Photo by Crystal L. Lauderdale
Using depth-of-field/focus, lighting or a solid background

16. Informational
Additive
Photos by Crystal L. Lauderdale

17. Basic Lighting
Your subject should face the dominant light source – such
as the sun, a bright window, a lamp, etc. – and you should
have your back to that light source. If you’re shooting into a
light source you’ll need to use fill-flash to balance the
exposure.

18. Basic Lighting
 Backlight (X)
 Fill Flash (✔)
 Natural Side Light
(✔)

19. Looking for the Moment
Informational
Graphical
Photo by Crystal L. Lauderdale
Photo by Peter Masa
Simply shows the scene and
conveys who, what where and
maybe when
An image in which the
photographer has used a unique
angle, lighting or lens to make
the image more interesting

20. Emotional
Intimate
Photos by Crystal L. Lauderdale
Shows emotion in the subject
and therefore evokes emotion in
the audience; May show the
“how” and “why” of the story
Offers a unique and often
emotional glimpse into the life of
the subject. Shows something
that a casual observer may not
see

21. Digital cameras are your friend - Practice shooting images with a
digital camera using manual setting, if possible. You can
immediately see the results and make changes on the spot.

22. … Audio Recording
• Basic Tools:
• Digital Audio Recorder
• Microphone Kit
• Audio Editing Software
(Video editing software can double for this.)

23. Production Tips
Standing Back
Up Close

24. How Microphones Work: The Lens Analogy
On-camera Microphone
Wireless Lavaliere
Shotgun Microphone
Wide Angle Lens
Mounted Wide Lens
Telephoto Lens
=

27. Interviewing for Audio Stories:
Getting Good Sound Bites As Well As Information
• Facts and Emotion
• Stacking the Questions
• Silence is Golden
• Going to Extremes

28. Headphones

29. … Audio Slideshows
• Basic Tools:
• Digital Camera
• Photo Editing Software
• Digital Audio Recorder
• Microphone Kit
• Audio/Video Editing Software
• Slideshow Editing Software

30. Production Tips
• Key Element = Variety of Strong Visuals
• Supporting Element = Audio Track
• Follow rules for collecting strong images and audio.
• Collect wide, medium and tight shots.
• Collect ambient sound for every “scene”.
• Show every sound.

31. • Variety of strong images

32. • Ambient sound for every scene; Showing every sound

33. • Variety of strong images with supporting audio track

34. 15-Minute Break

35. … Video
• Basic Tools:
• Video Camera
• Microphone Kit
• Tripod
• Video Editing Software

36. Production Tips
• Key Element = Strong Audio Track
• Supporting Element = Visual Footage
Three Rules
1) Steady Footage
2) Clean Audio
3) Focused Story

37. Video Types
• Voiceover (VO)
• Voiceover + Sound-bite (VO-SOT)
“Tornado Drill” VO – WFLA-TV

38. • Package
• Stand-ups:
• Provide information that you don’t have matching footage for
• Serve as a transition in the story
“Sebring Hurricane” by Paul Lamison, WFLA-TV

39. Choosing A Voice: Natural Sound
• No reporter track
• Sound-bites and ambient audio only
“Goin’ Places”

40. • Reporter track provides context
• Similar writing structure to print
Choosing A Voice: Narration
“Nick Nelson” by Akagi and Fryer, KARE

41. We Shoot the Way We See
(or at least we should)
• Steady footage
• No panning or zooming
• 10-second rule
• Wide, medium, tight and super-
tight
• Shoot and move
• Enter frame, exit frame
• Action, reaction
• Sequencing (3s and 5s)

42. • Dave Wertheimer’s Shooting Techniques: Part I

43. • Dave Wertheimer’s Shooting Techniques: Part II

44. • Action/reaction; Enter frame-exit frame; Wide, medium and tight shots
“Pearl Harbor Remembered” by Paul Lamison, WFLA-TV

45. • Sequencing; Enter frame-exit frame

46. • Action/reaction; Sequencing; Ambient audio

47. Presenting Your Ideas
• A-Roll:
• Interviews, soundbites and narration
• The audio skeleton of your A/V story
• B-Roll:
• All supporting footage
• The visual meat of your A/V story

49. • Log:
• Transcript of relevant interview and natural sound bites

50. • Script:
• Written audio outline of your A/V story
• Audio skeleton of your story

51. “Votes for Women” by Crystal L. Lauderdale, New York Times Regional Media Group

52. • Storyboard:
• Visual outline of your A/V story
• May include subject notes

53. Next Steps for Getting
Started
• Basic Starting Equipment
• Digital Camera
• Photo Editing Software
• Video Camera
• Basic Microphone Kit
• Tripod
• Basic Video Editing Software

54. It’s About Storytelling!

55. Instructor
Crystal L. Lauderdale
crystal@crystallauderdale.com