Digital Storytelling

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Digital Storytelling

• An introduction to using digital pictures and
  Windows Movie Maker to create compelling stories

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What is Digital Storytelling?

• Digital Storytelling is a multimedia presentation
  using photographs, music and narration to
  communicate a message.
• Storytelling relating a tale to one or more
  listeners through voice and gesture
• Not just reading a story out loud the
  storyteller re-creates a series of mental images
  through words, gestures and sounds
• Each listener derives own meanings from the story

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What is Digital Storytelling

• What makes up a compelling story?
• Drama
• Emotion
• Music
• Powerful Images
• Descriptive Writing
• Something to which the listener/viewer can relate

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Types of Personal Stories

• The Story About Someone Important to You
• Character Stories
• Finding meaning in a relationship with person or
  pet
• Why is this person or pet important to you?
• Family Member or Friend
• Girlfriend?
• A professional athlete or actor
• Memorial Stories
• Honoring or remembering people who have passed
  away

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Types of Personal Stories

• The Story About an Event in Your Life
• Adventure Stories
• Could be a vacation or time spent in a new
  environment
• Could be a emotional adventure
• Accomplishment Stories
• Stories about achieving some kind of goal
• Athletically, Academically, etc.
• 5 Ws and How
• What, Where, When, Who and How

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Types of Personal Stories

• The Story About a Place in Your Life
• What places in your life are important to you?
• Church or School?
• Your Room or Your House?
• Your Car?
• Football Field?
• A place you would like to visit
• The Story About What I Do?
• Is your hobby or job important to you?
• What is your job/hobby and why is it important to
  you?
• Highlight and Lowlights?
• Mentor?
• How has the job/hobby affected your life and
  family?

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Seven Elements of Storytelling

• Point of View
• Define what you are trying to communicate with
  your story WHAT IS YOUR POINT?
• The viewer may forget the story but should
  always remember your point
• Dramatic Question
• Sets up your story and alerts the viewer of what
  to look for
• What is the meaning of friendship?
• What is love?
• Why is Lebron James so good?
• How has LSCHS helped me grow as a person?
• Who am I?
• The question should be answered by the end of the
  story!

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Seven Elements of Storytelling

• Emotional Content
• Emotions of the story should grab attention of
  the viewer
• Love and Friendship
• Death and Loss
• Acceptance and Rejection
• Growth and Fighting Through Adversity
• Honor and Remembrance
• The Gift of Your Voice
• Your Voice-Over is a Powerful tool
• You can say something to someone without having
  to say it to them directly
• Rare opportunity to hear your own voice
• Your script should be a well-written emotional
  short essay about your topic

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Seven Elements of Storytelling

• The Power of the Soundtrack
• Music is an extremely powerful tool through out
  life
• Music can stir emotions
• Make sure song is appropriate including lyrics
• The music should ADD to the project and
  compliment the voice-over
• The viewer may forget the story but should
  always remember your point
• Economical Writing
• You need to say a lot in as few words as possible
• This is not an 6 page English Paper 2 minutes
  maximum
• Pictures and Script should work together to
  create an appealing project
• Storyboard your project using pictures and script
  to envision the project
• Closure
• Wrap up the topic by the end of the project
  answer the dramatic question!

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Seven Elements of Storytelling

• Pacing
• Rhythm of a story keeps people interested
• Use dramatic pauses when necessary
• Use change of speeds to indicate change in
  emotion
• Edit your pictures to work with the audio quick
  edits for exciting action
• Make sure your story can breathe! If it is too
  long, take out some copy dont just talk faster!

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Examples of Digital Storytelling

• www.bliptv.com
• High school students
• http//www.coe.uh.edu/digital-storytelling/example
  s.htm
• University of Houston students
• http//www.streetside.org/stories/digital-stories.
  htm
• 7th Grade Students

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Where to Begin?

• STEP 1 Choose a topic
• Topic Suggestion Who Am I?
• Find a person, thing or event in your life that
  you would like to write about and of which you
  have pictures
• Topic Select from list of topics we went over
  in class
• Could be about family, friends, hobbies etc.

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The Storytelling Process

• STEP 2 Collect Photographs
• Collect as many photographs as possible
• At Least 25 Pictures
• Digital Pictures
• Bring in pictures on a CD/DVD or memory card
• Film Pictures
• Bring in by Wednesday at latest to scan images
• Internet Images
• Download images from the WWW and save them to
  specific folder
• Find Images that will help tell your story!

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The Storytelling Process

• STEP 3 Write the Essay
• Write a one-page double spaced essay about your
  topic
• Start with an outline
• Use the words from the outline in your essay
• Remember to shorten text!
• Essay DUE WEDNESDAY at Start of Class!
• Print out 2 copies
• Classmate will serve as an editor for your draft
  and correct mistakes

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The Storytelling Process

• STEP 4 Choose Music
• Choose at least 1 song, preferably more than 1
• Use music to introduce and end your project
• Also use music under narration to add energy or
  emotion to script
• Make sure the music and narration works with your
  theme!
• Bring in music on a CD or Thumb drive

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The Storytelling Process

• STEP 5 Construct Story Board
• Take your essay and decide how many pictures you
  will need for musical introduction no more than
  5
• Follow along your essay and determine which
  pictures will go where in the final project
• Keep pictures visible for 5-10 seconds at the
  most
• Choose pictures for the musical closing

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The Storytelling Process

• STEP 6 Record Narration
• When essay is proofread and corrected, you will
  record your narration digitally in WEXP
• You will need to have narration done at some
  point by Thursday
• Set up an appointment to see me during or after
  school on Wednesday
• Rehearse your script several times prior to
  recording
• Mark script where you need to make pauses or
  emphasize words

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The Storytelling Process

• STEP 7 Construct your Project
• You will begin editing the project on Thursday
  using Windows Movie Maker
• Project will be due on Wednesday (Exam Day) by 3
  pm
• You will have class time and you can use the lab
  after/before school and during breaks on your
  exam days
• Remember to use pictures, music, animation and
  titles to create an appealing project
• Project should be 2-3 minutes

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Windows Movie Maker

• What is Windows Movie Maker?
• It is a video editing program which comes for
  free with all Microsoft Windows operating systems
• Click on Programs
• Find Windows Movie Maker and Click on it
• The program is much like Adobe Premiere Pro, but
  with a much more user-friendly interface
• The program allows us to
• Edit Video and Pictures
• Add narration, music and sound effects
• Create text, graphics and credits
• Use Animation on text and transitions to add
  visual appeal

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Windows Movie Maker

• Click here for help with Windows Movie Maker
• http//www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemake
  r/default.mspx