Introduction:
Writing is a crucial skill, but we now need at least basic production skills across multiple platforms. We will kick the tires on some basic forms for multimedia projects, and you’ll complete one for this class.
Learning objectives:
- Evaluate different multimedia projects
- Develop multimedia skills
- Propose a multimedia project for your beat
- Revise that project based on feedback
Steps to completion:
Background:
- Blaine chapter 3, 10-14, 24
- Tufte handout
- Video on podcasts:
- Listen to a podcast geared toward current events and culture. I’d suggest one of the Slate.com or NPR podcasts. Write a short blog post in the linking to the one you chose and explaining why you chose it, what you liked about it. Include a list of interview segments and voiceovers. Tag your post “podcast” and post it in Module 5 by Sept 19.
- Find an example of an infographic from a news story. The New York Times’s Upshot vertical and http://fivethirtyeight.com are good choices. Write a short blog post in the coursework category linking to the one you chose and explaining why you chose it, what you liked about it, and which of Tufte’s principles it used. Tag your post “infographic” and post it in Module 5 by Sept 19.
- Find an example of a photo package (not just individual shots in the text, but a gallery or slideshow). Write a short blog post in the coursework category explaining why you chose it, what you liked about it, and what you think could have been strong in either the image or the caption. Tag your post “photos” post it in Module 5 by Sept 21.
Reflective:
- Class discussion Sept. 20: Podcasts and infographics
- Class discussion Sept. 22: Photos
- Class discussion Sept. 27: Audio work time
- Class discussion Sept. 29: Work time for profile interviews
Exploratory
- Record an interview with a classmate about his or her passion and edit it into an audio profile along the lines details in the video above. It should be 2-4 minutes in length and saved in mp3 format, ideally using Adobe Audition. Upload it to SoundCloud and post a link in the Module 5 category with the tag “audio profile” by Sept. 28.
- Conduct two interviews for your profile story and put transcripts in a Dropbox Paper document shared with me by Sept. 30.
- Add your multimedia project proposal to your budget by Sept. 30.
- Poynter tests due by Oct. 1.