Each  semester, I ran into several problems with the equipment: it was too complicated, or it wouldn’t work well with the software, or the files were so huge that it took forever for students to back up their work.

This year, we rethought the needs of the classes while making a purchasing decision on a new set of multimedia kits for the classrooms.

The upshot was that we wanted something simple and easy to use, that would also work well with our software. First, we looked at the Flip Camera, but at about the time we were getting our proposal together, Flip stopped producing cameras.

Then, we looked at the Kodak Zi8, similar to the Flip because it had the ability to use an external microphone. But after we’d put together the proposal, Kodak discontinued the Zi8. Grrrr!

So now we’re in possession of two classes worth of Kodak PlayTouch cameras. The cameras include a dual-purpose headphone/mic in jack.

The cameras are very easy to use. On-screen menus are not terribly confusing, and the video and audio quality are pretty good for a pocket video camera. They also record in m4v format, which makes importing into video editing software incredibly easy.

One of the purposes for choosing a pocket video camera instead of a higher-end camera was to remove as many technical obstacles as possible for beginning students, many of whom aren’t planning on careers as videographers. By removing the technical obstacles, the idea is that they (and their instructor) can spend more time focused on the purpose for video – telling the story.

I know some college media outlets are already using these cameras for reporters. For those who were looking at the Flip or Zi8, this seems like a pretty good alternative – at least until they discontinue it too. The price for the camera itself is around $125. I would encourage you to invest in a carrying case, however, as these things are definitely small and seem like they’d be easy to break.

I’ll report back more after we’ve used them for a semester.

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1. Don’t overuse them

Readers will easily start ignoring your audio slideshows if they’re continuously overused and the content is mediocre. Figure out which stories are best suited for a slideshow (i.e. a city council meeting may not be the most appropriate time). Sometimes a slideshow or video is better. Your audio slideshows will have more meaning if they’re used sparingly and effectively.

2. Send out the real photographers

It’s great to have the emphasis on “the backpack journalist” who can do it all, especially for breaking news. But, if you can get your hands on a staff photographer, do it; an inexperienced reporter using a point and shoot won’t always do the trick. If you send out a real photographer, the reporter can focus on getting good audio without having to figure out how to use the camera.

A word of caution: make sure the photographer and reporter actually work together.   Send them out as a team and let them discuss the focus of the slideshow, goals for photos and audio and even let them edit it together. It’ll make the entire production more cohesive.

3. Use text slides

If the audio doesn’t tell the full story, use text slides as transitions between sources, topics, locations, etc. A simple, powerful look is a black slide with plain white text over it, which you can make in Photoshop. Don’t get too fancy; keep words to a minimum so readers aren’t forced out of the slow pace in which they’ve been watching your slideshow. If you have a lot of text, break it up over multiple slides.

4. Make good use of ambient/environmental noise

It’s easy to forget about ambient noise and it’s hard (if not impossible) to go back to the scene to capture good ambient noise. What am I talking about? Cheering crowds, a clanking hammer, dripping water. Anything that adds to the feel of the environment and captures what your photos and interviews cannot.

5. Humanize your subject

The best audio slideshows introduce your viewers to a new person, just like a good feature story. Even if you’re covering an event, make the speaker a human among the crowd or show how the audience is made up of many individuals instead of being one big group.

It seems abstract, but you can do it with photos that capture emotions and audio that goes beyond the standard, “Today’s event was really successful, we had a huge turnout,” quote. If you go into the project with a goal of humanizing your subjects, it’ll be easier to look for those stories that really stand out.

If you’ve never made an audio slideshow, it’s a piece of cake. The quickest way to do it is using Soundslides, which you can download and purchase online. Multimedia Shooter has a video tutorial that covers all the basic functions of Soundslides Plus. For good examples, see the National Press Photographers Association’s winning audio slideshows. 

Have good tips? Share them in the comments.

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In the meantime, I’ve been updating my syllabus for the multimedia course here at EIU based on a semester’s worth of experience in the field. Below the fold is the new version of the syllabus/schedule with a few explanatory notes.

(Background: Previous Syllabus version; FAQ; mojo kit [will be revised soon])

Most of the syllabus is the same as it was during the last semester, however, I’m spending much more time on audio and video, with lots of repetition and building upon core concepts. The students will be doing at least three audio projects and three video projects before they get to their big semester-end project. These will be smaller projects (example: collecting five nat sounds and editing them into a 25-second audio clip) that will build to the larger projects.

Also, I should note that we’re using Final Cut Express this semester instead of iMovie. I’m done with iMovie until it is more stable and edits audio easier.

Description

An Introduction to basic elements of multimedia journalistic storytelling, including audio, video, slideshows, and online journalism formats.

Outcomes

Students will be able to:

• identify elements of multiple media used in journalistic storytelling.
• critically evaluate professional journalistic multimedia packages.
• produce audio story packages.
• produce video story packages.
• combine audio and still photographs to produce audio slideshows.
• demonstrate understanding of characteristics of online journalistic storytelling.
• produce stories for online news site.

Grading: Grades for the course will be determined by examination and quality of student-produced projects using a standard grading rubric.
Audio Package: 20%; Video Package: 20%; Weblog critiques: 10%; Exams: 15%; Final Multimedia Project: 30%; Attendance: 5%
In other words:

Audio Pkg 1: 50 pts.

Audio Pkg 2: 75 pts.

Audio Pkg 3: 75 pts.

Video Pkg 1: 50 pts.

Video Pkg 2: 75 pts.

Video Pkg 3: 75 pts.

Weblog entries: 100 pts.

Exams: 150 pts.

Final Multimedia Project: 300 pts.

Attendance: 50 pts.

Total Points: 1000

A: 1000-920 pts.

B: 919-820 pts.

C: 819-720 pts.

D: 719-600 pts.

F: 599-below

Deadlines:

Deadlines are crucial. Assignments are due on the day listed in WebCT. NO EXCEPTIONS! Late assignments will receive a grade of 20%. If you are late with an assignment, you may turn it in after the deadline and throw yourself at the mercy of the professor and hope for a higher grade. However, there are no guarantees that you will receive mercy. My recomendation would be to turn in the assignment no matter how late it is.
Academic Dishonesty:
You are responsible for knowing and following the Academic Integrity Standards as published in the EIU Course Catalog.  In short, no act(s) of cheating, plagiarism or other academic dishonesty will be tolerated.  Any such act will be met with the maximum penalty the university allows. Regarding assignments, this means that assignments you produce for class may be submitted to student media after they are turned in. However, you may not turn in assignments for class that you are currently working on as an assignment for student media.

Attendance:
Be on time. The only acceptable absences in this class are those excused as an OFFICIAL University activity, or with a written medical excuse from a medical doctor. Quizzes given during absence cannot be made up. After the second unexcused absence your final grade will drop one full letter grade. Attendance is taken at the beginning of class.

The instructor reserves the right to modify the requirements of this class as necessary to achieve the objectives of this class during the term.
Course Outline

Week 1: Introduction and Overview: What is multimedia journalism? Definition of terms, history of multimedia storytelling and how the Internet has changed journalism, challenges and opportunities, and the development of multimedia journalism within media industry

Weblogs: What is a weblog; weblogging conventions ‚- blogrolls, posts, permalinks, traffic, conversation; setting up your own weblog. Implications of weblog use for journalists: Are weblogs journalism? Examples of professional journalists who blog; weblogs as watchdogs.

Week 2: Weblogs continued.

Writing for the Web: How web stories differ from print; How web readers/viewers read stories; what is SEO and why it matters in headline writing. Hyperlinks: What are they? Why are they important? How to make them? What to link to?

Week 3: Equipment use and technical specifications: How to use a digital audio recorder; microphone basics; terminology.  Basic audio storytelling techniques: What makes for good audio; definitions; examples of effective audio usage online.

Week 4: Audio Continued: Nat Sound exercises, Scripting

Week 5: Audio Continued: Editing, Interviews

Week 6: Audio (cont.): Importing and editing audio with computer software: options available, including Garageband, Audacity, and others; basic inferface conventions; basic editing; terminology; exporting.

Week 7: Audio Slideshows: Combining audio and still photographs; planning the story; examples from industry; using Soundslides software package.
Best practices for audio slideshows: Do’s and don’ts; thinking about the viewer; captioning and titling.

Week 8: Podcasting: easily distributing audio content online; definitions; how to set up a podcast; best practices; industry use and the future of podcasting.

Week 9: Basic online video storytelling techniques: What makes for good video; definitions; examples of effective online video.
Quantity vs. quality: the newspaper online video debate, making the case for quality; making the case for quantity.

Week 10: Video equipment: what to use and when to use it: Camera basics; purchasing a camera – what to look for; microphone usage; tripods; video recording formats.

Week 11: Video editing for online journalism: Importing video to a computer; using Final Cut Express as a basic video editor; discussion of higher-end editing software; basic editing techniques; do’s and don’ts; exporting a final video project.

Conceptualizing multimedia stories: How to plan a story to incorporate several media in ways that are effective.
Storyboard development: Planning a multimedia project through the use of storyboarding – laying the story out visually

Week 12: Flash video encoding and embedding explained: What is Flash and why is it important for video? How to encode video using Flash software; How to embed a video onto a web page; best practices.

Legal concerns in multimedia journalism: Copyright and ownership; release forms and when to use them; slander.

Week 13: Ethical concerns in multimedia journalism: Privacy; Manipulation of digital images, audio and video – what’s right and what’s wrong with this picture?

Week 14: Usability: Making multimedia content easy to find on your news web site for the present and for the future; helping readers navigate a multimedia package once they find it.

Week 15: Packaging the multimedia story: Putting all the pieces together in one package; how to bundle story pieces effectively; Testing a package before launch; Revising a site once it’s launched.

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The biggest issue with coming up with the kits was the video camera. There were only two entry-level video cameras that has a mic input, and none with a headphone input as well. As this is a beginning class, it was hard to justify the additional hundreds of dollars that would be necessary to get gear with both mic and headphone inputs.

These kits would also be useful for a campus media outlet that wants to get into multimedia in an inexpensive manner.

So here’s the list. Feel free to add comments below.

Canon ZR800 Mini DV Camcorder ($189.00):

Backup Battery ($59.95)

Nady sp5 Microphone ($24.99 for 3):

microphone cable ($11.79):

Camera Bag: Lowpro Nova 1 AW ($25.08):

Impact #800 Tripod with 3-way Panhead (24.95 ea.):

or

Slik SDV-20 Tripod (24.95 ea.):

Olympus WS-300M 256MB Digital Voice Recorder ($59.99)

Put together, the price for each kit is:

$189.00 Camera
$9.00 Mic
$11.79 Cable
$25.08 Bag
$24.95 Tripod
$59.99 Audio Recorder
$59.95 Spare Battery
———
$379.76

Disclaimer: Prices and availability may vary by the time of purchase.

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