JOMC 491.3 “Lessons Learned” Erin Smith

How to make a good photostory… Pick your story topic EARLY Start your own research Give yourself options and pursue each of them Don’t know anyone? Find the person who does!

Pick your story topic EARLY

Start your own research

Give yourself options and pursue each of them

Don’t know anyone? Find the person who does!

Sidenote: Working with Schools LOTS of red tape! Students usually need photo/press release forms Need to be ready to work around schools hours

LOTS of red tape!

Students usually need photo/press release forms

Need to be ready to work around schools hours

Meeting with Your Subjects Be prepared to meet with them multiple times Have an idea of what you want before you get there if possible BE RESPECTFUL but persistent This is voluntary for them Helpful if they like you

Be prepared to meet with them multiple times

Have an idea of what you want before you get there if possible

BE RESPECTFUL but persistent

This is voluntary for them

Helpful if they like you

A Few Logistics… Audio Get your audio FIRST. No matter how great your photos are, if they don’t fit the audio, you can’t use them REALLY try to record the audio in the quietest place possible May be helpful to record each question as a separate track

Get your audio FIRST. No matter how great your photos are, if they don’t fit the audio, you can’t use them

REALLY try to record the audio in the quietest place possible

May be helpful to record each question as a separate track

Audio Continued… Write an outline of the story first Helps you organize your clips When going back through your audio, keep track of when quotes that you like show up… SAVES TIME!

Write an outline of the story first

Helps you organize your clips

When going back through your audio, keep track of when quotes that you like show up… SAVES TIME!

A Little on Audacity Must be in .mp3, so use a program like Switch Sound File Converter first to convert your clips Edit your clips separately and then piece them all together at the end Helpful Hint: Always remember to hit the “stop” button before trying to edit. It won’t let you do anything otherwise Often will only export as a .wav, so you may have to convert the file again

Must be in .mp3, so use a program like Switch Sound File Converter first to convert your clips

Edit your clips separately and then piece them all together at the end

Helpful Hint: Always remember to hit the “stop” button before trying to edit. It won’t let you do anything otherwise

Often will only export as a .wav, so you may have to convert the file again

Shooting Take lots and LOTS of photos…you can always delete them later Try to shoot from as many different angles as possible Remember the Rule of Thirds Know what you need to show visually. You have your audio, now you just need to depict it visually

Take lots and LOTS of photos…you can always delete them later

Try to shoot from as many different angles as possible

Remember the Rule of Thirds

Know what you need to show visually. You have your audio, now you just need to depict it visually

Selecting the Right Photos Select the best photos from each shoot and put those in their own folder Create folders for each “moment” you need to show and put possible photos in them Pick the best ones for each “moment” from there

Select the best photos from each shoot and put those in their own folder

Create folders for each “moment” you need to show and put possible photos in them

Pick the best ones for each “moment” from there

Now on to Soundslides! This is your new best friend. No joke. Upload folder of photos, then upload your audio track Put the photos in order, write your captions for each photo, choose your skin, and use the scrubber at the bottom to edit when the photos come up Want them to match your audio, so can pop up at the beginning of a new sentence or with a certain word

This is your new best friend. No joke.

Upload folder of photos, then upload your audio track

Put the photos in order, write your captions for each photo, choose your skin, and use the scrubber at the bottom to edit when the photos come up

Want them to match your audio, so can pop up at the beginning of a new sentence or with a certain word

Publishing! Export the project from Soundslides Take the entire “publish_to_web” folder and put it in your public_html folder on your H drive Might want to rename the folder/project names for a better html address Ex: http://www.unc.edu/~erinsmi/MENTOR/slideshow.swf versus http://www.unc.edu/~erinsmi/publish_to_web/soundslides.swf ENJOY the fruits of your labor =)

Export the project from Soundslides

Take the entire “publish_to_web” folder and put it in your public_html folder on your H drive

Might want to rename the folder/project names for a better html address

Ex: http://www.unc.edu/~erinsmi/MENTOR/slideshow.swf versus

http://www.unc.edu/~erinsmi/publish_to_web/soundslides.swf

ENJOY the fruits of your labor =)

Just in Case… IF you are so unlucky as to need to go back and edit your captions, go back to your H drive under your publish_to_web folder you posted Save the soundslide.xml document using Notepad to your computer, edit the text, and re-post that to your H drive Flash document, so pulls info from outside

IF you are so unlucky as to need to go back and edit your captions, go back to your H drive under your publish_to_web folder you posted

Save the soundslide.xml document using Notepad to your computer, edit the text, and re-post that to your H drive

Flash document, so pulls info from outside

THE END!!!