Multimedia
What is it? Why use it? How to use it?
Presentation by ILRI Public Awareness team
ILRI Komms Klinics session
Nairobi, 31 Oct 2012

The Komms Klinics approach
• Away from (just) tools, into communication
processes
• Six broad communication areas
• Tools are still part of the picture
• Awareness raising and hands-on training
sessions
• More trainers, more trainees

The Komms Klinics approach

Introduction
Structure of presentation
•What is multimedia
•What multimedia can do for you
•How we use multimedia at ILRI
•How the pieces you have can be turned into a multimedia
product
•Examples of multimedia products at ILRI
•Using multimedia in your work
•Challenges in using multimedia
•What next?

What is ‘multimedia’?

What is ‘multimedia’?
• Communication that uses more than one (multi)
medium (media).

What is ‘multimedia’?
• Multimedia combines different formats.

What is ‘multimedia’?
• Multimedia content is delivered electronically
or digitally.

Working with multimedia:
what it can do for you
Project

What multimedia can do for you
• You can combine text, images and sounds in
ways that make your research or project
really interesting to almost everybody.
• This way you reach more people and get
them to take actions you want.

What multimedia can do for you

What multimedia can do for you
• Multimedia makes it easier for people to
remember your message because it is more
engaging compared to traditional channels.

What multimedia can do for you
• You can use multimedia to tell stories that
simplify the complexities of research which
contributes to getting research into use.

What multimedia can do for you
• Multimedia dynamic and easy to adapt. It
can be used differently and creatively by
people.

Working with multimedia:
How we use it @ ILRI
Project

How we use multimedia @ ILRI
For social reporting.
•Workshops, seminars & meetings
Recording interviews and comments from participants
To report ILRI’s research.
• Through Blip films, videos and photofilms showing
importance and relevance of ILRI’s research.
•These multimedia products support blogging/social
media communication.
Project

How we use multimedia @ ILRI
For internal communication.
•ILRI-wide messages
•DG’s messages to staff
Project

How we use multimedia @ ILRI

How the pieces you have
can be turned into
multimedia products

How the pieces you have can be turned
into multimedia products
• Some already have pictures or videos or
presentations from work, workshops and projects.
• Communications team would like to assist you to
turn these into compelling multimedia products.

How the pieces you have can be turned
into multimedia products
The process:
•We start by identifying or agreeing on a possible story
•We can support in interviewing and taking pictures or
videos

How the pieces you have can be turned
into multimedia products
• This is followed by a review and editing of recorded
material to choose what best fits the story.
using Soundtrack Pro, Adobe Audition, Photoshop etc.
• This part of the process takes the most time.

How the pieces you have can be turned
into multimedia products
• The edited material is then put together into a final
product.
• Can be a video, photofilm, slideshow or slidecast
Using iMovie or Windows Moviemaker.

Example of a final product
Participants interview in a workshop:

Example of a final product
Photofilm: How dairy farming educates
Kenya’s children

Using multimedia in your work

Using multimedia in your work
Start by thinking through a story idea or
concept
•What do you want to say or cover or tell?
•Who are your targeting with this message?
•Think about the medium to reach this audience.

Using multimedia in your work
Find out who has the information you need
for the story.
• Who should you interview or talk to?
• What pictures or sounds do you need?

Using multimedia in your work
Talk to communication staff to assist you
conduct interviews and collect pictures for the
the story.

Using multimedia in your work
Work with communication staff in reviewing
your interviews and photos to help you
choose what fits your message.

Using multimedia in your work
The final product is then publish or shared.
•Depending on audience, can be online or shared in
portable media like CDs and DVDs.

Challenges of working with
multimedia

Challenges of working with multimedia
Using multimedia often requires us to learn
new skills
•Such as how to conduct interviews, how to be a good
photo/videographer and sound/video editor.

Working with multimedia–
what next?

Working with multimedia–what next?
Increasing consumption of web 2.0
content likely to keep raising demand for
relevant multimedia products.
For example, increasing use of video in websites.

Working with multimedia–what next?
Need for creative storytelling and
productions that show the uniqueness and
impact of ILRI’s research.
•Requires communication methods/tools that are
dynamic (not static), inspire imagination and that
illuminate knowledge.

Reflection:
What can you start doing today in
multimedia?

Things to start doing today
in multimedia
Identify one big multimedia idea in your
project/research that you would like to work on or get
assisted with.
Note down some of what you already have that
could be used for a multimedia product.

Things to start doing today
in multimedia
Talk to ILRI communication staff for help in turning
Talk to ILRI communication staff for help in turning
what you have and your ideas into compelling
what you have and your ideas into compelling
multimedia products.
multimedia products.

More about Komms Klinics
• Visit our Komms Klinics training wiki:
http://ilri-training.wikispaces.com
• Find out more and contact Tsehay, Ewen, Angela or
Evelyn
• Find answers to communication questions:
http://ilri-comms.wikispaces.com
• Find out about the activities of ILRI’s communication
team: http://infoilri.wordpress.com

International Livestock Research Institute
Better lives through livestock
Animal agriculture to reduce poverty, hunger and
environmental degradation in developing countries
www.ilri.org
Thank you