The document discusses how to create effective multimedia stories by combining various media like text, photos, video, and audio on a website in a nonlinear format. It emphasizes that the information in each medium should complement, not redundant to each other. It also highlights the importance of context and continuity achieved through story "shells" providing background information. The document then talks about different types of shells and the process of storyboarding to plan and organize the various elements of a multimedia story.

1. Putting it all together
 Not all stories make good multimedia stories. (These are the stories you
can’t easily do over the phone.)
 A multimedia story is some combination of:
 Text
 Still photos
 Video
 Audio
 Graphics
 Interactivity (polls, quizzes, etc.)
 These components are presented on a website in a nonlinear format in
which THE INFORMATION IN EACH MEDIUM IS
COMPLEMENTARY, NOT REDUNDANT.

2. Examples
 Herald Sun’s Touching Hearts
 New York Times’ Race In America

3. Web shells and multimedia stories
 Two other important characteristics of storytelling on the Web:
 Context
 Continuity
 To achieve these, multimedia stories are wrapped in a story
“shell” that provides background information, including:
Databases

Timelines

Infoboxes

Links

 These shells can also be a part of a beat for more general
information on a topic.
 All of this comes together to make a multimedia package.

4. Types of shells
 Story shell
 Issue shell
 Beat shell
 General shell

5. Storyboarding
 A storyboard is a sketch of how to organize a story and
a list of its contents. It helps you:
Define the parameters of a story within available resources and

time
Organize and focus a story

Figure out what medium to use for each part of the story


6. How to do a storyboard
 Divide the story into its logical, nonlinear parts, such
as:
A lead or nut graph

Profiles of the main person or people in the story

The event or situation

Any process or how something works

Pros and cons

The history of the event or situation

Other related issues raised by the story


7. Storyboarding
 Divide the contents of the story among the media
 What pieces work best in video?
 What works best in still photos?
 Does audio work best within the video or by itself?
 What part of the story works best in graphics?
 Does the story need a map?
 What part of the story belongs in text?
 Make sure the info in each is not redundant.
 Interactivity means giving the reader both input and control in
a story. (Nonlinear stories are interactive.)

8. Rough Sketch
 What will the main page look like and which elements
will you include?
What’s the nut graph?

What are the links to the other sections of the story?

What’s the menu or navigation scheme for accessing those

sections?
What visuals do you want to include on this main page?

 Do the same for the inside pages.

9. Identify Holes
 Storyboarding points out holes in your story. It helps
you identify the resources you’ll need to complete
your story, or how you have to modify the story to
adjust to your resources.

10. Example
 Topic: Decriminalization of Marijuana