1. Geo-data animations in television journalism:
Animation classes and their effectiveness in telling stories
Tim Tensen
12 September 2014
1

2. CONTENTS
• Introduction
• Research questions
• Concepts
• Methodology
• Conclusions
• Discussion
2

3. Source: IDC & EMC 2014, Digital Universe Study
3

4. Geo-data
• Geo-spatially referenced (60 %)
• Coordinates / ZIP codes / place names
• Route tracking / customer addresses /
transaction data / satellite imagery
4

5. Storytelling
“not the lack of information, but the inability to
take in and process it with the speed and volume
that it comes to us — is one of the most
significant problems that citizens face in making
choices about how to live their lives” (Tom Fries in
Gray et. al, 2012)
Need for methods to make sense of the
fast amount of information: STORYTELLING
5

6. Source: Lorenz (2010)
6

7. Data-Visualization
“data-visualizations provide journalists
with a new tool to tell stories that are
difficult to tell with traditional tools”
(Jerry Vermanen in Gray et. al, 2012)
7

8. Data Animations
for Television
8
Temporal component
Reach a vast audience

9. Research Questions
Question 1: Story types
Question 2: Visual storytelling techniques
Question 3: Narrative storytelling techniques
Question 4: Effectiveness
9

10. Stories
10

11. Story
The chain of events in cause-effect
relationship occurring in space and time
(Bordwell & Thompson, 2004)
11

12. Storytelling
• Guiding viewer through chain of events
• Focus viewer & keeping attention
• Context and meaning
• Creating excitement and drama
12

13. Story elements
• Plot structure
• Setting
• Theme
• Characters
13

14. Storytelling
Techniques
14

15. Visual storytelling techniques
Bordwell & Thompson
Mise-en-scene
Cinematography
Editing
Sound
15

16. Mise-en-scene
• Setting (background vs foreground)
• Appearance of characters
– Graphic variables (Bertin, MacEachren, Morrison)
• Appearance of movement
– Dynamic variables (Rebah & Zahin)
16

17. Cinematography
Camera distance: close-up > overview
Camera angle: top view > low perspective
Camera movement: zoom / tilt / pan
17

18. Editing
Smooth transitions support continuous narrative
18

19. Sound
Non-diegetic sound
• Voice over
• Background music
• Sound effects
19

20. Narrative storytelling techniques
Narration
Manipulation of time
• Moment of display
• Order
• Duration
• Frequency
Data simplification
20

21. User study
21

22. Effectiveness
• Narrative understanding
(Busselle & Bilandzic, 2009)
• Emotional engagement
(Busselle & Bilandzic, 2009 / Reeve, 2006)
22

23. Methodology
23

24. 21
Geo-data
animations
for
Television
24

25. introduction inciting incident climax resolution
Animation x Y / N Y / N Y / N Y / N
curiosity surprise suspense
Animation x begin
middle
end
begin
middle
end
begin
middle
end
Animation x Causal / comparison / no relation / other
Plot structure
Plot development
Relation between events
Q1 - data matrices (1)
25

26. Q1 - data matrices (2)
Setting
| geographic scale | time period |
Theme
| according to GEO taxonomy |
26

27. Q2 – data matrices (1)
Narration
Introduction
/ Summary
Annotation:
direct
Annotation:
indirect
Context
An. Sentence 1 Y / N Y / N Y / N Y / N
Sentence 2 Y / N Y / N Y / N Y / N
27

28. Q2 – data matrices (2)
Manipulation of time
Moment of display:
selections in:
Duration
Time Location Value Expanded Compressed
Animation Y / N Y / N Y / N Y / N Y / N
Order Frequency
Show diff. locations Show diff. sub-processes
Animation ABCD Y / N Y / N
28

29. Q3 – data matrices (1)
Graphic variables
Differentiation Measurement
scale
Perception
goal (nominal)
Graphic
variable
Animation Y / N Nominal
ordinal
Quantitative
Selective
associative
Color
size
shape
etc.
29

30. Q3 – data matrices (2)
Dynamic variables
Movement
along path
Boundary
shift
Mutation Appearance
Disappearance
Connection
An. Y / N Y / N Y / N Y / N Y / N
Visual
effect
Visual
effect
Visual
effect
Visual
effect
Visual
effect
30

31. Q3 – data matrices (3)
Other visual storytelling techniques
Background
vs
Foreground
Zoom
Level
Max.
Zoom
Level
Min.
Tilt Pan Editing
Animation 12 2 Y / N Y / N Y / N
Description Description
Background
music
Sound
effects
Animation Y / N Y / N
Description Description
31

32. Q4 – Test effectiveness
Online survey
4animations
64respondents
32

33. General conclusions
33

34. Aspects of data
• Single phenomenon
• Combining different phenomena
– Correlation
– Causal relationship
• Outliers / remarkable selections
34

35. Different scales
35

36. Types of data
36

37. Plot structures
37

38. Themes
38

40. 40

41. Narration
• Introduction to setting and characters
• Annotation of the things we see
• Adding context
• Summarize totals / averages
41

42. Narrative techniques (2)
• Moment of display: selections
42

43. Narrative techniques (3)
• Order: chronological
• Duration: expand > emphasize
• Duration: compressed > save time
• Frequency: repeat story time to show
– Other locations
– Other simultaneous events
43

45. 45
Static connection

46. 46
Time + Detail

48. 48
7 categories

49. 49
Simplified

50. lines connection points polygons
No differentiation
50

51. Graphic variables
51

52. lines connection points polygons
Size: quantities
52

53. lines connection points polygons
Color: selective
53

54. lines connection points polygons
Color: associative
54

56. 56
Continuous: small changes
Interval: big difference

57. Visual techniques: change
57
Tail Blinking

58. Conclusions user study
58

59. Narrative understanding
Animation Easy to follow
Organs 4.1
Schools 4.2
Home sales 4.2
Migration 3.9
59

60. Emotional engagement
• Medium scores on emotional engagement:
• Educational and entertaining rather than
surprising, curiosity or boring
Interest {c} Involved {e} Engage {j}
Organs 4.4 3.8 55%
Schools 3.7 3.3 41%
Home sales 4.3 3.8 45%
Migration 4.3 3.7 48%
60

61. Recommendations
• Avoid information overload
• Focus
• Look for interesting correlations
• Indication of time
• Evaluate whether data-vis is best medium
61

62. Questions
62

63. Cinematography: Camera angles
63

64. Cinematography: zooming
64

65. Editing
sound
65