Coming to a close

This semester in J2150 we learned the basics of convergence journalism. We were taught how to use a camera, audio recorder, and video camera and also were given tips on how to get the best quality pictures, audio, and video. We learned how to edit our work and what makes a successful multimedia media story.

Here is a great audio slideshow example

Here is a news style video

http://www.today.com/video

This semester I have learned many important journalism skills that I will take with me in I further my education and career.

What are Infographics

This week in multimedia class we learned about infographics. Infographics are visual interpretations of data. You could use inforgraphics to show a multitude of things. Here are some examples.

All of these inforgraphics give us information in an organized and visual way. It is easier to understand so much data when it is an infographic.

Exploring Catalonia

This week we had do our mobile assignments. We had to find an event happening on campus Monday afternoon and use an Iphone to take pictures and video of the story and create a story out of it on an app called Steller.

I wrote my story on a symposium about the Catalan culture. Catalan is a Spanish dialect that is spoken in an area in Spain called Catalonia. The symposium had professors and students talk about the Catalan culture and language. Also, one of Catalonia’s most famous authors came and read from her books and then talked about her own life experiences and how they related to her writing.

Here is my Steller story. Enjoy!

https://steller.co/s/4L3egtHwakR

More about Mobile

This past week in j2150 we learned more about mobile reporting and different resources you can use to help with create mobile stories. Mobile reporting is a great tool for getting stories the quick and easy way. It is convenient and when a critical situation comes up you can be ready to get the story.

The app we are using to tell our mobile stories is Steller. It creates flip book stories and you can use pictures and videos and add text over your pictures. Here is the website for the app.

https://steller.co

There are thousands of apps that you can use to add to your mobile stories. You can use video editing and photo editing tools and many other apps that can help. Here are some more apps that could be helpful and also more tips to creating a successful mobile story.

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2013/11/futures-lab-video-37-apps-and-tips-for-mobile-reporting/

Final Projects

This week in my multimedia class we began talking about our final group projects. We must create a website over a story and use all the different types of multimedia we have learned this semester.

My group has chosen to do our story over the deaf community in Columbia. There are many different activities on campus and in the community that are focused on educating people about sign language and we believe that these people deserve a spotlight.

In our 2150 lecture this week we talked about the advantages of mobile reporting. It is quick and convenient but the quality suffers. There are certain situations in which mobile reporting can be very beneficial such as in breaking news.

This website tells us five ways in which a reporter could use their phone to tell a story.

http://www.poynter.org/news/media-innovation/200418/5-ways-journalists-can-use-smartphone-apps-for-reporting/

Happy Easter everyone!

You Are What You Tweet

This week in multimedia journalism we talked about the importance of good voiceover in your TV style video stories and also the importance of proper personal branding online. We had a guest speaker in our lecture class on Monday who talked about how a person’s presence online can make or break their career. Over 90% of employers look at an applicants social media networks before hiring or considering to hire them. Your personal brand is how you portray yourself to the world. A person’s social media reflects their personal brand and many of their friends, followers, or potential employers will look at these media sites to get a look into how a person portrays themselves.

This Forbes article presents 7 ways to build a great personal brand.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/shamahyder/2014/08/18/7-things-you-can-do-to-build-an-awesome-personal-brand/2/

The seven tips are:

1. Start thinking of yourself as a brand

2. Audit your online presence

3. Secure a personal website

4. Find ways to produce a value

5. Be purposeful in what you share

6. Associate with other strong brands

7. Reinvent

If you follow these steps and other tips like, never tweet mad and always make your posts relevant and timely you can create a great personal brand.

*Editing*

This week in J2150 we learned about how to edit and how not to make amateur mistakes while editing.  We watched a MediaStorm video that talked about how to use music properly in video, when to use text, and other basic skills any editor should acquire. This blog has some other basic tips for beginning editors.

http://blog.ted.com/10-tips-for-editing-video/

These editing tips include:

1. Chose the best camera angles

2. Use more close-ups and medium shots than wide shots

3. Pay attention to body language and how they speak

4. Cut on action

5. Cut on Word

6. Keep things moving

7. Break up graphics

8. Edit out mistakes

9. Think about who is speaking and who is listening

10. Take some space from your edit

These are all some great tips for beginning editors. Other tips include not using a lot of crazy animation and transitions, only using appropriate music at appropriate times, and when using text, less is more.

Enjoy this wonderful weather everyone!

How to Shoot Good Video

This week in J2150 we learned about the art of video. We learned how to change the settings on our cameras to get the ideal shot and we also learned how to set up our cameras on a tripod. We also took a video lesson on Sakai that told us the camera dos and don’ts. I found this article that has some really great tips for beginning videographers.

http://wwv.crutchfield.com/learn/learningcenter/home/camcordertips.html

The article gives twelve tips to a successful video. They are:

1. Go light on zoom

2. Frame your shots well

3. Use wide shots sparingly

4. Shoot form several different vantage points

5. Avoid backlighting

6. If you don’t want to edit, record only the important moments

7. Record in widescreen

8. Don’t overuse special effects

9. Use a tripod

10. Have plenty of memory cards, and tapes ready to use

11. Keep a spare battery around

12. Back up your video

Most of these tips are self-explanatory but many just starting out may forget some of these basic tips! Enjoy the snow everyone!

Audio Tips

This week we had a snow day on monday so we didn’t have class that day!

On Wednesday, we talked about our next assignment and also got some tips about how to get good audio. We listened to examples of good audio and also audio that wasn’t as good because of wind or mic placement. Our next assignment is an 8 photo audio slideshow in which we need a 1-2 minute long interview and pictures that go along with it. Therefore, getting good interview audio and nat audio is crucial to having a good slideshow.

http://www.desktop-documentaries.com/different-types-of-microphones.html

The link above describes the different types of microphones and which one to use in certain situations. The main three different types of microphones are shotgun microphones, handheld microphones, and lapel microphones. A shotgun microphone is used when you want to pick up a persons voice without hearing a lot of background noise. Most reporters use a handheld microphone because they are ‘handy’ and convenient. Lapel microphones are small mice used mostly for intimate sit down interviews and are great for having a consistent sound.

There are also different ways microphones pick up sound. These patterns include: omni-directional, cardioid, and uni-directional. Omni-directional microphones pick up noise from all directions. Cardioid microphones pick up sound in a heart shape and uni-directional microphones, such as shotgun microphones, pick up sound from one direction.

The website has a lot of other great tips in finding the best microphone for a project.

That’s all. Enjoy this dancing banana.