UNH Lumberjacks

Chop 'em down

If you missed the chainsaws, axes, and beards at the woodsmen's 62nd annual Spring Meet hosted April 18 and 19 by the UNH Lumberjacks, don't sweat it. I covered the event for my final multimedia project.


I'm pleased with the material I've gathered and I'm currently working through the editing process. I'm going to try and keep this piece short and tight to highlight some solid visual elements, as well as focus on the most powerful audio clips.

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On a side note, I'm really enjoying the multimedia website, Mediastorm.

Salute your short (videos)

I think the most important question to answer when considering what type of video and multimedia to upload on a newspaper website is: what segment of the readership (if any) will I serve by posting this material? If an online newspaper isn't serving its viewers, then it shouldn't be able to call itself a "newspaper." Just because a website gets hits, doesn't mean the quality of journalism provided has helped raise questions, better people's understanding of an issue, or provide an in-depth look at various elements of a community.

Considering the equipment that many small newsrooms have to work with, I have no problem with those who post lower quality videos, as long as content overrides presentation. If the images captured in a video caught by a camera phone can enlighten the viewers, then so be it. However, an online newspaper should remain wary of clutter content and maintaining a high standard of quality. Content and presentation will also be a factor in who will and will not advertise.

Short videos currently dominate the internet to provide entertainment, information, and news. The quality of the majority of online video isn't great, but people still watch. I think online news will and should move closer to making short documentary style videos. Not only will the content be valid and informative, but the quality will also outshine grainy video. Obviously cost is a major factor, but the presentation, validity, and niche market, will allow journalists to provide news in a ways that others can't (right now anyone can blog and post video, but not everyone has reporting skills and can present a well-developed story). Not all of us got into journalism to take pictures and shoot video, but those who are willing to create multimedia projects should at least be willing to try making great video stories and short documentaries as we have seen in class.

A nod for the YouTube awards??

Up and running

Google Maps

Last Saturday, I was talking to a recent UNH alum who knows quite a bit about Google Maps. I already knew that there are a number of useful applications for the web mapping technology, but I didn't fully know the extent to which it is being utilized. One of the websites that came up in conversation was Google Maps Mania Blog. The blog lists 100 useful, interesting, or just plan random map applications mashed-up with the original Google Maps. I know that some online media outlets are using mapping technologies to organize information, but the list on the maps mania blog at least allows one glimpse how journalists can use Google Maps as a way to provide relevant, organized, and specific information in one locale. A specific example of Google Maps being used to organize BBC reporters, their locations, and stories is here.



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Photog for a day

I use a Nikon Coolpix 5200 digital camera. I bought the 5.1 megapixel point-and-shoot back in Dec. 2004 and I haven't had a mechanical problem yet. You'd think that after three years and more than 3,000 pictures later I'd be an expert with my camera, but apparently I'm not. On Feb. 21, I continued to pursue the story about Edra Toth, the former Prima ballerina of the Boston Ballet, and her newly formed Northeastern Ballet Theatre. I attended one of her dance classes in Somersworth and hoped for the best, but unfortunately the 70-plus pictures I took didn't turn out the way I had expected. The pictures aren't bad, but I assumed that I was going to obtain sharper images. The Coolpix 5200 is definitely capable of taking some crystal-clear pictures; however, action shots from a distance are just a little more than it can handle. I could have compensated and moved a little closer to get better facial detail, but the blur of an arm or leg will remain. On the bright-side of things, I did get some shots that I'm pleased with, including:

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I recorded new audio and I'm looking forward to using Photoshop and Soundslides to create my project. Even though I'm considering (and probably will) take another round of photos during one of Edra's dance classes, I know the material that I currently have can be turned into a pretty decent slideshow story. With pictures and audio in hand, my focus is now on editing content to produce a final product.

Have a listen

Here's my audio story featuring segments of an interview I conducted with Edra Toth at her Wolfeboro, NH dance studio last week. It's 4 minutes long.

Pulling the breaks

"If it ain't broke, don't fix fit" - an American proverb that comes to mind when considering the fact that newspapers - as a form of information dispersal - have essentially not changed in about 400 years. The proverb must have certainly been close to what industry leaders were thinking for those four centuries. But now that the Internet is where we Google, Wiki and Digg for information, trying to stop 400 years of momentum in a decade's time is like pulling the breaks to a bullet train so it won't hit a mouse 100 meters away. Similar analogies have been used numerous times in recent years to try to partly describe where the newspaper industry is headed.

Ethical questions and questions of integrity arise when a traditional platform changes. In the case of online newspapers, or rather, online media outlets, there are concerns that codes and norms might become compromised, especially at the hand of the average Joe who knows a thing or two about computers, but nothing about journalistic principles.

In the face of change; however, journalists must consider that they are the ones who are trained to report fairly, accurately, and honestly to the best of their abilities. They need to remind themselves that they can and will provide a public service. They need to remind themselves of these things as the platform of information dispersal changes - and changes rapidly. The masses will get what they want, but now we need to figure out how to instill codes and norms, while simultaneously harnessing new trends on the Internet. We need to develop and implement a journalistic platform that is not only enjoyable and useful for the "readership," but a platform(s) that will act as the community, regional, or even national tool to which people seek their news information.

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Here's a link to a recent presentation that Damon Kiesow, the online managing editor at The Telegraph, gave to my New Media class. He addressed a number of the aforementioned issues. And here's a link to Daily Beachcomber photographer Scott Yates' audio slideshow "Backstage Pass: Post-Rockin'." Scott recently gave a "how to" presentation about creating audio stories using Audacity.

Music to my ears...?

My audio story is complete. Well, it's edited and converted, but it definitely not perfect.

For those not familiar with what I'm working on, here's the gist: Last week I went to Wolfeboro, NH to attend a ballet class instructed by Edra Toth. She's a former prima ballerina of the Boston Ballet and is currently a member of the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, as appointed by Gov. John Lynch. She owns and runs her own ballet company/dance academy out of Wolfeboro and Somersworth. Edra's main goals are to provide a means for students to perfect their ballet techniques and to continue to reach more and more students in New Hampshire and New England. I interviewed her after one of her classes. I also recorded a lot of ambient noise, natural sounds, as well as some music during the ballet practice.

Now that the story is in mp3 format, here's my personal critique of the final product:

1. The piece is a bit too long (for my purposes); about 4 min. 25 sec.
2. Too much LOUD background noise during the interview segments.
3. Too much personal narration filling in the gaps.
4. I think the storyline could be clearer.

BUT

1. I have some good use of ambient music from my original recording.
2. My recorded voice sounds better than I thought.
3. Smooth transitions.

Now it's time to figure out how to embed audio.

Recording audio: knowing when to say 'when'

I've run into one big problem while putting together my current audio story: deciding exactly what sound material and elements to use. This problem basically stems from the fact that I have too much audio. I have more than 15 minutes of interview recordings and about six minutes of ambiance and natural sounds - not even counting my narrative audio. By having that large amount of audio, I created a couple of setbacks. Even though I noted the highlights of the interview immediately after it took place, I still spent a lot of time sifting through the audio for the "golden nuggets" of information. And once I found that information it was still more than I needed, thus the refining of the selection process and deciding where to put various sound recordings became a little more difficult than expected.

As for editing the recordings taken from my Olympus DS-30 digital voice recorder into a single audio story, I haven't faced too many challenges. I've found editing audio in Audacity to be a fairly straightforward task. Similarly, converting audio projects via LAME into mp3 format is doable as well. I think the most difficult part about working with these types of computer applications is learning all the nuances.

It’s all about opportunity on the Internet

Right now young journalists have the opportunity to utilize many forms of storytelling to compliment the written word. These forms include everything from video, audio and photos to mapped images, links and alert messages. Fortunately, as a young journalist, I’ll get to spend my last semester of college checking out these tools and techniques via New Media/Multimedia English 721. It will be interesting to see how my understanding of new media will match up to the expectations of employers while I job hunt in the field of journalism over the next few months. As for the course itself, I’m looking to benefit in three major ways.

First, I want to see what my peers’ expectations, understanding, and goals are for online reporting. They’re the ones that grew up with the Internet, so it will be important to see what their beliefs are in relation to seasoned journalists who are already plugging away at new media.

Second, I want to experiment. I want to see what works and what doesn’t. I want to cut losses and I want to cut them fast. I want to try as many new techniques, tools and applications as possible. The Internet is moving closer and closer to individualized customization of the viewed product. I want to see if a story can be told in multiple ways – effectively, efficiently and with time-use maximized over and over again.

Lastly, I want to get a feel for what journalists are writing and creating online. I want to understand their methods and I want to fine-tune what I already know using their techniques as a guide.

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Here’s a link to a multimedia piece produced by Richard Tsong-Taatarii of the Star Tribune in Minnesota. It shows aspects of an outreach program for homeless people in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Not only does the story give audio and video, but it also utilizes still photos with narration. Using both video and still photo images is a great way to tell this kind of social-impact story.