assignments

Assignment: Multimedia Feature, Multimedia Collaboration

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The final project will be a publication that integrates research, writing, audio, video, and graphic elements in the exploration of a larger overarching theme. The purpose of this assignment is to expose you to the processes of pitching, developing, organizing, managing and producing a multimedia publication—both as individuals and as a collaborative team. Format

The title of this collection will be ONE MONTH IN MURPHY, and will pursue stories that touch, in some way, Murphy Hall. That is, you could do a profile of a worker who cleans carpets in Murphy or go to an event that is advertised in Murphy—the story doesn’t have to stop at the building walls, it just needs to have some connection to this place. The project will be divided into two parts: 8 individually produced multimedia features, and 16 collaboratively produced pieces across different media.

assignments

Assignment: Photo/Graphic Gallery

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Purpose

You’ve started to think about your story from other perspectives, and in this unit we will continue the process by trying to use visual information to illustrate, clarify, or personalize the stories you’ve told. Format

There are many ways to tell a story using visual data. For this assignment, we’ll break them into two primary categories: Photos & Illustrations on the one hand, and Graphics on the other. The gallery you submit must include at least nine discrete images. Of those images, at least 4 must be photos or illustrations, and must include

A scene setter
A portrait
A detail/macro
Another shot: an extreme close-up, unique angles or framing, an action, shot, long or short exposure, dramatic lighting, etc.

assignments

Class 2/6: Parts of an Audio Package

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In class on Monday, we went over the next assignment for the course: an audio package. The elements of an audio package are as follows:

Research: Always research first. This could be research of a social, cultural, or political phenomenon that your story is trying to explore, research about the person you'll be interviewing or place you'll be recording in, or research on other types of a stories that have been told in this arena. If you don't know what to look for, you won't know how to recognize it when you find it! Sound effects: Buzzing crowds, footsteps, cash registers, glasses clinking on the bar, traffic speeding by--all of these things help you create a soundscape for your listeners that you can use to paint a picture before, after, or between your segments. 

Wild track: This is the "room tone" of the sounds wherever you will be doing your interviewing.

assignments

Story Assignment: Audio Package

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Purpose

Now that you have written your first story, we’re going to begin to explore how to adapt those stories into different genres, media, and formats. For this assignment we’ll look to adapt, expand, or extend your story into an audio package in the format of a short radio spot.  

Format

 

In a traditional print story, writers and editors utilize language, structure, research and interviews to convey a message, tell a story, deliver a report or explore an idea. In the realm of audio or radio, producers and recordists utilize different means to achieve the same ends. A radio or audio package utilizes many different types of recorded sound (including interviews, ambient sound, and pre-recorded audio).

class

Class 1/23: Types of Ledes, Nutgraf Basics

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In class today we walked through a series of types of lede paragraphs, from basic News Ledes to more literary and stylistic choices. Here are the ledes we discussed in class:

Summary lede (AKA Straight News Lede, 5W’s Lede)
Punch lede – It uses strong verbs and short sentences that are meant to create an impact. Anecdotal lede – This one begins, as is obvious, with an anecdote. Descriptive lede – As the name suggests, this type of lede goes into great detail to describe the scene or person that makes up the subject of the story. Quotation lede : Ledeing with a colorful quote can get right to the heart of your story.

special guests

Protected: Class 4/5: Guest discussion with Bri Wink (’15), MA Student in Multimedia Journalism

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Bri Wink graduated from Arcadia University in 2015 as a Global Media. She is currently in the MA Program in Multimedia Journalism at the University of Westminster in London, where she contributes to Westminster World. In addition to her studies, she is the Web Content Manager for The Postbox Podcast and keeps a travel blog called The Unlatched Suitcase. As an undergraduate she was editor in chief of Loco Mag and worked in student radio. Thanks for taking the time out of your glamorous London life, Bri!