U. Maryland Multimedia Journalism

2010-06-03T17:19:00.002-04:00

Tracking Jamaica: Penn Relays 2010 | Stacy Jones

2010-05-14T11:59:00.004-04:00

Since 1895, the University of Pennsylvania has been holding one of the country's best attended track meets at its historic Franklin Field. In the 1990s, they added a USA vs. The World series to boost attendance and create a stage for some of the sport's biggest athletes to showcase their talent early in the season. In 2010, Jamaican Olympic golf medalist Usain Bolt announced that he would compete in the USA vs. The World: Men's 4x100 meter relay. The announcement sent ripples through the track community and caused ticket sales to soar. Bolt's relay team blew away the competition, including a very sour Shawn Crawford. In 2010, the team to beat was Jamaica, and the team hoping to beat them was the US.

Watch the video.

Waking Up from the American Dream-Gena Chung

2010-05-14T11:52:00.002-04:00

There are some estimates that put the number of illegal immigrants in Montgomery County as high as 250,000. Despite those reports, it is the only county in Maryland that opposes the 287(g) program that would give local police the power to enforce federal immigration laws. Maryland Delegate Susan Lee (D-16) spoke to me about why she opposes the program, and I take an in-depth look into the lives of two illegal immigrants who live in Montgomery County.

A glimpse into the life of Jim Turri

2010-05-14T00:47:00.001-04:00

Jim Turri has been blind since birth, but that hasn't stopped him from working, buying a house or building his own family. About 70 percent of blind individuals in America are unemployed, according to the National Federation for the Blind. Jim and his wife Holly are not part of that statistic. Jim works for the University of Maryland while Holly works for Comcast. Both met at a conference for the blind and believe in instilling values of work, education and Christianity in the lives of their children. Their eldest son, Micheal, is sighted, married and he and his wife just had their first child. Tracy, who still lives with her parents, was born blind and is currently taking online classes to become a teacher. This is an average day in the life of the Turris. -- (UMD Video/Tami Le)

Final Project - The Anacostia River Bag Tax: A Help or Hinderance?

2010-05-13T19:43:00.004-04:00

The D.C. City Council approved a five cent bag tax in June 2009. The tax, which has generated about $150,000 since it took effect January 1, is designed to clean up the Anacostia River. So, how is it working? Experts and residents splinter in their opinions. (Jessica Harper/UMD Video)

Final Project - Going Green in Forest Hills

2010-05-13T14:54:00.000-04:00

The Northwest Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Forest Hills is hosting a pilot project run by the city's office of planning to determine simple ways that people can "go green" at home. Forest Hills residents Ken Terzian, a local architect, and Alan Cohen, who runs a pest extermination and lawn care business without using any toxins or chemicals, discuss some of the ways that they have made their homes and the environment greener and more earth-friendly. (Laura L. Thornton/UMD video)

How To Post Soundslides Projects to Blog (optional)

2010-05-12T20:23:00.002-04:00

As I mentioned, you don't have to post your Soundslide project to the blog -- you can bring it to class and turn it in on a Flash drive. But if you have time and want to try posting it, there are two ways:

1. The first step will be to export from Soundslides (once you're finished), and that will generate a whole folder full of files. Next, upload the Publish_to_Web folder full of files to your Web space.

For Web space, you can use the file hosting service that Maryland provides, ... it's File Manager under TerpConnect
http://terpconnect.umd.edu/myweb

Then post the link to your slideshow to the blog.

The OIT help desk should be able to walk you through any problems that come up with that (http://www.helpdesk.umd.edu/documents/4/4781/)

2. Some of you have found that Soundslides lets you convert your project so you can upload it to Blogger or YouTube without having to put it on TerpConnect. Here's how:

First, go to this link:
http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=132

Then, after the project is already exported, create a zip file out of the "publish_to_web" folder by using the steps listed based on the type of computer you are using.

Then, click "online video converter." (a link in the first sentence).

Type in your email address and click "continue."

Then, select your file and upload it. It will be converted into an MP4 file and emailed to you.

Go to the link, save it and upload it to the blog.

These steps are all outlined on the Web page.

Issues with Method 2:

Some students in past semesters have reported that the captions are dropping out of Soundslides when the projects are converted to mp4 video files. After doing some digging, I've learned that this is a bug of converting Soundslides to video formats:
(see: http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/using-soundslides/publishing/)

So the best way is to use the first method of uploading that I described and upload the folder of files to the TerpConnect Web space -- that will keep the captions in place.

-Jeff

Slides from Today's Class -- Video Week 5

2010-05-07T17:06:00.001-04:00

Mm Spring Week12

Clips from final project - Yergin

2010-05-07T11:25:00.001-04:00

These clearly won't run together like this in the final version...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I89ibo866js

Final Project Photos- Gena Chung

2010-05-07T11:10:00.002-04:00

Photos for final project on illegal immigration in Montgomery County, MD.

Also posted audio in iTunes dropbox under Final Project intro- GChung.

Final Project Clip - Michelle Nealy

2010-05-07T10:26:00.002-04:00

U Street Revitalization Brings New Businesses to the Corridor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdBtKiwtWVE

Note: I'm going to lose the still photos and replace them with cutaway video.

Jessica - Final Project Clips

2010-05-07T01:42:00.005-04:00

Anacostia River Bag Tax: A Help or Hinderance?

Final Project Sample-- Alix Farr

2010-05-06T22:58:00.001-04:00

Some of the photos for my final project are here.

Blind Family - Tami

2010-05-06T21:28:00.002-04:00

a clip of my final project is available here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh9APr_f2aA

Selection of final project photos

2010-05-05T23:08:00.003-04:00

I've uploaded some of the photos I'm planning to use for my audio slideshow here.

Cheers, Karen

Homework Assignment: Piece of Final Project

2010-05-04T10:20:00.001-04:00

Hello all,

I posted a piece of my final project to the iTunes Dropbox. It can be found in the "Drop Box" tab under "final_piece".

Tina

Links From This Week's Class

2010-04-30T18:42:00.003-04:00

I didn't actually get to these in class, but if you want to see a couple of other examples of multimedia projects, check these out. These could not be more different:

* The Marlboro Marine
* Mark Malkoff Gets Carried in New York City

And here's the Radiolab podcast I played part of in class:

Homework Details: Final Project Shoot

2010-04-30T18:31:00.002-04:00

The homework is to make progress on your final project, and submit the best of what you have so far to the blog for a grade and feedback.

* Submit to the blog a short segment of your final project. This could be a slideshow with key images from your upcoming audio slide show; could be a clip or two of highlights from your video footage so far; your narration audio; etc. Make it good, don't just throw a bunch of raw footage up there. Less is more, but show you're making progress.
* As usual, deadline is start of class next week.

E-mail with any questions.

Slides from Today's Class -- Video Week 4

2010-04-30T18:27:00.000-04:00

Mm Spring Week11

Jessica Harper - Boarding the Bus

2010-04-30T16:47:00.003-04:00

Video Sequencing Assignment 2 can be found here.

Karen video sequence

2010-04-30T15:01:00.001-04:00

Video sequence of Caryn Taylor at work in her office at the University of Maryland, April 30, 2010.

Hot Air Balloon at UMD

2010-04-30T14:59:00.000-04:00

My clip of a crew deflating a hot air balloon at the University of Maryland-College Park after giving students rides for a few hours on Friday, April 30, 2010.

Rifle Practice- Gena Chung

2010-04-30T14:54:00.001-04:00

Sequence - Yergin

2010-04-30T14:46:00.001-04:00

Deflating

2010-04-30T14:41:00.002-04:00

Daryl Funkhouser deflats a hot air balloon on the University of Maryland's mall. April 30, 2010. -Tami Le

Tina: Video Sequence Assignment

2010-04-30T14:26:00.002-04:00

Students playing pool in Stamp Student Union, April 30, 2010. Video by Tina Irgang.

Details On Next Homework -- Storyboard Your Final Project

2010-04-23T16:50:00.002-04:00

Video #3: Storyboard Your Final Project

* Prepare a rough outline, with drawings, of your final project.
* Must include elements we discussed in class.
* Use this worksheet -- and turn in the assignment at the start of next class.

Slides from Today's Class -- Video Week 3

2010-04-23T16:48:00.001-04:00

Mm Spring Week10

Links From Today's Class -- Video Week 3

2010-04-23T16:43:00.002-04:00

* Profile of a backpacker: Inside Mara Schiavocampo’s toolkit
* Charlie Brooker - How To Report The News
* Driftless: Stories from Iowa
* Storyboard worksheet

Muslim Call to Prayer | Gena Chung and Stacy Jones

2010-04-23T07:39:00.002-04:00

Muslim students at the University of Maryland come together on Friday to pray. Sophomore Omnia Joehar explains the significance of salat, the formal prayer of Islam.

Click to watch the video on YouTube.

Karen & Michelle Edited Video: Music Rehearsal

2010-04-20T20:51:00.001-04:00

University of Maryland music students rehearse for their upcoming recital, April 14, 2010. Video by Karen Carmichael and Michelle Nealy.

YouTube link here.

Video #2, Tami and Tina: UMD Bake Sale

2010-04-20T14:13:00.002-04:00

Bake sale to benefit Royal Scottish Country Dance at Maryland, April 14. Video by Tami Le and Tina Irgang for UMD Video.
We compressed this one to post it, but a higher-quality version is available on Tami's flash drive.

Video Sequencing Assignment by Laura and Jessica

2010-04-19T18:52:00.003-04:00

University of Maryland, College Park, welcomes students admitted for the fall 2010 semester to an open house at Stamp Student Union on April 16, 2010.

Slides from Today's Class -- Video Week 2

2010-04-16T16:27:00.001-04:00

Mm Spring Week9

Links From Today's Class -- Video Week 2

2010-04-16T16:23:00.002-04:00

ABC News College Cost Piece

The View From the Mat: Women Wrestlers in Oklahoma

Larry Bird vs. Michael Jordan McDonalds commercial

What not to do: Crossing the Axis examples

Details for Next Homework - Video #2

2010-04-16T16:14:00.003-04:00

Ok, you've teamed up, so we just need one video from each team.

Please edit together just the best of what you shot during class this week, into a coherent segment that mixes one interview with some b-roll (background footage) and uses at least one sequence.

* What I'll be grading on is whether you're demonstrating the ideas we discussed in class, so focus on the techniques and showing me you understood what I meant.

* Final edits must be no longer than 2 minutes.

* You can use title frames to introduce your video or separate part of the answers. Don't worry about what I said in class about fades to black unless you're comfortable with effects.

* Use whatever editing software you are comfortable with. If you don't know any program already, I strongly encourage you to find time to come to the labs and use Final Cut. The News Bubble is probably a good place to do that (hopefully they don't have the issue there we had in the classroom with reloading the program in).

* Export your final video as a Web-friendly file and post it to the blog. In Final Cut that will mean choosing Export from the File Menu and then choosing "Using Quicktime Conversion" and then choosing a small file size (there are good tutorials in Help and online to optimize output for Web).

* Post by start of class next week, as usual.

Karen's Video #1

2010-04-16T14:29:00.002-04:00

Tina's video #1

2010-04-16T14:19:00.002-04:00

"Man" on the Street Interviews: Students Explore their Passions

2010-04-16T11:32:00.003-04:00

Libraries vs Retail Chain Bookstores - Raw Video Clips - Jessica Harper

2010-04-15T23:25:00.010-04:00

As ebooks and retail chain bookstores like Barnes and Noble and Borders increase in popularity, fewer and fewer people are heading to their local libraries. But this is not true for everyone. I headed to the Cleveland Park Branch of the D.C. Public Library to find out why.

Raw Interview:

Raw Intro Clips:

Student Reaction to Police Brutality

2010-04-15T18:02:00.002-04:00

I forgot to ask him to spell his name on camera, but the correct spelling is Jaime Harrell.

Competition for Muslim high schoolers at University of Maryland- Gena Chung

2010-04-15T14:17:00.003-04:00

Say "MIST" to anyone but a Muslim in the DC Metro area and they'll think you are talking about a soft drink. But to almost every Muslim high school student in the area, whether from private schools or public charter schools, MIST means so much more than a refreshing, effervescent beverage. The Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament, held from April 9 to April 11 at the University of Maryland, pitted teams of Muslim high school students against each other in competitions ranging from Islamic knowledge to short film. I sat down with the lead coordinator, Amina Haleem, to talk a little more about MIST:

Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament from Gena Chung on Vimeo.

Thoughts on the Apple iPad

2010-04-13T22:37:00.004-04:00

I went to Greenwich Village in New York where several NYU students were hanging out. I conducted several interviews asking students the same questions about their thoughts on the iPad and none of them said they would buy it. Actually, none of them even really knew what the purpose of it was for. This was the interview with the best audio (others were interrupted by sirens or advertisments for a comedy show). -Tami Le

Links from Today's Class -- Video 1

2010-04-09T17:30:00.002-04:00

Skateistan video

The Age of Uncertainty

Zombies Attack Goucher College

Hillary's Inner Tracy Flick

Reporting for Duty

Slides from Today's Class -- Video Week 1

2010-04-09T17:05:00.000-04:00

Mm Spring Week8

Details for Next Homework - Video #1

2010-04-09T17:02:00.002-04:00

Video #1: Man on the Street interview. (30 points)

* The interview must not exceed three minutes and must be at least one minute.

* You will be graded on how well you apply the framing, lighting and audio lessons covered in class. The use of tripods or some other stationary camera is required.
Must ask the subject to say his or her name, spell it on camera, give their age, indicate their occupation, or city (and state) of residence. Think of the video camera as a notebook. These initial questions and answers must be included in the posted video in order for students to receive full credit for the assignment.

* Videos must be posted on the class blog by start of next class, as usual. To post the unedited video to the blog, create a new blog post and click on the "movie" icon to add your video file. If you have any trouble just e-mail me.

Motel Manor: Suburban Homelessness in St. Charles County

2010-04-09T10:40:00.002-04:00

I would have to agree with Alix, that before this assignment I didn't have a favorite multimedia project, and I'm not sure that I do now, but I found some that I really like. I looked at a bunch of audio slide shows and this one caught my eye. Motel Manor: Suburban Homelessness in St. Charles County covers a topic that we've all seen news stories of before, but it looks at it differently which is important. I'm not from St. Louis, but what I gathered from the piece is that there's a homeless population in one of the wealthier suburban neighborhoods, which is of course a place that most people probably wouldn't expect to find any homeless people living.

The photos and the narration in this piece work really well together. I think the slide show captured the lives that these families are living and the desperation and struggle that they feel day in and day out. What I think they did particularly well with this slide show was showing different families stories, but I never felt overwhelmed or like I wasn't hearing enough from one family or too much from another. In a very short period of time, I learned about a community rather than a single person or family which is what a lot of the other shows I looked at seemed to focus on.

NYT: "One in 8 Million" & Penn Relays Project Update

2010-04-09T10:14:00.004-04:00

Anyone who's been around me much at all knows that I really love the "One in 8 Million" series on NYT. I came across it last year when an online journalism professor played a few of the stories in class and have been back to check on it periodically ever since. I love that the photography is done in black and white, and that the people featured in the stories get to tell their own stories.

One of the ones I stopped to watch all the way through was the story of Maggie Nesciur, a waitress who walks up to 90 miles a WEEK. She says she doesn't get tired, she just likes to walk around in her boots. She'll do it for 14 or 15 hours at a time and tailor her walk to how she's feeling. She looks for empty streets when she doesn't want to be around people. There's another about Paul Bockwoldt, who joined a mostly gay rugby team to bond with his gay brother. Touching, right? I'm just in awe at the constant sense of curiosity it must require to seek these stories out.

I highly recommend these. If you want to learn how to let people tell their own stories, you should listen to the audio on these and reverse engineer the questions the reporter must have asked. The photography, done by Todd Heisler, is really inspiring. Check it out - One in 8 Million - you'll be glad you did.

Penn Relays project update:
I did a photo interview with Dave Johnson last week at Franklin Field. I was delighted with the weather, and got to shoot the on the upper deck of the stadium with a track meet going on in the background. It went really well. I got some great footage and next week I'm supposed to give him a call so we can talk about arranging for some credentials to shoot video and take photos during the meet. I'm going to work on reaching out to the man who handles getting high school Jamaican teams signed up for the meet. His name escapes me at the moment, but it's scribbled down somewhere. Aside from that, I'm going to try and story board this project so I know exactly what I need on race day.

Favorite Multimedia Piece /Update on U Street Transformed

2010-04-09T07:16:00.006-04:00

You will have to forgive me for the shameless self plug, but my favorite multimedia piece is the first audio slideshow that I ever completed. Click here to watch. A former employee for Diverse Issues In Higher Education, I took photos left over from a photo essay spotlighting Honda's 2008 Battle of the Bands competition and asked North Carolina A&T State University's marching band to send me an audio track to feature with the photos. At the time, my publication didn't have Soundslides, so I made the slideshow in Windows Movie Maker. Despite my lack of formal multimedia training, I think that the slideshow does a good job of telling a story.

The photos capture the intensity of the musicians and the complexity of the choreography. The music captures the unique spirit and style of historically black colleges marching band traditions. Moreover, this slideshow was the first digital slideshow that company could attached its name to.

Update:

In my attempt to document the restoration of the U Street Corridor, I have decided to profile three of the corridor's newer small businesses. I've already interviewed the manager of Pinz-and-Needles Tattoo parlor. I'm trying to nail down Boundless Yoga and Kreme restaurant. To tell the entire story of U Street, past and present, would be overwhelming. A more comprehensive story is why these three businesses decided to open up shop on U Street. The business owners should be able to help me tell the story of the transformation indirectly.

Also, I need a microphone, a flipcam, and a good director/assistant to schedule interviews.

-Michelle Nealy

Favorite Multimedia Piece-- Alix Farr

2010-04-08T22:48:00.004-04:00

I will admit that before today I couldn’t say I had a favorite multimedia piece. Maybe I just have a poor memory, but no audio slideshow or video clip has made it into my long-term memory bank.

So, for this assignment, I set to work searching for a new favorite, and after pouring over what felt like upwards of 50 videos and slideshows and audio clips, I came to the conclusion that this class has made me extraordinarily critical. Everything I saw I criticized, which made it difficult to find a favorite.

Some were too long, even for me, and I have a passion for news and images. Some were poorly put together. I don’t like when the sounds of children don’t match up with the pictures of them playing. Some had no ambient sound at all, which left the pieces feeling dry, even with incredibly interesting subjects.

All said and done, I did pick a favorite. It is this story called “Praying for the Rain” by duckrabbit, which I discovered is a journalism/multimedia organization in the UK. This piece has its imperfections (like I said, nothing meets my standards anymore), but I appreciate the art and the power of it. I also like the quality of the images, the use of ambient sound, and the recurring piano music, though I’m not quite sure where the music comes from. It’s way too long, some parts of the audio are hard to understand and should have been edited out, and at times the sequence of narration is hard to follow. But I do like the way it shows a reality that a mere print story would never be able to.

Day in Photos - Jessica Harper

2010-04-08T14:41:00.032-04:00

When it comes to multimedia presentations, the Washington Post's recurring slideshow, Day in Photos always captures my attention because it offers a glimpse into newsworthy happenings not just in the U.S. but worldwide as well.

From a woman using her mobile to record an incidence of vandalism in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to a 6-year-old boy performing hand-gymnastics in a Chinese hospital, these photos capture fun, tragic, intimate, educational and entertaining moments in daily life and prove that despite geographic separations, certain commonalities inevitably bind human life together.

For April 7-8, the Day in Photos topics range from an art exhibit in Beijing to mudslides in Rio. That's a pretty electic mix that Post photo editor Dan Murano oversees. His selections incorporate all the photojournalistic conventions, including close-ups, the rule of thirds and unique angles. The tilt of these featured photographers' cameras can alter the vantage point of their viewers. For example, viewing an image close-up might evoke a different response than seeing it farther away. Close-ups nearly place viewers in a photograph. They are purposely invasive that way.

In that sense, multimedia presentations like, Day in Photos, succeed where print stories fail. For news consumers who prefer a visual representation of the world's events, a media slideshow like this one is ideal.

Multimedia: Covering the Iraq War- Gena Chung

2010-04-08T12:34:00.005-04:00

Reuters created a multimedia site dedicated to coverage of the Iraq War from the perspective of the journalists who covered it between 2003 and 2008. The main report is under five minutes (the introduction). It is a combination of compelling and often disturbing photographs and battlefield video with intermittent video commentary from journalists who describe why coverage of war is essential, despite its challenges.

In the opening of the piece, Andrew Marshall, the Iraq War Bureau Chief for Reuters from 2003-2005, explains that Iraq has been the deadliest war for journalists with 111 killed on duty between 2003 and 2008 (found in the maps).

What I love about this piece is the discomfort I feel as I watch the images. What I think makes this piece stand out above so many others is not the technical quality (it's there just like hundreds of others) but the intimacy, impact and immediacy of the images and video. They allow the world entry into a place that only a fraction of people have ever been or ever will be- into a world of large-scale, man-made violence.

It is also interesting to consider how this piece compares to Karen's, which also looks at war. How have the standards of what is acceptable and unacceptable war coverage changed throughout the years?

The piece is especially compelling to watch as a would-be journalist because it calls to mind all kinds of questions: How does one maintain technical excellence in such conditions? How do you forsake your own personal safety for the story? How do you detach yourself from the emotions you are capturing? How do you photograph or film people being burned alive? Being kidnapped?

The ambient noise and music are well-placed and effective. Not distracting or superfluous.

Beyond the introduction on this site, the timeline and map pages are particularly excellent ways to extend and supplement the storyline. The interactivity is user-friendly and the layout is clean and uncluttered.

A different look at Haiti, post-earthquake

2010-04-07T22:01:00.004-04:00

One of the more compelling multimedia pieces that I have seen about post-earthquake Haiti is this audio slideshow from March 28, 2010, produced by Jeffery Delviscio and Jessie De Witt for the New York Times, with reporting by Grant Fuller and photography by Lynsey Addario.

The presentation contrasts images and audio clips from Haitian nightclubs with images and clips from camps where Haitians displaced by the earthquake have been living in semi-permanent residency for the past three months. The disparity between the rich and poor is made very clear.

The first image - and accompanying techno music - drew me into the presentation. Slideshows of Haiti these days are usually only about the poverty, homelessness, health crises and dire needs that have increased since the earthquake. This presentation, on the other hand, started out with a scene that could have been in any city - third-world, earthquake-stricken or not.

A couple of minutes in to the presentation, the focus shifts to the camps. But by then, a viewer has already had a taste of the non-poverty side of Haiti. The contrast is unsettling, but at least we are getting a glimpse of both extremes.

For all the flashy club scenes and heart-string-tugging photos of the makeshift camps, however, the images that stick with me the most are those of camp children playing jump rope. Jumping girls first appear about half-way through the presentation, and then appear again near the end. Contrast these girls with the ones in the club - the jump-roping girls seem to be having more fun - if only just.

Karen Carmichael - Favorite multimedia project

2010-04-06T23:10:00.003-04:00

I love this audio slideshow on Don McCullin produced by the BBC. McCullin is an acclaimed war photographer who covered both Vietnam and Cambodia. An audio slideshow is the perfect way to profile him - his riveting images scroll by as he speaks about his experiences and the backstory behind specific photos. I love the part about 1:15 where McCullin says he believes the "accusing face" of an elderly Vietnamese man tells more about the Vietnam War than "any war picture of a man throwing a hand grenade." As he speaks, the camera fades into a closeup of McCullin's photo of the Vietnamese man, and at just the right moment shifts to his shot of a man throwing a grenade. His point is illustrated perfectly in a way that wouldn't be possible in a straight print piece.

Interspersed with McCullin's commentary is ambient sound of gunfire and archival broadcast announcements about military developments in Vietnam and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The timing throughout the slideshow is impeccable, lingering on the most powerful images and sparingly using the ambient sound to provide context but still keep the focus on McCullin. This man was present at momentous turning points of history, and the slideshow really brings that home.

Tina Irgang: Favorite Multimedia Project

2010-04-05T13:34:00.003-04:00

The New York Times has done several excellent multimedia projects on the census, including one about a town in North Dakota which expects to have a 100 percent response rate and another about a Florida town that was severely undercounted in 2000. However, one project posted on April 1 is particularly creative.

It mixes text, photo slideshows and maps for a random census of the five boroughs of New York City. Reporters visited key gathering points in each borough and observed what happened as people interacted there over periods ranging from 20 minutes to an hour.

All five slideshows are excellent and give insights into each borough's daily routine, showing New Yorkers as they play basketball, walk their pet rabbits and try to make it in show business. The statistics assembled by the reporters range from the entertaining ("3: People in line who talked on cellphones in front of a sign asking them not to") to the mundane ("8: People playing badminton") and the revealing ("60: Minutes a 27-year-old vocalist stared out a window 'contemplating my next move.'").

You can find the project here.

Details On Next Homework -- Final Project Update and Favorite Multimedia

2010-04-02T18:27:00.002-04:00

Part 1... Tell us about your favorite multimedia piece:

* Post a link to it to the blog by start of next class, along with a brief comment telling us why you chose it.

Part 2... Work on researching your final projects or submitting a new pitch:

* E-mail your editor (me) a status update on your final project.
Note any research you’ve done, new thoughts on your plan, etc. Have the e-mail to me by start of next class.

Slides From Today's Class on Audio Slideshows

2010-04-02T17:32:00.001-04:00

Mm Spring Week7

Links from Today's Class on Audio Slideshows

2010-04-02T17:21:00.002-04:00

Here's the story from the New York Times that I mentioned at the beginning of class:

For Photographers, the Image of a Shrinking Path

And here are the two audio slideshows I showed in class:

Weslaco Bullriders: Life Lessons Learned Over 8 Seconds

Under One Roof

Maryland Students Beautify the Compassion Center for "Terp Service Day"

2010-04-02T11:48:00.004-04:00

Check out the photos.

Every Queen Needs Her Bingo | Stacy Jones

2010-04-02T11:11:00.000-04:00

View my slideshow here.

2010 National Cherry Blossom Festival - Tami Le

2010-04-02T03:58:00.001-04:00

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=tamicle&target=ALBUM&id=5455423112516715793&authkey=Gv1sRgCK6KxLPnv5_59gE&feat=email

Gena Chung: Photo Slideshow

2010-04-02T03:02:00.004-04:00

Opposition Increases Against Costco at Wheaton Westfield Mall

A Day at McKeldin Library - Jessica Harper

2010-04-01T22:57:00.009-04:00

Captioned photos and slideshow

Photo Slideshow - Ilana Yergin

2010-04-01T22:49:00.002-04:00

Passover 2010: Preparation for my family's seder

Fun with Bunnies: Butler's Orchard's 15th Annual Bunnyland-- By Alix Farr

2010-04-01T18:58:00.001-04:00

You can view my slideshow here.

Photo Assignment No. 5

2010-04-01T10:48:00.004-04:00

The National Building Museum's annual Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates spring with flowers, dancers, kimonos, paper umbrellas, steel drummers and arts and crafts

By Laura L. Thornton

Photos and captions of the festival can be found here.

Hundreds of kites take to the air during Smithsonian's annual Kite Festival - by Karen Carmichael

2010-03-31T23:06:00.003-04:00

Photo story on the Kite Festival can be found here.

Tina Irgang: A Walk Through Eastern Market

2010-03-29T12:59:00.002-04:00

You can find my Flickr slideshow plus captions here.

Slides from Week 6 (Photo Story)

2010-03-26T19:08:00.001-04:00

Mm Spring Week6

Details On Next Homework -- Photo Story

2010-03-26T18:56:00.002-04:00

As we discussed in class today, the next assignment is to put together a slideshow. Think of it as a news or feature story you're telling with images.

Here are the details:
* Must include between 8 to 12 pictures
* Should tell a story -- you should be able to explain to me why you selected the order that you did, and try to have it progress in a logical flow.
* Must include a headline/title frame
* You don't have to check the topic with me in advance unless you have some doubt that it will fly.
* Can use any photo service to put it together (Google’s Picassa, Flickr, etc), and please paste the "embed code" or link from Picassa or Flickr into the blog. If you can't get those to work you can post the images directly into a blog post.
* Write a caption and credit each image. These captions should be just one sentence each in most cases -- think of it as equivalent of the caption that would run in the paper with the image.
* Each image should be as well composed, color corrected, and cropped as possible.
* As usual, due at start of next class.

E-mail with any questions....

Group 2

2010-03-26T15:03:00.001-04:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stacyannj/sets/72157623584337493/

Open House at the University of Maryland

2010-03-26T14:12:00.007-04:00

Anthony Massa enters the Knight Center on a self-guided tour with his daughter who has been admitted to the University of Maryland. (UMD Photo/Alix Farr)

Tour guides wait at Stamp Student Union to guide admitted students through campus. (UMD Photo/ Tina Irgang)

Testudo the Terrapin advertises campus tours for accepted students on March 26, 2010. (UMD Photo/Jessica Harper)

Accepted student Maria Massa and her father Anthony Massa explore the journalism building. Maria hopes to be a journalism student. (UMD Photo/Alix Farr)

Accepted student Maria Massa explores the Knight Center on March 26, 2010. She has been to campus before but this was her first time in the new building. (UMD Photo/ Ilana Yergin)

Arab Americans Celebrate Community in Montgomery County by Alix Farr

2010-03-26T11:52:00.000-04:00

For my project, I would like to do an audio slideshow centered on the Arab American Heritage Festival in Gaithersburg that is to take place on April 11. I have done reporting recently on the Census and how the Middle Eastern community is hoping to use Census data to better define and understand its own population in Montgomery County. I would like to combine this idea with the festival and what it means for the community as a whole. I hope to do interviews with leaders in the Arab community, as well as participants in the festival. Pictures will be of the festival activities, which will include dance, music, arts and crafts. I expect runtime to be 3-4 minutes.

Progressive Hip-Hop Artist Christylez Bacon Plays at Twinbrook Library-- Alix Farr

2010-03-26T11:00:00.006-04:00

Southeast Washington D.C. native Christylez Bacon, 24, is a Grammy-nominated progressive hip-hop artist who has garnered a reputation for reaching audiences not typically targeted by other musicians in this music genre. Some of his recent concert venues have included the Kennedy Center, Strathmore and, recently, Montgomery County public libraries. His goal, he says, is to foster "cultural acceptance and unification through music." (UMD Photo/Alix Farr)

Although the human beatbox was his first instrument-- it came free, he says-- Christylez has also taken up the acoustic guitar, the African Djembe drum, the ukulele, the spoons, and the piano. He likes to mix styles, often combining beatboxing with jazz, swing, or bossa nova to create unique sounds. (UMD Photo/Alix Farr)

Christylez likes to rhyme about his everyday life, like in his song about a native DC condiment called mambo sauce and another about the roaches in an apartment he once shared with his mother. He also likes to add his own style to classic songs, like his hip-hop version of "Humpty Dumpty" that appeared on the album "Banjo to Beatbox," a collaborative effort with Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer that earned a Grammy nomination. (UMD Photo/Alix Farr)

Project Porposal - Yergin

2010-03-26T10:09:00.002-04:00

For my project, I plan to cover the first ever Amnesty International Human Rights Arts Festival being held in downtown Silver Spring from April 23-25. I would like to present this as a video. There are many local businesses and artists participating in the event, so the video will include interviews with at least one artist, one business owner, and one guest at the event. I'm not sure about running time, but I assume it will be between 3-5 minutes. I think this will make an interesting story because it will be both visual from all of the art in the area and because the people will be interesting. There are to be visual art shows, spoken word performances, new media events, performance events, and more. The people who are going to be at this event will most likely feel passionate about what they are supporting. Every event there is meant to be related in some way to human rights. Proposed headline: Human rights and the Arts come together in first ever Amnesty International Human Rights Arts Festival.

Final Project Proposal - Jessica Harper

2010-03-26T10:00:00.001-04:00

As the economic downturn forces businesses to close their doors, privately-owned operations especially struggle to stay afloat. Still, some manage to keep their doors open. I want to visit five or six family/privately owned restaurants and clothing shops and interview owners and customers. How has the financial fallout affected the way the owners operate ther buisnesses? How has it affected the way their customers shop? Have they made any adjustments as a result? Has business fluctuated? Has it stayed the same? I plan to visit businesses in the U Street, Eastern Market and Adams Morgan neighborhoods to get a variety of perspectives. I propose a 3-4 minute audio-slide show and the topic, "How the District's Small Businesses Weather the Economic Downturn."

The Shoe Shine Man - Jessica Harper

2010-03-26T09:52:00.008-04:00

Vietnam Veteran Eddy Bennett has been shining the shoes of politicians, lawyers and businessmen outside the District's Judiciary Square metro stop since 2004. Over the years, Bennett's clientele roster has included a few famous names, most notably activist Julian Bond.(UMD Photo/Jess Harper)

Bennett shines the shoes of Raymond Northbey, a cooking instructor at Howard University. Northbey, a District resident, is one of Bennett's most frequent customers. He says he visits the shoe shiner's station whenever he can.(UMD Photo/Jess Harper)

Bennett assembles his brushes and other cleaning supplies as he awaits customers. The Brooklyn, NY native says he serves 20 or more passerby each day. He typically charges $6 for his services, and tips, he says, are always welcome. (UMD Photo/Jess Harper)

Project Proposal: The U Street Corridor Transformed

2010-03-26T09:38:00.003-04:00

For my final project, I would like to assemble an audio slide show documenting the 30-year transformation of Washington's U Street Corridor. In the last three decades, the area has morphed from a predominately black and low-income enclave to a high-end, multicultural hot spot. During the early 1990s, many small businesses and wealthy homeowners abandoned the area, priming it for drugs and violence. A city-wide revitalization effort launched in the early 2000s, brought dozens of new businesses, new visitors, new condominiums, new residents and a significant amount of criticism. The people who had lived in the community for decades were, in many cases, forced out. I would like to speak with business owners, residents (new and old) and patrons that frequent the area about the impact that the transformation has had on them. Time alloted 3.5 to 4 minutes.

Portrait Photo - Yergin

2010-03-26T09:35:00.004-04:00

Rabelais Batchaji, a University of Maryland College Park gardener worked outside on March 24, 2010. Batchaji moved to the United States in May 2007 from Cameroon where he grew up on a farm. (UMD Photo / Ilana Yergin)

Rabelais Batchaji worked on the grounds of the College Park campus of the University of Maryland on March 24, 2010. He says he enjoys the work he does because it reminds him of the work he did on his father's farm growing up in Cameroon. (UMD Photo / Ilana Yergin)

Rabelais Batchaji takes a short breather as he works on the grounds of the University of Maryland College Park. Batchaji has worked for the University since June 2009. (UMD Photo / Ilana Yergin)

Final Project Proposal

2010-03-25T23:01:00.002-04:00

For my final project, I will prepare an audio slideshow of approximately 3-4 minutes in length illustrating one Washington, D.C., neighborhood’s efforts to achieve a “greener,” more sustainable community. In particular, I will feature Cleveland Park (Ward 3F) residents who are participating in the city’s first Neighborhood Sustainability Indicators Pilot Project (NSIPP) with the city’s planning office. Residents serving voluntarily on the NSIPP’s Technical Advisory Committee are brainstorming ways in which the community can become more green – through group purchasing and installation of solar panels, advocacy for more bike lanes, or more comprehensive recycling programs in the community, for example. Several of these Technical Advisory Committee members are already renovating their homes to make them greener. I will provide background information about the project and will interview a few of these residents about their greening efforts for the audio component of the audio slideshow, and will present a series of photographs illustrating their greening efforts to accompany the audio component.

Project Proposal: Fishermen vs. Catch Limits

2010-03-25T20:33:00.003-04:00

Maryland fishermen recently took part in a “United We Fish” rally in D.C. on February 24 to protest severe federal fishing limits that they say have been harming their livelihoods. The limits were first enacted in 1976 and amended in 1996, largely due to overfishing. Now, however, some fishermen are saying some of the fisheries have rebounded to the point that the current limits are far too strict, and are putting them out of business. Others agree, saying there needs to be more flexibility in federal rules.

I'd like to talk to a couple Marylanders who depend on fishing in the Chesapeake and Atlantic, an official from the National Marine Fisheries Service, a scientist/marine biologist, and perhaps a representative of an environmental group. The piece could touch on why the limits were put in place, the state of the Chesapeake now, how fishermen are faring, and possible options these people see for the future.

Format: audio slideshow
Run time: 3-4 minutes

All the Way Turned Up: Preparing for the Event

2010-03-25T20:03:00.015-04:00

University of Maryland student Allyn Custer took a break from practicing for her upcoming concert performance "Voila Viola" to pose for a brief photo shoot. The photos were taken in the outdoor gallery of the university's performing arts center. The performance will be held Friday, March 26, in the Clarice Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland.

(UMD Photo/Michelle J. Nealy)

Allyn Custer, a double major in music performance and music education, has been playing the violin for 12 years. She also plays the piano, the viola and sings. She has always loved music. Her parents used to play music for her when she was very young. (UMD Photo/Michelle Nealy)

Music, Custer says, is the biggest part of who she is. Custer is a third-year student at the university. (UMD Photo/Michelle Nealy)

Project Proposal: Silent Hybrid - Tami Le

2010-03-25T19:43:00.003-04:00

On Feb. 25, 2010, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act reached 200 cosponsors. The bill was introduced by the National Federation for the Blind on Jan. 28, 2009. Its purpose is to protect blind people (and pedestrians) from injury and death due to silent vehicle technology of hybrid cars. Accidents caused by silent cars has been an issue since 1996 but the a bill has still not been passed. I would like to get sound bites of of a normal car and a hybrid car and interview pedestrians, runners, blind people, and maybe someone from the NFB. I might do it via video but I feel that having it all on audio might have a better effect. Running time: 4 minutes

Project Proposal: Penn Relays

2010-03-25T17:29:00.003-04:00

I'll be attending the Penn Relays on April 24. For those that haven't had the pleasure of attending this event: It's a huge national track meet that also features Olympic runners. There's a lot of friendly camaraderie in the stands among regular attendees, but there's also an exciting sense of rivalry too. While the Penn Relays mostly feature high school and college runners, the events labeled "USA vs. The World" get a ton of attention. Jamaica and the U.S. have had a long-standing competition to boast the world's fastest runners. Jamaica has edged us out in the past few years and I'd love to talk to some people about the apparent feud. It's a very LOUD event, so I'd like to interview organizers and UPenn historians/archivists before the event, take photos while I'm there and get some ambient sound of the crowd going wild. This event happens every year. However, I haven't seen any multimedia presentations that deal with the U.S.A.-Jamaica rivalry. If I can set up a few important interviews in one day, I'd like to drive to UPenn to talk to people in person to avoid audio issues from doing interviews over the phone. Proposed run time: 5 minutes. Proposed format: Audio slideshow.

Capt. John Brandt Portraits

2010-03-25T17:16:00.003-04:00

Captain John Brandt of the University of Maryland Department of Public Safety poses with his bike outside of the Pocomoke Building near fraternity row on Wednesday, March 24, 2010. He'll be retiring on April 1 after 30 years at the university and has never taken a sick day. "I never wanted to. I had things to do here," he said. (Stacy Jones/UMD Photo)

Brandt became a bike officer in 1991 after pushing the department to consider the advantages of having officers on bicycles. He said police bikes are modified to allow riders to sit more upright and scan crowds and lack the clicking noise that usually alerts pedestrians to move for a cyclist. (Stacy Jones/UMD Photo)

Brandt brings his bike, one of the first the department purchased, into the garage to demonstrate how officers navigate in tight spaces. He said it's one of the hardest skills to teach new bike officers, who undergo 40 hours of training before being asked to navigate the Comcast Center steps on their bikes as a final exam. (Stacy Jones/UMD Photo)

Karen Carmichael Photo 4 - Portraits

2010-03-25T16:55:00.004-04:00

Denzel Nottage of Little Farmer's Cay, Bahamas, stands in the sprawling garden surrounding his one-room cottage on March 19, 2010. Located in the Exuma Island chain, the cay's single settlement has about 50 residents; supplies from Nassau come only once a week on the mailboat. (UMD Photo/Karen Carmichael)

Denzel Nottage of Little Farmer's Cay, Bahamas, shows off his hand grown produce on March 19, 2010. Nottage grows tomatoes, sweet peppers, bananas, soursop, and tamarind for the island community and visiting boaters, who frequently stop for the cay's well-sheltered anchorage. (UMD Photo/Karen Carmichael)

Denzel Nottage relaxes on a rock in his yard that overlooks the Small Harbour of Little Farmer's Cay on March 19, 2010. Like most rural Bahamians, Nottage keeps chickens; sometimes they get loose, he says, and eat most of his tomatoes. "I grow some for me, some for them," he said. (UMD Photo/Karen Carmichael)

Gena Chung: Final Project Proposal

2010-03-25T11:32:00.003-04:00

Days End Farm Horse Rescue is celebrating its twentieth anniversary. Since 1989, this non-profit organization has rescued over 1,500 abandoned and abused horses, leading to the safe adoption of over 94% of them post-rehabilitation. Last year alone, over 1,200 volunteer gave over 33,000 volunteer hours to care for over 60 horses, including Arraber horses, horses used by street merchants in the city of Baltimore that are no longer being used. I propose to do an audio slideshow that details the history of the farm, current horses and why and how they were brought to the farm, and goals for the future. I'll interview staff, volunteers and maybe local residents. Proposed headline: Local Rescue Farm Celebrates its Commitment to Horses. Proposed Running Time: 4 minutes.

Portrait: Salvation in a Saddle- Gena Chung

2010-03-25T10:14:00.013-04:00

Tina Snyder prepares her horse, Baker Bean, for a training session. Snyder, who owns Safe Haven Farm in Sykesville, Maryland, credits Bean for her physical and mental rehabilitation after her trailer was T-boned by a snow plow going 60 miles per hour in December 2006. (U of MD Photo/Gena Chung)

Snyder leads Bean from the stable for a warm-up in the training circle. Snyder adopted Bean from a rescue farm after he was found abandoned and starving, weighing less than 300 pounds. He is training for his debut show in May 2010. (U of MD Photo/Gena Chung)

Using the whip, Snyder illustrates the trust that has formed between her and Bean, whom she calls her "best friend." "We think we're the ones saving them, when they're really saving us," Snyder said. (U of MD Photo/Gena Chung)

Portraits of a Stranger - Tami Le

2010-03-24T11:36:00.003-04:00

Lance Quesenberry, 22, works on his last customer for the night at Floyd's Barbershop in College Park on March 23. Quesenberry has been working as a barber at Floyd's for three months. (UMD Photo/Tami Le)

Quesenberry sits down to eat a taco from California Tortilla at 8 p.m. Tuesday. He usually eats at the end of his shift before he begins his hour-long commute back to Calvert County. (UMD Photo/Tami Le)

A pool table sits in the middle of Floyd's Barbershop. Quesenberry plays a little pool after his last customer left Tuesday, something he usually does when business is slow. (UMD Photo/Tami Le)

Photo Assignment No. 4 - Portraits

2010-03-22T17:52:00.008-04:00

When she's not singing or teaching others how to sing, play the piano or strum the guitar, Eliza Burnham - a middle-school music teacher in Middleboro, Mass. - practices the culinary arts in the sunny kitchen of her 19th-century home. (UMD photo/Laura L. Thornton)

Burnham strikes the conductor's stance - a habitual pose - while working in the kitchen. Burnham teaches general music and leads the chorus and band at the middle school in Middleboro, a small town in southeastern Massachusetts. (UMD photo/Laura L. Thornton)

Small pots of ready-to-pick cooking herbs hang over Burnham's kitchen sink. (UMD photo/Laura L. Thornton)

Final Project Proposal: Tina Irgang

2010-03-22T12:38:00.000-04:00

For my final project, I propose a 3-minute audio slide show on the subject "Capitol Hill: An Unlikely Black History Landmark."
To the casual observer, Capitol Hill is the upscale backyard of the Capitol building, home to wealthy government employees and interns. Few would identify it as a major black history landmark, yet it is home to the city's first school for African Americans, its first independent black congregation and a traditionally black yacht club. In addition, the neighborhood is bordered by the Supreme Court, many of whose decisions changed African American life forever (Brown vs. Board of Education comes to mind), and Union Station, where black Washingtonians could come for a meal when other public spaces were segregated. I propose to structure the piece chronologically, meaning I would start with the landmark that goes the farthest back and work my way up to the most recent one. I would speak to employees at landmarks such as the Frederick Douglass Museum and Ebenezer United Methodist Church about the neighborhood's black history and also include quotes from neighborhood residents.

Photo Assignment #4: Portrait: Tina Irgang

2010-03-22T12:23:00.008-04:00

Jim Toole poses in front of Capitol Hill Books, the used-book store he has owned since 1994. The store is famous for using every available surface for book storage, including stairs, desks and the shop window seen in the background here. (UMD Photo, Tina Irgang).

Toole spends most of his days at this desk inside Capitol Hill Books. He he loves the book business but is sometimes nostalgic for his 30 years serving in the Navy. (UMD Photo, Tina Irgang).

Toole is currently reading "The Dharma Bums" by Beat author Jack Kerouac. "The Beat generation is my generation," Toole said. The note to his right reads "Ron Dies," an (inaccurate) spoiler for the final Harry Potter installment and an example of Toole's distinctive blend of humor. (UMD Photo, Tina Irgang)

Slides from Week 5

2010-03-13T15:46:00.001-05:00

Mm Spring Week5

Homework for Mar 26 Meeting

2010-03-13T15:35:00.002-05:00

As discussed in class, there are two homework assignments for next week - a photo project, and the first draft of your final project proposal. Here are the details:

Photo Assignment #4: Portrait:

* Find a stranger, faculty member, athlete, coach, journalist, etc and take three distinctly different portraits that say something about the subject’s life, profession, major, personality, background, etc.
* Write a full caption for each photo.
* Turn in exactly 3 photos to the blog by start of class on March 26.

Final Project Proposal:

Your pitch can be informal -- this is a quick note to your editor explaining what you'd like to do and why it will be interesting. The pitch must be posted to the blog by start of next class, and it must include the following elements:
* Format you plan to use. (video or audio slideshow)
* Story arc and hook
* Types of people who will appear
* Proposed headline for the piece
* Expected run time

You can change the elements or topic later, though final project ideas *must* be approved in advance. Major deductions for turning in some surprise project on the last day that you never mentioned before. Communicating with your editor is an important part of the process.

Have a great break.

Photo 2 - Edits

2010-03-12T14:49:00.004-05:00

Photo Assignment 3: Photo Editing

2010-03-12T14:22:00.003-05:00

Photo 3-- Alix Farr-- Photoshop edits

2010-03-12T14:19:00.008-05:00

Gena Chung/Photo 3

2010-03-12T14:19:00.006-05:00

Ilana's Photo Assignment 3 - Photoshop

2010-03-12T14:19:00.005-05:00

Tami Le Photoshop

2010-03-12T14:18:00.002-05:00