Workshop 5: Multimedia Workshop I (Audio)

Description: Audio is the often the last element in media to be taken seriously, but it is the primary building block of digital storytelling. Through practice, students will learn linear narrative storytelling, investigating elements like dialogue and narration, using voice, sound effects, ambience, and music. Students will learn audio recording tools, software, and techniques, to conduct interviews, a skill that will be utilized throughout the remainder of the production. Time: 6 hours

Workshop Breakdown

1. Introduction to Multimedia Production

Students will be introduced to the multimedia components of Departures--audio, photography, video, and mural. They will be taught the value of each medium, their application in the professional world, and how it applies to Departures. Students will divide into teams of three to five persons for the remainder of the curriculum.

2. Audio Production

Students will learn how to conduct interviews: how to approach their subject respectfully and ethically; how to formulate questions; and how to ask open-ended questions. They will begin to understand the use of audio recording equipment, from setting wireless lavalier microphones and handheld digital recorders, to even low-end recording devices such as cellphones to capture interviews and sample ambient noises. They will learn how to download recordings from their devices to their computers and use Audacity--an open-source application (provide tip sheets on Audacity)--to learn basic editing skills, from sequencing to layering.

Working with their teams, students will interview one another, go out into the field to record ambient noises, and collect music, either in the field, online or in hardcopy formats such as CD.

3. Soundscapes/Podcasts

Students will digitize their audio recordings and create a workspace for their individual editing project. Using Audacity, students will generate podcasts to be hosted on the online service SoundCloud. With this online service, students can comment on one another's audio files, and distribute them across social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

Neighborhood Examples:

Materials Needed

Laptop, Projector, Audio Equipment, Examples of Google Maps w/ Assets, Interview Tip Sheet, Audio Tip Sheet

Instructor Resources

Multimedia - Audio PPT, Examples of Google Maps w/ Assets, Interview Tip Sheet, Audio Tip Sheet

Standards

This workshop meets the following academic standards: CCCS - Speaking & Listening - Comprehension and Collaboration (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 2), Grades 9 - 12; CCCS - Speaking & Listening - Presentation & Knowledge of Ideas (5), Grades 9 - 12; CCCS - Writing - Texts, Types & Purposes (2d), Grades 9 - 12; Career Technical Content Standards - Technology, Grades 9 - 12; Pathways Standards - Media Support & Services Pathway