Multimedia doesn’t always have to be deep and compelling pieces of storytelling. Sometimes, such as the case with “The job challenge,” it can simply be fun visual eye candy. Daniel Romano did just that by using stop motion animation to depict his professional transformation as he portrayed holding 14 different job titles in 24 days. The end result is a quick-paced and humorous 80 second video with 755 images.
In MediaStorm’s latest installment of notable videos, Brian Storm pointed out “My Freedom or Death” by photojournalist Patrick Chauvel. Soon after watching it I realized the true significance of this video and the underlying technology. Thus, I asked Danfung Dennis for more information on Condition ONE, the mobile company that he founded to provide the capability to convert watchers into users as they become immersed in the interactive video.
If you are based in the UK or are planning on traveling there in May, I encourage you to check out the Hinterlands Workshop, a five day multimedia workshop in Blackborough (about 3.5 hours SW of London) organized by duckrabbit founders Benjamin Chesterton and David White. They only have a handful of spots left so book your spot while you can!
Over the holidays I received an email from Finn Ryan, a multimedia producer at Wisconsin’s Educational Communications Board. I was immediately curious because I normally hear from producers at newsrooms and multimedia students. Finn pointed me to a new educational multimedia package that they just launched, titled “Climate Wisconsin.” With 10 videos, two interactives, teaching tips, background material and more, this site is a wealth of information and inspiration.
I was surprised at how popular last year’s “Top 50″ list was, so I decided to revisit it again this year for a new list of the best multimedia websites that I have come across in 2010. Of course everyone’s list might be a bit different, but this is my best effort at aggregating the top sites that have inspired me throughout the year. I will refrain from ordering them, so for no other reason they are alphabetized. I hope you can take some time over the holidays to be inspired from the plethora of work seen here!
This time of year is always exciting because students publish final projects for their respective photography and multimedia courses. Each year I feel as if students’ work as a whole improves, which, to me, says that multimedia storytelling is more of an innate skill for those born in the 90′s. It also reinforces my decision to learn the business side of multimedia since these 20-somethings are totally inspiring me with their exceptional storytelling skills! As an example, check out “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Cheatham Williams. It’s a story about a mother trying to balance responsibilities taking care of her ailing mom while taking care of her kids. The photography is absolutely beautiful throughout.
I was happy to hear from Kevin Wellenius this week, who pointed me to a documentary project he produced titled “A Life Pretty Full of Love.” This three-part audio slideshow documents the life of Curt Brown, a man who served as a foster parent to seven grown autistic men for more than twenty years. I love watching these types of stories around the holidays as it always makes me realize how kindhearted people are. You may have already seen this story since the first portion won first place in the independently-produced feature audio slideshow category for NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism 2010 contest. If not, kick back and watch it now – it’s a feel-good story for everyone.
This week I received an email from Neal Andrews, a multimedia producer living in Manchester, UK. He shared with me a recent project he had been working on, titled The Hill Farmer. After watching it, I knew I wanted to share it with all of you. This lighthearted features piece has top-notch photography with an excellent integration of video clips. To my surprise, this was Neil’s first time ever shooting and editing video! (Someone must have taught him well to use a tri-pod … if only I was as obedient!) Take three minutes and watch this video, you won’t regret it!
As I was looking through the CPOY winners (congrats to everyone by the way) I kept seeing one name over and over again. Rachel Mummey was not only named this year’s prestigious College Photographer of the Year, she also won five other awards. Curiosity got the best of me, so I checked out her work. And, if you are looking to hire a multimedia storyteller come next summer, I think you ought to as well.
I recently received an email from someone alerting me of Wall Street Journal’s multimedia package on the 2010 Myanmar election, which is to be held November 7th. In order to protect their sources, no bylines are given regarding the coverage of Myanmar. For such a controversial topic, I was impressed by the wealth of content these producers were able to deliver. With nearly 20 minutes of video, six graphics, five photo galleries and a slew of other content, this package is packed full of multimedia.
