Using smartphones to teach digital media in writing courses: Handouts

Jill Van Wyke, assistant professor
Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Rewiring the Ivory Tower: How To Incorporate Multimedia into Writing Courses
AEJMC | Aug. 6 | Montreal, Quebec

26 Things: A Photography Scavenger Hunt Using the iPod/iPhone and Flickr
The point of this exercise is to familiarize yourselves with taking pictures with the iPod
Touch or iPhone (or your own smartphone) using the ProCamera app, editing those photos
using Photoshop Express, and posting them to Flickr.
Working in pairs, find and photograph several items on the list. You are free to interpret
these words however you want. Engage the quirky, offbeat part of your brain.
This is not a race. The goal is to make photos, not take photos. Let’s push these cameras to
their fullest capability, and push ourselves to make photos that are of high quality, both
compositionally and technically.
Composition: carefully frame your shot; get close; avoid distracting backgrounds; watch
your lighting; get eye level; lock the focus on the subject (not the center of the frame);
choose a main point of interest for every photo; place your subject off-center; try different
angles.
Also focus on good technical quality: turn off flash, minimize camera shake, shoot at the
highest resolution, frame the shot while the shutter button is depressed, etc.
Experiment with your camera’s scene settings (landscape, night, portrait, etc.) and with
tapping the screen to set exposure and focus. The point is to get off your camera’s auto
settings.
If you have an iPhone 4 or newer, experiment with the HDR feature.
Using ProCamera on the iPods Touch, experiment with anti-shake, exposure, level, rule-
of-thirds grid, self-timer, rapid-fire mode, zoom.
Using Photoshop Express, edit your photos as you go: crop, straighten, adjust
brightness/contrast.
As you take and edit your pictures, post them to the EyesOnIowa Flickr.
Launch your Flickr app > Upload > Take/Upload Photo > Choose Photo. Add title and
description. In the description, write the name of the item and your name(s). Example:
“Glow” by Megan Bannister and Kristen Smith. Also note any special settings (“shot in
rapid-fire mode using the ProCamera app,” for example). Add it to the “26 Things
Scavenger Hunt” set. Include location. Set privacy level to public.


The list:
1. couple
2. slope
3. plate
4. going places
5. in the water
6. button
7. heritage
8. glow
9. clock
10.closed
11.smile
12.back
13.plastic
14.handle
15.sound
16.wheels
17.silence
18.new
19.old
20.mess
21.half
22.strings
23.graffiti
24.corner
25.opposite
26.round
This exercise is adapted from sh1ft.org’s “26 Things” photographic scavenger hunt. In that event,
photographers are given 28 days to find the 26 items and upload them to a blog, Flickr, Photobucket or
other photosharing site. There are no winners or losers; the fun is in the hunt and in seeing how other
photographers interpreted the list. For more info:
http://sh1ft.org/projects/index.php/category/26things/


10 Tips for Taking Better Pictures with Your iPod/iPhone
1. Always have phone with you. “The best camera to have is the one that’s with you
all the time.”
2. Know and accept the camera’s limits.
3. Clean the lens.
4. Get your finger out of the way.
5. Stabilize.
6. Watch your light, exposure.
7. Turn off flash.
8. Zoom with your feet.
9. Get close to your subject; get your subjects close to each other
10.Focus the camera.
Taking Better Photos with the ProCamera App
• Exposure
• White balance
• Rapid-fire mode
• Zoom
• Date Stamp
• Anti-shake
• White balance
• Level
• Rule of thirds
• Sharing
• Info
• Pro Lab
• Pro Cut: crop, rotate
Editing Photos with PS Express
• Crop, straighten, rotate, flip
• Exposure, contrast, saturation
• Reduce noise
Photo Sharing
• Instagram, Flickr, etc.
• geotagging
• title
• description/captions
• tags
• location
• privacy level


Mobile
Audio
Assignment

Part
1.

A
bio/intro.

Using
AudioBoo,
record
a
boo
about
yourself
to
serve
as
a
brief
bio
on
our
website.

Introduce
yourself
to
readers.
You
could
say
where
you’re
from,
what
you’re
studying,

where
you’ve
traveled,
where
you’ve
interned,
what
you
hope
to
do
professionally,
hobbies,

etc.

Take
a
picture
of
yourself
(or
have
a
classmate
help
you).
Title
your
boo
with
your
name.

Publish
your
AudioBoo.
Check
it
on
Tumblr
and
Twitter.
Then
copy
the
embed
code
and

post
it
to
our
EyesOnIowa
WordPress
site,
on
the
“Staff”
page.

Part
2.

Man-‐on-‐the-‐street
interviews.

Interview
at
least
three
people,
using
Audioboo.
Make
sure
you
state
clearly
who
you
are

interviewing,
or
have
the
interviewees
state
their
names.

Interview
each
person
on
the
same
topic.
Topics
could
be:

§ Would
you
pay
for
the
New
York
Times
online
or
mobile?
(The
pay
wall
goes
into

effect
this
week.)

§ The
Final
Four.
Is
your
bracket
busted?

Predictions,
favorite
players,
Final-‐wha?

§ Should
the
U.S.
military
be
in
Libya?

§ What
Republican
is
most
likely
to
unseat
Obama?

Take
the
interviewee’s
picture.

Give
the
boo
a
good
title
and
description.

Post
the
boo
as
soon
as
you’re
done
with
the
interview.

Part
3.

Research
audio
editing
apps.

What
kinds
of
features
would
you
look
for
in
a
mobile
audio-‐recording
app?

Find
two
or
three
audio
editing
apps
(not
just
recording
apps)
available
for
the
iPod
Touch.

Find
out
what’s
available,
their
features,
cost,
consumer
reviews.
Bring
back
a
brief

summary
and
recommendation
of
what
we
should
purchase.


Note: This was an exercise in experimenting with three different audio recorders,
comparing their ease of use and quality of audio recording.
Audio Interviewing Exercise
Work in pairs (and one trio).
Interview each other in two settings, using both recorders at both sites. Make sure
everybody in your group gets a chance to operate both recorders.
Set the date and time for all three recorders.
Olympus WS-331
experiment with
rec mode: ST XQ (highest quality) to HQ (lowest)
distance b/t mic and subject’s voice
internal vs. external mic
Tascam
First, adjust these settings:
menu > input setting > input > mic
mic > type: mono
power > on (must be “on” for external mic to work)
rec settings > format > WAV 16 or 24
rec settings > sample > 44.1
rec settings > pre rec > off
rec settings > delay > off
Then, experiment with:
internal mic. vs. external mic
internal mic with and without windscreen
distance b/t mic and subject
recording level 1-10 (dial on right side)


Zoom
First, adjust these settings:
Input > Mic
WAV format, 16 or 24 bit, 44.1 kHz
Then, experiment with:
automatic recording level vs. user-set recording level
Menu > Input > Level Auto > Off/On
recording level 1-100 (button on right side)
internal mic. vs. external mic
distance b/t mic and subject
Get at least 30 seconds of audio with each of the various settings/experiments. Use the
chart to keep track of which files are what so we can compare sound quality later.
Groups and Locations:
Meredith south lobby | Cowles Library quiet study room
Olmsted coffee shop | Mer. 101 or 106; or other large lecture hall
At a busy intersection | Inside a car
Residence hall lobby | Outside where it’s quiet
Cowles coffee shop | Van Wyke’s office
Olmsted fitness room | Quiet room in Olmsted (Mezzanine)
r How hard is it for you to shut up when the subject is talking?
r Are you minimizing “handling noise”?
r What’s the best distance between the mic and the subject’s mouth?
r You’re wearing headphones, right?
r Are you asking questions in a way to encourage complete answers and complete sentences?
r Did you try the “questions after” or “delayed record” strategy?
r Can you minimize any background noise? (buzzing lights, fans, printers)


Grading Criteria: Audio stories
Reporting
Newsworthiness
Targets identified audience
Appropriate sourcing
Thoroughness
A mix of officials and “real people.”
Advances story
Good quotes from sources, resulting from open-ended questions.
Field Technique
Recorded closely enough; minimal background noise.
Interviews conducted in quiet room whenever possible.
Reporter isn’t trampling all over the audio.
No “handling” noise.
Gathered natural and interview sound
Gathered an underlying track (“bed”) of ambient sound to smooth edits.
Natural sound is gathered from as close to the sound source as possible
Absence of mic-handling noise
Actuality/sound bite is clear
Actuality/sound bite is brief, to the point
Sound levels are even
Absence of voice "pops"
Editing
Voicer (narration) presence
Voicer levels
Actuality/sound bite presence
Actuality/sound bite levels
Appropriately creative audio
Interview and natural sound are pieced together smoothly
An underlying track (“bed”) of ambient sound smooths edits.
Audio saved as MP3


Writing
Written for the ear
Script formatted properly
Overall
Places the listener at scene of story

CREATING AN AUDIO SLIDESHOW
“Don’t tell me. Show me.”
Introduction
If you are a good writer, you already have what it takes to tell stories in other media: a sense for
news and story; a sharp mind; a compassionate heart; persistence and passion; keen
observational and analytical skills; and a sense of drama and “the moment.”
“Still images elicit a visceral response. They can be enhanced by text captions that
are great for the basic who, what and where of an image. The addition of audio,
then, takes the picture and text caption to another level, where image, text and
audio work together to create an experience that neither could produce on its
own.”
– Brian Storm, MediaStorm
Audio
– Audio is intimate. It conveys what text and images can’t: emotion, humor. Sound can
transport you.
– Audio gives your subject a voice.
– Paint a picture with sounds as well as words.
– “Create a virtual reality for your listener. Make them feel like they’re wherever you are,
not reading the postcard you sent.” – J. Carl Gantner
Gathering Audio
– Equipment
o The recorder
o Headphones
o Batteries
o Get your gear in order, know how to operate it. You only get one shot at
getting audio.
o DTC checkout policies
– General Tips
o Your brain is an amazing noise filter. Your recorder isn’t. Close your eyes and
listen. Watch out for camera clicks.
o Cover your bases. Record a lot of ambient/natural sound. Do multiple takes.
Record 20 times more than the length of your show.
o Make sure your gear’s in order. Extra batteries.
_ Natural and Ambient Sound
o Background noise (ambient sound) and sound effects (natural sound)
o Use to show action.
o You’ll only need a few seconds of natural sound, but record at least 15 seconds
of it.
o Record at least a minute, preferably more, of ambient sound in each location,
including where you interview.
o Get close to it with recorder. But also record medium distance and far.

o Gather 5 seconds of “junk” audio before and after each recording. These
buffers are called “handles” and will come in handy when you’re editing.
o Your sound must be authentic. Ethics.
_ Interview Sound
o Different from just recording for transcription.
o Before you start taping, write down basic facts: name, spelling, pronunciation,
location, date.
o On tape, start by having subject state name, title what they do.
o Get close with recorder, 4” or so.
o Shut up. Don’t trample over the audio with your own voice. Make eye contact
and nod instead.
o Don’t let the subject hold the mic.
o Watch out for “handling” noise.
o Find a quiet, “soft” room.
o Listen more, talk less. Don’t fear silence.
o Be confident with gear. If you are constantly checking equipment, your
source’s confidence will erode.
o Wear headphones!
o Ask subject to repeat what s/he said if a noisy disturbance.
o Reassure subject that s/he can start over if s/he gets tongue-tied.
o Avoid yes or no questions. Ask open-ended questions.
• Tell me the story of …
• Explain what you are doing now.
• Talk about your best/worst/…”
• Describe for me
• Give me a sense of…
• Could you tell me why?
• Why?
• What happened?
• Then what happened?
• Then what happened?
• What did you see?
• What went thru your mind?
• What would you say to someone who…
• What did that tell you?
• Why did you care about that?
• How did/would you respond (to something)?
• What makes you care about that?
• Why was that important?
• What picture remains most vivid?
• Imagine you’re back at scene; how did you feel?
• What did you see?
• Describe the scene.
• What stands out the most?
• What did it smell like?
• What are the consequences?
• What’s the best/worst possible scenario?

• What do you fear?
• How did/does that affect you?
• How did you deal with that?
• How do you know?
• What went thru your mind?
• What did he/she/they say?
• What were the options?
• How would you describe that?
Editing Audio
_ Make copies of your audio files. Never edit original files.
_ Keep your audio files organized. Find a consistent naming/filing system.
_ Place all sound files for one project in one folder, slugged with the interviewee’s name
and the date of interview.
_ Audio formats. Ours will come in as .WMA (Windows Media). Newer Macs will
convert them automatically to an editable AIFF file. We’ll edit in Audacity (GarageBand
works, too).
_ Bring all your audio clips into Audacity and listen to all of it. Write down specifically
what’s being discussed and note the time stamps of important material. Jot down what
photos might relate to that sequence.
_ When you’re done editing, export the finished file as an MP3.
Photography
Gathering Photos
_ Shooting for a slideshow is like shooting a photo essay, but with more pictures.
_ Is the story linear (chronological)? Then think sequence: beginning, middle, end. If not,
how will you organize your photos in a logical way?
_ Photos must be high quality: sharp, well-focused, well-composed. Get variety, in angle,
lighting, distance from subject, horizontal/vertical.
_ For a 2-3 minute slideshow, you’ll need 20 to 35 great photos.
_ Get a mix of wide-angle shots, medium shots, close-ups and tight detail shots.
_ Shots for beginning of show: set the scene, introduce topic and main character
_ Shots for middle of show: develop the topic and character with details.
_ Shots for end of show: Wrap up the story, what does it all mean, what’s next, what
does this story point to.
_ Think about the “cover” or “title” shot. This will be the teaser thumbnail.
Editing Photos
_ Make copies! Never overwrite your original image.
_ In PhotoShop, crop, adjust red-eye, adjust brightness.
_ Decide on sequence of photos. Rename photos in numerical order (01farm, 02sunrise,
03barn, 04fence, 05cow…). No spaces, no punctuation.
_ Decide if you want to make a title page or section title pages, with text on photo.
_ Prep image for Soundslides:
o Set resolution to 72 dpi. Image Size > Resolution > 72 dpi
o Resample Image > Bicubic Sharper

o Constrain Proportions
o Width > 680 px
o File > File Info. Soundslides pulls caption info from here (you can edit later in
Soundslides). Include author (photographer), copyrighted work/notice (“2009 by Jill
Van Wyke”)
o Save As > .jpg, quality setting “High.” (Soundslides will compress.)
o Do not “Save for Web”
_ Save all your images for one slideshow in one folder. Don’t put any other images in
that folder. Soundslides imports folders, not individual images.
_ Remember where you put it. Make a parent folder with two folders in it, one for your
edited images, one your edited audio.
Soundslides
Producing in Soundslides
_ Optimum length of a slideshow is 2-3 minutes.
_ Five to six seconds per photo. 20-35 photos total.
_ The quality of your photos and your audio determine length.
_ Look through your pictures first, then edit your audio. Your photos will give you an
idea of how the sound needs to flow. What audio do you need to leave in or take out,
based on your photos?
_ Your audio must support your photos must support your audio. The audio commentary
should match the picture being shown. It’s confusing for viewer if it doesn’t. Match
sound to pictures.
_ Avoid visual redundancy. Vary images by close-ups, medium, detail, wide shots,
different angles.
_ Use a quick series of stills to indicate motion/action.
_ If you have someone speaking for 15 seconds, try to use three appropriate photos for
that 15 seconds.
Captions
_ Viewers should concentrate on images, not captions.
_ Keep them short. You don’t need time, date, place in every caption (very different from
print captions).
_ You can omit captions entirely where the image, in the context of the story is self-
explanatory.
_ But don’t omit all captions. Briefly identify anyone speaking in audio, and anyone
introduced in show for the first time.
_ Test it: Do you have time to read the entire caption before the show advances to the
next frame?
_ Why bother with captions at all? They are key in an all-digital, metadata-driven search
universe. You can’t search pixels. You search text.
Final Thoughts
_ Try. Fail. Try again. Fail harder.
_ The best way to learn to write is to read. The best way to learn audio is to listen.
_ Practice is the path to perfection.

Grading Criteria: Slideshow
PHOTOGRAPHS
Compositional:
r Every photo has a clean, clear center of interest.
r People are shot at eye level.
r The background doesn’t distract.
r Use the rule of thirds. Place your subject off-center.
r Shoot vertically when appropriate.
r Shoot from a variety of angles and distances.
Technical
r Sharp focus.
r Good exposure (lighting).
r The flash is used well; outdoors to fill in shadow on faces; indoors to lighten. Pix
are shot within flash’s range.
r Cropped well.
AUDIO
r Places the listener at scene of story.
r A mix of natural and interview sound.
r Natural sound is gathered from as close to the sound source as possible.
r An underlying track (“bed”) of ambient sound to smooth edits.
r Recorded closely enough; minimal background noise.
r Interviews conducted in quiet room whenever possible.
r Reporter isn’t trampling all over the audio.
r No “handling” noise.
r A mix of officials and “real people.”
r Good quotes from sources, resulting from open-ended questions.

THE SLIDESHOW
r Tells a particular, coherent, well-focused story with a central point.
r Opens with natural sound to set the scene.
r Opens with a strong, tight image that sets the scene and also functions as a
thumbnail.
r The audio and photos complement and enhance each other.
r An even level of sound throughout. If multiple tracks are used, they complement
each other rather than compete.
r Audio and photographic fades used appropriately and executed well.
r Special effects (Ken Burns, eg.) are used purposefully and well.
r Where appropriate, uses a quick series of photos to convey motion.
r Incorporates a variety of tight close-ups, medium shots and wide shots.
r Uses a variety of angles, orientation (horizontal or vertical) and distance. Avoids
redundancy.
r Is viewed well in the small size of the viewing window.
r Includes a headline.
r Includes captions and lower-thirds where necessary (with proper grammar and
spelling).
r Captions are brief. They identify anyone speaking in the audio and anyone
introduced for the first time in the show.
r Captions are searchable by search engine like Google. Think keywords!
r Includes credits.
r Runs 2-3 minutes.
r Is paced well; photos are on view long enough to absorb the image, short enough
to keep it interesting (generally 3 to 7 seconds).
r Ends with strong photo and audio. Doesn’t just peter out.
r Image, text and audio create an experience that neither could produce on its own.

Video Assignment
Due date:
Your in-depth story will be accompanied by a video of 2-3 minutes’ length. Your video should
supplement your text story by presenting new information; it should not repeat or rehash what
you’ve written in the story.
Focus on the action and emotion of your story that can best be conveyed by video rather than
text.
In general, your video should consist of 25 to 35 shots of an average of 5 seconds each, but let
your creativity and sense of story guide you. The video must include A-roll and B-roll. Do not
turn in a video that is one l – o – n – g shot of a person being interviewed! The choice of whether
to narrate your video or to rely only on natural sound and interview is up to you.
If you use music in your video, you need to convince us that it’s necessary and appropriate to the
story. Of course, any music must respect copyrights.
You will work in pairs to shoot your videos. For your story, you’ll conduct the interviews and
play “director,” making sure you get all the necessary shots. Your partner will operate the
camera and monitor audio. Reverse roles on your partner’s story. Edit together, using iMovie.
iMovie ’09 tutorial available at:
http://www.apple.com/ilife/tutorials/#imovie
iMovie HD 6 tutorial available at:
http://www.apple.com/support/ilife/tutorials/imovie/index.html
Before you shoot your video, you will submit a plan for it: how you conceive it, and how you’ll
execute it. (See reverse.)
Make sure your edited video has an opening title and properly credits all those who worked on it.
It must include lower-thirds of everybody interviewed.
When you’re done with your video, upload it to YouTube, following YouTube’s instructions
regarding file formats, compression, etc.
Grading criteria for this assignment is attached.
That’s it for now, until we’re ready to post your complete multimedia package to our site.


Using
only
a
smartphone:

1. Take
video
of
some
scenes
around
campus,
both
indoors
and
outdoors.
Practice
with

setting
the
exposure.
Shoot
clips
of
at
least
30
seconds
each.

2. Interview
a
classmate
outdoors
on
any
topic.
Practice:

a. holding
the
camera
steady

b. holding
the
camera
horizontal

c. hold
the
camera
level

d. framing
(rule
of
thirds;
don’t
cut
off
heads;
interviewee
looking
into
frame;

no
distracting
background)

e. getting
the
best
audio
possible;
quiet
place;
watch
out
for
wind
noise

3. Switch
cameras
and
experiment
with
shooting
video
of
yourself.

4. Practice
using
the
built-‐in
editor
to
trim
your
scene
and
interview
clips.
Remember

to
Save
a
New
Clip.

5. Upload
one
of
your
videos
via
the
Tumblr
app.

6. Upload
one
of
your
videos
to
YouTube,
using
the
“share”
function.
Use
your
own

YouTube
account
if
you
have
one,
or
see
me
for
my
account
info.

a. After
the
video
is
compressed
and
published,
click
View
on
YouTube.
Tap
the

share,
then
tap
email

icon.
Scroll
down
and
copy
the
embed
code.
Then,

launch
the
WordPress
app,
and
paste
the
embed
code
in
a
new
post.
Put
it
in

the
video
category.

7. Launch
the
uStream
app.
>
Allow
current
location.
>
Tape
the
camera
icon
in
the

upper
right,
then
“Go
Live.”

a. Livestream
some
video.
Share
it?

Download the iMovie app to your smartphone. Read the following chapters in “iMovie
help” in the app, and play with these features:
Gestures: read all
Create a Project:
§ Create a new project
§ Open an existing project
§ Rename a project
§ Play a project
Record Video and Photos
§ Record video into iMovie
§ Take photos in iMovie
Edit Clips
§ Add video to a project
§ Add photos to a project
§ Trim a video clip or photo
§ Edit a photo
§ Split a video clip
§ Rotate a video clip
§ Rearrange video clips
§ Delete a video clip or photo from your project
Adjust audio
§ Record audio into a project
§ Adjust the volume of a video or audio clip
§ Adjust the duration of an audio clip
§ Move a sound effect or audio clip
§ Delete an audio clip
Add Titles and Transitions
§ Add a title to a video clip or photo
§ Edit title text
§ Delete a title
§ Change the style, duration of a transition
§ Delete a transition
§ Add a fade-in, fade-out
Share
§ Share a movie to YouTube


iMovie app assignment
Create a short movie about something you will already be doing over the weekend. It
should tell a story and meet the criteria for good composition and technical quality.
Specifically, your movie should:
§ have a mix of videos and still photos
§ include A-roll and B-roll
§ have a brief voiceover to introduce it
§ have a title
§ have transitions (fade-ins and -outs)
§ be at least 2 minutes long but no more than 5
§ be uploaded to the Eyes on Iowa YouTube account, named and tagged appropriately
§ posted to our Eyes on Iowa site
I’ll give you time in class Monday to finish editing the movie, upload it to YouTube and
post it to Eyes on Iowa. You may need more time, so it wouldn’t hurt to do a little editing
over the weekend. At a minimum, bring your raw video and photos.
The goal of this assignment is to gain proficiency and confidence in shooting and editing
video with the iPhone. We’ll want that skill and comfort level when we cover our Drake
Relays events live. Be thinking as you work through this exercise how we might use video
to cover the beautiful bulldog contest and the other Relays event you signed up for. What
complications should we anticipate, and how might we address them?

Video Assignment Grading Criteria
Quality of Video Shooting
• Steady shots (you used a tripod)
• Minimal, if any, panning and zooming
• Clear audio, both natural sound and interview
• Well-lit
• Sources are interviewed at eye level
• Interviewees are shot from a slight angle to the left or right
• Interviewees are not looking at camera
• You are silent during interviews (no laughter, “uh-huhs,” etc.)
• Composition
o rule of thirds
o in focus
o level
o no distracting backgrounds or poles emerging from people’s heads
o close to source or action
o varying angles and perspectives
o fill the frame
Quality of Video Editing
• No jumpcuts
• Appropriate shot lengths; good pacing
• Good mix of wide, medium and close-
ups
• Good transitions
• Title
• Credits
• Good audio levels
• Audio matches action
• Every edit has a purpose
• Opens with strong visual
• Continuity of content, movement,
sound
• Compressed properly and uploaded to
YouTube
Quality of Overall Storytelling
• Coherent story arc: beginning, middle end
• Good character(s)
• Captures emotion and/or action
• Tightly focused
• Strong visuals
• Good sequencing

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