Digital Storytelling

1. Digital Storytelling Use of Windows Live Movie Maker to create a digital story. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

2. Go to start programmes and click on the folder called Windows live. Then click on Windows Live Movie Maker. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

3. This is the Windows Live Interface: It is designed using tabs like most Microsoft 2007 software. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

4. The Home tab. This allows you to add photos initially for your digital story. Later we will look at the other functions from this tab. First drag your folder with photos onto the desktop of your computer. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

5. Click on the Add videos and photos button. This will allow you to add your digital story photos into the movie software. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

6. Navigate to the folder where your images are saved. Click on open to transfer the location of the images into Movie maker. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

7. Hold down control and click on the images you wish to import into Moviemaker for your digital story. Click Open. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

8. Images have now been imported into Moviemaker. Not it is the link that has been imported: not the actual files. i.e. if your source is a usb stick and it is removed: the link will be lost. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

9. If you click on the play button it will play through all the images with each image showing for five seconds. This time can be altered to suit. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

10. To alter the image duration: click on the Video Tool tab then adjust the time in the duration window. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

11. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

12. You next need to alter the order of images to suit your digital story in the moviemaker view. Just click on the image and drag to the desired location. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

13. View tab If you are going to display on a widescreen TV choose the second option. In the view tab you can adjust the size of the image icons to allow easy editing and change of order. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

14. At the heart of each digital story is your script and “voice.” You now need to have your script ready: with each image tagged with your spoken script: Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

15. You now need to record your script: you need a quality microphone and preferably audacity. Otherwise use windows sound recorder. Recording sound: Load Sound recorder Plug in microphone Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

16. With your microphone plugged in click on start recording and record your sentences: (one by one) don’t try and record your entire digital story at once. Save your recording as record1, record2, etc….. In a folder on your computer. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

17. Start speaking and recording your script. When you have finished your sentence click Stop Recording. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

18. You can either continue recording by clicking on Resume Recording or save the file as a windows media audio file (wma) : name each one as sound1, sound2, etc.. To ease placement in moviemaker. Save all the sound files in one folder. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

19. Save all the wma sound files in one folder: numbered numerically to ease placement in digital story. Before inserting in your digital story it might be a good idea to listen to them to make sure your voice is clear and loud enough. The better the quality of the microphone: the better the sound. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

20. You now need to insert your voice tracks at the appropriate part of your digital story. Move the slider to the point where you wish to insert your first audio file. Click on the line with your mouse and move. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

21. Click on Add music at the current point. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

22. Choose the sound file you wish to insert at this point and click Open. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

23. Note: sound1 is longer than the image one so we have to increase the duration of image one to suit. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

24. By holding the cursor over the sound file: I can see that the length of the sound file is 8 seconds so I need to adjust the image duration to around 10 seconds. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

25. Click on the edit tab and adjust the image duration to 10 seconds Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

26. The sound file now fits in comfortably within the duration of the image. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

27. Repeat the same process with the rest of your sound files inserting the sound file on the planned image. Adjust the duration of the image to suit. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

28. Animation Tab: Place the cursor where you wish to insert the transition between the slide. Click on the transition window and choose the transition then click. The transition will be inserted at the chosen point. The transition ensures a smooth transition between slides and should be as unobtrusive as possible. Note the transitions will add time to your digital story. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

29. Once transitions are inserted they are shown here: hover your mouse over the gap between the slides to see details of transitions and effect etc… Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

30. You can also alter the length of the transition here: Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

31. Pan and Zoom Pan and zoom is what brings the still images to life. Originally used by Ken Burns to bring movement to WW2 images. Pan and Zoom makes an image ‘move’ , either panning from side to side, up and down or Zooming in on a particular spot. Click on the Animations tab to access the pan and zoom. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

32. These are the pan and zoom effects available. Position the black timeline over the image and then click the pan and zoom effect that you want. Watch the preview window to check that this is the correct effect. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

33. When a pan and zoom effect has been applied to an image: this icon appears in the top right of the image. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

34. If you hover your mouse over the image: you can see the details of the effects that are associated with the image. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

35. Carry on adding the transitions and pan and zoom to all the images in your story line. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

36. Preview your digital story by playing it through in the project window, watching and listening to check everything works as planned. Make any adjustments to image duration or transition duration or change the pan and zoom. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

37. Images can be change from portrait to landscape by clicking on the rotate left 90 or rotate right 90. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

38. Visual Effects Tab: This is where you can ‘drop’ a variety of visual effects onto an image. Move the timeline to your image and click on the effect. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

39. Here the edge detection filter has been applied to the digger image. Only use this is really necessary: trying to be too clever can mess up a digital story: KIS (keep it simple) is good. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

40. The brightness of individual images can be adjusted by moving this slider. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

41. Title Title: Your digital story may need a title to introduce your story: Position the timeline tool at the start of your movie and click the Title icon. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

42. The title tools will now appear: Start typing the title of your digital story here. The rest of the tools for adjusting the title effect are present in this tab. You can alter the text, start time, text duration and special effects in this tab. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

43. Preview the different effects by moving your cursor along the effects. You can also alter the start time and duration. Make sure the title fits inside the image duration. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

44. Preview your title by clicking on the play button. Your title is in place on the timeline. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

45. Captions: By clicking here you can add a caption to an image. You need to position the timeline indicator over the image first. Then click the caption tool. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

46. Enter your text for the caption here: Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

47. Caption: you can edit the text, start time, duration and effect by clicking on the tool bar. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

48. Credits go at the end of your digital story: click the credits button to add credits. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

49. Type in your credits in the preview window and use the tools to adjust text, background colour, timing and effects. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology

50. After previewing your completed digital story you are now ready to publish your digital story (sharing) for viewing on a DVD player or computer or YouTube. Note: Moviemaker will not burn a DVD straight from the software: you need to burn a movie file first onto your computer, then transfer the movie onto a DVD using the windows DVD software. Malcolm Roberts Waikato Institute of Technology