Multiple language subtitles now available in the MediaStorm Player

We've been rolling out some updates to the MediaStorm Player, and one of the features we're most excited about is the ability to show subtitles in multiple languages. The subtitles work both on our site and on the embedded version of our player. English subtitles are available for all of our projects. Foreign translations are currently available for the following projects: Undesired: Hindi and Spanish Intended Consequences: German Black Market: German Kingsley's Crossing: Chinese We're often asked why some of our projects have forced subtitles, while others don't. MediaStorm Producer Eric Maierson has put together a Guide to Using Subtitles that gives some insight into our thought process, and also some technical tips for creating those subtitles in Final Cut Pro. We're working on getting additional projects and languages online, and will be adding those as we get them finished. If you're interested in volunteering to help us translate our projects into…

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MediaStorm’s Guide to Using Subtitles

Sometimes the most difficult challenge regarding subtitles is deciding whether to use them or not. Subtitles present obvious aesthetic challenges—from inevitably covering the most important part of an image to turning a visual experience into a written one. If at all possible, avoid them; the obvious exception being when someone speaks a language other than that of the intended audience. Then subtitles are essential. So how do you know if you need English subtitles for someone speaking English? It’s often difficult for a producer to make this call. After listening to the same clips again and again, we learn a speaker’s cadence and nuances and they become clearer to us. Probably the best method to make this determination is to play your project for a group of people who haven’t seen it yet and see if they can understand the narration without subtitles. With fresh ears, they’ll quickly let you know if…

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Magnum Foundation launches Emergency Fund website

The Magnum Foundation has launched a new website for their Emergency Fund, and it's definitely something you should make time to go check out. There are already several stories up on the site, along with information about how you can get involved and help support these photographers. More on the Emergency Fund from the Magnum Foundation Site: The Emergency Fund supports experienced photographers with a commitment to documenting social issues, working long-term, and engaging with an issue over time. Projects address critical global issues that have not received the attention they deserve, or budding crises that are still over the horizon. Photographers retain the copyright to their work and distribute it widely: through traditional and new media, in collaboration with nonprofits or NGOs, and on the Emergency Fund website. Each year, a diverse group of photography professionals nominate 100 professional photographers to submit proposals. An independent Editorial Board selects 10 to 20…

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2011 MediaStorm Multimedia Workshop dates announced

Dates have been announced for the 2011 MediaStorm Multimedia Workshops. Workshops will be held in New York City: March 5-11, 2011 (application deadline January 7, 2011) July 23-29, 2011 (application deadline May 27, 2011) November 12-18, 2011 (application deadline September 16, 2011) The MediaStorm Multimedia Workshop in New York City is an intensive, hands-on educational experience in advanced multimedia storytelling. Over the course of a week, participants will work in three-person teams, reporting and editing in collaboration with a seasoned multimedia professional to produce a multimedia project for distribution across multiple platforms. Each team will produce a professional-quality, ready-for-publication multimedia story. See the site for additional information and to apply. You can also see stories from previous workshops. Jan Johannessen, who participated in the Workshop Story on Johnnie Footman, had this to say about his experience at the MediaStorm Multimedia Workshop: To spend a week with the best people within the industry…

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2010 Eddie Adams Workshop Multimedia Projects

From October 8-11, 2010, 100 students and dozens of faculty and volunteers attended the 23rd Eddie Adams Workshop, in Jeffersonville, NY. The students were divided into 10 teams, and headed out to shoot stories in the local communities. Several of the students shot video and audio, along with their stills, and then worked with multimedia producers to craft short projects. Brian Storm and Rich Beckman led a team of multimedia producers to produce 10 stories, each shot by a student from one of the Workshop teams. This year's producers were: Leandro Badalotti, Lisa Biagiotti, Carrie Ching, Nancy Donaldson, McKenna Ewen, Lauren Feeney, Kim Grinfeder, Steven King, Josh Meltzer, and Rachel Wise, with graphics support from Brian Dawson and tech support from Jamie Bowman. Projects produced during the weekend can be seen on the Eddie Adams Workshop site. You can find more information about the Workshop at their site, and in a PDN…

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