MediaStorm’s Advice to Multimedia Producers

After my last post, 10 Ways to Improve Your Multimedia Right Now, I thought it might be instructive to take a step back from technical issues and focus instead on some of the underlying ideas that help shape the production process at MediaStorm. The concepts below have been compiled by members of the MediaStorm team over the course of their careers. Most of these ideas will hold true whether you are creating multimedia in Final Cut Pro, iMovie, or Soundslides. Equipment Never update your hardware or software in the middle of a project. After you've completed your project, backup to a separate drive, then update. If Final Cut is behaving oddly, try deleting your preferences by using FCP Rescue or do it manually, using the instructions detailed in this previous blog post.    When building an editing suite, purchase the fastest computer, largest display, most accurate speakers, and the most comfortable chair…

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April Digital Journalist – Special Video Journalism Issue

This month's Digital Journalist mixes things up a bit- Ken Kobré (of kobreguide.com), took over the reins, and focused on the ever-changing world of video journalism. They lead with a feature by Colin Mulvany, of The Spokesman-Review, From Stills to Video in the Newsroom. Mulvany writes: "Now is not a time to be timid. Multimedia producers need to stand up and protect video storytelling at their newspapers. In order to stay competitive, publishers will have to refocus their efforts back on their online operations. Newspaper Web sites will not flourish if the content is just repurposed from their print products. Multimedia, in the form of Web-only video, audio slideshows, and photo galleries, is most successful when it is integrated with text. This powerful combination gives newspaper online viewers far more depth and context than they can get from any other media." This issue also includes several great columns, including 10 Tips for…

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Register now for NPPA’s Convergence 09, Multimedia Immersion Workshop

Registration for NPPA's Convergence '09 event is now open.  This year's lineup features 3 separate events- the Multimedia Immersion Workshop, June 6-10, a one-day seminar celebrating the 20th year of NPPA's Women in Photojournalism, on June 10, and the Visual Journalism Workshops, June 11-13.  The Convergence conference will be held in Las Vegas, NV. For those interested in multimedia training, the Multimedia Immersion Seminar is definitely worth checking out- our own Eric Maierson will be there as one of the coaches, along with some of the best in the industry. It will be "an intense, five-day, hands-on training experience for visual journalists looking to expand and grow their multimedia skillsets."  You even get a discount on the Visual Journalism Workshops for attending either of the other two.  Don't miss out!

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Tim Hussin to join MediaStorm for Summer Internship

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We are excited to announce that Tim Hussin will be joining MediaStorm as our Summer 2009 intern. Tim Hussin is an award-winning photographer and a recent graduate in journalism from the University of Florida.  He was named 2008 College Photographer of the Year and will intern at National Geographic in Fall 2009.  Hussin has interned at the Monroe Evening News, Deseret News and Rocky Mountain News.  He was a student at the Eddie Adams Workshop in 2008 where he was awarded an assignment at Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive. We will also be seeking fall interns.  If you're interested in applying, you can get more information here.  The application deadline is May 1.

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Improving Audio on the Canon EOS 5D Mk II

Kevin Reylek over at B&H has done a fantastic review of options to record better audio with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Kevin writes: "While the onboard mic performs as advertised, I found it to be serviceable at best. Consisting of just 3 tiny pinholes on the front of the camera body, the mic doesn't have the greatest pickup distance or quality. It is capable of picking up general ambience and voices, but it also picks up a fair amount of handling noise, which can mar an otherwise suitable recording. So, if you're recording video clips with the goal of having them heard as well, then an add-on mic is a must." They did multiple testings with several mics, and you can listen to the results at the bottom of the article.  While some of the options might seem a little impractical and unwieldy, if you're serious about using a 5D…

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