Digital Storytelling

Save your work in your school My Documents folder. Do NOT save to a Word Document; you will not be able to transfer it to Moviemaker!

1. Pictures

After opening Windows Movie Maker (Start, All Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, Moviemaker), import your pictures. Use the Import Pictures button on the top left of the screen. Select and import each picture you plan to use in your movie. Save your work! File, Save Project As, and keep in My Documents file.

Be sure you are in Storyboard mode at the bottom of the page with the large white boxes. If you do not see white boxes, click Show Storyboard. Click and drag each picture into the desired location on the bottom. You can drag each one to a new location as needed.

2. Text

First, create your title slide. This may or may not have a picture. Select the first slide by clicking on it once. From the top menu, select Tools, Titles and Credits, title at the beginning. Type your title in the top box and your name in the lower box. Choose an animation, text font, and color of your choice on this screen. Be sure your text color contrasts with the color of the slide. When you are satisfied, click Done. You can always select this slide by double clicking to make changes.

Again, select Tools, Titles and Credits. Pick the option you want and complete as you did on the title slide. File, Save Project

Remember:  

·        One sentence per slide

·        No more than four lines of text per slide

3. Audio

From the menu on the left, select import audio or music. Browse to find class on vfmserver, Hill folder, Music folder, and select any folder.

To add the audio, just above your slides click on Show Timeline. Click and drag down your audio file. Use the plus and minus magnifying glass buttons to see more or less of the timeline at once.

 4. Align slides and audio

Adjust the slides to match the music. Play the file from the beginning. When you select a slide and mouse over a split between pictures, the cursor turns to a double red arrow. Use this to drag each slide to the desired length.

Save your work, File, Save Project.

5. Add transitions and video effects

Just above your slides on the bottom, click Show Storyboard. Click on the small box between two slides where you’d like to add a transition. From the top menu, select Tools, Video Transitions. You can preview the transition by clicking play on the left hand side of the page. Choose from the list of options, then click and drag it into place.

For video effects, you may add none, one, or more than one to each slide. From the top menu, select Tools, Video Effects. Scroll down and take a look at the long list of possibilities. You can preview the video effect by clicking play on the left hand side of the page. Choose from the list of options, and drag the effect onto the STAR on the slide.Save your work, File, Save Project.

6. Revise

Keep playing your video and switch between storyboard and timeline modes to make adjustments. The timeline mode is a good spot to change the length of slides, start/stop your music, and move your text timing. These are all click and drag operations.

7. Turn it into a movie file.

The final step is a different way to save your work that will turn it into a movie file. Select File, Save Movie File, class on vfmserver, Hill  folder, Save Here folder, and save it as your name.

·        REQUIREMENTS FOR FINISHED PRODUCT:

·        title screen with name and topic

·        at least 10 visuals (pictures)

·        text to tell the story

·        only one sentence/phrase per slide, no more than four lines