Assignment Prepares Broadcasting Teacher to Teach Broadcasting

One would assume a broadcasting teacher would know how to produce a video story.  Not this one!  Almost the entire school year has passed with Broadcast Journalism I on my schedule, but we’ve encountered endless delays in ordering equipment.  In the meantime, I’ve learned very little about video production (and that through my friend Louise, a former broadcasting teacher at a nearby school)—until now.

With no real video camera equipment (see paragraph above), I had to use my trusty Nikon D3100 camera and figure out how to take video with it.  It was perfectly serviceable for a brief video story since it can film in segments up to ten minutes in length.

Sisters in Crime: Palmetto Chapter from Stephen Milligan on Vimeo.

Capturing audio was another matter.  The Nikon’s microphone captures sound, but when I played a few test videos, the sound was rather faint and tinny, so I went to Best Buy one and purchased a small, relatively inexpensive Sony clip-on microphone that would plug directly into the camera just to be on the safe side.  It appears to have done the job, but I wish the cable had been a bit longer to provide some more wiggle room (literally and figuratively).   

Setting up the video shoot taught me the wisdom of keeping multiple options open.  I reached out to a contact person for each of my two ideas, and one didn’t get back to me after almost a week had passed, by which time I had already committed to the other because of the time factor involved.

Upon arriving to set up for the event, I realized I would be filming a meeting, which does not necessarily make for exciting B-roll, but again, time was a factor, and the organization’s leaders had expressed interest in using the final video story on their website, so I felt I should make the best of it.

The filming location wasn’t ideal, but I had no control over it—the organization holds monthly meetings at Grecian Gardens in West Columbia.  The restaurant had just opened, so the clatter of china being stacked can be heard in the background, and the Greek music started up midway through my first interview.  Luckily, the group has a standing reservation in a private room, so at least we were away from the bustle of the main dining room.  This room was rather small, but the expected number of members didn’t show up, so I had room to maneuver but still less that I would have liked, particularly with the tripod.  Despite these obstacles, along with the hardship of watching plates of Greek salad, spanakopita, and baklava passing by while I was working, I persevered.

I conducted the interviews first, and only after everything was said and done (literally and figuratively) did I remember I should have positioned the two interview subjects on opposite sides of the frame for visual variety. 

I have realized through this experience that filming is very different from photography.  Many times I had to resist the urge to turn the camera to get a vertical shot, and I had to take more care with framing the shots because distracting or unwanted elements couldn’t be cropped out as they can be with photos.

The editing stage was pretty straightforward, thanks to the previous training on Audacity—Adobe Premier Elements 14 is similar to the audio-editing program in many respects.  At first, I didn’t see the need for the set-in and set-out points, but they are used to pare down the clip before placing it on the timeline (as opposed to placing the entire clip and then cutting), and fine editing can be done on the timeline as needed.

Now I’m totally prepared to dig in and teach broadcasting this fall.  Wishful thinking!  But I now know more than I did three weeks ago, and I have a better idea of how to start and where to start.  Action!

Lifelong Learning Theme Lends Itself to Interactive Journalism Experimentation

This week’s assignment brings a romper room of multimedia toys to play with.  Some played more nicely than others, though. 

First up: maps.  I love maps.  I’ve even wallpapered my hall with them. 

Since I normally use Google Maps, my first impulse was to use Google’s services for this activity.  I have since learned how important impulse control is.  When I opened Google Maps, I was presented with an empty map of the world with no instruction on how to proceed, so I Googled using Google Maps and somehow stumbled upon the Google Developers page, which showed me all sorts of complicated things on Google Maps APIs, which I have since found out could mean “application program interface” or “American Petroleum Institute,” but it may as well have been one in the same because this was way out of my league, and I scoffed when I saw a button entitled “View Pricing and Plans.”

On to MapQuest then!  This appeared to be much easier to use, although at one point (after I had marked and described all of my locations, of course), I managed to lose everything, but I was quickly able to recreate the map just as I’d had it and save it under my newly created account.  Going back to edit the map was a chore, though, because the log-in screen for MapQuest isn’t very easy to locate; in fact, if I hadn’t saved the account set-up confirmation e-mail message, I might never have found it.  Even then, I went in circles for several minutes trying to log in—I kept getting messages saying no account could be found under my username.  Finally, I was able to log in through Facebook (somehow).

The next task was to create a poll or survey using Polldaddy.  After wrestling with Google Maps and MapQuest, this was a breeze—the hardest part was devising the questions!  Polldaddy allows various types of questions to be asked.  I wanted to try one of the Matrix/Likert questions but didn’t like the way the choices at the top of the chart came out looking squished up, so I abandoned that format.  Polldaddy has several options for the font and style of the survey.  I was able to choose a font similar to the blog font, and after testing several styles, I settled on the default, Surveymattic, because it was easy to read, and the gray coloration fit with the gray background of this blog.  There are also choices for how to embed the survey in the blog: button, banner, or slider popup; within these choices are further choices for customization, although I see now hardly any are compatible with blogger.  The survey link below is supposed to be a gray button, and it's supposed to open up in a smaller pop-up window, neither of which is happening.

Share your experience as a lifelong learner!

The final component of this assignment is a timeline, with the choice of creating one using either Tiki-Toki or Dipity.

I’d seen Tiki-Toki in action recently when the website my English II students were using to research the historic structures on Columbia’s Bull Street property (the former home of the state mental hospital) went down.  The professor at USC (that’s the University of South Carolina, not that other university somewhere in California that tries to use that designation) whose students had created the original site directed me to a Tiki-Toki timeline her class had also created, saving (most of) the day.  I created an account and began working with it, only to be told I couldn’t upload photos or embed the timeline in this blog without paying.  What to do?  Dipity-Do!

Which should be called Dipity-Don’t.

I spent entirely too much time going in circles on Dipity.  I could never find the timeline I had named, and after clicking around on the site, I was told I had created the maximum number of timelines allowed with a free account…even though I had only created one and hadn’t even edited it.  The help feature is a misnomer, and every time I tried to access my account settings, I kept getting sent back to what appeared to be the homepage.

So, with credit card in hand, I upgraded my free Tiki-Toki account to allow photos and embedding.  Creation of the timeline went smoothly after this.  The only drawback is that the timeline insists on use of the full date, not just month and year, so in cases where I couldn’t remember the exact date, I had to estimate.

  
Well played, if I do say so myself.

Podcast Telephone Interview Made Possible by App

My last exciting blog post detailed creating my first podcast for the Teaching Multimedia course, an overview of the Hancock County Courthouse in Sparta, Georgia.  After that, I was ready for another task, namely one that didn’t involve recording myself.

But wait—there’s more!  Now I had to create another podcast that would include interviews with others.

Hancock County Courthouse.  Sparta, Georgia.  National Register of Historic Places 
(April 16, 1974).  Photographed by Stephen Milligan (July 20, 2015).

I decided to delve more deeply into the courthouse topic, particularly the fire that virtually destroyed it in 2014 and the reconstruction process. 

I had contacted officials in Hancock County’s government, offering them my photos (a whole year’s worth) for archival purposes, and I’ve kept up with two of them: Sistie Hudson, Chairman of the Hancock County Board of Commissioners, and Teresa Kell, District 4 Commissioner.  Both were willing to participate in an interview.

Conducting the interview presented a challenge.  Sparta is more than two hours away, and while I wouldn’t mind a Saturday jaunt to Georgia, with endless schoolwork, housework, and yard work, I hardly had time!  I could neglect these chores (I do most weekends), but both ladies in Sparta were just entering a busy period of personal and professional commitments.

What’s the next best thing to being there?  A telephone interview!  But how would I record it?  If I used the speakerphone at school and recorded on the iPhone, I may sound clear and “live,” whereas my subjects might sound tinny and artificial.  If only I could record both ends of the conversation with a balance of sound quality!

Surely there’s an app for that.

There is…more than one.  After some internet research, I settled on an app.  Call Recording by NoNotes.com had positive reviews and required no special equipment (no VoIP or Skype connection needed).  This app would record a call I had initiated (many only record incoming calls).  The app is free, including 20 free minutes of recording per month, with options to purchase extra minutes (most charge, but this one was reasonably priced); I purchased more time in case the interview ran long…and it did.  For an additional fee, calls can be transcribed (hence the name).

Using the app is easy:  After entering my phone number and creating a password, I made a sample call.  The app accessed my contacts and routed the call through its network.  Immediately I received an incoming call from NoNotes.com.  I answered to hear the phone ringing, connecting me to the contact dialed.  After the call, I received an e-mail message that the recording was ready.  I downloaded it by simply logging in to NoNotes.com on the computer.

I composed my questions and called Sparta at the appointed time.  The interview went well, mostly.  A few words of mine are unclear near the beginning, and there was some latency between questions and answers, similar to latency during televised satellite interviews, but I edited that out in Audacity.  Thanks to previous lessons on Audacity, editing wasn’t difficult.

Now I’m tired of hearing myself talk—on to the next task!  

Podcasting Novice Chooses Topic, Makes Recording with Ease

Create a podcast.  I should be excused from this assignment.  Shouldn’t podcasts be delivered in the smooth voice of Casey Kasem?  Or intoned in the authoritative voice of James Earl Jones?  Even if the instructor insists on subjecting herself and my non-Southern classmates to this voice, what would I record a podcast about?

A favorite piece of literature or beloved author?  They’ll already think they’re listening to a monologue from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  A great architect or monumental building?  Frank Lloyd Wright?  Louis Sullivan?  The Sears Tower?  The John Hancock Center?  Perhaps another building that derives its name from Mr. Hancock…if I can’t contract this assignment out to a better voice, I should at least choose a matching topic: The Hancock County Courthouse in Sparta, Georgia, the most beautiful courthouse in the state, at least in my opinion. 

I know enough about the building to write a script.  I traveled to Sparta once each month in 2013 to photograph it—3,336 miles and fifty-seven hours on the road.  Some thought I was crazy to invest so much in one dilapidated building, but I’m so glad I did—the courthouse was almost completely destroyed by fire eight months after I finished the project, so I have some of the last photos of it.  I’ve also researched the building’s history and become acquainted with some local citizens after I sent them copies of my photos.  So there’s my topic.  I can even throw a y’all or two into the podcast just like that Georgia peach Paula Deen!

I now had to get the technical knowledge down.  After reading the assigned textbook chapter and examining the websites listed, I can’t say I’ve committed to memory everything I need to know about equipment and software, but I know where to find out. 

Some of the microphone discussion and comparison I was already familiar with—my principal wants to start a broadcasting program (meaning he wants me to start a broadcasting program), so my friend Louise, who taught broadcasting at a nearby high school for sixteen years, has paid several visits to school to consult on equipment orders, evaluate our existing studio, and expose my students to equipment, including different microphones and their recommended use.

After preparing my script, rehearsing the timing, and editing for length, I had to record.  Creating an audioBoom account and downloading the app were easy; in fact, most everything about audioBoom was simple: recording on the phone, saving, deleting, pulling the recording up on the computer, and embedding the recording in the blog post were straightforward (a test post proved adding the podcast was easier than adding a photo slideshow).  The only real problem with audioBoom was finding the recording—it didn’t immediately display as a saved file, but after clicking around on the menu, there it was under Profile/Posts/Drafts.  Another problem is the lack of voice-filtering technology, but the class will just have to deal with it.

After all, y’all are the ones who have accents, not me!   

From Blah to Blog

In the article “The creator of Godwin’s Law on the inevitability of online Nazi analogies and the ‘right to be forgotten,’” these lines leapt out at me:

“This is the first time in human history where individuals, in this number, have had the agency to be heard around the world on a really large scale…now, everyone is in the position of essentially being a publisher, an autobiographer, a poet” (2).

Underwood Standard Typewriter.  Margarita European Inn.  Evanston, Illinois.  
Photographed by Stephen Milligan (July 13, 2014).

I have to admit at the beginning of the Social Role of the Mass Media course, I was less than thrilled when I read the requirement that we would have to maintain a weekly blog.  I saw it as one more requirement.  And I’ve always been resistant to the idea of blogging. 

Who would really care to sit down and read my thoughts on any given topic at any given time?  Who am I?  A little nobody from South Carolina who isn’t qualified to offer an opinion on much of anything. 

Full Disclosure: I did once win a judging contest held by my cousin’s twin girls (then in elementary school) after their parents and I judged some of their artwork.  Or an impromptu performance.  Or something.  I can’t really remember, but they judged me the best judge of them…I know—I was confused, too, but I did win.  I even got a handmade certificate for my excellent judging abilities.

Anyway…I have friends and colleagues who blog.  One keeps a poetry blog.  One maintains a blog on her experiences as a teacher.  Another blogs about her fledgling wine-making adventures.  The teacher blogger has suggested that I start a blog as well, but I’ve always brushed her off.

Who has time for such pursuits?  In particular, who has time for such pursuits in the middle of the school year while taking a course and trying to keep up with the innumerable deadlines and demands of the journalism program, along with those of “normal” teachers and trying to keep up with all of the yard work and the housework, not the least of which is vacuuming up after two Persian cats?

Unless it’s required.

So I grudgingly wrote the first blog and set up the site, merely using the same hosting site the poetry blogger uses because I had his site bookmarked on the computer.  I customized the blog site with a theme and my own photos…I would never just use the defaults—how pedestrian!

Soon I began to look forward to the weekly blog because it gave me a chance to be creative, not creative for school but personally creative (or at least that’s the way I took the assignment).  I had been putting so much time into school and these classes and photography that I’d gotten away from writing for the past few years.  But now this blog gave me the chance to do a little writing—and get a grade for it!  The blog became a little treat amongst all of the serious work of analyzing the social role of the mass media.

So now I have the agency to be heard around the world…now, I am a publisher, an autobiographer, a poet.

I even have fantasies of maintaining this blog after the course ends—of my own free will!

Until I’m buried again…in the middle of the school year…under the next course…and the journalism deadlines…and the teaching duties…and the yard work…and the housework…and a mountain of cat hair…

Reference
Scola, Nancy.  "The creator of Godwin's Law on the inevitability of online Nazi analogies and the 'right to be forgotten.'"  Washington Post.  11     Aug.  2014.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/08/11/the-creator-of-godwins-law-on-the-inevitability-of-online-           nazi-analogies-and-the-right-to-be-forgotten/