Creating 360 Degree Panoramas for FREE…
You don’t have to dig into your paycheck or your organization’s budget to create quality interactive panoramas.
Without access to expensive photo-stitching programs, you can find several free online programs for building panoramas, including those super-cool, 3D virtual-tour types.
Two sites I came across for creating panoramas are Dermandar and Clevr.
Here’s an example from Dermandar:
The steps are simple. Using your digital camera or even your phone camera, take a sequence of photos in a 360 degree rotation, making sure to overlap about 25 percent of the landscape from the previous photo in each photo you take. Either turn your camera on a tripod or move your body around the camera, but whatever you do, make sure the camera is rotating in place. Try to keep the camera level.
Then upload the photos to either Dermandar or Clevr, and they will automatically create your panorama by reading the overlapping parts. The Clevr stitcher application must be downloaded and installed, while Dermandar requires no installation.
Both sites allow you to embed your panoramas into your blog or website.
Check back soon to see what I come up with when I put these programs to the test!
Final Cut Shortcuts for Editing on Deadline
An advanced Final Cut workshop I attended at the NAHJ Convention focused on tools for creating better video stories.
Some of the best tools at our disposal during the editing process are keyboard shortcuts.
Many of you might already know these, but I think it’s worth it to review them.
Up/Down Arrows: for moving between cuts, Up=previous cut, Down = next cut
J,K,L: for playback, J=rewind, K=stop/play, L=fast forward
[ ] brackets: for trimming, [ = trim one frame left, ] = trim one frame right
U, V: for editing,
N: turns snapping on and off
A: to activate pointer on mouse
Apple T: to set FCP’s default transition, a 1:00 cross dissolve
(you can also create your own shortcut-linked transitions with “Make Favorite Effect” under the Effects tab)
Apple Z: Undo (one of my personal faves)
*TIP – When dropping clips to the timeline, a down arrow appearing over the clip being moved means all other clips will stay in the same place, a right arrow means everything will shift to the right.
The website Key XL has a longer list of helpful FCP shortcuts: see it here.
For more Final Cut tips, visit this site created by Colorado University at Boulder instructor Paul Daugherty, who taught the NAHJ Final Cut 2.0 course.
No Teleprompter? No problem.
Who needs expensive teleprompter setups when you can create a mini-teleprompter with your iPhone?
The ProPrompter app from Bodelin Technologies works with both the iPhone and iPod Touch. Scripts are inserted using the ProPrompter script management website, which users can access after purchasing the app.
The iPhone as a prompter could prove useful for reporters shooting standups or liveshots in the field, especially those wanting to avoid fumbling with papers.
The ProPrompter app is currently selling for $10. The company also offers gadgets to make your iPhone prompter even better. At $130, the ProPrompter Wing is an attachment for your camera which secures the iPhone alongside the lens, for easy reading.
ProPrompter Wing. Original image at http://www.bodelin.com/proprompter/product_wing_mobile/
The ProMag attachment (shown below) is a little more complex. It’s a lens hood/mirror system that allows you to use your iPhone more like a traditional teleprompter, with the words appearing in the lens. It includes a magnifier, so you can see your script bigger and clearer. It’s also about $1,000.
ProMag. Original image at http://www.bodelin.com/proprompter/product_promag/
More iFun: Audio/Video Editing & Slideshows
A number of iPhone apps are now making it possible to edit both audio and video directly on your phone.
VeriCorder offers several of them.
1st Video Net enables you to record, edit and send broadcast and podcast-ready video using your iPhone. With a Vericorder Corporate Account, Vericorder says you can integrate the program into your newsroom system to be able to automatically send your completed stories via FTP using WiFi or a cellular connection.
ShowCase from Vericorder allows you to create audio slideshows on your iPhone or iPod Touch. ShowCase can also be integrated with newsroom systems for direct sharing.
VC Audio Net for the iPhone and i Touch is designed for recording and editing audio clips and sending radio stories back to your newsroom.
Vericorder also sells mini-external mics for the iPhone that run about $20 a piece.
(For info on getting a corporate account, contact sales@vericorder.com)
Slideshows with PhotoPeach…
Photopeach is another slideshow maker you can use for storytelling.
Though not as highly recommended as Soundslides, Photopeach is audio and caption capable. The Premium version, which you’d need if you want to upload your own audio files, is a mere $3 a month.
The slideshows you create using Photopeach can be embedded on virtually any website or blog.
I used the same photos from the previous post to create a slideshow in Photopeach. I was done in a matter of minutes after using the default motion and pacing settings. Watch below.
A Balancing Act
Audio Slideshows Made Easy….
One of the sessions I attended at the NAHJ Convention focused on an increasingly popular Web feature: the audio slideshow.
The instructor recommended one program in particular for making audio slideshows, and that is Soundslides.
Soundslides markets itself as “built for storytelling.” And it is. The user interface is extremely simple and makes timing your photos and adding audio a breeze.
The software does come at a cost. $39.95 for the basic version and $69.95 for Soundslides Plus. But it’s a one-time investment and according to several of the journalists recommending it, worth every penny.
Here’s a test slideshow I made using the free demo version of Soundslides. I took these photos in Denver as part of a hands-on photography training course. I didn’t have audio to add, so I used captions to tell the story instead.
The Programs that Inspired This Site
SPJ Broadcast Reporters Institute 2010
The SPJ Broadcast Reporters Institute was a four-day journalism “boot-camp” packed with training sessions on topics ranging from multimedia to the Freedom of Information Act.
It was held at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, June 13-16.
The program targets broadcast journalists three years, or fewer, into their professional careers. For anyone interested in applying next year, you can get more information here: SPJ Reporters Institute
Just one week after the SPJ event, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Convention brought journalists from all over the country to Denver, Colorado for several days of training, discussion and networking. The convention moves next year to Orlando, Florida. Click here to learn more about NAHJ.
Welcome!
I recently got back from two very exciting journalism training programs: the Society of Professional Journalists Broadcast Reporters Institute and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Convention. Both programs devoted a lot of attention to web media tools and convergence.
I wanted to share all I learned with fellow journalists and others turning to multiple platforms to share information, and thought what better way than to actually put those tools to use!
This site covers some of the latest tips and tricks for news gathering and delivery as shared by some of the best in the business. Hope it proves useful!