Create With Purpose

Adobe Youth Voices Develops the technology skills among youth, providing cutting edge tools and breakthrough learning experiences from creating video, multimedia, digital art, web, animation, and audio to express their voices in society and prepare for 21st centery employment with critical thinking, innovation, collaboration and communication skills. more

December 13, 2011

Shilpa Sayura helps youth to create with a purpose

"Every youth has a story" is the principle of Adobe Youth Voices Programme. Shilpa Sayura Foundation collaborating with Adobe Foundation and ThinkingITGlobal, Canada implemented Adobe Youth Voices (AYV) program in Sri Lanka to train 120 youth between age 12 to 18 at telecentres and schools to create youth media with a purpose. This process helped empowering of youth to engage in a social development dialogue using Information and Communication Technologies.



Shilpa Sayura through AYV provided youth with exposure and training  to 21st century creative media tools. Their creative works exhibited to a local and international audience. The training and and inspiration harnessed the creativity of youth to produce media to make their voices heard globally. The AYV program created diverse opportunities for youth to think critically and engage in meaningful media-making process based on their talents using cutting edge media tools. 

AYV program started in Sri Lanka in June 2011. Two educators Niranjan Meegammana, an ICT4D specialist and Asela Jayalath, a telecentre manager from Monaragala were trained by TakingITGlobal, Canada. During August and November. The two educators trained over 120 youth in digital media production using software provided by Adobe Foundation and ppen source tools. One of the remarkable  highlights  of AYV program implemented in Sri Lanka was using of a mobile training unit by Shilpa Sayura, which helped reaching of youth at their own locations, class rooms as well as outdoors. The mobile training system comprised of 5 low powered netbooks, digital cameras, camcorders and Internet enabled network switch. This mobile network unit was even outdoors without direct power.  This mobile Telecentre is an innovative application of ICT for taking education to the under served youth.




Lahugala Nenasala in Eastern province, Buttala Telecentre in uva province and in four schools in Kandy district took part in AYV pilot in Sri Lanka . The youth worked collaboratively to create digital media following a meaningful and purpose oriented creation processes. "Our idea was to lay a foundation for youth to develop through time and become master producers of creative media in future. Already some youth are thinking of becoming future media, music and film producers" said Niranjan Meegammana, Project Director of AYV, Sri Lanka.The program also conducted  introductory sessions in deaf and blind school in Kandy deploying the youth trained by AYV as trainers. The youth who were benefited first, becoming trainers for other youth is another highlight as Niranjan says. "Youth teaching youth has enabled 21st century learning integrated with creativity, collaboration and communication enabled by ICTs and peer to peer leaning".

One of the important social elements of AYV is collaborative approaches and the works produced by youth are attributed with Creative Commons licence to enable grater sharing of their works world wide. An ancient poem from Wessanthra folk drama sung by a youth from Kirivavula Junior School was used by a youth from Pushpadana Girls School in "mothers of the world" video producation. "The thre youth are yet to met, however their creatives mixed in said Niranjan. "We are looking at inter school collaborative productions and possibly regional and global collaborations are possible future. AYV will bring global youth together in producing creative works" Niranjan added.

Speaking to youth who participated in the AYV Sri Lanka program we found that they were able to break away from monotonous and highly pressured education to became more creative in using their talents with free thinking and enjoying the learning. AYV has helped them to express their voices and ideas to their peers, parents and teachers where positive changes in their have been resulted. "I am more relaxed now in my education as I have found my talents and know where to go, I want to be a film director" said Shakthi a student in Kandy.  "AYV helped me to find that I am good with cartoons. Now I want to study art and ICT in my Advanced Level, Sithumi another youth said. Sathyangani is only 12 years of Age, but she is able to use a Nikon D40 professional camera. Prabahana is in Grade 7 and created digital stories with his own photography and music. "Youth learn very fast in informal environments. Working as group and using ICT they become their own masters. Freedom to create inspires them and help them to find own identities in a team. The group together explores their own perspectives of creative art. AYV model is enjoyable by both students and  educators" said Anil Vithanage, a teacher inspired by AYV.


The creative works of students ranged from hand paintings, photo collage, photographs, digital stories, digital videos, posters, illustrations, music, poems. One creative was rap song calling youth to act on climatic change . Among many creative by youth 20 best creative works were selected by Adobe foundation for exhibiting to a global audience. It seems as a remarkable achievement by youth in Sri Lanka.  "We found lots of hidden talents in youth. AYV unleashed their collaborative and creative powers. It's amazing to see what they are capable of  producing" said Yamuna Ratnayake, President of Shilpa Sayura Foundation. Poornima Heshdhani from Pushpadana Girls Collage, Kandy has won two national competitions by creating a poster and video on nano technology using adobe software is one of the remarkable achievements of AVY, Sri Lanka. One of the touching stories is that Lahugala Telecentre youth who had no rain for 7 months in 2011, describing Shilpa Sayura conducted AYV program as a "rain fell in their dry lands".

Shilpa Sayura Foundation believes that creative media production is one of the most effective ways to prepare youth for 21st century learning as it induces expression, communication and collaboration to create awareness for solving pressing problems of the world.   A lesson that can be learned in AYV is that ICTs, Global collaboration and creative media can help creating enabling environments to change lives of under served youth. Shilpa Sayura plans to implement a training the trainer program to produce Adobe Educators to reach more youth 2012.

Gamini Pathirana
People Media

November 20, 2011

Climate Change Song RAP


.



people move to cities
and become big fatties 
we emit dark smokes
creating carbon skyies


our rivers turns black
you need to have look
no more fish to cook
only receipes in the book


off season rain
breaks weather chain
fine village maids
gets all the pain


lands slides and floods
sink neighbourhoods
we have shortage of foods
now people cutting woods


less and less water
our water becomes shorter
they killed my alligater
I see only a crater


chemicals to the air
it is not really fair
raining of chemicals
saving is a miracle


when oceans take land
we got to run inland
if cutting trees not banned
let deserts be our land


pollution hijacks the world 
arctics looses the cold
if people have the nurve
we can heal the word


so, reduce our wastefull ways
it is coming to end of days
make changes our ways
can't wait for the silver rays


Chorus ..
earth needs healing
climate is changing
are we really dancing
or are we fooling
have you no feeling
problems are breeding
come for the saving
youth are now leading


What I'd Cook For My Teacher

If I cooked hot lunch for my teacher,
I would start out with rattlesnake stew.
Then I’d serve her a centipede salad
And a tall glass of milk mixed with glue.
Next, a seaweed and jellyfish sandwich,
For dessert, an a-chooberry pie.
When she finally finds out what she’s eaten,
I hope the old bat doesn’t die.

Bruce Lansky

Be Creative .. Dont hate your teacher
Reverse this verse to make it a good meal

November 11, 2011

Digital Story Telling - How to make digital strories

Digital story is a short video of 1 - 3 munites
It actually tells a strory, engaging audience with a new experience.
Its delivered and exibitted online or offline using digital tools like computers and multimedia. Althouth its short the process is the same.

Write a script with first person narrative of 100-400 words , 1 to 4 minutes max
Audion record the naration, use a tool to make a video. Microsoft photo story, Adobe premire there are many...


Add Background Music, Titles, Transitions, and Effects
Present or publish finished version of story


Step 1:
What do you want to tell
Think small.
The story about someone important in your memory.
pay tribute to someone who passed on but left a lasting impression.

The story about an event in your life.
Personal journey , share your experiences
achieving a goal, graduating from school, or winning an award

The story about a place in your life.

The story about what I do,
value of your work, hobbies, or social interactions

Discoveries : how we uncovered a truth or learned how to do something.
 
Collect Your Materials
Start collecting memories. Take photos, creative common photos, videos,
  • Get personal. Forget everything you've been taught about using a dispassionate, authoritative, essay-like voice. This isn't an essay contest. People want to hear your voice. The story must be told from your point of view.
  • Write a first drafts
  • Write short.
  • Read your script aloud as you're fine-tuning it. Simple words hit...
  • Be real. Be emotional , touch heats. break minds
  • Have a begining, Middle and End
  • The beginning sets the dramatic tension to hold throughout the story. The middle outlines conflicts along the way. The end is the destination, revealing a small discovery, revelation, or insight.

    desire-action-realization model.
Work on the pace, rhythm and tempo of the tory to sustains an audience Experience.
Trust your voice. All of us have our own distinctive style of storytelling. Trust yours.
Read your script to a friend
Create a Storyboars - plot out the sequences of events and visuals (camera shots) in the movie
Produce Your Media
720x540-pixel range photos should be the minumum size
Record a Voice-Over
Add Music
Consider Copyrights
Edit Your Story
Share Your Stor

November 8, 2011

Adobe Youth Voices : Creatives

Let Us be Free!
Artist : Grayathri Karunaraja - Pushpadana Girls Collage, Kandy.

October 25, 2011

How to write a rap for a 2 munite AYV Digital Story

This is simple  and a  systematic approach for writing a rap song. You can add your own style to it. lets get started.




1. Get Inspired.
Pick a topic for your Rap song that you have your own perspective that you want to share with your audience. Your inspiration is lyrics that create a meaning

Ex : Education Pressure need to be relived


2. Write a Hook. The hook should summarize the entire inspiration
for the song. creted on Rush Hour After School, youth rush to tution classes....


3. Brainstorm. Start to make a list of every idea, your view point related to your inspired topic. This will become the content of your song.

Ex. Schools open in the city, Rush Hour Begins , Youth want to get to tution, they want to be the first to catch forward benches, education pressure need a relief
4. Write lyrics.
Go through each of the points from your brainstorm list and express them in rhyme. Its a to way spin like editing. Math your concept with lyrics and improve your concept at the same time. Music is not a sequntial process.


5. Pick a beat Make beat yourself, or Pick a beat that invokes the emotion that inspired you to write your song.


6. Structure the song.
Now that you have a good idea of the sound your completed song will have, arrange your rhyme into verses (16 bars apiece).


You can start each verse with nearly any rhyme, but it's a good practice to end with a rhyme that makes a point. This way your verse doesn't seem to be left hanging.
A popular song structure would be: Intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, verse, middle 8 (AKA breakdown), chorus, outro.

However for a 2 mins rap your can have an intro, chorus, verse, chorus and outro.


7. Rap and refine.
Practice rapping your song on your chosen beat to work out the bugs and optimize your written verses. Cut out as many words as possible and then cut out some more. Only use the words that are needed to make your point, or to complete a rhyme... nothing more.
Don't be afraid to add a pause or two, this can help to enhance a certain point in the song.


8. Memorize your song. Rap your lyrics over your beat until you have memorized every breath Only then will you be ready to produce your song.
9. Produce it. Hook up with a producer to get the recordings and mastering completed.

Source Reference : Media Wiki

Expand:


How to write a rap Chorus




Can you improve this
TITLE : Rush Hour

Intro:
School bell rings
Rush hour begins
begin the Silence

Get over the fence
Got to go fast
Cant be the last
I Need the front row
Want to be the pro


Chorus:butter ... butter on the breader
keep another, breader on the butter
another, and another, keep it moving
the pressure, pressure no better


Verse:Taking the tution
The education fusion
to spend a free time
give me a free dime


Chorus:butter ... butter on the breader
keep another, breader on the butter
another, and another, keep it moving
the pressure, pressure no better


Outro:
education pressure
actually no crosser
creating a buffer
seems like better


Chorus:
butter ... butter on the breader
keep another, breader on the butter
another, and another, keep it moving
the pressure, pressure no better


Written By
Niranjan Meegammana

July 31, 2011

Digital Storytelling Steps, Checks and Preparation

1. Point of View
What is the main point of the story?
What is the perspective of the author?

2. A Dramatic Question
What is the key question that keeps the viewer's

attention?
How will it be answered by the end of the story.

3. Emotional Content
What issue will make a person come alive?
How will you connect the audience to the story

4. The Gift of Your Voice
How would you use your voice help audience understand

the context.

5. The Power of Music and Sounds
Which music and sounds will you use tosupport and

embellish the storyline.

6. Economy of content
How would you use enough content to tell the story

without overloading the viewer.

7. Pacing The rhythm
How slowly or quickly does the story progresses.


The requirements of a digital story some times varies
Unversity of Houstan developped following 10 steps

1. The Overall Purpose of the Story

2. The creaters Point of View

3. A Dramatic Question or Questions

4. The Choice of Content

5. Clarity of Voice

6. Pacing of the Narrative

7. Use of a Meaningful Audio Soundtrack
8. Quality of the Images, Video

9. Economy of the Story Detail

10. Good Grammar and Language Usage



IDEA-GENERATING EXERCISES
1. Describe an event or occasion where you went from being a passive observer to an active participant.

How did this shift affect the way you experienced the event?

Your example could be something as simple as
going from being a passenger in a car to actually driving the vehicle,or it could involve a more complex situation, like an accident

2. If you are working on a project for a specific interactive medium or platform, make a list of the types of interactivity the medium or platform lends to you to make good use of the platform’s strengths and avoiding its weaknesses?

3. Take a very simple, familiar story and work out different ways it would be changed.

Take examples from child’s nursery rhyme, or a little human-interest pieces from a newspapers or magazines.

4. Using a simple story, redesign
it as two different experiences

5. Based on what you know create a satisfactory story


Some of the questions need addressing

1. What is the goal of the project?
increase awareness of air pollution, especially
pollution produced by motor vehicles.

2. Who would be our target audience?

3. What is the project’s objective?

raise awareness
educate people
inform simple steps could be taken
to reduce air polution

4. What format would we use to get the message across?

5. How would be be structured?

The Checks of a creation

1. PREMISE:
What is the the core idea in a nutshell?
What is the primary challenge?
How will make it engaging?
What are the essential qualities in a single sentence.

2. PURPOSE:
What is the purpose of the project:
To entertain? To teach or inform?
To make people laugh? To sell?

What information will you need to meet this purpose? How will you obtain this information?

3. MODE OF PRESENTATION:
What medium will be used for this project?

What type of platform?

What special technology will you use?

What genre does it fall into?

What are the special strengths and limitations of the medium, platform, and technology?

How will the project take advantage of these strengths and minimize these limitations?

What are the key characteristics the genre?

What competing products in this genre are already out?

4. AUDIENCE:
Who is this project intended for?

What kinds of things are important to people in this group? What type of entertainment do they enjoy?

What are their needs, hopes, and fears?
How technically sophisticated are they?

5. SETTING, WORLDS, AND CHARACTERS: What is the central fictional setting or world of your project?

What kinds of smaller worlds can it be divided?

What kinds of actions or events might take place in
these worlds?

What kinds of characters might inhabit them?

Who would the main character and other good guys be, and who would be the bad guys?

What challenges or dangers are inherent to these
worlds?

What kinds of special talents or abilities are required to operate successfully within these settings?

6. USER’S ROLE: What role will the audience play?

What will he or she do after viewing ?
What is the nature of the user’s involvement expected?
How will the viewer effect the project outcome?
How do the characters, connect with the user? How

7. GOAL: What is the overarching goal of the fictional construct?

What mission are characters given in terms of trying to achieve this goal?

What kinds of things can the charactor do to enable the goal to be fulfilled?

What kinds of intermediate and smaller goals will the charactor be given along the way?

What will hook the user?


8. OPPOSITION AND TENSION:
What is the nature of the oppositional forces that the charactor will encounter?

What kinds of obstacles or challenges will need to be dealt with?

What will add tension to the experience?

Will some kind of ticking clock be built into the
movie? like a bomb explosion time, end of world

9. REWARDS AND CONSEQUENCES :
How will the charactor be rewarded when he or she succeeds at a task?

10. STRUCTURE:
How will the project be structured?
What will the general organizing principle be?
Over how long a time is the fictional experience supposed to last?
How will the passing of time be indicated?

How will users be made aware of the structure?




Source (Digital Stroy Telling

July 24, 2011

Video Editing Cuts




Techniques for Engaging the Target Audience

Understanding of the needs and interests of your target audience comes first. Who are they? What they want ?
How can we make them react emotionally to the content.




Interest in other people is common among us. We like to "experience the experiences" of other people,
Example. Romantic, Dangerous, Wretched, or spiritual acts.

Make them gain new insights and exposure to new points of view. Which means learning new things.

Viewers like to reinforce their existing attitudes and, right or wrong.

Viewers react to against ideas that disturb their beliefs.

Be careful when challenging widely held beliefs.

Dont make messenger to be blamed for the message.

Audiences also like to hear about things that are new and exciting.

Check out similar productions from the past.

Determine the overall value of the production.

Put it down on paper. Write a proposal not script.

Write the script acceptable to your Team.

Create the storyboard consisting key scenes with dialogue, sound effects, and music.

Develop a Production Schedule

Draw up a production schedule.

Select Key Production Personnel
Producer, writer, production manager, director, creative team, assistants, technical staff and extras

Decide On Key Locations

Decide On Talent, Wardrobe and Sets

Arrange transportation, catering and accommodations

Obtain Permits, Insurance, and Clearances

Select Video Inserts,

Still Photos, and Graphics

Arrange to shoot video and inserts, still photos

Start rehearsing and shooting.

Recorded one scene at a time.

Do Postproduction Follow-Up

Begin Editing Phase
Cuts, Joining, Inserts, Music, Naration, Transitions, Effets

Review and Fine tune

Public Exhibition

July 23, 2011

Unsung Poem Of Youth - Adobe Youth Voices (AYV)



This media peice was created during Adobe Youth Voices Training conducted by Thinking IT Global 2011. This experimenta; video involved writing a poem, creating a story board, photography, photo editing snf video editing using a nikon camera, photo shop elements 9 and premiere elements 9.

July 10, 2011

What is a screenplay ? and How to plan a good one?

A screenplay tells a story using characters and actions. It is not a one-dimensional approach. Stories that focus on too much on action are shallow, while those focus too much on character are dull. Finest stories are a good mix of both. They provide clearly defined action as well as realistic characters.

The format of screenplays has been quite standard from ancient times, only a few differs.  When you write a screenplay, you are taking the reader on a journey,  Your audience should know where they would be going, but don't know how or what barriers and challanges they will encounter or who would they meet during the journey.



Protagonist
A protagonist (from the Greek protagonists, is the "one who plays the first part, chief actor") is the main character of the story, around whom the events the plot revolves. In simple hero of the story. When the story contain subplots, there may have different protagonists from the main plot.


Ex. Othello in Othello or Romeo and Juliet in the Romeo and Juliet.


In some stories, the protagonists may be impossible to identify, because multiple plots that do not permit clear identification of one as the main plot, such as Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, depicting 15 major characters involved in or affected by a war.


Protagonist involves in the story in two aspects or story lines. One story line deals with character’s inner motivation. The other story line deals with his or her inner motivations. The inner and outer stories blend through the conflict and theme of the story.

Outer Motivation

The outer motivation is about the protagonist's outward goal. What he or she trying achieve? Outer Motivation as the specific, visible goal a character wants to achieve by the end of a story. This goal must be realistic with physical action. The action need not be high energy and be clear to the audience. The outer motivation is resolved when the protagonist succeeds or fails at achieving his goal.

The outer motivation is revolves around physical action, providing good entertainment value in the script. It helps moving the story forward by keeping the audience attached to the story and be interested in the outcome. The script could be quite boring to the audience without a strong outer motivation and there will be less momentum in the story.


In movie “Brave Heart”, Young William Wallace witness the murder of his father at the opening of Braveheart, his passion for freedom from England starts.
In “Best of the Best” Hero’s outer motivation is to win the championship fight.


Inner Motivation
The inner motivation is about the protagonist's inner needs like how people care about him. The inner motivation also can be ambition to become a hero. It becomes resolved when the hero recognizes and overcomes it.

In Brave Heart, Williams inner motivation is caused by experiences of the past, where his father was killed and his wife was merdered. The inner motivation is ultimately revolve around personal relationships


Antagonist

The principal opponent of the protagonist is the antagonist, who creates obstacles that the protagonist must overcome. There may be more than one antagonist in a story. The antagonist may be the story's hero, where the protagonist is a terrorist - for example, the antagonist could be a police officer, or vice versa. It’s up to the screen writer to define the roles in the story.





Conflict
Conflicts are presented as disputes, challenges, a threat, or an obstacle to concur. Conflicts create tension in the audience and continue curiosity about the outcome of the story. Conflict occurs between characters, wh where the protagonist takes action against the opposition party. As the story progresses, the hero must develop a action plan to succeed. Conflicts takes place both the inner and outer story.

When the opponent prevents protagonist from achieving his goal, an ally, a friend or a lover helps the protagonist. The inner story deals with realism of protagonist’s struggle to achieve his goal. The he hero’s lover is in custody of the opponent which delays his quest to destroy opponent. The most important element of a story is to keep the audience involved. Then you have a really good drama that is quick moving and interesting story. Hence conflict is the most effective story element.


Motiff
Motiff is a recurring element that have a symboloic significance, a color, sound, animal or a camera angle. In matrix trench coats and sun glasses, black and green marix code, gureen hues and Artificial Intelligence




Watch Movies
Make a Schedule to Write
Have a Conflict
Nearly Impossible Goal
Develop a Theme
Build Chractors,
Create Plots and Sub Plots
Logical Sequence into a Resolution


Think like an ArcheologistWho, Why, What, How, When, Where?

Synopsys
Snap shot of Genere, Tone, setting, Mood, main chractors and

Conflicts and dont give away the ending. Its your marketing tool.
Story is a process, take one step at a time

Break the story into meaningfull scenes called beats- one sentence per scence.


Think screenplay writing as building of a house.


Call for adventure - a phone call can chage the life of the hero

Refusal of the call - Hero refuses due to Fear or Insecurity but eventually take the challange

Super Natural Aid - The guide and help appear


Crossing the turning point
Hero crosses the field of adventure, no turning back on the unknown world


Belly of the whale
Hero is seperated from his known world, faces conflicts and challanges

Roads of Trials
Series of Challanges , First is the smallest

Master of the two worlds
Hero knows new world, confident and competing fully

Freedom to Live
Hero has no fear, master of two worlds


Hero
A self-sacrifcing, hardship taking for someone else, his jouney is full of obstacles, gains wisdom as he moves


Mentor
Mentor is a wise old man or a women


Threshold gurdian
Tests the hero as he enters the new world and become an ally


Herald
Makes hero shaken and awaken to pursue his goal. The death of Willams wife in Brave Heart


Shape Shifter
Makes Hero off guard, in 300 the mutant spartan betrays King


Shadow
The Negative of the hero, a villan

Trickster
The comic relief


Common Themes
The great journey
Loss of innocence
Love conquers all
Greed corrupts
Nobel Sacrifice
Truth Wins
Revenge of the fallen
Life is a mistery
Betrayal,Fate,  War, Courage, Beauty, Freedom, Jealousy, Lonliness, Loyalty, Suffering, Fear, Glory ..

Pick a theme you are passionate not someting that others will be fasionate about

Ticking Clock
Applied to create pressure and timeline. If A doesnt happen by B then resulting C will happen. A time bomb. If father dont pay the ransom, boy would be killed, RANSOM

Work with minimal charactors who are strong

Subplots are sub stories run along main story, they atlso have begining, middle and end and get linked to the main story


Explosion
Information revealed in the story, trustworthy by audience, use more dialogs when possible


Pay off
Placing information play off later in the story. A scar on face linked to a merdered DNA testing, blood samples


Rule of threes - Human tend to think threes, Begining, Middle and End in plots, sceanes and charactors. Create, Progress and release.


Three is a charm, Seven is anonther Charm (7 nights in Japan, Three Thousand Miles, Three Pigs)

Pay attention to good jokes

Scripts - Keep it Simple
so anyone can understand it


Reading Scripts are meant to read by actors, keep white space for notes

Seduce the reader with your style

Shooting Script
Has scene numbers , shot numbers for cordination and production

Understanding Video effects in Premiere Elements 9



You can use effects to add a creative impact to your movie, as well as to fix exposure or color problems, edit sound, or manipulate images. You can use preset effects easily to apply a preconfigured effect to footage.

You can animate the effects that you add to clips with keyframes you create with custom values.

How To Use Transitions and Rendering in Adobe Premiere Elements 9



Transitions helps you phase out one clip while phasing in the next clip. You can use cross dissolving, page turn or spinning effects for transitions. The transitions need to be placed between two clips. You also can apply transitions at the beginning or end of a clip.

July 8, 2011

Animation as creative media for youth

and sequencing ideas, using words and pictures.

Animation works because of a trick of the human eye called the persistence of vision. When light is used or controlled in the proper way, the eye “remembers” an image it has seen for a split second. If the image is replaced quickly enough with one that is only slightly different, a two-dimensional graphic can appear to be moving.



Adobe Youth Voices Essentials: Animation Curriculum
Visit the Adobe Youth Voices Essentials website to access an array of curricula to help get you started with youth media making.

AnimAction
Promoting ‘Awareness through Animation,’ this organization provides professional development and
curriculum for animation projects. Their gallery of media works is a great source of youth-produced PSAs, and, moreover, Adobe Youth Voices is one of the featured projects.


Animation: Creating Movement Frame by Frame
This comprehensive resource, created by Young Minds Inspired and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, offers a study guide on animation terminology and techniques.


Teaching Simple Animation: Fun with Thaumatropes and Other Big Words
An orientation to teaching young people about animation. Instructions for facilitating two simple hands-on animation projects—thaumatropes and flipbooks—are provided, and many more resources such as lesson

http://www.youthlearn.org/activities/teaching-simple-animation-fun-thaumatropes-and-other-big-words

plans and a flipbook gallery are linked from this page:
Animation is an engaging and fun and a great way help youth better understand storytelling

Characteristics of the best Web sites

Good web sites have five characteristics, regardless of their subject matter:

1. They are purposeful.
That is, they have clear goals and objectives. Hence caters for a specific community.

2. They are interactive.
A web site doesn’t have to use all the most sophisticated technologies; it just has to spur users to do something. Rather than including a “mailto” (a special kind of link for sending an email message when a visitor clicks on it, it uses a contact form which visitors can use to contact the youth with comments, or features something as simple as a button users can click on to get a pop-up definition.
Think action.

3. They support assessment.

Great websites provide a way to measure learning, skills development, or other aspects of effectiveness. Think about this aspect as you build sites, for them to serve as a way of users skills development.

4. They tell a story.
Stories are the essence of both learning and entertainment and are a way of sneaking knowledge past a young person’s defenses. Website stories don’t have to be novels or even narratives. A collection of neighborhood slang terms can tell a story about language, and the right photograph can tell a story of an adventure.

5. They are systematic.
Our brain searches for patterns, and great websites all have a logical structure that reveals their stories in a way that youth can understand. Don’t mistake “logical” or “systematic” to mean linear. One of the great things about hyperlinking and the web is that visitors can find their own way to the heart of a story according to their individual interests and via multiple paths.

Look for these characteristics in the sites you use to learn, and build them into the sites you create. The learning value in building a web page is not so much in using the software but in learning to be better communicators.

Source : AYV
If the web passes above five characteristics check following areas for its technical perfection.

The most effective websites reflect best practices across all of above elements.

Guidelines for good Appearence
Use good web safe colors: Most good websites use color scheme that contain 2 or 3 primary colors that blend well to create a right mood for your site. Over doing colors can distract users from the prime content.

Use easy to read Text format:
The most best sites use black text on a white background. However many other combinations can be used as long as the contrast is eye friendly. White on black is fine, but green on blue is questionable,
Use simple fonts that are easy to read Use common fonts that and in  most of today's computer systems. Arial in this connection is a good font. Keep the font sizes to suit your audience. Now a days most peopel prefer larger font sizes like 11-12 pts.

Use graphics meaningfully Graphics are very important to create the visual mood and tempo. But dont over use them or use them to take attention from Text. Don’t overload your web page with lots of images.

Quality of graphics and photography: Its important that you maintain higher quality of your images and photography. If you are presenting a product, high quality images will help users to be attracted.

Keeping it Simple Do not over do your web pages. Allow lots of empty spaces and use simple layouts to allow users to focus on your message. Using overly complex designs, animation, or other effects will impress your viewers, but they will not get the message.

Content is the King
The purpose of your site is content, which means serving of informatio to your users for a purpose of making a decision or learning something. The content should be consize as well as be informative and relevant to the subject. Good content will increase the visitor confidence in your site, your knowledge and competence.
Content Guidelines - Make it short and organized copy of text:

- Clearly seperate topics and break the text into small paragraphs.
- Do you know, its only less than 10 seconds you have to retain your visitor
- Grab the attention by being clear, concise and compelling.
- Update your site regularly
- Static content will not bring visitors back to your site!
- Use words that speaks to your visitors
- More you, your, and less I, we, us and our
- Use a professional assistance to improve your copy
- Flashy graphics and animation help create very positive impact on user experiences.
- Use multimedia to entertain and enlighten your users
- Make available downloadble content, something original and valueble
- Search Engines like Text and good phrases

Functionality - Make sure your web is well functional with no broken links

- Test, Test, Test your web for all possible errors
- Double check your content and

Usability Your site must be easy to read, navigate, and understand. Some key usability elements include:


  • Simplicity, Fast-loading pages, Minimal scroll, Consistent
  • layout, logical navigation, Descriptive link text, Cross-
  • platform/browser compatibility, Screen Resolution
  • Search Engine Optimized (SEO)
  • Include plenty of written content in HTML format.
  • Use your important keywords frequently and appropriately.
  • Minimize the use of tables and use CSS
  • Make your links descriptive and use your keywords in the link text
More
 http://www.w3schools.com/site/default.asp

This white paper by Anuja Dhakar and Kirsti Aho, published by Macromedia in 2002, features curriculumfor multimedia, including Flash, and web design projects.


Creating a Blog: A Workshop for Teens
A lesson plan that helps educators walk youth participants through the process of developing their own Blog. This detailed workshop plan includes discussion questions and links to examples.


Building Digital Skills: Helping Students Learn and Communicate with Technology

Digital Photography Techniques for Youth and Kids

Following is a step wise approach to teach Youth and Kids digital photography.

Step 1: Using a camera
How to hold camera right ?
How to pass the camera ?
How ro turn it on and off ?
How to insert and eject memory disks ?
How to work the shutter button ?
How to use the viewfinder and focus it to users eye ?
How to care for the camera ?
How moisture can damage camera?|



Step 2 : Angles and FramesWhat is a camera angle?
How to tilt the camera while shooting a picture?
What is up angle, down angle and straight shot?
How to get higher and down angles?
How to compose a shot?
How to work with light?
How to keep distances?
What is the  idea of level? eye level, high or low.
What is the focus: sharp or soft?
What is framing?

 Step 3 : Taking a better photoWhat is shutter speed?
What is apperture?
What is ISO?
What is image quality ?
How to take photos from three angles of the same object?
What is Exporsure?
What is Good Composition?
What is the idea of distance: close, middle or far ?
What is Zooming ?
What are shadows?
When to use Tripods?
How to photogrph moving objects?

How to photogrph night ?
How to photogrph sunlight  ? How to protect eyes?
Step 4 : EditingHow to transfer photos from camera to the computer?
How to select good photos ?
What are good photos?
How to delete and name files?
How to resize photos?
How to edit levels?
How to edit lightness and contrast?
How to edit color balances?
How to blur unwanter areas
How to cut photos?
How to edit photos? Layers ? Marques? Paths?
How to adjust tones?
How to add effects?
How to title photos?
How to save in different formats?

Step 5: Rights

What is Privacy?
What are Copyrights ?
What is creative commons?

What not to photograph?
How to share photographs?

Where to publish photos?

Step 6 : Advanced photography
What are accessories for digital cameras?
How to exploit various sources of light?
How to be effective with low-light photography.
How to capture expressive portraits of adults, children ?
How to photograph objects in motion?
How ro shoot panoramas, architecture, landscapes, products, food, cars, and pets?

More :


http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cameras-photography/digital/digital-photography.htm

What You Should Learn to produce a short Vedio Film

Screenwriting
To begin, have the youth develop a story idea. The screenplay is a blueprint for the movie. Explore character development and teach them how to write dialogue. This also teaches them literacy and writing skills. You can also teach the industry standard screenplay format.

Directing
Teach the youth directing skills, which also build communication skills, by showing them how to work with actors and crew. Teach camera blocking and coverage, and set up rehearsals for the camera. Use theater games to establish trust and loosen up and play.

Production
Production falls into three phases: Pre-production, production, and post-production.

Pre-production should include teaching youth about camera functions, graphic elements, and dramatic elements.

Production should include developing a shot list and storyboards. The youth should scout for a location to shoot their video. They can demonstrate their understanding of cinematography by shooting under a variety of light conditions.

In post-production, the view raw footage and start to develop a rough-cut. Then work on their footage, with constant feedback and assistance, until you develop a fine-cut. The editing process need patience and persistence. learn how to craft a story visually and take risks by experimenting to see what works.

Distribution
Discuss how you can get the film out to the public, be it through film festivals, community screenings, or Web video streaming.

What you need to learn

1. Camera Functions.
Shot Size. Camera Movement.
Reference Book: "Shot by Shot" by Cantine, Howard, Lewis

2: Graphic Elements.
Develop Story Idea.
Reference Book: "Story" by Robert McKee

3: Dramatic Elements.
Lighting and Sound.
Reference Book:"Cinematography" by Kris Malkiewicz

4: Script and Treatment.
Storyboard and Shot List.
Reference Book: "Film Production Technique" by Bruce Mamer

5: Create a Scene.
Direct Actors. Crew Positions. Theater Games.
Reference Book: "Directing" by Michael Rabiger

6: Pictorial Continuity.
Shoot Final Project.
Reference Book: "Directing" by Michael Rabiger

7: Editing
Credits, Titles, and Visual Effects. Shoot Final Project.
Reference Book: "Film Editing and Sound Editing" by Film Guy

8: Editing
Voice-overs, Music, and Sound Effects. Shoot Final Project.
Reference Book: "Film Editing and Sound Editing" by Film Guy

9: Rough Cut
Screen and Feedback.

10: Fine Cut
Screen and Feedback. Distribution.

More Books to Read

Screenwriting:"Story" by Robert McKee
Cinematography:"Cinematography" by Kris Malkiewicz
Acting:"Theater Games" by Viola Spolin

Directing:"Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics" by Michael Rabiger

Production:"Film Production Technique" by Bruce Mamer

Production:"Shot by Shot" by John Cantine, Susan Howard, Brady Lewis

Editing:"Film Editing & Sound Editing: Nutz & Boltz" by Film Guy

Media Resources Guide
http://www.reeldirectory.com/


Screenwriting Web
http://www.wordplayer.com/


Improvisational Acting Web
http://www.spolin.com/


Witness
http://www.witness.org/


More Links & Resources – Video Production

Adobe Youth Voices Essentials: Video Curriculum
Visit the Adobe Youth Voices Essentials website to access an array of curricula to help get you started with youth media making. Download video curricula that guides youth through multiple media projects including creating documentaries and music videos.

http://essentials.youthvoices.adobe.com/curriculum/video-curriculum.aspx


KQED Digital Storytelling Guide
This manual contains KQED’s approach to digital storytelling plus tips and techniques to help storytellersachieve impressive results in their visual productions.

http://dsi.kqed.org/index.php/workshops/about/C66/


Designing Video Programs for Youth: Creative expression and achieving goals
This concise how-to guide, written by Madeleine Lim, an award-winning filmmaker, identifies the essential elements of a strong youth media program and how to go about designing one.

http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/ctc/archives/page10042.cfm


Source : Madeleine Lim , AYV


Where can you get copyright free images?

Where can you get copyright free images?

The best place: Creative Commons - http://creativecommons.org/

http://www.wikipedia.org/


Many Flickr albums have Creative Commons licensing – browse and check image details for an explicit description

For wildlife, plants, space, and the environment: http://gimp-savvy.com/PHOTO-ARCHIVE/

The Library of Congress’ Flickr account are all royalty and copyright free:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/

For a small fee, you can check “microstock libraries” such as

iPhotoStock - http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php

ShutterStock - http://www.shutterstock.com/

Fotalia - http://us.fotolia.com/

A website with a listing of other free sites for not only images, but some audio and video can be found
here - http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/cfimages.html

http://india.shilpasayura.org/ Over 5000 India Art, Archetecture and Sculpture Photographs

July 5, 2011

Beginers to Advanced Audio Production

The world of audio production is full of exciting tools and techniques can be overwhelming. Learn many ways of working with beginning and advanced audio tools for your video, animation or media project.







What is "Audio"?

Audio means "of sound" range of 20Hz to 20kHz frequencies detectable by the human ear.

Audio work involves the production, recording, editing and mixing for reproduction of sound waves.

How Sound Waves Workhttp://www.mediacollege.com/audio/01/sound-waves.html

Sound Wave Properties
http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/01/wave-properties.html

How Sound Waves Interact with Each Other
http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/01/wave-interaction.html

Waves with Various Different Properties http://www.mediacollege.com/misc/wave-theory/example-waves-01.html

June 18, 2011

How to create effective advertisements for youth?

When creating advertisements for youth , it is important to do some background study on the nature of advertising and its principles. The kind of audience you may want to impact with advertising and the message you aim to deliver are both important.


Media Literacy Key Concepts
Today's Youth are more media aware and have access to media and information to evaluate your advertisement , product or service. The five key concepts are
  • All media messages are constructed.
  • Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules.
  • Different people experience the same messages differently.
  • Media have embedded values and points of view.
  • Media messages are constructed to gain profit and/or power or create an impact or change.
Advertising: introduction
Advertising is non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and services through a media

Key Advertising Objectives

To inform - e.g. tell about a new product or a service
Arrival of a new product, Improvement of a product, Inform of a project, Create awareness

To persuade - e.g. to encourage change of a behavior (quite smoking, change a brand)

To remind - e.g. remind about a product, project or a service (for repeated buying)
To inform new locations product might be available

Determining the key Messages
  • The clarity of the advertising message is more important than amount spend on advertising.
  • The advertising message must be carefully targeted to impact the target audience.
  • The Advertising message must be
  1. Meaningful - viewers should find the message relevant
  2. Distinctive - capture the viewer's attention
  3. Believable - a difficult task as consumers doubt the truth of advertising in general
  4. Simple - Should be understandable at first view
  5. Clear - The message should be clear and concise
Decide which Advertising Media to Use

(a) Reach - what proportion of the target audience will be exposed  ?
(b) Frequency - how many times will the target audience be exposed ?
(c) Media Impact - here, if the target audience sees the message - will it have most impact?
(d) Cost - What would be the cost of media ?

Timing of the Advertising
  •  What is the best timing for advertising? (Time of the day, Days, Season)
Evaluate the results of the Advertising
  • What are the effects of your communication ?
  • Has the intended message being communicated effectively to the intended audience?
  • What results the advertisement generated ?
  • What is the overall impact of advertising?

Message Creation Factors
  • Target Audience – The age, sex, location, attitudes, interests,  activities, interests, opinions)
  • How they live and reasons for their choice
  • Opportunities available to influence choice
  • Type of Media Used – Television, print, Internet used to deliver the message
  • Product Factors – Complex products require a different message than simpler products.

    familiar product and a new product will have different messages.

    If not distinctive - audience not interested in product info - message should not stress on attributes
  • Product Involvement - If high involvement, product info critical  - stress on product attributes.
  • Overall Objective – Immediate impact on sales or building initial awareness
Message Structure
  • The Appeal – The underlying idea that captures the attention of a message receiver. (emotional, fearful, humorous, and sexual)
     
  • Value Proposition - Message contains a reason for customers to be interested in the offer (emphasizes the benefits)

  • Slogan – To help position the product in a customer’s mind and distinguish it from competitive offerings
  • Content - The advertisements will contain a word or phrase that is repeated across several different messages and different media.)
Target Audience
  •    What are their interests,  activities, interests, opinions)
  •    How they live and reasons for their choice
  •    Opportunities available to influence choice

Product

Advertiser must know:
  • what are the impat attributes that would create interest of the audience ?
  • what the product can and cannot do ?
  • how to inform the benefits ?
If low involvement, product info not critical - stress on mood & have repeated exposures

Mood in ad
  • Generate interest in ad itself  - liking of ad transferred to liking of brand through repeated exposure
  • Colors, Images and placement of the ad. A sports goods ad should be placed in sports page.

Competition|
  • Evaluate your competition - How they will react?
  • If the competition is intense create a greater need for distinctive image
  • Distinctive image is a share of audience mind
  • When choice arises, advertised brand is evoked

Product Positioning
The art of fitting the product or service to one or more segments of the broad
market in such a way as to set it meaningfully apart from competition

Images
Images are powerful tools of social awareness
We should be aware of the “bigger picture” when selecting images for the ad

Techniques of Presentation

1. Appeals to the audience emotions of
  • the need to be accepted
  • the need to be in an elite group
  • the need for change
  • the need for excitement
  • the need be attracted
2. Associations
Associations are positive and rely on the visual image in the ad, and text enforces the association.
  • of the wealth / luxury
  • of the fame / prestige
  • of the happiness
  • of the success
  • of the youthfulness / health
  • of the excitement / adventure / risk
  • of the romance / love

3. Fear Tactics
  • the fear of death / aging / sickness
  • the fear of failure
  • the fear of poverty
  • the fear of violence
  • the fear of embarrassments
Arrangement
The visual, the text, the layout, and specific details combines to enforce the message,

Evaluating the Advertisement
You
must ask yourself:
  • Is this ad creating a need?
  • Is this ad associating the product to a positive image?
  • Is this ad working on our personal fears?
Key Questions to answer

  • Why we created this message?
  • What techniques are used to attract the audience?
  • How might different people understand this message?
  • What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in or omitted in this message?

Advertising Course

Media Literacy


Youth Marketing Mediums
  • Mobile Marketing (Personalize text messages to get attention)
  • Youth Newspapers and magazines
  • Youth Radio Stations (Most youth listen to radio while their daily routines.)
  • Email Marketing (information to individuals rather than to general groups.)
  • Outdoor Marketing (outdoor posters and billboards in public areas).
  • Youth Clubs (Sponsor tournaments).
  • Flayers (inexpensive to produce and distribute)
  • Online Marketing (advertising on social networking sites.)
Headlines grabs attention
Keep it simple and understandable by choosing the right words that will appeal to your audience.

Images Talk
The image need to be relevant  as well as attract right audience. Even if the image is good and attractive and not relevant will not help your ad. Create various ads using different images and see which one works better.

Your Logo

The general rule is to place your logo at the bottom as ageneral rule. Having a logo on top creates credibility for established brands.

Body Text
Write a body text to attract your audience further.
Once they become interested they would look for is what is this ad about?

Your body text should give them a clear picture of the message that you want to convey to be embedded in their minds, the body copy should not just inform but appeal to their emotions as well.

The call-to-action.
This is the main purpose of your ad to get your target audience to actually do something . The call-to-action statement need to be very clear like a call us, visit this site, email us like action.
  
Tips for Good Advertisements
1. A good advertisement grabs people at first glance
2. Be Clever and Creative in a positive way
3. Make your ad speak and say something
4. Don’t make your audience think too much
5. Get the message across in a clever way
6. A person should know what the ad is saying as soon as they look at it.
7. Use colors wisely to pop the feelings
8. Every advertisement must convey a message
9. Make your ad stand out and be memorable, be original
10. Give off a feeling or a mood.
11. A good advertisement is one which shows instead of telling.
12. Use Humor which is a useful technique for attracting people to an ad in some cases