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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Latest SoundSlides project and some more ?s
Philip Bowen, Photographer
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Kampala | UG | Uganda | Posted: 6:49 AM on 04.15.09 |
->> Hi-
This audio slideshow documents some malaria prevention work going on in the West Nile region of northwest Uganda. Let me know what you think! :)
Here is what I delivered. It's to be shown at a fundraising event. http://philsgood.com/UMCP_West_Nile.mov It's 80MB (ouch) so if you'd rather see it on youtube, it's available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Oid60r_aXc I realize it's long at 5+ minutes, but that's what they asked for. Actually, that made it a lot easier - didn't have to make as many editing decisions.
Audio recorded on a Zoom H2. I edited the audio in GarageBand and put it all together using iMovie (hey, it's what I had). Then I took that finished audio track and put it together in SoundSlides. The SS version is a little different because I don't have the same title features and there are a couple Ken Burnses that I couldn't do. Also, some subtitles are missing. Here's the SoundSlides: http://philsgood.com/UMCP/ I still have a couple things to do before I deliver the SS...
Having gone through this process, I have a couple thoughts. SS loses out to a video editor in some functions. Having to import the finished audio vs. being able to mess around with layering, volume levels and timing of clips in iMovie or FCP. SS also isn't as precise with in and out points. The title features aren't there. But I like that the individual images are preserved and you are able to caption them and the viewer can click through them at their pace if they just want to look at the photos. In terms of workflow, It's hard to do the whole project twice, but once you've built the whole thing in a video editor, it's a pretty quick process to throw it together on SS. You just have to do new titles and stuff.
What're the opinions out there in terms of a SoundSlides-type presentation vs. a movie? I thought I was going to buy SS, but now I'm not so sure it's what I would use in these situations. What do viewers ask for? I have another related assignment due in a month, so I have a little time to think about it.
Unrelated to SoundSlides, but related to this kind of NGO work, I have questions about how this photography would be labeled. Is it commercial? Is it editorial? Collecting the images and stories was very much PJ work, I think. But the final product is a fundraising piece for a non-profit org. So I didn't feel too bad about burning the corners on one photo. The rest I'd have no problem putting in a newspaper. Also, I got releases from everybody, but I wouldn't have had to do that if this were strictly editorial. Right? Does anyone have anything to add along those lines?
Thanks for looking. Really wish I could go to the multimedia immersion! I think I could do twice the quality in about half the time if I knew what I was doing.
-Phil |
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Shelley Cryan, Photographer
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New England | CT | USA | Posted: 8:51 PM on 04.16.09 |
->> Hi Phil,
I remember your first Soundslides project you posted a while back on a different topic -- this one is much improved and shows you've gained a greater command of presentation tools.
I'll restrict my comments to your technical questions, as that seemed to be the bulk of your queries.
I work regularly for an NGO and have done for them Soundslides and Final Cut Pro versions of presentations. I also use imovie for other clients as needed for quick-turnaround, straightforward presentations.
The choice of tool depends on the project requirements. For example, I find the images are sharper in soundslides, so I use that for still image/web-only presentations. As you've seen, the Soundslides file size is very manageable, too, and production time is fairly quick once you've honed your concept.
FCP and imovie are the go-to programs when: I'm mixing stills and video, need more-precise audio timing capabilities, have a lengthy presentation, or need to output to DVD (note, obviously FCP is better than iMovie on all counts, but more complex, too).
For example, I did a Soundslides about a Senegalese school project. The NGO got the green light to run it as a fundraiser at a movie theater before the previews for a month. I needed to redo it in FCP so it'd work, and it did.
There are options to go to DVD with Soundslides as well (they offer a plug in, or you can use SnapZPro).
Bottom line is using the best tool for the job. You're smart to be able to work with a variety of tools. That way, the technology doesn't get in the way of your vision or the intended distribution. |
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Philip Bowen, Photographer
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Kampala | UG | Uganda | Posted: 5:01 PM on 04.20.09 |
->> Thanks for the feedback Shelley-
I think what you've said tends to agree with my limited personal experience. Definitely agree that the images look crisper in SoundSlides. Anyone have experience with optimizing images for use with iMovie/FCP? Oversharpening, etc?
Strobist just wrote a novel http://strobist.blogspot.com/2009/04/ot-sunday-stepping-outside-box-of.html much of it in a round-about way dealing with NGO work. I've kind of been wondering when that cat was going to get out of the bag. It seems like a market (at least here in Uganda) that is desperate to be exploited, in the John Harrington sense of the word.
As to my latter questions, I'd still be interested to learn about the ethics of this kind of documentary photography work for NGOs. Where is the line between commercial/editorial?
Emample: Images for an annual report. No caption. I'm in a health center. I need images of health workers handing out anti-malarial drugs to pregnant mothers. The clinic is out of the drugs so no pregnant mothers are showing up for treatment. So I find some random drugs and wrangle a pregnant woman willing to sign waivers and make some photos. No problem, right?
Thanks! |
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