Maine Learning Technology Initiative

Many forms of digital storytelling rely upon the incorporation of powerful soundscapes as a crucial ingredient. Indeed, soundscapes can in and of themselves constitute digital narratives — but to do so, they must be carefully constructed. We will look at some of the elements that go into creating great digital audio, including music, voice, and environmental sound, and the tools and practices that translate them into a finished product.

Joining this Webinar:
This webinar will be offered twice on May 20 — once at 3:15pm, and once at 7:15pm.
To register for the webinar, please click on the following link: Registration.
If you have not participated in one of these sessions before, guidance and support regarding how to access these webinars is available by clicking on the following link: Support.

Comics and video provide rich possibilities for digital storytelling; however, neither affords the viewer opportunities for interactive exploration. Interactivity allows viewers to delve deeper into different portions of the narrative, and choose their focus according to interest and necessity. Can this type of flexible narrative be created without extensive programming experience? We will see that in fact, it can, and look at two very different toolsets for doing so.

Joining this Webinar:
This webinar will be offered twice on April 8 — once at 3:15pm, and once at 7:15pm.
To register for the webinar, please click on the following link: Registration.
If you have not participated in one of these sessions before, guidance and support regarding how to access these webinars is available by clicking on the following link: Support.

Bringing images to life in video effectively involves more than just sequencing them in a slideshow — it requires an understanding of how the language and techniques of film interact with the processes of digital storytelling. We will look at this interaction, and use the knowledge derived in two applied projects: one that focuses on using still images as its sole raw material source, and a second one that brings video shot on inexpensive pocket camcorders or computer webcams into the mix.

Joining this Webinar:
This webinar will be offered twice on March 4 — once at 3:15pm, and once at 7:15pm.
To register for the webinar, please click on the following link: Registration.
If you have not participated in one of these sessions before, guidance and support regarding how to access these webinars is available by clicking on the following link: Support.

My thanks to everyone who attended the Images In Sequence webinar. Here are links to the recorded sessions and websites mentioned in the sessions:

Session Recordings and Slides:
Afternoon Session Recording: http://stateofmaine.na4.acrobat.com/p70522594/
Evening Session Recording: http://stateofmaine.na4.acrobat.com/p30587134/
Session Slides: click here to download

Toolkit:
iPhoto: http://www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/
Acorn: http://flyingmeat.com/acorn/
Comic Life: http://plasq.com/comiclife/

Three Nontraditional Webcomics:
Randall Munroe — xkcd
David Malki — Wondermark
Emily Horne & Joey Comeau — A Softer World

Photo Source Sites:
morgueFile: http://morguefile.com/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/

Additional Scott McCloud Resources:
The “Big Triangle”: http://scottmccloud.com/4-inventions/triangle/index.html
Comixpedia’s Summary of the Six Panel-To-Panel Transitions: http://www.comixpedia.org/index.php?title=Panel-to-panel_transitions
Brandy Agerbeck’s Illustration of the Six Panel-To-Panel Transitions: http://www.loosetooth.com/Art/Work/mcad.htm
Comixpedia’s Summary of the Seven Word and Picture Combinations: http://www.comixpedia.org/index.php?title=Word_and_picture_combinations

A Few More Webcomics to Look At and Analyze:
Kate Beaton — Hark! A Vagrant
Evan Dahm — Rice Boy
Josh Neufeld — A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge
Phil & Kaja Foglio — Girl Genius
Aaron Diaz — Dresden Codak
Kazu Kibuishi — Copper
Dale Beran & David Hellman — A Lesson Is Learned, But the Damage Is Irreversible

Sequential art – more commonly known as comics – marries images and text to create a completely new narrative space, with unique storytelling possibilities. However, like all narrative spaces, it also has its own unique grammar, with rules that need to be understood and incorporated into the creative process for stories to make sense. We will look at some of the key rules of this grammar, and put them in action as part of the process of creating webcomics.

This webinar will be offered twice on January 21 — once at 3:15pm, and once at 7:15pm.
To register for the webinar, please click on the following link: Registration.
If you have not participated in one of these sessions before, guidance and support regarding how to access these webinars is available by clicking on the following link: Support.

From “Once Upon A Time” to “Happily Ever After”, every child knows the “proper” way to tell a bedtime story — and woe be unto the narrator that knowingly or unknowingly deviates from the expected framework. Some narrative frameworks have utility that goes well beyond soothing sleepless toddlers, though: these frameworks will form the focus of this session. We will also see how to integrate them into a digital toolkit, and how to use them as a basis for collaborative digital storytelling.

Joining this Webinar

• This webinar will be offered twice on December 3 — once at 3:15pm, and once at 7:15pm.
• To register for the webinar, please click on the following link: Registration.
• If you have not participated in one of these sessions before, guidance and support regarding how to access these webinars is available by clicking on the following link: Support.