This was pretty cool. It was basically just a picture and text package from MSNBC. It talked about the extremes that women go through to remain young and desirable. It spotlighted two different women. The package was neat, but nothing extraordinary. The first picture really drew me in...It was of a woman undergoing the pins and needle treatment ( I don't reall remember what it's called.) Of the two packages I reviewed today, this was my least favorite. Video would have been a good thing.
http://msnbc.com/modules/take3/jan/default.htm?s=1
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Forever Young
This was pretty cool. It was basically just a picture and text package from MSNBC. It talked about the extremes that women go through to remain young and desirable. It spotlighted two different women. The package was neat, but nothing extraordinary. The first picture really drew me in...It was of a woman undergoing the pins and needle treatment ( I don't reall remember what it's called.) Of the two packages I reviewed today, this was my least favorite. Video would have been a good thing.
http://msnbc.com/modules/take3/jan/default.htm?s=1
http://msnbc.com/modules/take3/jan/default.htm?s=1
Recovering From 9/11
This was interesting, I think. There really wasn't much to this site other than pictures/video. It was all about how life in general has changed since 9/11. There are images of an airport, street corners and the like. I figured there would be sound or something. The video was moving though. It was interesting because of the choppy format of the black and white video. I liked it.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/broadband/chi-911film-flashhtml,1,6497646.htmlstory?coll=chi-photo-front&ctrack=1&cset=true
This was interesting, I think. There really wasn't much to this site other than pictures/video. It was all about how life in general has changed since 9/11. There are images of an airport, street corners and the like. I figured there would be sound or something. The video was moving though. It was interesting because of the choppy format of the black and white video. I liked it.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/broadband/chi-911film-flashhtml,1,6497646.htmlstory?coll=chi-photo-front&ctrack=1&cset=true
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
not sure if we were suppposed to
Tall Buildings
this site is very good in my opinion the only fall back to the site is that there is now video or moving images however i felt that the site captured my attention by bringing in different types of photos and drawings. It wasn't the same boring stuff that most educational sites have. I felt that this was kinda like the discovery channel or the history channel kinda dry but really interesting.
One man's story
this site started out to be very good i was intrigued by the design however i got so irritated with the story and how it took so long and their was no way to by pass or speed up the slide shows and animation i got board and went elsewhere i felt they could have done allot better. I was interested for a moment and then it passed.
this site is very good in my opinion the only fall back to the site is that there is now video or moving images however i felt that the site captured my attention by bringing in different types of photos and drawings. It wasn't the same boring stuff that most educational sites have. I felt that this was kinda like the discovery channel or the history channel kinda dry but really interesting.
One man's story
this site started out to be very good i was intrigued by the design however i got so irritated with the story and how it took so long and their was no way to by pass or speed up the slide shows and animation i got board and went elsewhere i felt they could have done allot better. I was interested for a moment and then it passed.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Binge Drinking....When the party ends
Okay, this one has some good and some bad parts. The introduction is ridiculous. It makes this creepy sound and then has a really weird layout. Then as soon as you enter the site takes you to this thing that tells you 10 things that you should know about drinking. I immediately felt like I was taking my drivers education test online again. So that was not good either. However, it was cool to test my BAC level after so many drinks and according to different weights. I think that is definitely the best part of this site. There are also links that you can navigate through, but it is also poorly designed. Then there was the credits, which was less than interesting. So there was one thing that was cool and then the rest of it was mediocre and seemed like a soccer-mom had put it together hoping that her teenage child would think it was cool and be educated. I, on the other hand, am less than intrigued.
Okay, this one has some good and some bad parts. The introduction is ridiculous. It makes this creepy sound and then has a really weird layout. Then as soon as you enter the site takes you to this thing that tells you 10 things that you should know about drinking. I immediately felt like I was taking my drivers education test online again. So that was not good either. However, it was cool to test my BAC level after so many drinks and according to different weights. I think that is definitely the best part of this site. There are also links that you can navigate through, but it is also poorly designed. Then there was the credits, which was less than interesting. So there was one thing that was cool and then the rest of it was mediocre and seemed like a soccer-mom had put it together hoping that her teenage child would think it was cool and be educated. I, on the other hand, am less than intrigued.
Something interesting
Miniature World
This one is more of an advertisement for charity support than an actually interactive narrative. The piece itself is about what the world would be like if it were reduced to a 100 person perspective--which is pretty interesting. But I'm not sure if I like this or not. I enjoy the message and the way that it is presented. The video slide thing is not too long and it's not too short. It has just the right amount of weird music in the background to make you focus in on what the message actually is. However, it is not actually an interactive narrative. I mean, you can go to the sites where you can contribute to different organizations that help the rest of the world.... which is good and all.... but you can't interact with this piece beyond that. There is nothing that I saw that said it was an additional part of the site. So, judging this piece on interactive fun and keeping my attention. Well, it did keep my attention but it was not fun. In fact, I was just really melancholy after watching it. So now I am confused of whether or not I really appreciate this narrative.
This one is more of an advertisement for charity support than an actually interactive narrative. The piece itself is about what the world would be like if it were reduced to a 100 person perspective--which is pretty interesting. But I'm not sure if I like this or not. I enjoy the message and the way that it is presented. The video slide thing is not too long and it's not too short. It has just the right amount of weird music in the background to make you focus in on what the message actually is. However, it is not actually an interactive narrative. I mean, you can go to the sites where you can contribute to different organizations that help the rest of the world.... which is good and all.... but you can't interact with this piece beyond that. There is nothing that I saw that said it was an additional part of the site. So, judging this piece on interactive fun and keeping my attention. Well, it did keep my attention but it was not fun. In fact, I was just really melancholy after watching it. So now I am confused of whether or not I really appreciate this narrative.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Barsoloi, Kenya
This one is good. This interactive narrative is about how the people in Barsoloi, Kenya are transitioning from a nomadic lifestyle to a more stationary way of life. The site is made up of slide shows and text. It also has some really quick video footage, which is nice because it takes a shorter time to load. The entire design is rather cohesive as well. Everything from the chosen font to the way the story of this transitioning tribe is told is attractive to the viewer. Furthermore, it is really well organized for the amount of information that is contained on it. A few pages bring up text (pretty boring), but then at the bottom there are interview links that are pretty short. This is an interesting aspect of this narrative. They really took some of the main ways to tell the story and pushed it to make each aspect of it interesting. There is also a photo gallery tacked on at the end. I thought this thumbnail possibility was pretty unique, and should be explored when looking into different methods of creative conduct within a narrative. Overall, it is cohesive, well-organized, and, well, it isn't annoying like some of the other intense loading video sites or boring.
This one is good. This interactive narrative is about how the people in Barsoloi, Kenya are transitioning from a nomadic lifestyle to a more stationary way of life. The site is made up of slide shows and text. It also has some really quick video footage, which is nice because it takes a shorter time to load. The entire design is rather cohesive as well. Everything from the chosen font to the way the story of this transitioning tribe is told is attractive to the viewer. Furthermore, it is really well organized for the amount of information that is contained on it. A few pages bring up text (pretty boring), but then at the bottom there are interview links that are pretty short. This is an interesting aspect of this narrative. They really took some of the main ways to tell the story and pushed it to make each aspect of it interesting. There is also a photo gallery tacked on at the end. I thought this thumbnail possibility was pretty unique, and should be explored when looking into different methods of creative conduct within a narrative. Overall, it is cohesive, well-organized, and, well, it isn't annoying like some of the other intense loading video sites or boring.
Jazz ...eh... neither here nor there
Jazz Scenes
Okay so this interactive narrative is from the Democrat & Chronicle, which is interesting as an entire professional news site, however this narrative is lacking a lot of things. This narrative is basically a recap of the daily happenings of the Rochester International Jazz Festival. It says that is has daily audio slide shows, which I will admit are pretty cool. They are well put together and they have excellent soundbites with very little loading time. HOWEVER, when it comes to this festival, it seems like it would be really awesome to actually have something more than a bunch of slide shows. I mean, let's face it, they are pretty cool, but they are not the best. I wouldn't expect so much except that the Rochester International Jazz Festival happened in June of 2006. So, maybe I am being a little harsh, but there is so much more that could and should have been done concerning this narrative and the piece for which it is focused.
Okay so this interactive narrative is from the Democrat & Chronicle, which is interesting as an entire professional news site, however this narrative is lacking a lot of things. This narrative is basically a recap of the daily happenings of the Rochester International Jazz Festival. It says that is has daily audio slide shows, which I will admit are pretty cool. They are well put together and they have excellent soundbites with very little loading time. HOWEVER, when it comes to this festival, it seems like it would be really awesome to actually have something more than a bunch of slide shows. I mean, let's face it, they are pretty cool, but they are not the best. I wouldn't expect so much except that the Rochester International Jazz Festival happened in June of 2006. So, maybe I am being a little harsh, but there is so much more that could and should have been done concerning this narrative and the piece for which it is focused.
A confusing guide through Guyana
http://www.jacksonville.com/slideshows/2006/guyana/tale.shtml
I clicked on this website that was advertised as being about a rescue of two cats (cheetahs) in the jungles of Africa, and their rescue to Jacksonville. However, what I found was a guide through the country of Guyana. Although this was very informational, and each slide you clicked on was around a minute. I thought the capturing of an audience's interest wasn't very thought out. There was about 5 links to different parts of Guyana, and one link to the story of the cats. They were all slide shows with audio, and no video. It was too repititive. I think I would've tried to make it a little different instead of having a slide show on all five points. There was also a lot of text throughout the website which definitely didn't help with interest of the reader.
I clicked on this website that was advertised as being about a rescue of two cats (cheetahs) in the jungles of Africa, and their rescue to Jacksonville. However, what I found was a guide through the country of Guyana. Although this was very informational, and each slide you clicked on was around a minute. I thought the capturing of an audience's interest wasn't very thought out. There was about 5 links to different parts of Guyana, and one link to the story of the cats. They were all slide shows with audio, and no video. It was too repititive. I think I would've tried to make it a little different instead of having a slide show on all five points. There was also a lot of text throughout the website which definitely didn't help with interest of the reader.
The Fair
http://www.transom.org/shows/2004/200404_fair.html#
I found this pretty cool website about a typical day at the fair. The website is about this amateur videographer shooting Brockton fair. He tells the viewer about his cheap digital recorder he used, as well as how he recorded the sound. After watching the video, I thought it wasnt' half bad. The radio piece he did wasn't bad either.
I thought the website was mediocre, but the filming was pretty interesting. The video was very easy to load on my computer, and the navigation tools were easy as well. Although the video was six minutes long, it was interesting. It could've been cut down a lot and I think a slide show would've worked just as well. All in all, I thought it was pretty interesting to hear about the Brockton fair, and made me want it to be summer so I could go to one.
I found this pretty cool website about a typical day at the fair. The website is about this amateur videographer shooting Brockton fair. He tells the viewer about his cheap digital recorder he used, as well as how he recorded the sound. After watching the video, I thought it wasnt' half bad. The radio piece he did wasn't bad either.
I thought the website was mediocre, but the filming was pretty interesting. The video was very easy to load on my computer, and the navigation tools were easy as well. Although the video was six minutes long, it was interesting. It could've been cut down a lot and I think a slide show would've worked just as well. All in all, I thought it was pretty interesting to hear about the Brockton fair, and made me want it to be summer so I could go to one.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Stories for Thursday, February 15
Canaveral's Crews: The People and Profits Behind the Party
First of all, I didn't find this multimedia story very interesting. Why do I care about the people who run cruise ships? I mean, they aren't really doing anything too out of the ordinary. Maybe it's just me. The photo galleries and videos were nice, but the loading times made it hard for me to focus on just the site. I got irritated waiting for so long. The graphics and data are helpful for people who care about where cruise-ship workers live and what crew cabins look like. I could understand this article being helpful for those looking to go into the cruise industry, but other than that, it wasn't too exciting for me.
The New Silicon Valley? Booming in Bangalore
I love the way this site starts out with a side-by-side viewing of India's wealth and India's poverty. The comparative video pans combined with the text really got me interested in this presentation. The main page after this opening did not take long at all to load, and the five options on the home screen have the neat effect we had seen previously, where moving the mouse over each pictoral option will transform the picture into a short video. This article did not have a lot of wording. Instead, its use of graphics, slideshows (with or without audio), and easy navigation make this presentation successful. The one thing I would have liked to see is the use of video.
First of all, I didn't find this multimedia story very interesting. Why do I care about the people who run cruise ships? I mean, they aren't really doing anything too out of the ordinary. Maybe it's just me. The photo galleries and videos were nice, but the loading times made it hard for me to focus on just the site. I got irritated waiting for so long. The graphics and data are helpful for people who care about where cruise-ship workers live and what crew cabins look like. I could understand this article being helpful for those looking to go into the cruise industry, but other than that, it wasn't too exciting for me.
The New Silicon Valley? Booming in Bangalore
I love the way this site starts out with a side-by-side viewing of India's wealth and India's poverty. The comparative video pans combined with the text really got me interested in this presentation. The main page after this opening did not take long at all to load, and the five options on the home screen have the neat effect we had seen previously, where moving the mouse over each pictoral option will transform the picture into a short video. This article did not have a lot of wording. Instead, its use of graphics, slideshows (with or without audio), and easy navigation make this presentation successful. The one thing I would have liked to see is the use of video.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Two for this week
Education behind bars
in this site your are able to view, listen and read multiple things. I felt that this site had a little of everything then only thing it didn't have was a game, but who wants a game about jail. Although the one video was lame and boring it did give a good visual effect to watch motion. The audio was good and there was plenty of it. The idea of learning behind bars is a common thing to many since many prisoners try to change their life, and the system is there to help them change. the site was good and a gave an artistic emotional value without being to arts especially for a jail/education site.
The Frank Approach
This was dull it had no audio no real text no motion it was a collection of pictures with captions next to them. The story was dull the images were dull and the way they were presented was dull the story was very boring and the way it was shown made it that much worse. i am not even sure why someone would wast their time with it.
in this site your are able to view, listen and read multiple things. I felt that this site had a little of everything then only thing it didn't have was a game, but who wants a game about jail. Although the one video was lame and boring it did give a good visual effect to watch motion. The audio was good and there was plenty of it. The idea of learning behind bars is a common thing to many since many prisoners try to change their life, and the system is there to help them change. the site was good and a gave an artistic emotional value without being to arts especially for a jail/education site.
The Frank Approach
This was dull it had no audio no real text no motion it was a collection of pictures with captions next to them. The story was dull the images were dull and the way they were presented was dull the story was very boring and the way it was shown made it that much worse. i am not even sure why someone would wast their time with it.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Don't know if we were supposed to do one this week, but hell Emily did, so...
Boy in Black
Who didn't want to be their hero when they were a kid? Personally, I wanted to be Superman...I still want to be Superman. Point being, few people bother to just run with that idea, but not David Michael Kimes Jr. a.k.a. John Henry. Young John Henry has become a midgity version of his mentor, the late Johnny Cash. With his "Meemaw" playing the role of June Carter, John Henry is aiming for country music stardom once he comes of age.
While this a good feel-good story, the St. Pete Times really could have done more with it. They got good pictures for the audio slide show, but, frankly, after the first two minutes of the five minute show, you get fidgety and start looking for something else to do. All in all, it's a good story, just bad delivery.
Stan the Man
While this site is also a audio slide show, it does something the previous one did not, meaning it keeps you interested. The Musial slide show cycles through the pictures quickly enough and gets enough different views of Musial that it keeps the audience interested. Plus it's short, unlike the five minute job on the previous site. I think one of the big differences is that the people who did this story for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch were probably more into their story the the people of the St. Pete Times. The other really cool thing about this site is that it has a series of pictures of Stan Musial throughout the ages along with audio from actual broadcasts of some of his greatest achievements. There is also a trivia section as well as a section for viewer comments.
Who didn't want to be their hero when they were a kid? Personally, I wanted to be Superman...I still want to be Superman. Point being, few people bother to just run with that idea, but not David Michael Kimes Jr. a.k.a. John Henry. Young John Henry has become a midgity version of his mentor, the late Johnny Cash. With his "Meemaw" playing the role of June Carter, John Henry is aiming for country music stardom once he comes of age.
While this a good feel-good story, the St. Pete Times really could have done more with it. They got good pictures for the audio slide show, but, frankly, after the first two minutes of the five minute show, you get fidgety and start looking for something else to do. All in all, it's a good story, just bad delivery.
Stan the Man
While this site is also a audio slide show, it does something the previous one did not, meaning it keeps you interested. The Musial slide show cycles through the pictures quickly enough and gets enough different views of Musial that it keeps the audience interested. Plus it's short, unlike the five minute job on the previous site. I think one of the big differences is that the people who did this story for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch were probably more into their story the the people of the St. Pete Times. The other really cool thing about this site is that it has a series of pictures of Stan Musial throughout the ages along with audio from actual broadcasts of some of his greatest achievements. There is also a trivia section as well as a section for viewer comments.
Boarders
This was a really great narrative. It tells the story of the difficult journey some women try to make across the U.S. boarder. It's a very emotional site. I liked it because there was a menu with lots of different options. With this site, you have the option to choose what portion you want to view. The pictures were outstanding and full of emotion on the slideshow. I also liked that you can read personalized stories of some of the women...It really pulls at the heart strings. The site features a slideshow, a documentary, an audio portion and links to information to help out these women. It is definitely a very well put together website.
Crossing Boarders
Crossing Boarders
High Point Cobbler
This was a cute story about a third generation cobbler in High Point, NC. The story is cute, but the narrative isn't exactly interactive. It only consists of an audio slideshow. There are no menus or anything. I guess there isn't much to add to a story about a cobbler...maybe it'd be more interesting if there was at least some video or a videoed interview. I was excited when I saw the zooming in and out of still photographs...I knew what it was called! The Ken Burns Effect :) I guess the little package served its purpose...it told a personalized story of dying breed. It didn't take long to load, which was another plus; but it did play the video automatically...there was no 'play' button. I like to have a little more control over things.
High Point Cobbler
High Point Cobbler
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