Digital Storytelling
Students as Creators
MiraCosta College, FLEX Week
FALL 2010
Elizabeth Clarke and Kristi Reyes
MiraCosta College Noncredit ESL Department
Workshop Agenda:
· What is digital storytelling?
· Student samples
· Hands-on
o Importing images into Windows Movie Maker
o Adding titles, transitions, and effects to a Movie Maker project
o Recording voice-over narration
o Saving a digital storytelling project and rendering it as a video file
Additional Resources:
· Visit wiki at mccesltech.wikispaces.com and choose MCC POT to view and download more digital storytelling resources
· If you need assistance or have questions in the future, please feel free to email us at or
Hands-on practice making your own digital story:
A. Writing. Write a short paragraph introducing yourself (1 – 2 minutes spoken), answering any of these questions:
1. My name is...
2. I teach _____
3. atMCC
4. on the ______campus.
5. I am ____ to start a new school year.)
B. Storyboard. Plan what type of picture you will use for each sentence (no more than six images total).
C. Use Windows Movie Maker to Narrate your Images and Make your Movie.
Importing Media
Movie Maker allows users to capture video from a device (a webcam or videocamera) and import video files, picture files, and sound files through the Capture Video in Movie Tasks.
You can import files with the following file name extensions into Windows Movie Maker to use in projects:
Video files: .asf, .avi, dvr-ms, .m1v, .mp2, .mp2v, .mpe, .mpeg, .mpg, .mpv2, .wm, and .wmvAudio files: .aif, .aifc, .aiff, .asf, .au, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa, .snd, .wav, and .wma
Picture files: .bmp, .dib, .emf, .gif, .jfif, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .tif, .tiff, and .wmf
To import pictures:
1. Click “Import pictures” under Movie Tasks on the tasks pane.
2. Select the picture file you want to import from the folder where it is located on your computer by clicking on it. Select many files at once by dragging the mouse over them.
3. Click import. The pictures will appear in the collections area.
4. To return to the storyboard view, click “Show Storyboard.”
5. Drag the photos from the collections area onto the storyboard in the order you want them to appear.
Import audio:
1. Click “Import audio” under Movie Tasks on the tasks pane.
2. Select the audio file you want to import from the folder where it is located on your computer by clicking on it.
3. Click import. The audio file will appear in the Collections area. Drag it to the timeline.
Note: In Windows Movie Maker, audio files can overlap in the timeline; however, only one audio file can be placed at the start of the timeline. Other audio files must be positioned on the timeline to start afterwards.
Add Titles and/or Credits:
1. Click “Make titles or credits” on the Movie Tasks pane.
2. Select where you want a title to appear. A title can appear at the beginning, before, on, or after a selected clip. Credits will always appear at the end of the movie.
3. Enter text for the title. It will appear in the preview window.
4. Under “More options,” click “Change the title animation” to change how the text appears in the movie.
5. Click “Change the text font and color” to select fonts, sizes, and colors, as well as the text alignment and background color.
6. Click “Done, add title to movie” when you have finished.
7. Click “Done, add title to movie.”
8. Titles, credits, and transitions will appear on the timeline.
Add video effects:
1. Click “View video effects” on the Movie Tasks pane.
2. In Storyboard view, drag desired video effect onto the star on a picture or video clip.
3. Preview the effect by pushing the play button in the Preview window. To remove an effect, right-click on the effect and choose delete or click on the undo button.
Add video transitions:
1. Click “View video transitions” on the Movie Tasks pane.
2. In Storyboard view, drag desired video transition onto the empty box between each item on your storyboard.
3. Preview the transition by pushing the play button in the Preview window. To remove a transition, right-click on it and choose delete or click on the undo button.
Voice-over narration:
There are a few ways to record audio with a computer that has a built-in or plug-in microphone. One is to use the free audio editing program Audacity, which you can download at http://audacity.sourceforge.net. Export your audio recording as a .wav file and import it into the Movie Maker project. Another option is easier but does not allow for easy editing:
Use the recording option in Movie Maker to narrate a timeline.
1. Click the microphone above the storyboard / timeline.
2. Click “Start Narration” and speak.
3. Click “Stop Narration” when you have finished.
4. You will be prompted to save your sound file. It is a good idea to save it in the same folder as your other project media. Your narration will automatically be added to the timeline on the audio track.
To save a Movie Maker project:
Save a Movie Maker project if you do not complete it in one sitting and want to revise it in the future. Remember that it is important to save the project in the same folder as your project media.
1. Click “File” and choose “Save Project As…”
2. Save the project in the same folder as your project media.
3. Give your project a name that will help you identify it.
4. Click “Save.”
Important: The file is now saved as a Windows Movie Maker Project with the extension .MSWMM. It is not a movie file yet.
To finish the movie:
Movie Maker provides several options for saving, as shown under the “Finish Movie” area in the Movie Tasks pane. Many movie files will be too large, however, to send as an email attachment. By saving to your computer, you can later burn the movie to a CD or DVD or upload to a Web site.
To save to your computer:
1. Click “Save to my computer.”
2. Enter a name for your movie.
3. Choose a location to save your movie (Desktop will be the easiest place to find it).
4. Click “Next.”
5.
The Save Movie Wizard will display the rendering progress.
6. By checking the box “Play movie when I click Finish,” your movie will automatically begin playing in Widows Media Player upon completion.
7. Click “Finish” to end the wizard.
8. The movie has been saved as a Window Media Audio/Video file with the extension .wmv.
POT, MiraCosta College FLEX Week Page 9
Kristi Reyes & Eli Clarke, ESL Noncredit