Digital Storytelling - Essay Example

Images Effects: Fade in, Ease in, Fade out, black, Fade out black, Fade out black Transitions: Dissolve, Wipe wide right, Wipe wide right Voiceover: Nuclear energy is now considered a daily component of our needs for living. (change pic from 1 – 2). It supplies us with electricity and supports technology. (change from pic 2-3). However, there are also detrimental effects that are occurring between humans and the environment because of nuclear energy (change from pic 3 – 4). Soundtrack: Technologic by Daft Punk (fade in as background) Effects: Ease in, Ease out, Fade in, Fade in, Fade out, Fade out Transitions: Wipe normal, down, Split horizontal, Split horizontal, split horizontal Voiceover: (change from pic 4-5). The uses of nuclear energy begin with being able to produce energy for basic electricity to technological need. This happens with fission of heat and water that produces steam (change from pic 5 – 6). As this occurs, energy is created that can move into a generator (change from pic 6-7 +8 – stats & world use). Currently, this process is able to supply 6% of the world’s energy, 13 – 14 % of the world’s electricity and 50% of nuclear generated electricity. (change pic from 8 - 9 – economic stats). The use of nuclear energy has now reached to an average of $18 billion in worth through the current use (World Nuclear Association, 2007: p. 1). Soundtrack: Technologic by Daft Punk Effects: Fade in, Fade Out, Ease in, Ease in, Ease out Transitions: Reveal right, Reveal left, Wipe wide down, wipe wide down Voiceover: (change from pic 9 – 10). The known uses of nuclear energy are supplied for both the economic needs and the electrical needs. The development has also expanded in recent years because of the ability to generate electricity in different forms. (change from pic 10 – 11). Nuclear reactor technology, which releases kinetic energy, for instance, is most often used to create a fusion for submarines. (change from pic 11 – 12). Nuclear power generation is also used for nuclear weapons or to supply extra electrical supplies. Heat and cooling sources can also be attributed to this particular concept. (change from pic 12 – 13). It is expected that the possibilities for nuclear power can continue to expand as more ways of using the energy source are expanded (Hamacher, Bradshaw, 2010: p. 5). Soundtrack: Technologic by Daft Punk (begin to fade out) Effects: Fade in, Fade Out Transitions: Wipe wide down, wipe wide down, wipe wide down Voiceover: (change from pic 13 – 14). The economic possibilities and capabilities for society have caused many to believe in the development of nuclear power. However, there are also detrimental effects that have occurred for both human safety and the environment. (change from pic 14 – 15). The most devastating are nuclear disasters that have occurred in which a nuclear power plant fails. Tsunamis, earthquakes and other natural disasters often attribute to this; however, there are also other issues with explosives and fires. (change from pic 15 – 16). When this occurs, the air becomes contaminated and can poison those that are in the vicinity. (change from pic 16 – 17 + 18). The largest of these was seen in March of 2011 with the collapse of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant as a result of a tsunami and earthquake that caused a meltdown of the plant (Mark, Willacy, 2011: p. 1). Soundtrack: Fade in background music – Cat Stevens “Where do the Children Play?” Effects: Mirror vertical, ease in, ease in, ease in Transitions: split vertical, reveal right, reveal right Voiceover: (change from pic 18 – 19). The complexities that occur because of disasters are one of many problems that are currently being faced with nuclear power plants. This is combined with environmental hazards that continue to contribute to the problem. (change from pic 19 – 20). Radioactive waste that comes from extra materials is one of the current dangers to the environment. Depleted uranium is another hazard, specifically because this is harming the environment. (Change from pic 20 -21). This is combined with carbon emissions from nuclear power, which may be contributing to the overall damage and pollution that is within the environments (Sovacool, 2008: p. 2950). (change from pic 21 – 22). The question now remains of how effective nuclear power is and how much damage will be caused before we realize that it may not be the best solution to energy. Soundtrack: “Where do the Children Play” Cat Stevens – fade out after the voice over Reflective Essay The storyboard which I created on nuclear power and the different effects that it had allowed me to recognize various capabilities that the storyboard has while organizing information in an alternative manner. The combined elements that were used provided me with the capacity of understanding how to organize this type of information while combining the needed effects to get a specific point across. I noted that there was a specific progression which I had to follow for this to work effectively while keeping the main goals in mind toward the end to ensure that the point was made in an effective manner. The first concept which I incorporated into the storyboard was based on incorporating meaning. This was taken from the ideology that to communicate effectively, there is also the need to create a meaning out of the information received through activities or other insights (Kajder, 2006: p. 20). When I began the overall storyboard, I decided that the objective first needed to be about communicating the message of nuclear energy. I noted that there were several debates about this, which I also felt was important to convey. However, the debate often disregards the realities of the dangers and harms which nuclear energy causes. The decision I made as the overall goal was to highlight the harm of nuclear energy while noting both sides of the debate. These particular goals were then able to communicate a message that was humanitarian in nature while showing a secondary ideology of the variety of debates that are attributed to nuclear reactors. The second component that I considered when building the storyboard was based on trying to find effective means to build the story. I understood that there was the need to hook the individual into the story, have a structure of beginning, middle and end and to create a language that was more descriptive with highlights through the pictures and the soundtrack (Simmons, 2006: p. 8). When I was writing, I divided my storyboard into 3 segments. The overall ideology was to take an informative approach so it could show both sides of the story. The first part was to grab the viewer in through information. The second was to show the highlights of the positive parts of nuclear energy and what was causing the debate, such as through the use of energy and economy. I changed the position with the other side of causing harm through disasters, environmental radiation and other known elements that are continuing to harm humans and nature. I used this as the transition point while leaving the end with a question of whether individuals would continue to accept nuclear power as a means of energy. By dividing the script into three parts, then writing each of these sections out, I was able to organize my information and create a stronger approach to the effects that I wanted to communicate to others. The concept of organization was also followed by the idea of the seven elements in digital communication. At this point of the storyboard, I had only written out the information. I knew to create an effective piece, there was the need to combine other elements that would highlight the message that I was conveying. The seven elements I kept in mind while writing were as follows: 1. Point of view: To keep this objective, I had to convey an informational message that didn’t take sides, specifically because one of the goals was to convey information about the debate. This led to a point of view based immediately on third person narrative that wasn’t opinionated. 2. Dramatic Question: The dramatic question was placed at the end in the form of whether nuclear energy was a solution. Since I showed the highlights of economy and energy, it allowed for a reasonable question. However, to make this dramatic, there was also a combined effect with the people wearing gas masks, frogs that had become disoriented and the outcome of disasters that had killed thousands. By showing these pictures, it supported the question as no longer being neutral, but instead showing that nuclear energy wasn’t the solution. 3. Emotional content: A technique which I used to show my main point to the debate was to take out the concept of emotions. The beginning shows graphs and charts that defines how effective nuclear energy is. This is combined with the scientific progression made. The emotional content begins at the climax in the 4th section when this changes to the disasters. To highlight this, the music changes to one based on destruction of the environment, the storyboard shows the concept of disaster and the images support this by showing the detriments of nuclear reactions. 4. The Gift of Your Voice: The voice over was the first part that I developed in this part and used it as an outline supported by the multimedia content. By doing this, I was able to outline the places where I wanted transitions as well as how this should be approached in conveying the overall message. 5. Soundtrack: Since the basis of the storyboard began as informational and was about the development of society, I decided that techno music would fit in the background. I then decided that I could highlight the emotions of the overall presentation by fading this out and bringing in a second song that fit with the content that was given. The main ideology was to show the two sides of the debate while creating a pull to the emotions in the second half of the presentation. Keeping this as background music throughout the whole presentation helped to blend in the noise and emotions; however, it also highlighted the position which I took about nuclear and its effects. 6. Economy: My approach was to show the same number of pictures in each section with each conveying one point from the voiceover so it could easily be remembered. 7. 7. Pacing: In the future, I would probably change the transitions or the number of pictures used, specifically by going into more detail with the narrative and staying longer on the pictures. There was some difficulty which I reached with pacing, specifically because I wanted to say many things in a short period of times. The overall message and the blending of details became one of the challenges of this specific project (Lambert, 2002: p. 45-59). With these elements in tact, I realized that the strengths of this particular presentation were based on reaching the main goals. However, I then began to consider the concept of whether it would be remembered and kept in tact with the information I had provided (Lambert, 2006: p. 1). From this perspective, I believe the overall idea was conveyed. However, limitations with time, developing the images and content even more and building a larger structure for investigation would have been more effective to help remember the information conveyed. While the overall viewpoint was on using knowledge specifically for persuasion, there was also recognition that the persuasion could have been developed to different levels so it seemed more natural. The concept of transitions within the storyboard would have helped with this, combined with understanding how the multimedia fits together at more than conviction of the overall point, but also within the individual seconds of the storyboard (Ohler, 2008: p. 177). While scalability and propagation are common problems (Hartley, 2009: p. 122), I recognized this while meeting the main objectives. However, in the future, I can keep this in mind with the topic, approach, overall goals and expansion of time when building the storyboard. References Hamacher, T, AM Bradshaw. 2010. “Fusion as a Future Power Source: Recent Achievements and Prospects.” World Energy Council. Hartley, John. 2009. “Digital Storytelling: Problems of Expertise and Scalability in Self – Made Media.” Uses of Digital Literacy Queenland: UQP. Kajder, SB. 2006. “What is Digital Storytelling? Bringing the Outside In: Visual Ways to Engage Reluctant Readers. Portland: Stenhouse Publishers. Lambert, J. 2002. “Seven Elements: Story Structure and Design in Digital Storytelling.” Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community. California: Digital Diner Press. Lambert, J. 2006. “Stories in Our Lives.” The Digital Storytelling Cookbook San Francisco: Digtial Diner Press. Mark, David, Mark Willacy. 2011. “Crews Facing 100 year Battle at Fukushima.” ABC News. Ohler, J. 2008. “Media Grammar for Teachers.” Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning, and Creativity. California: Corwin Press. Sovacool, Benjamin. 2008. “Valuing the Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Nuclear Power: A Critical Survey.” Energy Policy (36). World Nuclear Association. 2007. “Key World Energy Statistics.” International Energy Agency. Read More