Tips

Digital Storytelling Tips and Troubleshooting

1. You must create a project folder that holds all your photos, music and project. (Just put it on your computer desktop) 2. Each screen has a **__Title/Heading__** specific to the functions available in that window. 3. Each screen has a **__BACK__** and **__NEXT__** button that must be used to move ahead or go back to perform another function. 4. **__SAVE__** as you go! Use the **__Save Project__** button to save your project file. You can go back and edit any time. 5. Titles go over the top of pictures. 6. When you narrate, the narration is only for the one picture you see. You must narrate each picture separately. 7. Inserting music on a picture does not guarantee that it will play the entire length of the movie. Make sure you have a colored bar above all the clips. It is best to insert music as the last step. 8. You can upload multiple pictures into your photo story by holding down the **__CTRL__** key while clicking all the photos you want to include. 9. Match each picture to your narration. Keep in mind that your picture will show as long as you are narrating. Your narration can not run continually throughout the entire photo story. It is broken up by each picture. 10. If you need to add more pictures, music, change the narration, etc., be sure you open the editable photo story file. The extension will be **__.wp3.__** 11. Be sure to use high **__quality pictures__** for your project. Use at least **__500 pixels wide__**, this is the number that appears first in the picture size. 12. When using motion and transitions, use them appropriately. Don't just start and end the motion anywhere, instead focus on the motion to end on someone's face or some focal point of the picture to be effective. 13. There are music clips built into the PhotoStory software. If you choose to use your own music you must import it into your project as a **__.wmv or .mp3 file__**. 14. You may need to adjust the volume levels to accommodate your narrations. Simply click the picture in the filmstrip and then adjust the music volume using the volume slider bar. You might have to adjust the volume and preview your story a few times to get it the way you want it. 15. In order for your photo sotry to play in **__Windows Media Player__**, you must make the last saving step. On the "adding Background Music" screen, click next, and that will enable you to save your photo story as a **__.wmv file__**, which is viewable on any computer that has Windows Media Player.

You do not have a movie created until you click the **__NEXT__** button on the "Save Your Story Window"