StoryMaker Trainer's Guide

STORYMAKERTRAINER'S GUIDE

VERSION 1.0DEC 2014 1FPU& SWN

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TThe Internet has revolutionized the way people communicate with each other. It brings people together from all over the world on subjects of interest and concern. It allows for greater discourse on local, national and international issues and creates a space for sharing and exchanging content and ideas. Smart-phones play a huge role in expanding the reach of internet in todays world by giving people access to the web in the palm of their hands, everywhere they go. There are over a billion smart-phone users in the world, and the numbers are expected to increase. Smart-phones have allowed people to do almost everything on their phones; call, text, email, capture images, video and audio and share content online straight from your phone. StoryMaker, is a mobile application developed to improve the quality of content produced by mobile phones and to disseminate it in a secure way. It enables people to create, edit and share their stories with the world in an easy, safe way. Citizen and traditional journalists, human rights defenders and activists rely on smart-phones to produce and disseminate news. However, many times the quality of the content is lacking and in oppressive countries with little internet freedom, security and anonymity is important. Stor-yMaker makes it easy and safe to create quality content on a mobile phone. StoryMaker is a mobile phone application that can be used as a stand alone modular training course in mobile reporting. The combination of an integrated training curriculum with a comprehensive editing suite is the first in its kind for a mobile application. The free, innovative app is designed to be open source so that users and media organizations can adapt the platform in ways that are useful to them. StoryMaker wants to help people help enhance their journalism skills and their safety.

STORYMAKER INTRODUCTION



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TThe app consists of a comprehensive editing suite that allows for quick and simple, professional editing with trimming, voice over and re-or-dering scenes. Save those hours of editing on expensive, complicated editing software and do it right on your smart-phone with the StoryMaker app.

In addition to the editing features StoryMaker includes over 60 lessons to train users on fundamentals of journalism, digital security and more. The lessons include over 300 multimedia examples of stories and quizzes at the end of each lesson.

The lessons focus on basic journalistic skills, creating quality content, digital and physical security and information ethics and different versions of the lesson content are available that have been adapted to regional contexts English International, English Arabic, English Sub-Saharan Africa and Arabic. The app is available in Arabic, French and English with translations in Farsi, Russian and more languages to come.

Free Press Unlimited has been training journalists across the globe with StoryMaker at the core of the trainings. With the app at the center, the StoryMaker project is composed of interactive training of the target-ed media actors with consecutive on the job coaching and mentoring through a moderated secure website where participants can upload their assignments and get professional feedback.

StoryMaker reporters are not just locally trained in securely observing, recording and uploading information, but they are also taught to select, edit, research and analyze this information. In addition they are trained on digital security and circumvention of cyber attacks. The app offers an easy, sleek tool to create and share stories with the world.

The StoryMaker app is a free, open source application that continues to be improved and adapted with the help of local feed back from the users in the implementing project countries and beyond and the consortium partners.



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TWelcome to the StoryMaker Training Guide. This guide is designed to provide trainers with a comprehensive roadmap to organize and run a five-day storytelling workshop with StoryMaker. The guide includes a workshop outline, tips for effective workshop management and a variety of examples and exercises.

The trainers guide will walk the trainer through how to teach the follow-ing key concepts and skills:

Principles of mobile journalism How to shoot and edit, photo, video and audio with StoryMaker How to publish/upload work How to identify and reach a target audience

Below is an abbreviated workshop outline.

Day One Intros Workshop Overview Journalism - Fundamentals of Good Journalism StoryMaker

Day Two Photo - An Introduction to Photo Audio - An Introduction to Audio

Day Three Video - An Introduction to Video Story Pitches - Any Media or a Combination

(continued on the next page)

OVERVIEW



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TDay Four

Half Day Recording a Story Production/Export - Narration, Troubleshooting, Editing, Upload

Day Five Review of Work - Group Critique of Each Assignment Additional Business Closing Remarks Certificates

A more detailed outline is presented in section five of this trainers guide.

Good media training begins with good trainers. That is our commitment to you. We will give you the tools you need to be the best trainer you can be. Lets get started!



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THEORY OFLEARNING

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TGood workshops are well organized and run by knowledgeable train-ers. Good workshops are relevant the to community from which the participants come and they address the real-world challenges to better journalism within those communities. To make this happen, we believe a good training must be based on a specific theory of learning: Targeted Practiced Learning.

If you are a trainer you have likely been a participant in one or more workshops. Some media workshops are very good but many -- too many -- are not. They fail in ways that prevent them from effectively teaching the material they set out to teach. Even worse, it can undermine a com-munitys confidence in the power of StoryMaker and diminish interest in future programming.

Free Press Unlimited and Small World News want to share that theory of learning with you. We believe it to be the most effective way to run a workshop in which the goal is not just to provide information but also to teach a skill and change attitudes about what journalism should be.

It is important that trainers embrace these concepts because the trainer is essential to their the success of participants.

How do people learn best? More importantly for the purposes of this workshop what is the best way to teach adult and young adult learners not just a new skill but new views or values about journalism?

Too often the structure used for a workshop is simply an extension of how we were taught in school. Thats not the best way to run a work-shop. In school the model is the teacher talks and the student listens and takes notes. Occasionally there is a question. Success is defined only by the students ability to memorize and repeat the material exactly as the teacher presented it. This is called passive information transfer. It may be effective for getting people to memorize material but it doesnt work to engage people to really think for themselves and work as journalists.



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TWe expect something more. In a workshop environment designed to teach adult learners material must be presented in a more dynamic way. An effective model for learning in this environment requires that par-ticipants be engaged in their own learning and encouraged to think for themselves. This is accomplished through robust debate, hands-on exer-cises and directly addressing barriers to learning such as an environment that discourage debate. This is targeted practice learning.

Targeted practice learning is built on three key steps:

1. A concept is introduced and discussed with ample use of real-world examples.

2. Participants practice the concept during the workshop by applying it themselves through a carefully designed hands-on activity.

3. The lesson concept is reinforced during a round-up discussion in which participants are shown how to apply the concept to their work after the workshop.

As you will see in the workshop outline section, each step or segment of the workshop has discussion and/or an exercise built in -- targeted practice learning.

It is important to note that successful targeted practice learning requires a lot from the trainer.

The key to a good workshop is organization and an engaging trainer. It is essential that the workshop trainer be well prepared for this workshop. Trainers should be:

Familiar with the content provided in this guide. Comfortable with StoryMaker and the technology on which the

workshop is based. Prepared with personal experience, examples, and exercises rele-

vant to the issue prior to the workshop.



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TThe workshop outline and the suggested content presented below is a roadmap for the trainer. The trainer should add material or adjust what is presented as needed. The more comfortable the trainer is with the workshop content, the better the workshop will be.

Note: Trainers should be prepared to spend ten hours or more organizing material prior to a workshop. This time will include gathering examples of up-to-date, local news content and/or study of the outline content material presented below. It is essential that example content be both timely and relevant to the participants and their communities.

The trainer needs to be confident in his or her abilities. If you are inse-cure about what and how you will present or if the workshop is not orga-nized and in your control, it will undermine your success. Read this guide. Prepare. Leave little room for error.



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STORYMAKER HOW-TO VIDEO AND COMMUNITY

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TThe video below on YouTube is an introduction to StoryMaker. An app for Android tablets and phones, both citizen and professional journalists can produce better stories and share them securely from their mobile phone.

The Free Press Unlimited YouTube Channel showcases great work done by the StoryMaker community.



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PLANNING AWORKSHOP

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TBuilding a good workshop starts long before the participants show up. This section will address some of the key elements of good planning.

Presentation tools, technology and supplies - From simple things like whiteboards and erasers to more complex things such as a reliable Internet connection and an overhead projector, the underpinning of a good work-shop is functioning presentation tools. Something as small as whiteboard markers that dont work can bring a workshop to a screeching halt. Make a written list of the things youll need. Budget and arrange for them.

Here is a suggested checklist of supplies:

Whiteboard HDMI connector and other essential cables Back up modem Erasers Markers Paper roll and stands Overhead projector Wifi Adequate tables and chairs

Technology is an especially important element of preparation. Different countries and regions have very different access to technology like reliable Internet and overhead projectors . Plan accordingly. DOWNLOAD SAM-PLE CONTENT AND EXAMPLES PRIOR TO THE WORKSHOP and always have a backup plan in the event that technology fails.

Participants mobile data plans can be an important consideration for StoryMaker workshops. You need to carefully think this through related to assignments. Some projects will budget to provide participants useable data plans. Encourage participants to take advantage of wifi at the host location.

The Partner OrganizationDepending on how a workshop is sponsored and arranged the trainer may not be involved in some of the initial organization and decision-making. Still, these decisions can impact the training and the trainer should be informed and contribute to the planning as needed.



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TMost workshops are arranged through a partner organization. Free Press Unlimited frequently works through a local partner or a reliable network of contacts. Good local partners can help navigate regulation and registration of workshops with local officials, help identify solid participants and locate a suitable home for training.

It is essential to have a good local partner.

Look for partners with a track record of successful workshops. From the outset it is important that the partner organization share our goals for training. Be sure to have a contract that clearly states deadlines and goals for the partner organizations responsibilities. The contract or agreement should be clear on EXACTLY what the local partner provides.

If you find your partner organization is not doing its part during the plan-ning, this a warning sign for what you can expect during the training itself.

Participant SelectionA key role of the partner organization is selecting participants. Some work-shops are organized to provide training to a single organization. Others to a particular group. Free Press Unlimited organizes training for a diverse types of participants including journalists, citizen journalists, bloggers and activists.

If you are teaching the workshop alone a good target number would be 8 - 12. If you have a partner or an assistant, you might be push the number to 16. For workshops of 20 or more there should be at least three trainers. Participants can be broken into groups for exercises and to ensure more individualized attention.

Ideally, participants will attend due to personal interest rather than re-quirement. Good partner organizations vet participants carefully, through a rigorous application process. Bad partners often select participants without a lot of thought or select participants that serve the partner organizations interests.

If you have some control over the selection process it is always good to have a variety of participants with a variety of skills and experience. In a well-run workshop participants can learn a great deal from each other if there is an environment that supports engagement. However, if there is



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Ttoo much of a range in skill, more experienced participants can become bored and even disruptive. More on this in Section 7 - Trainer Magic.

Participant AssessmentIt is important to do an assessment of participants prior to a workshop. A simple survey or questionnaire can tell the trainer a great deal about the skill level and interests of potential participants. This will help you plan your workshop appropriately for the specific audience. This is especially important for hands-on workshops.

Training LocationAnother key element of workshop planning is the location. The workshop location must be functional, secure, and easy to get to-especially for trainers who have travelled to an unfamiliar city and are staying at a hotel. Wifi is an almost essential required service of a good training location. The office space of many NGOs includes a training center. You need to confirm that the center or other location will be open the required hours for the workshop. It might be helpful to make sure the location is open beyond the scheduled finish time of the workshop in case it runs late. Air condi-tioning or fans need to be supplied if it is hot. Tea and coffee are a basic service and should be provided. The number of tables and chairs should also be confirmed.

A CertificateA template for a certificate of attendance is included as a resource in this outline. These can be very important to participants. The training organiza-tion needs to take it seriously too.

EvaluationsA standard workshop evaluation form used by Free Press Unlimited is included as resource in Section Nine. The evaluation should be distributed to participants, filled out and collected before the workshop ends.

Travel, Meals and LodgingFor larger workshops the responsibility for travel, local transportation, meals and lodging may be beyond the trainer. But, it is in your interest to confirm these things are properly managed. If they are not it can be very disruptive to your workshop. Participants will hold you responsible.



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WORKSHOPSCHEDULE

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TBelow is an annotated outline for a five-day workshop on storytelling with StoryMaker.

This outline is based on an eight hour day, including an hour for lunch and time for several breaks. The outline is intended as a roadmap for the train-ing. As the trainer, it is important that you own the workshop you present. Trainers should adjust and present the material as they see fit.

The times for each element of the workshop are approximate and will change depending on the size and pace of the group. In total about six hours of material is presented for each day. No matter the actual timing for each element of the workshop you and any fellow trainer(s) should maintain a structured tempo throughout, especially if confronted with unforeseen disruptions. Do not let yourself get derailed.

FPU would like all participants to fill out the assessment questionnaire that is included in Section Nine - Resource. It should take about 20 minutes. Trainers should schedule time to fill out the questionnaire during a break on either the first or second day of the workshop.

Much of the instructional material in the following workshop outline is di-vided into three categories, each denoted by its own color. This is intend-ed to help trainers better structure their preparations for the workshop. The three categories are:

Presentation - This material provides some basic talking points and some ideas to develop during each section.

Tip - This material provides suggestions on presentation or alerts you to potential issues.

Excercise - This material provides suggested exercises or notes a point in each section where you might encourage discussion.

Sample media content to be used for workshop demonstration and discus-sion is provided in Section Nine - Resources. This includes:

An assortment of photographs that illustrate how to compose a photo and how to photograph a profile, an issue, and an event.Three examples of successful video stories and three examples of



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Tnot-so-successful video stories. These are intended to be used to present both audio and video techniques.

* Additional successful StoryMaker videos if the trainer(s) wishes to show more examples.

This workshop is designed to build on the story paths and tip cards presented to the user within StoryMaker. These are introduced during the first day and reinforced throughout the workshop. Participants should be encouraged to download and read the lesson material but because of the size of the lesson files it should not be required.

TRAINERS MUST READ the StoryMaker lessons as well as the three media guides produced by Small World News in partnership with the Institute for War and Peace Reporting included in Section Nine - Resources. They cover the basics of photo, video and narration for mobile tools. The outline below is based on the three media guides.

Day One

Introductions - 1 hourThe trainer should first provide a very brief introduction to the workshop, him/herself and FPU. The trainer might then ask each participant to say who they are, where they are from and to name one thing they hope to get out of the workshop.

It can be helpful to write on a whiteboard some of the key examples of what participants say they hope to get out of the workshop. These can be used during the statement of workshop goals as explained below.

Tip - The introduction is the trainers first opportunity to set the goals and tone for the workshop. Check out the team building exercises provided in Section 7 - Trainer Magic. Any could make for an excellent introduction.

Workshop Overview - 30 minutesThe trainer should clearly present the schedule and the goals for the workshop. This is also when the trainer should set the rules for the work-shop as it related to mobile phone use, being timely, and being courte-ous to others in the group.



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TTip - It can be helpful to relate the list of participant responses from the introduction to the goals. Make sure you are clear about what partici-pants want. The idea is to demonstrate what they realistically can - and cannot - expect from the workshop. You may wish to revisit this at the very end of a workshop as a checklist to demonstrate what the group has accomplished.

Intro to StoryMaker & the StoryMaker Community - One Hour This should be a brief overview. The app is used throughout the work-shop. The trainer may show the how-to video included in Section Three - StoryMaker How-to and Community. The trainer should confirm that each participant has StoryMaker installed on her mobile device and that it is functioning properly. A list of tested device is available in Section Nine - Resources.

Excercise - Allow some time for people to play with StoryMaker. Encour-age them to practice shooting and organizing clips. Keep it loose and keep it fun. There will be more structured assignments in the following days.

This is also where the trainer should introduce the StoryMaker com-munity. The trainer might talk a bit about the history of the project, the organizations behind the project and showcase some examples of outstanding work from Section Nine - Resources.

Journalism - Fundamentals of Good Journalism 2 Hours (or more depending on the number of participants)

Exactly what material the trainer present here will depend on the inter-ests and professional profile of the participants. No matter if they are activists, journalists, citizen journalists or bloggers, the fundamentals of good journalism and good storytelling apply and should be introduced here.



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TPreparation is key. The trainer(s) should find several examples of timely media coverage about the country and province in which the training is being done. These examples will be used in discussion. Encourage discussion throughout the presentation by frequently asking questions of the group.

Presentation - Here is some material from which trainers can build a pre-sentation about journalism. It is essential to make it relevant and make it specific to the country and audience in which your training is taking place.

What is good journalism?

At its best journalism -- no matter what kind -- is a public service. Good journalists work to gather and share news essential to the public interest and safety. Journalism is a method of asking questions and analysis of the responses. Integrity is essential to good journalism. Journalists should be independent from outside influences, truthful and transparent in their coverage. These principles apply no matter the medium print, television, radio, computer or mobile phone. These principles also apply to activists and bloggers. As an advocate for an issue you should still be truthful in your presentation of the issue.

Your coverage should also be fact-based. What does that mean? Fact-based journalism is a style of journalism that bases coverage on facts rather than opinion or personal belief. It values things you can prove over personal views or a publishers agenda. It values things you can demon-strate over speculation. Fact-based journalism typically begins with answering six basic questions: who, what, where when, why and how. These are covered in detail in the lessons and in the StoryMaker learning guides in the app.

A journalist, citizen journalist, blogger or activists must also be a compel-ling Storyteller. THAT is what StoryMaker is about and THAT is what this workshop is all about. If your story isnt well produced and presented in a compelling way, no one will be interested.



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TThe changing media landscape

The Internet and mobile tools have changed the media landscape dramatically because traditional news organizations no longer have sole control of the means to distribute information to large audiences. Mobile phones and other tools are now in the hands of large numbers people with important stories to tell. Citizen journalists, bloggers and activists often represent communities and issues overlooked by traditional media or, just as often, communities that traditional outlets could not access. In some cases citizen journalists report on issues that government and other groups dont want covered.

Todays journalism is different than the journalism of only a few years ago in some other important ways, too. Changes in the relationship between journalists and the audience are one example. Traditionally news flowed one way: journalists provided information and the audience consumed it. Today journalism is often more of a dialogue in which the audience par-ticipates more directly in how events are covered and publicly discussed. In a social media environment the audience contributes to the coverage. In a sense, these changes have produced a more democratic kind of jour-nalism in which the news producers and their audience are more closely related. Even the big international outlets such as Al Jazeera and the BBC, not to mention hundreds of regional and national outlets, now sup-port their broadcasts with additional online and social network content, especially for coverage of events to which they do not have direct access.

From elections to natural disasters to funny images of children, good journalists can produce and upload material in real time that audiences want. Here are some tips to help be a better journalist and storytelling:

Be as neutral as possible in the tone of your coverage, no matter how dramatic the event or how passionately you feel about it. The sources you showcase in your story should be passion, not you.



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T Do research prior to an event so you can provide more informed

coverage when an event occurs. This will improve your judgment about what questions to ask and what is important about a story and what is not.

Do some reporting at the scene to contextualize your reporting with basic information about the event covered -- exactly where it is, when it is, who is there and other relevant details. (More on this in in the reporting basics lesson)

Be transparent about your coverage techniques as well as any po-tential conflicts of interest you may have in discussions with editors

Attribute information in your narration to specific sources. No matter the tool, the presentation should be technically pro-

fessional. Good audio quality is important. Make sure things like a subjects name and the location are properly spelled.

Try to understand what sort of story you are doing and how it fits into broader coverage of the issue. What other reports have been done and how might your work complement them?

Dont present what you dont know or cant verify. A more limited but completely accurate story is more valuable than one that is far-reaching but based on conjecture.

Tip - This section of the workshop is designed to discuss standards and establish some denominators for StoryMaker users. What the good journalism is -- and is not -- varies from culture to culture and coun-try to country. How the standards of good journalism apply to citizen journalism and advocacy are also topics for debate. In many workshops this kind of discussion becomes too esoteric, too abstract and too long. Keep the discussion practical and keep it focused on stories that can actually be produced.

Excercise - The trainer should screen several examples of local/re-gional media coverage appropriate to the audience. Ideally, these will be examples of good and bad coverage. Good coverage will be well



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Tproduced, thorough, balanced and fair. Bad coverage will be poorly produced, one-sided, opinionated and influenced by the views of a particular interest group. Participants should be broken into working groups of three or four and asked to critique one of the stories. Each working group will then give a 10 minute presentation to the entire group followed by discussion. Each group should critique its story based on the standards presented above.

Day Two

Photography - Basics of Good Photography - Three Hours Day two begins with photography. The trainer needs to be comfortable with how StoryMaker handles photos.

There are three example photo sets provided in Section Nine - Resourc-es:

The Rule-of-Thirds - This is the fundamental compositional concept for photo and video frames. It will help participants think visually and compose stronger pictures.

Shot Type - This set of photos illustrates shot types. StoryMaker breaks photos down into five categories of shot type. Each is designed to achieve a specific goal. The first three are sufficient for the most basic kind of story. The five shot types are:

character - introduces a character action - illustrates a central action or behavior result - shows the result of that behavior Signature (advanced) - highlights the core idea of the story and/or

relates it to a broader issue Place (advanced) - shows the location of your story

Photo Story - This set of photos shows how the shot types work to-gether to tell visually compelling stories.



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TPresentation - The mobile environment is a visual environment and pho-tos are the basic building block. Photos are universal; you do not need to speak a specific language to understand them. A single image can convey more information about a scene than even several paragraphs of text -- a picture is worth a thousand words. Most importantly, good photography captures the universal human drama of important events in a way that allows the viewer to empathize with the people pictured. At the same time, it is faithful to the truth of the event portrayed.

To be successful journalists, citizen journalists and advocates alike today must provide excellent photos to news consumers. Mobile devices put the powerful tool of photography in the hands of greater numbers of people and image quality in mobile devices is getting better and better. This has raised expectations of viewers. Todays mobile user is visually sophisticated. StoryMaker is designed help you produce and publish strong photos quickly.

When taking photographs remember the viewer cant see the totality of the scene as you can. They cant know what you dont show them in the photograph. You need to carefully build your image to best capture the scene. The world can look very different in a photograph. Strong pho-tojournalists capture not just the drama and action of an event in their images, but also include visual elements that provide context as it relates to physical location and the causes of the event being photographed. This requires you to think visually, which can be a challenge for even the best journalists.

Photojournalists become very good at seeing a scene as the component parts of a good photograph. They organize those parts in the frame, to tell a well-composed, visual story. They do this through position, timing and angle-of-view. What is excluded from the frame because it is visually confusing or will make the narrative point of the image unclear can be as important as what is included in the frame.



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TThe backbone or fundamental principle of good composition is the rule of thirds The rule of thirds is a medieval, European concept for com-posing pictures. It breaks down the frame (or canvas) into nine equal rectangles. Many cameras from smartphones on up will allow you to see the rule of thirds grid in the display screen.

Good photographers will compose along the intersections of lines in the frame and work to use each of the nine rectangles to tell their story. Amateurs tend to plop the subject in the middle of the frame and ignore much of the remaining space, rather than use it to convey more informa-tion and make a more compelling image.

After presenting some version of the material above, the trainer should show the rule-of-thirds photo set. Encourage discussion.

Presentation - Another important principle for good composition is called working the layers. A photograph is a rectangle, a two-di-mensional space into which we compress a visual idea of the three dimensional world. Creating distinct layers in your frame: foreground, middleground and background (in practice, often just foreground and background) helps you tell clearer, more complex visual stories with your photography. This will give the image a clear subject layer (foreground) and context (background layer).

In a well-composed photograph, important shapes or information complete themselves in the frame. The cooks hands are not cut off awkwardly. The personnel carrier that provides context to the picture in the background layer isnt chopped in half at the edge of the frame. The ball isnt cut in half after being kicked on goal by the forward. Photogra-phers call this working the edges. On a more graphic level, eye-catching or graphically powerful shapes like door frames or trees or objects of strong color are used to define the edge of the frame by allowing them to resolve within it.



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TIn news photography you want to move away from posed, static im-ages. Human actions tells story. Think peak action the moment at an event when the subject is most animated or demonstrative.

Position and timing are important tools when telling a visual story. Good photographers anticipate action and position themselves to make the most of it. Dont be afraid to move around as a photographer. Dramatic moments are key to good images.

Either while the trainer is talking about shooting technique or after he/she should show the shot type photo set.

Tip - People like photos but often they do not understand the amount work involved in taking good photographs. They take one or two poorly composed pictured at an event and that is it. Emphasize that if participants want photos that are better than mere snapshots they will need to invest time and really work at it. Encourage them to think through the best way to visualize the story they wish to tell and to take LOTS of pictures. Encourage them to apply the techniques outlines above.

Presentation - Often a single photo isnt enough to illustrate the whole story. StoryMaker provides five key shot types with which to build pho-to stories. Each is designed to illustrate a different elements of a story. StoryMaker users should shoot a variety of images of each type -- some wide shots, some close-ups or detail shots. Try and sequence the images in a logical order. Exactly how this works depends on the type of story: character, event or issue, and the format of your coverage: profile, report, series or highlights.

Either while you are talking about shooting technique or after you should show the story photo set.



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TTip - Point out that each images in the photo sets provided new informa-tion and a new perspective. Photo stories made up of several similarly composed images of the same general subject are boring. No new information is provided as the viewer moves from image to image.

Excercise - There are two exercise choices. Depending on time and the interests of the group you may choose one or the other.

1) An Environmental Portrait - Participants should find a partner and they should photograph each other. This can be either a candid or posed portrait. It should be well lit, well composed. The environment should provide visual context that tells us something about the subject.

2) A Scavenger Hunt - Photograph three of the following. You should produce three images of each topic for a total of nine images:

1. Color: Images celebrating color. Image can either be monochro-matic color or spot color, but showing rich, saturated bright colorful scenes. Demonstrate solid technical control

2. Light: Dramatic light, early in the morning or late at night using silhouettes, backlight, side light. Nightscape with neon lights.

3. Emotion: A photo that gives expression to a single, strong emotion4. Moments: Photograph interesting interaction between people.

Family at park, couples, teenagers hanging together, interaction between people. Can you tell a story?

5. Perspective: The view from the highest elevation you can access. Take the same view from the lowest vantage point. (two image series)



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T6. Action: A street performance including action of performers and

features of audience OR A sports game with action and feature/mo-ment photographs.

7. Portrait: A stranger during a five-ten minute portrait session.8. Shutter Speed: Show movement with panning, blur, freezing the

action. Change shutter speeds. Get in close to your subject and move with them.

9. Layering: Three scenes with action in the Fore-, Middle and back-grounds. Use perspective to help layer the image.

Participants should upload pictures to be submitted for critique. The critique should be managed as a discussion and address photo-related issues. Here are some questions to ask the group:

Is the photo sharp? Is the the photo well lit? Is the composition clean? Does the photo fulfill the assignment? What would make it better?

Tip - A little practice goes a long way toward better photography. The above exercises should be fun. Be sure and showcase some of the better participant images during the critique. Deconstruct them and make the point that participants should apply the techniques that work in the images reviewed to their own work.

Audio - An Introduction to Audio - Three hoursThe second half of day two is about recording audio with mobile devices. This part of the StoryMaker workshop focuses on recording good audio for video stories. Examples of video stories with both strong and weak audio produced with StoryMaker are provided in Section Nine - Resourc-es. The trainer may wish to play the audio from the examples provided without the accompanying video during the introduction. Turn the pro-jector lamp off or cover the lamp.



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TPresentation - People love to tell each other stories. Sometimes these stories are handed over generations by generation. Today audio is perhaps the most dominant forms of communication on the planet. In this workshop we will discuss audio in the context of video -- the audio component of a video story is half the story. To record consistently good audio requires practice to continuously improve your skills. You can paint that picture in your audiences mind using different types audio including peoples voices, your own voice explaining a story and sounds that set the scene of your story. These types of audio recordings fall into three categories: Interview, narration and ambient sound.

An interview is the audio recording of the subjects in your story, typically responding to questions. Here are some tips for recording good inter-views:

Find Good Sources - Some people are more articulate than others. Some people make more compelling characters than others because they embody the core idea that your story is about. Finding good characters for your interviews is an important first step for good audio storytelling.

Explain the Process - It is important that your subject be comfortable. Before the interview begins. Briefly explain your story and how the inter-view will work.

Ask Compelling Questions - If it is a public official ask questions de-signed to get the official to respond on the record with hard facts. But, if you are interviewing a provide citizen ask for their emotional impres-sions. Good audio stories are often descriptive; people telling a story or describing how an issue affects them in real ways.



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TAsk Open-ended Questions - Phrase your questions to encourage longer more thoughtful responses rather than short yes or no answers. Also be careful not to talk over your subject or make noises while they are responding. If your story is non-narrated, meaning the viewer will not hear the interviewer ask the question, the question has to be clear from the subjects response.

Control the Interview - While it is important to get thoughtful respons-es to questions you need to keep the interview on point and prevent the from talking on and on. Keep your subject focused on the question asked. If necessary rephrase and re-ask a question to get a clear answer.

Play two or three examples of audio stories with exceptionally good interviews and responses. Encourage a few minutes of discussion. Why does it work? What are some other questions the interviewer might have asked? The trainer can use material from Section Nine - Resources or, better still, use local examples.

Presentation - Narration, sometimes called a voice over (VO), is the reporters voice overlayed onto video images and used to explain the story. Good narrations take a lot of work. They need to be carefully scripted and professionally delivered.

Here are some characteristics for scripting and delivering a good narra-tion:

Write for Audio - Write for the spoken word rather than for the written word. Your narration should be written in a near conversational tone rather than formal language to be read on the page. At the same time you need to sound like an authority, so diction and word choice should not be too colloquial.



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TKeep it Simple - Be clear and concise, stick to the story and don't try too hard to be clever. Avoid complicated words and phrases that are tough to pronounce. Short sentences work best. If you deliver a long sentence, follow it with a short sentence.

Be Specific - You should avoid being too general or vague in your nar-ration. The point of the narration is to provide context for anything that may cause confusion or raise a question for the listener. Be specific.

Use the Present Tense and Active Voice - You're writing for flow and to express what is going on now. Broadcast strives for immediacy. To con-vey this to the listener, use the active voice whenever possible. In English, try to use a subject-verb-object sentence structure. For example: "Police (subject) have arrested (verb) 21 activists (object) for staging a protest at Bryant Park on Saturday afternoon."

Write to Pictures - TV and video audiences will see why something hap-pened. The narration should add value. In television, the phrase write to tape describes the way a story script is built around the visual images you have gathered.

Write Descriptively - Audiences need to imagine the people, places and things in your story. Use descriptive verbs instead of adjectives. For example, if you say he struts or saunters youre giving a picture without using an adjective. But don't let vivid, imagery-rich writing turn verbose. Use words sparingly.

Play two or three examples of audio stories with exceptionally good narration. Encourage a few minutes of discussion. The trainer can use material from Section Nine - Resources or, better still, use local exam-ples.



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TTip - Good narrations take time to produce. Narrations need to be carefully scripted and practiced for a professional delivery. The IWPR guide on narration provides a detailed outline on preparing narration. Trainers may want to spend additional time on this as an exercise during the audio module (see exercise options below) or revisit it in more detail during video on day three.

Tip - Audio is being presented in this workshop in the context of video which limits the way ambient sound is used compared to audio-only stories for radio. Still, it is important to emphasise how valuable good ambient is to storytelling even if collected along with video images.

Presentation - The third category of audio is ambient sound, sometimes called nat sound. These are naturally occurring sounds that help the listener understand the mood or scene of your story. The sound of chant-ing at a demonstration, for example, or something as subtle as a drip-ping faucet in a hospital. Ambient sound for video stories in StoryMaker is typically recorded with the video, which will be presented tomorrow. With video or without, ambient sound is a powerful storytelling tool.

Here are some characteristics for collecting and using good ambient sound:

Ambient to Set the Scene - Ambient sound can be a great way to start your story. It can also work to punctuation transitions between scenes in a story. Even if you are recording ambient sound along with video, you may choose the clip because the audio is compelling

Captures the Energy of the Event - Be selective about the ambient sound your record. Listen for the sounds that may not be immediately evident but can help set the scene. Once again, even if you are only recording ambient sound along with video, you may choose the clip because it is the audio that is so compelling.



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TGood Recording Quality - Good recording quality is always important but it is especially important with ambient sound. Make sure your clip is clear and make sure it is long enough to use in your final edit.

Play two or three examples of audio stories with exceptionally good ambient. Encourage a few minutes of discussion. Why does it work? What else might the produced have recorded? You can use material from Section Nine - Resources or, better still, use local examples.

Presentation - Remember: sound is an important part of your story. Below are some essential technical tips for better audio quality. Paying close attention to the quality of the sound youre recording is an easy way to improve the overall quality of your video and increase the impact of the story you have to tell.

Quiet is Key - Find a quiet place to record your audio. Avoid room tone - the sound of fans (turn them off), refrigerators (unplug them) and even traffic (close the window). All of these will seem amplified and distracting to your audience. If you have any sound problem or noise interference that cannot be solved consider relocation. Background noise and poor audio quality can ruin your audio. Audiences are more likely to tolerate bad video than they are bad audio.

Always Use Headphones - It cannot be stressed enough. Headphones allow you to hear everything that your recorder picks up (or nothing, if you forgot to switch on your mic). You will hear whether you are record-ing properly, and quickly be able to detect and solve any problems you might encounter, such as wind or additional noise. Wind interference, for example, can ruin your interview and render your entire shot worthless.

Test Record First - Check your sound immediately after recording. This will ensure that your equipment is in good working order. When conduct-ing an interview, be sure to conduct a test. Once you are recording live, you cant recreate what you failed to record!



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TTurn Your Back on Noise - If you are recording your narration on location and picking up noise you dont want, your body can form an obstacle between you and the noise. Turn your back to the source of the sound and point the mic your mobile device away from the source of the sound. NOTE: know exactly where the mic is located on your device.

Stabilize and Protect Your Device - If you are holding your device take care not to move your hand to avoid the noise of your hand against the device. Keep your arm close to your body so that you can remain stable for longer interviews.

Tip - Getting good audio on a mobile devices without a mic can be tricky. Remind participants of the limitations. They should be careful in environments with lots of unwanted background noise or wind. A mobile device will pick up sounds their ears block out. You may wish to spend some time talking microphones. There is material about microphones for mobile devices in the IWPR guide on narration.

Exercise - There are three audio exercises to choose from depending on time. The first is the easiest and fastest.

1. Have participants record a small selection of ambient sound to describe a location or scene.

2. Break participants into pairs and have them do brief interviews with one another. The final edit should be no more than 60 seconds. It could be a short profile or about an issue of interest.

3. Have participants write a script and narrate a 45 second video clip. NOTE: This is by far the most elaborate of the audio exercises. Do not attempt unless you have at least 60 seconds. Trainers should supply a short video with the audio removed.



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TParticipants should upload audio exercises to be submitted for critique. The critique should be managed as a discussion. Here are some ques-tions to ask the group:

Is the audio properly recorded and clear? Does it fulfill the assignment requirement? If an ambient recording does it evoke a scene? If an interview is it

interesting? If a narration is it well-delivered? What is its greatest strength? What would make it better?

Day Three

Video - The Fundamentals of Good VideoPresentation - This material provides some basic talking points and some ideas to develop during each section

Day three is about video. Examples of both strong and weak video stories produced with StoryMaker as well as additional video clips and images to assist with framing are provided in Section Nine - Resources.

Tip - Remind participants to apply everything they learned in day one and day two apply to video production.

Presentation - As with photo, often a single video clip isnt enough to illustrate the whole story well. StoryMaker provides five key shot types with which to build photo stories. Each is designed to illustrate a different elements of a story. StoryMaker users should shoot a variety of images of each type -- some wide shots, some close-ups or detail shots. Try and sequence the images in a logical order that tells a story. Exactly how this works depends on the story type: character, event or issue, and the format type: interview, report, discussion, or highlights.



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TCameras see the world very differently than the human eye. By learning some basic rules, you can begin to record events that allows an audience to focus on the important elements of your story.

In the middle of shooting your video it can be difficult to know exactly what you should record. This is particularly true when you are starting out. It is easy to get frustrated, confused, and be unsure of yourself.

Keep three things in mind while you are shooting to become an effective videographer:

Have purpose Have control Have commitment

Tip - For an in-depth review of how cameras work, trainees can review the Camera Basics lesson in StoryMakers photography lessons.

Have purposeKnow what you want to record (See Video Clip 1 in Section 9 under Day 3)

Pay close attention to what action or subject you intend to record, and make sure you can see it clearly in the frame.

Have controlHold your camera steady. (See Video Clip 2)

Use your body to brace the camera, the individual above uses the side of his body to brace the camera, while centering the camera in front of him.

Remember to breathe. You may be tempted to hold your breath to keep the camera from moving, but its best to set your shot, breathe, and when you have a steady shot, begin recording.



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TDo not pan. (Show Video Clip 3)

Moving the camera creates a lot of motion in the frame. This is often more distracting than helpful. If you want another angle, stop recording, change your frame, and start recording your new shot.

Have commitmentHave a goal for your shot, and record the complete action. Do not stop recording until actions have completed.

(Show Video Clip 4)

Knowing what you are trying to record before you begin will allow you to know when you have completed the shot.

When you are recording an action, be sure to have the camera recording for 5-10 seconds before it begins and continue recording for 5-10 sec-onds after the action ends. Seeing the action in its entirety will allow the audience to understand it.

Here's an example of how a complete action looks in a frame.

The subject pulls the bread drawer out, and two people score the bread, then they slide the bread back in and pull out another drawer.

The action taken is scoring the bread before it is baked, and we see the entire process. When we go to use this clip, it will be very easy to cut into a close up of the bread being scored, or a reverse shot, reversing the angle of the camera to record the subject as he is performing this action. This is possible because it contains a complete action.

Before that shot was recorded, the videographer framed the shot and interacted with his subject to explain what he was trying to document. It may be necessary to ask your subjects to repeat an action or re-create it



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Tin order to properly document it. This is OK so long as you are not asking someone to misrepresent themselves.

After discussing the basic techniques for making better video stories, you should show the first video Event (breaking news). Now com-pare this with troubled project, the second Event video.

Tip - Use these two videos to quickly highlight the differences, and how the first video had clear purpose, and told a complete story, whereas the second video is aimless and lacks story. Dont discuss too long, youll come back to these later.

When new journalists start starts shooting video, they often become frustrated when clips they record do not reflect the experience they had shooting them. The problem they face is understanding cameras see the world very differently than a person. By learning some basic rules, you can learn to record events in ways that allow an audience to focus on the specific elements you want them to.

Hitchcock's Rule"The size of an object in the frame should equal it's importance in the story at that moment."

Alfred Hitchcock

The subject matter should be 50 percent of the screen focus.

One of the most common problems for new shooters is their most import-ant element are lost in the frame. By ensuring that your most important object fills the majority of the frame (as in 50 percent or more) your audi-ence will see exactly what you want them to in your shot.

Lets look at an example. Review this shot and consider what you think the story will be about.

(Show Video Clip 5)

You can see that you're probably going to see a story about a market, but maybe it's the woman shopping. Overall, it's a good shot, but there are a few elements competing for your attention.



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TNow review this shot, and consider what the story is about.

(Show Video Clip 6)

The apple fills over 50 percent of the entire frame, so the audience is focused on that. As the story progresses to discuss apples, the audience understands this a story about apples. That makes this shot successful. You can now move onto another shot, and highlight the next important element in your story.

Hitchcocks rule provides a great foundation to start making better video stories. Nose space and head space are two other important rules that will help you arrange your frame to support your story.

Nose Space

(Show Framing Graphic 1)

Well composed shots have space in the direction the subject is facing or moving.


In this medium shot, the subject is on the right rule of thirds line. She is fac-ing the left hand side of the frame. You can see the direction she is facing is where the remaining two thirds of the frame are.


If he were facing the opposite direction, you could either ask him to shift the direction he is facing and follow the same example, or adjust your frame, so the shot is framed on the right now that he is facing the opposite direction.

Following this guideline will ensure your subject has appropriate room in front of them. You may also hear this rule referred to as looking space or lead room."



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THeadspace


Headspace is the distance between the top of a subjects head and the top of the frame. It is a guideline to make sure your subjects head does not appear to high or too low in the frame.

(Show Framing Graphic 5-7)

These three different shots all have very different headspace. But in all of them the focal point of the subject rests on the top line. Headspace is a balance of the rule of thirds and the top of the frame.

You should always keep these rules in mind to effectively use the space in your frame. Follow these rules to keep your audience focused on the story.

(Show Bad Nose Space Framing Graphic 8)

If you do not allow for nose space, your subject may appear to be speaking to someone else. In general, if you do not follow this rule your subject appears cramped in the frame, and the audience will be distracted.

(Show Bad Head Space, Framing Graphic 8 + 10)

If you do not allow for proper headspace your subjects head will be cut off, or their head will sit very low in the frame. Both of these are very dis-tracting to an audience as well.

Exercise - Have participants divide into groups of two and each shoot a 30 second interview with their partner. There should be two short videos per group. Each group should choose one of the following options and interview each other:

What is your experience with mobile journalism? How was your trip or travel to the workshop? What has been your favorite part of the workshop so far?

Participants should attempt to observe proper head space and nose space rules as described. Participants should upload their videos exercises to be



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Tsubmitted for critique. The critique should be managed as a discussion. Here are some questions to ask the group:

Does the video fulfill the assignment requirement? Is the audio properly recorded and clear? Does the framing demonstrate Hitchcocks rule? What is its greatest strength? What would make it better?

Presentation - A successful shot is more than well composed. A good shot provides specific information that move the story forward. Each shot type is intended to achieve specific goal. You may be able to explain your location with other shot types, but the wide shot is the easiest option to do it successfully. For example, wide shots are filmed far away from a subject. This distance often provides a clear image of the area around the subject, which is why it is effective to depict the location.

Each type of shot has a goal that also answers a specific question about the story. By shooting a complete set of shot types, you can allow yourself to focus on a separate part of the story with each shot, and as a group they will tell a complete story.

Wide shot - Wide shots show the location or scene where the story takes place. Wide shots are typically used once in a scene, usually at the begin-ning.

(Show wide shot video clip)

If you use wide shots multiple times, you should be showing a dramatic change to the location. For example, an empty town square to a full town square is a successful use of two location shots. Additionally you may use new wide shots to indicate a change in the location.

Long shot - Long shots show how the characters interact with the location. They show the character engaged in an action, or the result of the action.

(Show long shot video clip)

Long shots are best used to highlight a characters actions, and can be effective for including multiple characters.



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TMedium shot - Medium shots help the audience focus entirely on one or two characters, and may not provide an understanding of the location.

(Show medium shot video clip)

Medium shots are good at showing the characters body language. Proper head space and a strong eye line are important to using medium shots effectively.

Close-up shot - Close up Shots force the audience to focus entirely on a single character, and emphasize the emotion of the character.

(Show close-up shot video clip)

Do not worry about incorporating the environment in close up shots. Pay close attention to the eyes of your subject, and focus on capturing emo-tion.

Detail shot - Detail shots demonstrate an interesting detail, often focusing entirely on an important action or object.

(Show detail shot video clip)

Detail shots are best used to highlight details lost in wider shots. Frame detail shots for the specific details you want; cut out everything else. A subjects hands are usually good to start with, especially when performing an action. This shot is best used to highlight details lost in wider shots.

STORYMAKER SHOTS AND CLIPS

StoryMaker takes the standard video concept of shot types, and treats them slightly differently. StoryMaker divides the shots based on how they are used in the story, and some clips may use multiple types of shot. These clip types are:

Place - A place clip is framed as a long, wide or detail shot, and intends to establish where the story happens.

Character - A character clip is framed as a close up or medium shot. It is a specific response from a character to a question, or a character saying something about himself.



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TAction - An action clip is framed as a long, medium or detail shot, it must clearly depict an action being done.

Result - A result clip is similar to an action, but closer, to depict the re-sults. This should be framed as a detail or medium shot.

Signature - A signature is most often framed as a detail shot. Signature clips are meant to emphasize a key point of your story.

After discussing the basic techniques for making better video stories, you should show both the first video and the troubled project video again.

Tip - Point out that each clip in the video provided new information and a new perspective. Video stories made up of several similarly composed clips of the same general subject are boring. No new information is provid-ed as the clips change.

Show the second video, the Profile, and have the participants discuss the types of shots used, what works and doesnt. Discuss what could be improved. Compare this with the troubled project profile video.

Exercise - Have the participants choose three types of shot to shoot a process story, using no more than three clips. Participants can use Learning Guide #1, or shoot freely with an open path in StoryMaker.

Participants should upload video exercises to be submitted for critique. The critique should be managed as a discussion. Here are some questions to ask the group:

Did they use three unique shots? Does it fulfill the assignment requirement? Is the audio properly recorded and clear? Does it tell a complete story? Is it a good use of video (does it

combine image and sound to tell a story that depends on both elements)?

What is its greatest strength? What would make it better?



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TDay Four

In the Field - 3 HoursThe morning is for shooting. The trainer should not require that partici-pants come to the training location before they shoot their stories. The trainer(s) should be at the location and available to participants. Be sure to have participants mobile numbers and that participants have yours.

Tip - Be prepared to troubleshoot. It is inevitable that some stories will not work out and that some participants will have technical issues. There is NO EXCUSE for not producing a story. Help participants solve problems but BE DEMANDING.

Post Production - Times will VaryFollowing lunch participants should return to the training location to edit and export their stories. This should be treated as open workshop time. Trainer(s) should work individually with participants to edit stories.

Here are some things to be aware of while looking at participant material:

Are the video clips technically strong (stable, well exposed, well composed)?

is the audio clear? Is there a variety of clip types? Is there a story arc with a hook and/or central question/conflict/

complication? Are there sufficient interviews? Is the story Interesting? What is missing that would make it a better story? Did the participant produce the story they pitched?

Tip - Some participants will come back with weak material. The story didnt work or the content is technically poor or the participant simply did not put forth much effort. No matter the reason, do not hesitate to send them back in the field. If the participant cant complete the original story idea, help him work out another. Be sure and explain specifically why the material is weak so he can address the problem.



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TParticipants need to upload their final stories and confirm that is plays properly before they leave for the day. Before each participant uploads their final edit the trainer should review the story to make sure it is as strong as it can be.

Tip - If a participant is unusually quick to edit and upload, this can be a flag that they did not work that hard. Encourage participants with prior video experience to challenge themselves by producing a more experiment story or edit.

Day Five

Final Critique - Time will VaryOn the final day the trainer(s) should screen each video or other projects. If it is a very large workshop, the trainer (s) may opt to break the participants into smaller screen groups based on the number of trainers. You may then choose to show the best video from each working group to the group as a whole.

Following the showing of each video, allow a set amount of time for dis-cussion. Five to ten minutes -- no more -- based on the number of videos to be screened. Encourage participants to lead the critique. The trainer might get discussion going by asking the following questions:

Is the video technically strong? Is the story clear? Is the story interesting? Is the story relevant and timely? Does it deliver on the pitch? What would make it better? What do we like about this video? What do we not like? How could this successful element be applied universally?

Tip - Review the videos yourself before the screening. Be prepared to make important observations. If possible, order the videos for the screen-ing for the best effect. Try and intersperse good and bad. Try and illustrate particular problems and creative solutions in a group.



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TClosing Remarks & Certificates - 45 minutes

Participants often take certificated seriously. Make sure they are filled out with names spelled correctly. A certificate template is available in Section Nine - Resources.

Closing remarks should reiterate some of the key concepts of the work-shop -- the importance of good storytelling and the power of social media as tools for building a more informed, open society. Also briefly assess with the group whether or not the workshop achieved the goals set out on the first day. If the trainer wrote them on a whiteboard or on a paper roll, display them while assessing.

Tip - During your closing remarks or as the certificates are handed out try and say something about each participant. Who was a leader? Who was the most improved? Who produced the best stories?

Be sure and thank the participants on behalf of Free Press Unlimited and Small World News.

Have a good training!



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T

TESTIMONIALS

IIIII.



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TThere is no better way for new trainers working in the Middle East and North Africa to become better trainers than to hear from experienced trainers from the region. We asked three seasoned trainers to answer several questions that address some of the most common issues that new trainers confront.

Mohammad AlQaq is based in Amman, Jordan, and the author of the popular Blog "Khobbeizeh, among the first video-blogs in the Arab region. He is also the Art & Space director of 7iber, a visual artist, singer and filmmaker.

Mohammed Al-Maskati - is the founder of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights. He is currently the MENA coordinator at Frontline Defenders and a digital security trainer.

Hisham Almiraat - is a Global Voices Advocacy Director and long-time member of the Global Voices community. He is also a medical doctor and blogger. Prior to working with GV, Almiraat co-founded Talk Morocco and Mamfakinch.

http://youtu.be/jvpaCoWvWbQ

http://youtu.be/3rMVKTpuc-k

http://youtu.be/axUoZEPrdTI



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T

TRAINER MAGIC

IIIIII.



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TBecause so many StoryMaker users will not have the benefit of a workshop and have to teach themselves how to use StoryMaker, FPU and Small World are very aware of the need for the app to replicate as best as possi-ble the experience of working with a good trainer to tell great stories. We called this the Trainer Magic.

A good trainer does far more than merely teach a skill. A good trainer has practical experience and real-world wisdom. A good trainer inspires and empowers. A really good trainer is more than just an instructor, a good trainer is a mentor.

If you wish to be a top-notch trainer, you have to aspire to be a mentor. You have to really understand the different personalities of the individual participants and the dynamic of the group as a whole. A mentor teaches people how to take that concept or skill and extrapolate from it, how to think for themselves and continue to improve long after the workshop is over.

Guided discussion is a key part of good workshop instruction and mento-ring. As you critique work or talk about new ideas, encourage participants to figure out the answers for themselves rather than simply tell them the right answer. Instead of telling a participant that a shot or audio clip doesnt work, ask the participant or group what they think of the shot or clip. Do they think it works? What would make it work better? You are encouraging them to think for themselves and reason out a solution they can apply themselves later.

Another important element of trainer magic is the group dynamic you create in your workshop.

The introductions at the beginning of the workshop can be a first step. Ex-perienced trainers will often begin workshops with team building exercises intended to breakdown participant boundaries and build an environment of trust.

Some team building exercises are built into the syllabus. Each in-class exer-cise for journalism, photo, video and audio require participants to engage with another participant in the process. Require that each participant find a different partner for each exercise.



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TBelow are three ideas for some additional team building exercises, ranging from the simple to the more elaborate.

1. You may choose to do something as simple as ask each participant to stand in the middle of circle of the other participants as they give their introduction.

2. You may ask the group to create a unified story from a set of sequen-tial pictures or drawing you provide. The pictures are handed out randomly. Each person has a picture and they must discuss with each other how to build the best story. For a large workshop you might break them into smaller groups to run the exercise.

3. At the StoryMaker Camp Amman, Jordan, in January of 2014, work-shop facilitator Chris Michael began each morning with some physical exercises. Participants even danced the Zumba!

If you want to try a team-building exercise make sure it is one that you are comfortable with. No matter what you do it should be done quickly and with energy.

While the group dynamic is important it is also important to get to know each participant. Everyone has different challenges and barriers to learn-ing. Figure out how to help each participant to be a better learner. Make sure that everyone gets a bit of one-on-one time and build what you learn into the feedback you provide to that participant.

You will inevitably get a variety of different skill levels and levels of enthu-siasm among your participants. Managing this variety is one the toughest challenges for trainers. There is also the issue of the difficult participant or group of participants. Difficult participants can quickly hijack and undermine a workshop. In almost every case difficult participants can be managed by the trainer through simply addressing the issue directly and constructively. Below are three common profiles for difficult participants and some suggestions for how to handle them.

The-know-it-all - As with many difficult participants the know-it-all is fre-quently trying to overcompensate for insecurity by projecting superiority. The know-it-all often overwhelms discussions. The know-it-all is too harshly critical of other participants and sometimes of the workshop itself.



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TAs a first step in dealing with the know-it-all who overwhelms discussion when he or she begins to speak during discussion the trainer can say that the participants opinion is respected but youd like to hear from other people in the group. Another technique might be to place a piece of candy in front of each person during the discussion when they speak. A participant with a giant pile of candy will quickly get the message.

If neither of these techniques work. You can ask to speak to the participant privately during a break or after the workshop. If possible have a third person present, an assistant or workshop organizer. Respectfully explain to the difficult participant the specific problem. Ask if they understand why it is a problem. You might explain that it is disruptive to the group or that you simply want to give other participants equal opportunity.

If this does not work, especially if the participant is overtly disrespectful of you and others, you may need to move to the next level. Many workshop participants are sent by an employer or by a partner organization. Make it clear to the participant that if his/her behavior does not change you will have to speak the organizer and may ask them to leave without the certificate.

It is very rare that you will have to ask a participant to leave the workshop, but it is better than letting them prevent others from learning.

The Reluctant Participant -- Some are reluctant to participate because they are intimidated by the material or just shy. Some participants are made to come to workshops by their employer and do not wish to be there. Sometimes older participants can be difficult because they are intim-idated by the new tools and changing media landscape. They do not feel younger participants are sufficiently respectful of their experience.

No matter the reason you need to make reluctant participants feel com-fortable and engaged. If you sense a participant is not engaged, talk to them about it during a break. It may be an easy problem to address. With some older participant or those having trouble with the tools, it may help to arrange a bit of extra one-on-one time to talk about technology. You may be able to pair the participant up with someone who is more experi-enced. Always showcase the work of reluctant participants who make real progress, especially if it is overcoming a barrier such as shyness or self-con-fidence. You might call on the older participant to share her experience during relevent discussion.



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TThe Boss -- Sometimes workshops are organized for a single news orga-nization. Often the boss can by an ally in a workshop. A boss can help you identify key issues to address and identify the skill level of participants. But sometimes the boss can be difficult. The boss may feel he needs to make his superiority felt. He may contradict you during the workshop. He may intimidate participants in such a way that they do not speak freely. He may unfairly criticize some participants that he is not happy with or otherwise insert his agenda into the workshop. The boss may also come to only some of the training days yet expect a certificate. Or the boss may pull employ-ees out of the workshop at random for assignments.

You need to assert your authority with the difficult boss. Be respectful but make it clear that it is YOUR workshop. If it is going to be effective -- and if his/her employees are going to get certificates -- he/she needs to follow the rules. You may wish to have a third person present for this conversa-tion. If the workshop has been organized through a third party you may wish to have a representative there.

The Exceptional Participant -- In an odd way, the exceptional participant can be a problem. The exceptional participant can be disengaged or even disruptive because he or she is so advanced. The work of the exceptional participant can be intimidating to others.

It is important to acknowledge the problem with the exceptional partici-pant. You might ask her to help out with others almost as an assistant. You might also ask the exceptional participant to do a short presentation on her work. Finally, you might alter the assignment or requirements of the exceptional participant to allow them to experiment or try new things that they do not have the opportunity to do on the job.



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TTOP TEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD WORKSHOP

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T1. Built on targeted practiced learning - As outlined in Section Two, good trainings are designed to introduce a specific skill, practice that skills and then reinforce how the skill applies to the participants work after the training is concluded.

2. Inspiring - The workshop is designed to teach people how to use Stor-yMaker. That skill will mean very little if participants are not inspired to tell great stories. Good storytelling and good journalism is hard to do. Many participants face tough working conditions. You need to inspire them to continue to apply what theyve learned after the training is over.

3. Structured for engagement - Good trainings integrate presentation, discussion, group exercises and hands-on assignments with review to keep the participant intellectually engaged. No single element of the training should last more than an hour without a break or change of activity. Good workshops have a distinct tempo - not too fast and not too slow. They are broken into distinct segments. There are sufficient break times for lunch, for prayer and for informal discussion.

4. Relevant to the working environment of participants - Material presented in good workshops have real-world applications for participants. They focus on stories that can really be done. They use tools to which participant have access. The real-world application must be constantly reinforced during the workshop.

5. Enthusiastic and Informed trainer - Thats what this guide is about. The trainer needs to be confident in his or her abilities. If you are insecure about what and how you will present or if the workshop is not organized and in your control, it will undermine your success. Read this guide. Pre-pare. Leave little room for error.



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T6. Clear goals - You need to make the goals of the workshop clear at the beginning and restate them throughout. You need to manage expectations and not over promise or let the workshop go off track. Too often work-shops become platforms for people to talk endlessly about abstract ethical dilemmas, troubling regulatory issues and poor working conditions. These are important issues but do not let them consume the workshop. Stay focused on the goal of teaching people to use StoryMaker to tell great stories. There is time in the outline during the final day of the workshop to discuss other issues.

7. Participant involvement - It is up to the trainer to get people involved in discussions, especially people who are reluctant to contribute. Converse-ly, a good trainer doesnt allow a single person or small group to over-whelm discussion. Even during a workshop structured well for engagement you need to constantly work on participant involvement. Involved partici-pants keep the workshop energized and keeps it real.

8. Disciplined - Rules for the workshop must be laid out at the very be-ginning of workshop outline. It is important for you the trainer to main-tain these standards throughout the workshop. You will undoubtedly be challenged. Someone will show up late. Someone will miss days. Be firm. Participants who do not respect the rules should not get a certificate. If participants have a personal or work-related crisis you may make an excep-tion. You must respect the rules yourself. Nothing is worse than a trainer who arrives late or is clearly unprepared.

9. Good working environment - For a workshop to succeed participants must feel comfortable and safe. This is can be as simple as a comfortable chair and a fan or as complex as fast wifi and apps that work properly on different generations of Android. Participants also must feel they can ask questions and even question your authority. They need to feel protected from reprisals in the group, especially if a manager or editor is present.

10. Flexible when flexibility is required - This trainers guide provides a roadmap for how to plan and run a strong workshop. No trainers guide can anticipate the unexpected. This might be a loss of electricity or an important breaking news event during your training, or any one of a dozen unforeseen issues. You need to adapt. You need to be proactive. Do not be afraid to restructure the workshop in ways both large and small if required.



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T

TRAINING RESOURCES

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TPhoto Set One - Rule of ThirdsThe first photo set is designed to illustrate the rule-of-thirds. The rule-of-thirds is the most basic compositional concept for both photo and video. The idea is that the participant should use the ENTIRE frame to tell the story.

Photo Set Two - Shot Types StoryMaker breaks shot types into five cat-egories: character, action, result, signature and place. The most basic stories have only character, action and result. The good visual narrative story will have will be made up of one or more shots from each category.

Photo Set Three - Photo StoriesThis set pr

StoryMaker Trainer's Guide

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