Digitizing Appalachia: Creating Family and Community Memoirs through Digital
Technology
Jennifer Sias ~ Marshall University
Family Histories and MemoirsAppalachian family and community stories are important; they pass
down a family’s or community’s history, values, triumphs and tragedies – lessons for future generations.
Most often, the oral tradition has served as the vehicle of preservation and transmission. However, some family and community histories have been preserved through the written word and through recorded audio. Now the digital world offers new and dramatic ways to preserve the stories of our Appalachian family and community members.
This session will focus on using various digital technologies to preserve family and community stories to advance our Appalachian cultural heritage. Through digital storytelling, we can create and preserve memoirs of our Appalachian kin and community elders.
The presenter will share examples of digital storytelling from her own practices and from her students’ projects, which focused on the stories of veterans and became a part of the Veterans History Project sponsored by the Library of Congress.
What is digital storytelling?
Definitions Simply - using one or more multimedia
tools to tell a story
What equipment can be used to create a digital story? Any or all of the following:
Digital Video Camera/Camcorder Digital Camera
Film Camera – Use scanner – scan photograph prints and other objects
Ask photo processor to create a photo CD Digital Audio Recorder
Microphone connected to computer Play audio from regular cassette and record –
quality will be less than perfect but at least you will have it!
Types of Video Camcorders
Analog Mini DV Disc based Flash memory Hard-drive built in camera
Analog Camcorders
VHS-C, Super VHS-C, Hi*8
Fading from the market
Mini DV Digital Video – Digital camcorder dominates
Mini DV tape format is most popular, but some digital video cameras store their recordings on dvds. Newer cameras use flash memory or store on the camera’s own hard drive
Top brands: Sony, Canon, JVC, Panasonic Prices range from a couple hundred dollars to over $1000
Mini DV tapes = 60 minutes Playback
On camera screen/viewer hook camera to TV or VCR/DVD player to watch on TV
screen Download to computer for editing and burn a DVD
“Going the way of the steam engine?”
Disc Based
Record direct to DVD Hailed as more durable and you can skip
easily to specific scenes or parts (think cassette tape vs CD or VHS tape vs DVD)
Compatibility issues
Flash memory based Camcorder Records to a small card, such as an SD
card
Hard-drive based Camcorder Saves to the camera’s internal hard drive Pros –
Easier connectivity to computer Don’t have to buy tapes or dvds
Cons – Overall cost Storage space If a tape breaks, you can buy another tape for
recording. However, what will you do if the camera’s hard drive fails?
Image quality might not be as fine as MiniDV at the moment
Digital Video Camera Accessories Tripod – a must
Also, if you buy a new camera, find out if it has an image stabilizer
External microphone – lavalier/lapel mic
Lighting
Editing Software
PCs – Windows Movie Maker MAC –
iMovie and iDVD Final Cut Studio – contains Final Cut Pro
What if I don’t have a digital video camera?
Images Use a regular digital camera for still shots Gather together old photographs and scan
them
Audio Record a family member
telling a story Use a digital voice
recorder , such as an iPod voice recorder – then download audio file to computer
Regular cassette – play it next to your computer’s microphone and record/save to computer
Putting together your digital story Make a storyboard to help you
organize your narration and images
Story IntroductionGrandma as storyteller – told ghost stories
Grandma told story of old woman who had to smoke outside
Memories of others – video or audio tape them
Photos Video of the
subject Audio of the
subject Your own
memories – be the narrator
What makes a digital story?
Grandma was a storyteller
Wishes and regrets
Rick Bragg’s influence
Mailed questionnaires and started interviewing family members
Video Memoir of Grandma Johnson
Grandma Johnson – Introduction to Video Memoir
My HON 396 Storytelling Students’ Veteran’s History Projects
Major project – select a veteran (any 20th Century war) interview veteran
record audio of interview(s) take notes during interview
transcribe the audio interview write a narrative journalism story prepare classroom presentation
HON 396 – Spring 2005
Tell Me a Tale: The Culture of Storytelling in Oral History, Narrative Journalism and Literature
Student presentations
How do I start?
Start small Define your
subject Think memoir,
not biography or autobiography
Write! Gather your
pictures & scan them
Gather videos if you have them
Shoot your own videos if you can
Take still shots with digital camera or film camera
Storyboard
Interviewing What questions should I ask?
Veteran’s History Project – suggested questions
Interviewing tips: Share questions ahead of time Select a quiet, well-lit, comfortable
environment Make sure you have a microphone and tape!
Test before launching into interview Ask open-ended (rather than yes/no) questions Start a question with “tell me about …”
Editing
At work I use Windows Movie Maker At home I use iMovie and iDVD on my
iMac Will need lots of hard drive or external
hard drive for movie Be aware of copyright issues Burn a dvd
Questions?
Thank you! Jennifer Sias, M.S.L.S. & M.A.
Associate Professor, Information Literacy Librarian
Marshall University Libraries, Drinko 136 [email protected] 304-696-6577