Flash Me

Working in radio, I believe audio is the most affective way of telling a story. What I like most about the audio aspect of journalism are the ways images seem to develop in someone’s mind, and how these images are never exactly the same from person-to-person. There is a closeness that I feel to the sounds of a family, a machine, or even a disaster. It draws you in, and can leave you subconsciously replaying those sounds like a broken record.

Photographs locks in a moment in time whereas a video captures so many fast moving images that it is impossible for the viewer to process every spec of each reel. Photographs on the other hand are a much more intimate experience allowing someone to stare off into the wilderness for a “complete” second. When I study a picture, I often think about the images not being shown and the stories that are not so blatantly obvious. Taking several moments to study a single second is much more adventurous than having to give up a moment within a second.

Mixing natural sound and still images to produce a very cereal experience leaves the viewer feeling like they are part of the story. A misconception with slideshows is that they are brand new, and are only beginning to be implemented in reporting. This is half true. As stated in the article, slideshow storytelling has been around for more than 150 years, but it is just being upgraded with digital imaging and sound and the instantaneous functions of the Internet.

Using flash with slideshows and video amplifies the emotional connectivity people have with stories. Flash offers interactivity for viewers to absorb content differently by processing it individually. Flash has the potential to give the web designer and viewer more control over an animation. The designer has the choice of where, when, and how to place the control. In many cases, a viewer will log onto a flash animated graphic, and be presented with a series of options that might include the order or duration of videos/photos/audio. If a user has an ample amount of control, they may choose to replay certain sections of an animation to gain a deeper understanding or connection with the story being told.