Scarred by Abuse

Vernetta Cockerham-Ellerbee peeled back the curtain of her bedroom window and saw the man she once loved enough to marry.

Hunched over in a field across the street, Richard Ellerbee toiled, shoveling clumps of dirt over his shoulder. She glanced past him to the nearby police station in this rural Piedmont town of 2,000. She spotted one of the department’s nine officers just beyond the station’s front door.

Cockerham-Ellerbee rang the station: He’s back, she whispered. He was once again violating the judge’s order to stay away. Police didn’t catch Ellerbee that day. Cockerham-Ellerbee repeatedly reported her husband’s threats during the summer and fall of 2002. He never spent a night in jail.

She didn’t know what he was up to with the shovel until he called days later to explain: He was digging graves to bury her and the children.

Yet another great multimedia piece from the kids in Raleigh. Travis Long delivers a heartbreaking story of abuse and a failed system designed to protect, that left one family member dead and left for dead. The threats of “You will die, I will kill you” and the stories of him digging graves for the family members bodies sent shivers down my spine. It’s one thing to read it, it’s another to hear it in the victim’s voice.

Okay Chigaco Tribune, STOP IT!

Not really, keep it up! But you guys over there are keeping me busy and inspired. Thank you.

In Their Own Words

Seven families across Illinois with incomes below the federal poverty line opened their lives to the Tribune this year. They are emblematic of groups traditionally at risk for hardship, but their stories are individual, compelling and demanding of attention.

Kudos to all but especially Kuni Takahashi, for the outstanding visuals and audio, great use of subtle music and titles slides to introduce the families. It could have been worse, with cheesy music and the subjects saying, “hi my name is…” And nice use of the Soundslides component. Enjoy!

-r

No Country for old photogs

Have you been working on a project for some time now? Getting tired or bored with it? Then this injection of photographic inspiration is for you. Thirteen years ago Chicago Tribune Photographer Scott Strazzante began visiting the Cagwin family farm. I’ll say no more, because you have to see the results of this diptych series. FANTASTIC and eerie. Enjoy.

-r

VUVOX interactive Collage beta!

The Collage Tool that I blogged about and used is now open for early beta use. VUVOX is eager to get feedback from photojournalists and multimedia designers - it’s a fantastic tool. Enjoy.

visit: www.vuvox.com/collage/home to begin to create your own.

The Northern Short Course in Photojournalism: March 13-15, 2008

Registration is now open, check it out.

Rape of a Nation by Marcus Bleasdale and MediaStorm

Rape of a Nation by Marcus Bleasdale
The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the deadliest war in the world today. An estimated 5.4 million people have died since 1998. These deaths are byproducts of a collapsed healthcare system and a devastated economy. See the project at http://mediastorm.org/0022.htm

Interested in new gear?

MMS member Kim Komenich put together some interesting notes from his visit to MacWorld last week. Gear heads will love it. Read more

Great 8

Raleigh News and Observer’s resident bad asses Jason Arthurs, Shawn Rocco, Ethan Hyman and Travis Long all had a little something to do with the promo for their most ambitious multimedia project yet: 8 bands, 12 videos and a multimedia interface light years beyond anything they’ve ever tried to pull off.

According to Arthurs, if insomnia doesn’t kill them first, the whole project will be up on Friday at www.newsobserver.com/great8. Then if you’re lucky enough to be in Chapel Hill, on Saturday night, three of the featured bands are doing a show and they are screening the videos about each band there.

What a neat symbiotic relationship it all has…

Monumental Workshop

More than 70, photographers, multimedia journalists and picture editors, joined a faculty and staff from around the country in Danville, Ky to make the 2007 Mountain Workshop the largest in its 32-year history. And the results are fantastic, check it out.

enjoy,
-r

Ira Glass: Tips for better storytelling

I’ve blogged these before, but I was recently reminded of their power, by a very del.icio.us friend who goes by the name cophotog, who said,

His four part series is the most important video about storytelling that you’ll watch in 2008.

So true! Here is part one, and here’s a link to the rest on YOUTUBE.

enjoy,
-r

Damn the STAR! Just DAMN!

I have a new hero, Toronto Star photographer Lucas Oleniuk! I’m speechless and i think you’ll be too!

Twenty days. Twenty thousand still images. A single message. Toronto Star photographer Lucas Oleniuk captures the issue of global warming in a video created entirely by using still images.

The Aftermath Project

I came across this very important site that offers grants to working photographers worldwide covering the aftermath of conflict.

The Aftermath Project is a non-profit organization committed to telling the other half of the story of conflict — the story of what it takes for individuals to learn to live again, to rebuild destroyed lives and homes, to restore civil societies, to address the lingering wounds of war while struggling to create new avenues for peace.

Not Just a Number

More props to Sean and Katy, who now work at the LATIMES, LAT is lucky to have these two passionate journalists and what a project!
-r

Shining Bright, The Las Vegas Sun

I wish i could name the rest of the crew at the Sun that are responsible in anyway for the new website, because I love it, especially the multimedia section, way to go Zach! It’s a must see.
-r

A new book, for multimedia journalists

Multimedia Journal will show you how to tap into your creativity by guiding you through a variety of activities that will prod your imagination so you can capture new ideas for multimedia storytelling. The exercises are intended to jump-start your creative energy. This book is for Multimedia Journalists.

Square 7×7 inches (18×18 cm) 60 pages

Published: January 1, 2008

By Richard Koci Hernandez

I want to share a project that recently started out as notes/worksheets to help a few workshop attendees and turned into a 60 page book. This project has forced me to practice what I’ve been preaching and I hope it can help you or someone you know. So spread the word! It’s already become a Blurb Best Seller.

The book is packed with over 50 creative exercises and ideas to get you thinking creativity about photography, video, audio and multimedia in general. It’s also packed with some great resources, which I plan to post as a PDF download- the resources that is, not the book- but you can get a sneak peak by downloading the first 15 pages of the book as a PDF, here.

My new book is hot off the presses at Blurb! Take a peek and
place your order if you’re so inclined.

I hope you enjoy the book -if you choose to purchase- it’s from the heart, tnxs,

-r

 

Interactive Editor Job

NWNG ONLINE TEAM SEEKS INTERACTIVE EDITOR

The Northwest News Group of Greater Chicago’s Online team seeks to add an Interactive Editor to oversee the production of Web-based stories for use on NWNG Web sites such as NWHerald.com, McHenryCountySports.com, KCChronicle.com, ChicagoFootball365.com, ChicagoBaseball365.com, LakeCountyJournals.com and WeeklyJournals.com.
Read more

The Beekeepers

The Beekeepers is a great multimedia package from the Chicago Tribune. I’ve heard a few editors speak about the idea of trying to cast your stories, basically making sure that the lead characters in project work are interesting enough to hold people’s attention, and Gerald Whitehead, an ex-felon turned beekeeper, is well cast and deserving of your attention.

Chris

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