Still life set in motion on MediaStorm
Where to find it: MediaStorm
– www.mediastorm.org
Who runs the site: The Web site was started by Brian Storm, who
is president of MediaStorm, a multimedia production studio in New
York City. With a team of designers and producers, they created the
Web site as a forum for social documentaries that use
photojournalism, interactivity, animation, audio and video. Many of
the staff members and the advisory board have a strong journalism
background and have worked for places such as MSNBC.com. The site
is sponsored by washingtonpost.com.
Still life set in motion on MediaStorm
Where to find it: MediaStorm – www.mediastorm.org
Who runs the site: The Web site was started by Brian Storm, who is president of MediaStorm, a multimedia production studio in New York City. With a team of designers and producers, they created the Web site as a forum for social documentaries that use photojournalism, interactivity, animation, audio and video. Many of the staff members and the advisory board have a strong journalism background and have worked for places such as MSNBC.com. The site is sponsored by washingtonpost.com.
Who is likely to use it: Those interested in seeing the latest in multimedia techniques as well as those who enjoy documentaries.
Pros: The site offers an outlet for multimedia projects and support to journalists or documentary makers. It has 20-plus projects online now, which incorporate still photography, video and audio commentary. The topics range from illegal poaching in Africa to substance abuse. The photos and audio are powerful, and the photographers are not afraid to get into the nitty gritty to get their shots.
Some of the projects are made in conjunction with a news media outlet, such as “Marlboro Man,” in which a Los Angeles Times photographer formed a bond with a marine while he was embedded in Fallouja. He followed the young man after he returned from Iraq, intervening when he thought the man was suicidal.
Other items are done by independent artists, such as “The Ninth Floor,” by Jessica Dimmock, who followed around a group of drug addicts after they were evicted from a New York apartment. Dimmock’s piece is a companion to a book and DVD.
Each video has a sidebar with links to other resources. “Marlboro Man” included links to the original newspaper articles that ran in the Los Angeles Times. “The Ninth Floor” included links to purchase the book or DVD, but also included links for resources to help with drug addiction.
Cons: Many of the topics are on the serious side and can be depressing if you watch too many in a row. Also, because of the large amount of multimedia on the site, it can run slow so plan for time to load up the videos. They range in length, but most are at least 15 min. long.
