Experienced


 * //Experienced Explorations// ...**

If you're fairly comfortable with technology applications and you're looking to grapple with some of the more challenging platforms and options, try the possibilities listed below.

**Advanced Photo Story**
(For an introduction to Photo Story, take a look at the tutorials on the Just Beginning page.)

1. Consider creating a visual narrative using **only one photo**, as explained in [|this tutorial] and seen in this [|example]. 2. Create a Photo Story and then [|make it playable on a portable device], such as an iPod. 3. Try some cool text effects using this [|tutorial]. 4. [|This site] provides some tips on advanced Photo Story features. Click on **Photo Story 3** in the left-hand menu.

Using Audacity
Audacity is a free software program for recording and editing sound, helpful when you want to clean up or adjust recorded narration. It's easy to use, especially with a [|tutorial] showing you how. This tutorial features both screenshots and video clips that make it very easy to follow.

Once you get a sense of how Audacity works, experiment with recording and adjusting your own narration and incorporating music and sounds.

Just as with Photo Story and Movie Maker, you can also [|download Audacity] for free.


 * //More Advanced Options// ...**

Advanced Movie Maker techniques/ projects
1. Consider [|importing a Photo Story text slide] in order to create a snazzy effect within a Movie Maker project. 3. Download the [|Movie Maker "Creativity Fun Pack"] and explore some of the new features; also offered is a [|"Winter Fun Pack"]. 4. For a fee, [|Pixelan] provides Movie Maker add-ons that offer more versatility and options.

iMovie
Mac fans know how intuitive and easy programs such as iMovie can be. Generally, iMovie provides quite a few more options than in corresponding programs such as Movie Maker.

These instructions can help you move PPT slides into an iMovie project:

The Apple site features some very useful iMovie [|tutorials]. Some iMove-type projects made by students media type="youtube" key="XogIkTfcBIA&hl=en" height="234" width="279" media type="youtube" key="IO_TlSQD0mE&hl=en" height="234" width="279"

//Other Possible Platforms and Applications//
//**Easy**//
 * [|Dipity]: create multimedia timelines
 * [|Dvolver]: experiment with basic animation to create stories
 * [|Empressr]: experiment with an online multimedia storytelling application.
 * [| DigitalFilms.com] : Create and email your own short animations online from already made characters and scenes.
 * [|SlideCast] : Take PowerPoint to the next level; allows you to publish, share, and add audio

//**Challenging**//
 * [|Avidemux]: Ready for a step up from Movie Maker? Consider experimenting with Avidemux, an open source video editor.
 * [|Microsoft PhotoSynth]: new application that creates a 3-d interactive space from a collection of photos of a single object or place.
 * [|Final Cut Express] (~$200, for Mac users): if you're ready to take digital film-making to the next level, this may be the product for you.