Final Edit (Chromebook Mini-Documentary)

To complete your mini-documentary you will build the final soundtrack and add images to create a video using Google Slides.

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Build the Soundtrack

Open your Chromebook File folder.

Navigate to your your project recordings folder.

If you created your soundbites for all of your interviews correctly, you should have a set of refined soundbites .mp3 files named:
answers1-edited.mp3
answers2-edited.mp3
answers3-edited.mp3
etc.

You should also have a set up reporter track segments named:
reporter1.mp3
reporter2.mp3
reporter3.mp3
reporter4.mp3
etc.

Resize your Files window so it approximately fits in the bottom right quarter of the screen.

Open the Chrome browser and navigate to the twistedwave.com/online website.

Resize this window so it approximately fits in the bottom left quarter of the screen and the Drop a file box is visible. Return to your recordings folder. Find the reporter1.mp3 file and drag it onto the Drop a File box.

Move and resize the editing window so that it approximately fills the top half of the screen.

Return to your recordings folder and drag the answers1-edited.mp3 file onto the Drop a File box.

Click on the waveform and use the [ctrl+A] keys to select all of it. Use the [ctrl+C] keys to copy the selected waveform.

Return to the edit window for the first answer you opened. Click anywhere on the waveform.

Click the [Search + right-arrow] keys to move to the end of the waveform.

Press the [ctrl+V] keys to paste the second waveform. You now have the first two sections of your final soundtrack back-to-back.

Return to the bottom edit window and close it by clicking on the X.

Return to your recordings folder and repeat the process:
Open the reporter2.mp3 file and paste it at the end of the end of your final soundtrack, then open the answers2-edited.mp3 file and paste it at the end of the end of your final soundtrack, Continue alternating between reporter and answers until you have all parts of your script edited back-to-back.

Depending upon how many segments your script audio has, you will end up with an order similar to this:

reporter1.mp3
answers1-edited.mp3
reporter2.mp3
answers2-edited.mp3
reporter3.mp3
answers3-edited.mp3
reporter4.mp3
answers4-edited.mp3
reporter5.mp3

After you have added the last reporter segment, find your approved script in your project folder and open it.

Use the [alt+tab] keys to return to your edited soundtrack. Start playing it from the beginning, then use the [alt+tab] keys to return to your script. As you listen read along with your script. Does the soundtrack match? Is there anything that needs to be corrected?

Once you are certain the soundtrack is complete, make sure you are in the edit window for the soundtrack. Open the File menu and click on Download.

Make sure there is no checkmark next to Export selected audio. The File format should be MP3 Audio. Change the Title to soundtrack then click the Download button.

Navigate to your project recordings folder. Make sure the Save As name is correct and includes the .mp3 extension. When everything is correct click the Save button.

After the download is complete, leave your script open but close all TwistedWave windows.

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Add Images

With your soundtrack complete you are ready to focus on your story’s images.

Drag off the bottom of your screen and click on the Google Slides icon to open it.

Start a new presentation using the Blank option.

Name the presentation using this format: News-TITLE-NAME and substitute a one or two word name for TITLE and your first and last name for NAME. Here is an example:

Open the File menu and click on the Move option.

Navigate to your project folder then click the Move button.

Choose the Slide menu Apply Layout option and select the Blank format.

From the Themes sidebar choose Simple Dark.

On the left select the slide thumbnail and click [ctrl+C] to copy it.

Refer to your script’s video column and count the number of images. You should have one image each time a person appears, and at least one image for each section of your reporter track.

Use [ctrl+v] to paste copies of the slide until you have one more blank slide than the total number of images in your storyboard. For example, if there are 22 images in your script you will end up with 23 slide thumbnails.

Look in your project’s images folder and find the first image called for in your script. Drag the image onto the second slide thumbnail. It may take awhile to appear.

Use the Select tool and click on the image handles to reposition and resize the image so it is centered and fits the slide.

When you are done the image should fit just inside the edges of the slide.

Repeat the process with all of the images in your story, adding them to slides in the order they should appear. If a person speaks more than once in your story you may use the same image each time they speak.

Review the order of images as you read through your script. When you are done the first slide should be blank and all other slides should have images as described in your script. If all images are correct, find the slide that has the first person who speaks in your story.

Find the person’s lower-third graphic you created and drag it onto their slide.

Reposition it so it fits the slide. If the graphic was created correctly the name and title should appear near the bottom of the frame and the person’s image will be visible underneath it.

Repeat the process to add the name for each person in your story the first time they speak.

The last title you need to add is over your photo in the last slide.

With your last slide selected, open the Slide menu and select the New Slide option.

A blank slide should appear at the end of your slide list.

After all slides have their images, and the first and last slides are blank, click on a slide, then click on the Transition menu.

For the Slide Transition select Dissolve.

Move the speed slider toward Fast until it reads 0.3 seconds.
Click the Apply to all slides button.

Select the second slide in your list (the one with the first image in your script) and change the transition to None.

Select the last slide in your list and change the transition to None.

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Add the Soundtrack

To add your soundtrack, double-click the second slide in the slide list. This is the first image in your script. Open the Insert menu and choose the Audio option.

Find your edited narration then press the Select button.

A player will appear underneath an icon representing the file. You may test it by clicking the play button.

With the sound file selected set the Format options as indicated below.
Start playing should be set to Automatically and Hide icon when presenting should be checked. The volume slider should be at full level. No other options should be checked.

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Rehearse

To test the entire story, open your script on a phone. You may need the Google Docs app to view it.

Return to your Chromebook. Click on the first slide (the black-only one) then click on the Present button.

If any controls appear on this first slide, wait until they disappear.

To preset the slide show playback press and hold the right-arrow key on your keyboard until you reach the blank slide at the end of your presentation. (Ignore the soundtrack when it starts playing.)

Next, press and hold the left-arrow key on your keyboard until you reach the blank slide at the start of your presentation. (The soundtrack should stop playing.)

If any controls appear on this first slide, wait until they disappear, then press the spacebar. You should see the first image in your script and your soundtrack should start playing. Follow your script and press the spacebar each time a different image should appear.

You want to time your slide changes so they match the narration in your script. When the soundtrack ends press the spacebar to show the last blank slide. Then, press the [esc] key to stop the presentation.

Practice the timing of your slide changes. In the next and final stage of this project you will create a video from your slides.

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