Reflective Journal on Digital Storytelling Project

Reflective Journal on Digital Storytelling Project

I. The Process of Creating a Digital Story
Stages and Challenges
The challenge here lies in creating a suitable video based on the article, including the selection of video materials, the length of the video, and the content of the voice - over. We also need to modify the plot to make it more reasonable and scientific. To overcome this difficulty, our group divided tasks and cooperated to improve the efficiency of video production.
Secondly, gathering materials is a time - consuming yet exciting process. We searched the Internet for relevant pictures, videos, and audio clips, and also created some original content. The difficulty here is that since it is a fairy tale, and we changed the narrative perspective, it was a bit hard to find materials and the quantity was limited. So we resorted to AI tools for generation.
The editing stage is both challenging and rewarding. Synchronizing media elements, adding transitions, and ensuring the overall quality meets the standard require a great deal of patience. I was in charge of this part and encountered problems such as audio - video asynchrony. Through repeated attempts and referring to online tutorials, I successfully solved these problems.

Collaboration and Tools
Our group divided tasks according to our respective strengths: Zhang Bo was responsible for the script content, Wang Yi was in charge of finding relevant materials, and I was responsible for audio editing.
In terms of tools, we mainly used Doubao, as well as relevant websites and ERNIE Bot. We used ChatGPT for creative brainstorming and grammar checking. We input story prompts to get suggestions and also used it to check for grammatical errors in the script. For editing, we mainly used CapCut, and we downloaded background music from some websites.

II. Writing Enjoyment
Initial Emotions
At the beginning of the project, I was filled with excitement and curiosity. Creating a digital story, a medium that combines various forms of media, had an exhilarating prospect. We all wanted to see how different elements could come together to form an engaging story. This curiosity stemmed from the uncertainty about the final product and the potential of learning new skills during the process.
Turning Points
A crucial turning point was in scriptwriting. Due to the limited materials and relatively large amount of text content, the audio and video were not matched. With the lack of materials, we chose to streamline the script, but this made the video relatively short, the story progressed too quickly, and some details were overlooked.

Comparison with Traditional Writing
Compared with traditional writing, digital storytelling provides a more immersive experience. In traditional writing, readers can only rely solely on the text to imagine the story. In digital storytelling, the combination of visual, audio, and textual elements creates a multi - sensory experience. This additional dimension makes the creative process more attractive and interesting, especially when I see how different media elements enhance the emotional appeal of the story.

Enjoyable Parts

When looking for materials, the pictures provided by AI were always unexpected, leaving team members rather helpless. Secondly, during the editing process, although many difficulties were encountered, it was also very fun to cut out a complete video according to my own ideas. It was like creating a new world, where I set the rules and patterns, and arranged the transitions, background music, and voice - overs.

III. Writing Growth Mindset
Skill Development
Through this project, my multimodal literacy skills have been significantly improved. I have learned how to effectively combine different media types to convey information. My video and audio editing skills have also improved significantly. I have mastered the use of editing tools to enhance the quality of media and create more engaging story narratives. In addition, as I use ChatGPT more strategically for creative brainstorming and content optimization, my AI literacy has also been enhanced.

Future Applications
The experience and lessons learned from this project will be of great value in future writing. I will apply my enhanced media integration skills to create more engaging written works.

Writing Self - Efficacy
At first, we didn't have much confidence. However, after dividing the tasks, each of us had a clear goal and work. Step by step, it didn't seem that difficult. Moreover, with the assistance of AI tools, it was convenient to find materials. When encountering technical problems, we could search on Douyin or Xiaohongshu, and the problems could be solved.
I am most proud of successfully matching the script voice - over with the video content and setting the background music during the editing process. These moments made me more confident in my ability to create a complete digital story. It's not that difficult; as long as you want to do it, you can succeed. And with the help of teammates, we also realized the importance of cooperation.