StoryMapJS, a free tool developed by Northwestern University's Knight Lab, is great for telling web stories characterized by strong location narratives. In addition to having a friendly authoring interface, this tool allows for inclusion of media from various sources: Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo, Vine, Dailymotion, Google Maps, Wikipedia, SoundCloud, Document Cloud, and more. Maps created using this platform can be shared via social media or embedded using HTML iframe.
Note: StoryMap JS is not compatible with Internet Explorer, nor does it allow for file export.
My Maps, a little known gem in the Google Apps suite, allows you to customize and share interactive maps. You can choose from a variety of base map styles, drop pins anywhere on a global map, add information to pins (title, description, photos, videos, etc.), and draw lines or shapes over maps. Share maps via link, embed them in a website, export them as KML files, and manage them directly from your Google Drive account.
Google My Maps Examples (video)
Note: Google My Maps works best with Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
Although Prezi isn't commonly thought of as a mapping tool, its zooming and path functionality make it a great option for telling stories that unfold through a series of locations. To use Prezi in this way, you need only two things: a little imagination, and a decent template (linked below). Prezis allow for inclusion of images, videos, sound, and PDFs, and can be shared via link, embedded in a website, or downloaded as PDF files.
Esri Story Maps is a free, user-friendly authoring solution that lets you combine professional-grade maps with images, text, and multimedia content. Currently, Esri offers seven different templates for organizing your map content. Click on the links below to learn more about a few of the templates and what they offer from a storytelling standpoint.
iMovie, a video editing software application that comes standard on OS X machines, allows you to transform photos and video clips into polished digital stories. In addition to boasting an extensive library of theme music and audio effects, iMovie offers an array of visual effect options including transitions, titles, picture-in-picture, cutaways, animated maps, stylized filters, and green-screen. Export options include YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, iTunes, and MP4.
Although Microsoft discontinued support for Windows Movie Maker (WMM) in January of 2017, the original 2016 version remains available for free download. Compared to iMovie, WMM is limited from an audio standpoint: audio can't be edited frame-by-frame in the storyboard, nor can audio effects be added without use of an external tool like Audacity. From a video standpoint, however, WMM is more than serviceable, offering 130 effects, fun transitions, titles, and credits. Export options include OneDrive, YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and MP4.
Spark Video is a web-based editor that allows you to create video stories using photos, videos, music, and voice-over narration. Spark isn't likely to win any awards in the bells-and-whistles department, but it does afford you some choices:
Canva is a free, web-based graphic design tool used for creating professional-grade infographics, posters, invitations, presentations, and blog graphics. The freemium version includes 1GB of storage for photos and assets, over 8,000 design templates, social sharing and website embed tools, and four download options (JPG, PNG, PDF - STANDARD, & PDF - PRINT).
TimelineJS, a free and open-source tool developed by Knight Lab, is easy to use yet still capable of producing professional-grade results. Users can build visually engaging, interactive timelines using nothing more than a Google spreadsheet, pull in media from a variety of sources (Twitter, Flickr, Google Maps, SoundCloud, and more), and enhance visual interest using text formatting and background color options.
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