Be Your Own Ken Burns (but less maudlin!)


Check out this wonderful little web documentary about the history of hoboes in Spokane, Washington. Produced by Jim Kershner of the Spokesman Review. It is a nice demonstration of how new technologies make it possible for anyone with a computer and some photographs to create a documentary. Kershener doesn't say so but I am pretty sure it was created with Photo Story 3, a simple free program from Microsoft.

Update! Colin Mulvany writes: Actually, I used Final Cut Pro 5 to add the motion on the photographs and produce the show. These type of stories are fun to do. Jim and I find a local historic topic that we can match with photos from the newspaper's and other local archives. He writes and voices the narrative and I produce the show. That said, you don't need a program as advanced as Apple's Final Cut to do shows like these. There are plenty of consumer level program that do motion on pictures.