Verbal
[creative] ideas that inspire
Get the story
• For every story
– Ask the 5 Ws & H
• (who, what, when, where, why & how)
– Record sights & sounds descriptions
• Finding F3
– Facts
– Figures
– Feelings
caption // ident
Juniors Dillon Hanson
& Clay Sands
OR
Juniors Dillon Hanson
& Clay Sands,
pep band members
OR
Juniors Dillon Hanson
& Clay Sands saxophone
players at marching at state
basketball finals
Picture it in words
• Write complete, accurate captions
– Attend activity or event
– Interview subjects in photo
– Interview subjects not in photo
– Obtain photographer’s notes
– Research history of event or activity
Picture it in words
• Caption types
– ident
• subject name + brief 3-5 word description
– summary
• answers the most important 5 Ws & H
• 1st sentence – present tense describes photo
• 2nd sentence – past tense provides background
or outcome of the activity/event
– quote
• gives the reader meaningful information
& insights stated directly from or about subject
Picture it in words
• Caption types
– collective
• a story caption defining a photo
montage/collage/photo collection
• answers the 5 Ws & H for the entire collection
• identifies key individuals & subjects
in each of the photos
– group
• identifies each member with first and last name
• identify as front row / row 2 / row 3 / back row
(make visually distinct)
• provides complete group name in header
• could provide mini-headline for additional info
Research the story
Pop the questions
– Who is the screamer? His pal?
– What is he screaming?
– When did this take place?
– Where is he?
– Why is he screaming?
– How did this moment happen?
– Tell readers about the event
– Describe the best memories of the event
– Tell us something we can’t see from photo
Get
the
answers…
– Who: Juniors Dillon Hanson & Clay Sands
– What: Pep band at state basketball finals
– When: November 22, 2005
– Where: ASU field house
– Why: School song w/a cheer section
– How: Placed 2nd in 2004, 1st in 2005
– “It’s cool to perform the fight song at football
games, but nothing beats playing in the field house
and hearing the sound reverberate.”
– “Johnnie Abrams fell in the closing song and
sprained his ankle.”
Write it
• Lead-in
– Attention-getting word or phrase
relating to the action/reaction of the photo
• Primary sentence
– Reports the most important 5Ws & H
& written in present tense
• Secondary sentence(s)
– Provides details not obvious in the photo
& written in past tense
caption // summary
LOUD & PROUD
Holding nothing back, juniors
Dillon Hanson and Clay
Sands scream the cheer
section of the school fight
song, Pride, as the pep band
supports the boys’ basketball
team at the State finals on
January 22, 2006.
caption // quote
OH YEAH!
“It’s cool to perform the fight
song at football games, but
nothing beats playing in the
field house and hearing the
sound reverberate. It made
me feel as if we had a part in
the basketball team willing the
state championship.”—Dillon
Hanson
caption // collective
MUSIC OF ALL KINDS
Holding nothing back, junior
Dillon Hanson screams the
cheer section of the school
fight song, Pride, at the state
basketball finals in January.
While practicing for the
annual Spring Follies held on
May 3, freshman Aaron
Sidel plays the event’s final
song. In front of a sold-out
crowd, the African-American
Club performs at the Talent
Show on April 23.
caption // group
FRESHMAN KEY CLUB RAISES $3,452 FOR CHARITIES
Front Row: John Cutsinger, Shannon Williams, Rick Brooks, David
Klecka… Row 2: Cody Cleavelin, Mitch Lorenz, Mike Hill, Kurt Idler,
Bruce Nyman… Row 3: Alex Brunner, Rinn Cleavelin, Herb Stokes,
Jimmy Browning… Back Row: Mark Herron, Steve Wirrig, Jack
Wilson, Kevin Grandpre, Adam Richards, Blake Harrop, Steve West.
Edit & refine
• Informative & insightful
– Include facts, figures & feelings
– Go beyond the obvious
• Creative & innovative
– Visual nouns & action verbs
– Typographically designed
– Logically placed
Practice makes perfect
Practice makes perfect
– Who: Junior Scott Sanders & Senior Adam Arlington
– What: Cheering for the basketball team who was
in double over-time against rival Central HS
– When: March 19
– Where: Johnson Community College Arena
– Why: Team had not one regional title since 1953
– How: Painted their chests at Byron Smythes house
prior to the game and had done so every game
during the post season
– “I have no recollection of last 3 minutes except that
my voice was hoarse and they finally did win. I can’t
believe they pulled off that last second shot and we
went on to Semi-state. What an incredible senior
year” – Adam Arlington
Practice makes perfect
Practice makes perfect.
Write one of the following:
- Ident
- Summary
-Quote
Q&A