Organizing your multimodal project

In the process of working on her video essay project, Marisa Williamson moved back and forth across the pieces she was developing and working with, selecting an image here, identifying a video piece to use there, revising her narration before recording it. Although Williamson’s process might have seemed a bit haphazard, her final product is sequenced, polished, and very well organized.

Williamson’s composing process

Williamson, “To the Children of America” (video essay project)

Your ideas might be expressed in written words, in audio, in moving images, in still images, or in some combination. Regardless of the mode you’re working with, organizing your ideas before and as you draft will help you meet your goals as a composer and will help you meet your audience’s needs.

Deciding on a project type and using tools like wireframes to sketch out your ideas early on will help you stay organized.

Related topics:

Deciding what type of project you want to create

Using outlines, wireframes, and storyboards

Drafting to support your main idea

Understanding your own composing process