A Solo Walk Through Finnerty Gardens

The Adventure Plan

For my multimedia story, I am planning to visit Finnerty Gardens at UVic. I decided on this spot because it is easy to get to on foot, it is free, and it feels like the kind of place that actually has something worth slowing down for. I want to go on a weekday morning when it is quieter so I can take my time without feeling rushed.

I will be going solo. I think doing it alone will actually help me pay more attention to what is around me: sounds, small details, and the way the light hits things. There are no real safety concerns for this kind of walk, but I will let someone know where I am going before I head out.

Equipment I Need

I plan to bring my phone for photos and short video clips and a small external microphone that plugs into it for audio recordings. I do not think I need to scout the location ahead of time since I have been there before and know the general layout. The main thing I want to figure out on the day is which spots feel right for each type of media: somewhere quiet for audio, somewhere visually interesting for video, and good natural light for photos.

Shape of the Story

I want the story to follow the path of the walk itself; it starts when I arrive and ends when I leave. The idea is that the reader or viewer moves through the garden with me, like they are there. It will not be a list of facts about the place. It is more of a personal record of what I noticed and how it felt to be there alone for an hour or so.

The shape will probably be a short written intro, then a photo or two from early in the walk, then an audio clip of the garden sounds, and then a short video clip near the end before a brief written reflection to close it out.

Media Plan and Mayer’s Principles

I am planning to use three types of media: photos, audio, and short video clips.

Each one will do something different in the story. The photos will capture still moments — a flower, a path, a shadow. The audio will bring in what you cannot see in a photo: birds, wind, the crunch of gravel underfoot. The video will tie both of those together by showing movement and sound at the same time.

Thinking about Mayer’s principles, I want to make sure each piece of media adds something instead of just repeating what the words already say. For example, I will not describe a sound in writing and then also play a recording of the same thing; I will let the recording speak for itself. I also want to keep everything fairly short so it does not feel overwhelming. The idea is that words, images, and sound all work together, but each one earns its place.

Sample Media

I have not done the full walk yet, but I did a quick test run in my neighbourhood to figure out the microphone setup and check if my phone handles outdoor audio well. It mostly does, though I noticed wind noise is a problem if I am moving, so I will need to stand still when I record. I also took a few test photos to get a feel for the framing I want. I am leaning towards closer shots of plants and textures rather than wide landscape shots. I think that fits the personal, slow feel I am going for.

Process and Decisions

The first decision I had to make was what kind of adventure to do. I thought about going for a bike ride, but I realised it would be hard to stop and record properly while cycling. A walk made more sense because I can pause whenever I want.

I also thought about doing video as my main format and recording everything as a kind of mini-documentary. But I think that would make the story feel more like a YouTube video than a personal piece. Splitting it across three formats lets each one do what it is actually good at.

One challenge I am still working through is how to publish audio on a blog in a way that feels natural and not like an attachment buried at the bottom of a post. I might try embedding it in the middle of the written section so it interrupts the reading in a good way, like a pause to just listen.