Use Hype to create interactive, animated presentations

Tumult Hype is an application used to create interactive presentations in HTML5.
Tumult Hype is an application used to create interactive presentations in HTML5.

One of my staff’s goals is to bring the same variety of storytelling models to the web that they offer in print. That means exploring a lot of new tools that make online interactivity much easier than it used to be (back in the good ol’ Adobe Flash Action Script coding days). As they do this, I’m asking them to share the tools and their process in a series of short Q&A posts. If your staff experiments with one of these or another online multimedia tool, please share.

Which multimedia tool did you use?

Tumult Hype (Discounts are offered for student/mass purchases!)

What does it do?

It’s a tool that allows you to create HTML5 animations without actually having to deal with the code.

What story did you use it for, and why did you choose this particular tool for this story?

I used Hype for “Internet Famous” and for “6 Ways Students Waste Money.” Both presented information on numerous subjects, and cramming all of it into a single, static visual seemed inefficient and hard to read. (And I’d always been fascinated by animated infographics.) With Hype, I created a sort of “menu” with buttons that led to other pages; it took up a lot less space and made the content much more enjoyable to explore.

What did you find the tool does well?

It’s very simple and easy to learn; the interface is very intuitive. All I did was watch one Youtube video, and I was set. I mean, why pay $700 for Adobe Flash when there’s a $30 alternative?

What were your frustrations with the tool?

There’s always a flip side: simplification usually comes with limitation. The menu doesn’t offer very many options for button or transition customization, but I’m sure any proficient JavaScript user could do more with it. But if all you’re looking for is a noob-friendly animation tool, Hype is the one for you.

In which scenarios would you recommend this tool to others?

I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to create more engaging content.

— Q&A with senior Yuna Lee, El Estoque Special Report Editor

Michelle Balmeo

Michelle Balmeo, MJE, is the adviser of The Whirlwind newsmagazine and online news publication at West Albany High School in Albany, Ore. She's done some print stuff, some video stuff, and some web stuff over the past 16 years as a student media adviser.

Michelle Balmeo has 66 posts and counting. See all posts by Michelle Balmeo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.