Entry 2:
By going through online files and curating a collection of digital stories, it is easy to see the power of a digital story told right. It is also easy to see how to miss the mark. Here are a few things I have learned from scanning the stories out there.
1. Digital stories can take a myriad of shapes and forms, including (or not) pictures, music, video, on camera interviews, reenactments, voice overs, animation... The list goes on and on. (My favorite non-video was one shared by Brandon that involved Historypin. I had never heard of this and love the mapping aspect.) Sometimes I find this undefined variety overwhelming. It is like staring a blank canvas and not being able to decide what to draw.
2. The story is always personal. Whether it is the creator’s personal story, the music they choose, or the way they choose to express themselves in the editing, the entire creation process is deeply personal. And it creates a personal experience for the audience.
3. For me, Digital Storytelling = Mini Documentary and that is very exciting. I love documentaries, whether they are movies, television series, or podcasts. There is something very participatory in feeling like you have both been entertained and educated. Right now, it looks like that is most likely the style I will pursue.
4. Words are not needed to have a great impact. Kim’s post of The Princes in the Tower are a great example of this. That said, it is extremely important to make sure your audience can follow along without the words. There were several I viewed that started off in a good direction, then got confusing. Others were not confusing as much as simply less powerful by the lack of speaking or text. A good group of family and friends to be beta testers will be important.
5. I find the mixing of video and pictures interesting. I like the way it moves along the story, as long as it is not over done.
6. Good (free) music is hard to find! At least when it comes to things that both fit your story and have not been used by many before.
7. Zeroing in on an idea is difficult! There is so much I would like to share about the subjects and people I find so interesting, but whittling that down to roughly four minutes seems daunting. I think finding a theme or subject and creating multiple, very focused, stories (like Discover South Carolina does) is the best way to keep things concise.
8. Going about the process as a “scrapbook” (I believe Wesley used that term in a comment) helps me not get so overwhelmed. The best example of this and, perhaps, my favorite of all the stories curated, was one posted by Katie entitled My Kid and Me. Not only is the story meaningful, one that many can identify with, but it is a fantastic blend of mediums. As a former scrapbooker and a lover of traveling with my kids, I very much enjoy this aspect and hope to do something similar with a trip we are planning next summer. I think this is a very approachable way to go about digital stories at the library as well. We could incorporate video with pictures our student assistants take. A great way to engage them and other students.
In all, I am very excited by the prospects this form of storytelling. The creativity that is involved is a great way to encourage creativity in my student assistants. It is also a way for them to feel as though they are leaving an imprint on their university.
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