Textbook recap: Digital Storytelling

Concluding thoughts and summary of the textbook "Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community" 5th edition by Joe Lambert with Brooke Hessler. 

Chapter 13:

Forms of storytelling can be found anywhere and everywhere. This is something this chapter emphasizes as it explores the various ways stories can be told regardless of industry, demographics, class, etc. What I found more interesting was the section on journalism, which is a field I have the most experience with. How one approaches a story and goes about telling it is compelling. 

Chapter 14:

In this interview with Amy Hill, director of Silence Speaks, she discusses how the initiative uses digital storytelling to encourage and help survivors of trauma heal. By placing participants in a safe space, it allows them to fully express themselves without fear of being judged. The stories produced are powerful and realistic. 

Chapter 15:

Community outreach health worker Laura Revels opens up in the interview about how storytelling helps oneself. Additionally, she talks about the importance of health education for Alaska’s Native American population. She talks of how storytelling helps one to find the strengths in their struggle rather than focus on a single defeat. 

Chapter 16:

When one tells their story, it has the ability to spark healing. In this interview with Dr. Pip Hardy and Tony Sumner of the Patient Voices program within Pilgrim Projects discuss this further. While the start of the program was based on other goals, it turned into something that allows for participants to better understand the experiences they have gone through. 

Chapter 17:

The last chapter features an interview with Dr. Brooke Hessler. Within the interview, Dr. Hessler talks of how digital storytelling has evolved within the classroom. Additionally, Dr. Hessler expresses how students are able to not just learn more about who they are as individuals, but also how storytelling can open their eyes to the greater world around them.

Game of Campaigns: Be Funko Fun

For the final project, I decided to do an ad campaign for Funko, a company that manufactures licensed pop culture collectibles. As a whole, the company has a variety of products that range in brands including Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, The Walking Dead and more.

Since the campaign would ideally be created by Funko who works closely with the various brands, I did use some music and sound clips that are pulled from the show Game of Thrones in the video and audio ads. I chose to use this show in particular as it's timely and allowed for more creativity.

Video Ad:

Poster:

Banner:

Audio Ad:

VR Concept:

Ideally, VR technology could be applied to the campaign by creating a short video that places the viewer in the center of an animated Funko Game of Thrones battle or standoff. Having researched the company, I've noticed they have started to create video shorts with their Funko products coming to life via animation. Thus, adding a 360/VR concept to the mix would only enhance the ad.

Reality made virtual

VR technology is something I’ve always found fascinating, as it literally puts one in the center of various experiences that feel real. For this assignment, I viewed three VR experiences in order to better understand how it works in terms of storytelling.

VR Experience #1 - The Walking Dead: Negan Under Attack (TV Show)

https://www.with.in/watch/the-walking-dead-negan-under-attack?autoplay=true

As a fan of The Walking Dead, this was one of my favorites to view. It places you in the center of a climactic scene from the series. The way it is shot, the viewer gets to experience the sounds of the zombies chasing after the protagonists while also coming face to face with them. As the characters are surrounded, the viewer is essentially surrounded themselves which makes for a surreal experience. 

VR Experience #2 - OneRepublic: Kids (Music Video)

https://www.with.in/watch/one-republic-kids

What I loved about this video is that it places one in the center of a music video. The story told is complete with two teens liking each other and going through complications just to make a good first impression. The video is simple as the viewer bounces between once room to the other. However, the experience is good as there is a lot to view from all sides. Plus, it helps to enjoy the song itself. 

VR Experience #3 - Lions (Documentary)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPyAQQklc1s

First, the videography is gorgeous and the sounds enhance the experience. It puts one closer than ever to lions and the experience of being part of the pack. In my opinion, this is the future of museum experiences as it tells the viewer a story while also placing them in the center of it. Without this VR enhancement, the video would have been watchable but not as fully experienced. 

——

Overall, I wanted to view different types of VR experiences in order to see what the differences are. While each one offered something different, they each placed the viewer in the center of the story. Given how different each format was (TV show, documentary and music video), it speaks to how easily VR technology can be incorporated into anything to better tell a story.

Listen, Lynda: Storytelling in ad campaigns

Storytelling is everywhere from our favorite shows and films to the books we read. Something one might not be fully aware of though is the storytelling right under our noses in the form of advertising campaigns. As expressed in the Lynda video, a story tends to follow a five-part structure. This structure consists of the exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax and resolution. This formula is one that might not easily be seen without some in-depth looking.

Emotions. We all have them, but it takes a bit of prodding sometimes to have them rise to the surface. A story can make one happy, sad, angry, or even indifferent. When it comes to ad campaigns, it’s important - as stated in the Lynda video, to add some sort of human element. Thus, even if the campaign itself lacks humans, the story should still cause some stir of emotion. Ideally, one that leads to the campaign sticking with the consumer and leading to the purchase of the product. 

Be Funko Fun - Draft Videos

Working off of the storyboard I posted, I created the two videos using only my iPhone X. After capturing the footage, I used iMovie on my iPhone to add filters, sound effects, music and text. These are just practice videos, as I would like to make them a bit more interesting. However, the iMovie app on the iPhone is limited to how much customization can be done to the video (example: can't change text size, location, color, etc).

Although these are two separate shows/fandoms featured, the campaign is focused on the tagline "Be Fun. Be Funko Fun." It's meant to entice people of all ages to be interested in collecting the figures that are based on their favorite characters and celebrities.

Be Funko Fun - Storyboard

The product I will be doing an advertising campaign on is vinyl figures produced by Funko Inc. Over the last couple of years, the company has grown in exposure by creating miniature figurines in the likeness of consumers’ favorite fictional characters and real-life personalities. For the campaign, I will be striving to create a video that incorporates popular figures in pop culture in a way that entices consumers to purchase the product.

Storyboard: Video 1

- An image of the popular television heroes the Power Rangers will be shown.
- In text on the screen, it will say, “Why settle for 2D?”
- Next, a transition will happen in which video footage of the vinyl figures would appear.
- Text on the screen would read, “When you can have it in 3D?”
- For the closing shot, the tagline “Be Fun. Be Funko Fun.” would appear.

This tagline is my own and would be the key phrase used throughout the various advertising campaign materials.


Storyboard: Video 2

- A vinyl figure of Daenerys Targaryen would be on the screen.
- Text would appear reading “Fire.”
- The footage could cut to a vinyl figure of Jon Snow from Game of Thrones would be on screen.
- Text would appear reading “Ice.”
- The video would cut to both figures facing off with a sidekick figure on each side.
- Text would appear reading “The End Is Here.”
- Cut to black with tagline appearing “Be Fun. Be Funko Fun.”

Practice makes perfect...excuse to edit videos

This week we were tasked with editing three videos using our mobile devices. I decided to use video footage I recorded a month ago when I took my first ever trip to New York. It was also the first time I've flown on a plane. For the videos, I used iMovie on my iPhone to add filters, music and sound effects. 

Play 'In Demand' to what end...

The goal of my game ‘In Demand’ is to produce awareness for social sustainability. The target audience would be college students who are on the verge of moving into the real world. The game would seem more appealing to business or psychology majors, however, it would still have a broad range of appeal for others outside of those degree plans.

By playing the game, the user would be able to experience taking on a leadership role. At the same time, they will see exactly how their actions can have positive impacts on some, yet negative impacts on others. This would ideally help to further understand the importance of social connections and how to better approach them in their own life.

Finding individuals interested in investing in 'In Demand'

To start, I would want to develop the concept of my game and
have as much of it planned out as possible. Then, I would want to first approach family and friends to see if there would be anyone interested in investing in the game. By getting some money invested by people I know it would help make my case stronger to a potential big money investor. Without family and friends support with funds it could be harder to make a case for a large investor to offer up $200,000.

Once I have funds from family and friends, I would want to develop my game a bit more with the funding received. This will help make my pitch to a larger investor more solid, as I would be showing how getting funding helped with improving the product.

Lastly, I would want to use investor connection sites such as AngelList in order to locate interested investors within the mobile game industry. I would also want to reach out to various mobile game companies in order to see if there would be interest in my idea.

Conflict, free will and limits of 'In Demand'

The game I previously pitched called In Demand would put the player in the position of a newly elected CEO of a company. The player would have the choice at the start of the game to decide the type of company they are running (cosmetics, clothes, industrial, entertainment, etc.). This choice will slightly alter the type of decisions the player would have to make. 

Once the player starts the game, they will see five icons with representing the different groups they will be striving to maintain good relationships with. These groups include the executive team, the board of directors, consumers, competitors, and the media. Each group has a different goal and way of reacting to various situations. 

For example, if one of the decisions to be made was regarding a product needing to be recalled, the player’s choice of choosing to discontinue the product all together might satisfy some (consumers and competitors) and anger others (executive team and board of directors). Essentially, the player would be presented with a decision to make each round (with four rounds occurring per quarter of the year). 

From the very first decision to the last, the player is faced with conflict. No matter what decision is made, some groups will not be fully satisfied and thus cause the relationship to lower. If the relationship with a group sinks too low, the game would end with the player being removed from the CEO in some form (firing, demoted, quitting, etc.). At that point, the player can choose to begin a new game and strive for a higher score and to last longer as CEO.

The story is essentially constructed by the game developer in terms of determining the types of conflicts the player will face. However, the choices and ultimately the end results lies with the players. They have the freedom to choose between two options per decision. This limits the player, but also grants them enough free will to decide how to best handle a situation. 

Game plan for 'In Demand'

If an investor gave me $200,000 in two years to turn my game into a reality I would. I would, however, pay back the money if I failed. 

To get started, I would spend time laying out exactly how I would want my game to work. Theme and storyline aside, I need to know the general mechanisms to make the game I want to function. Once I have that down, I would start conducting research on other game developers with a product similar to what I wish to do. For me, I would want to test out and get an idea of what it is I’m hoping to accomplish.

As I go further into the research phase, I would want to start learning basic coding in order to get a general understanding of how a game works. At this point, I would want to also start merging into the pre-production phase of seeking out advice and potential team members. Drawing from their experience, I would also need to assess what exactly my role would be beyond giving orders. How could my idea be turned into a product, even if something were to take place over the next two years? Contingency plans are needed for a project such a this. 

Once I have all of this established and a clear game plan set, I would begin investing money into hiring a team to help with the game creation. This would initiate the production phase. For one, I would need someone proficient in coding and someone with a more artistic vision. Assuming I am working on the story development portion of the project, these other two team members would take charge of the coding aspect and the artistic aspect of the project. 

To me, this team of three would ideally handle most of the project and get it to a place where it can be tested. Enlisting beta testers and friends to test out the game (ideally for a low to free cost), would help if understanding not only what works, but if the concept itself if viable. After all of the testing is complete and the final project is made, the remainder of the cash would go into potentially hiring a marketing member to promote the game. 

This seems straight forward, but with two years to complete, there is bound to be plenty of obstacles.

Game on social sustainability 'In Demand'

Growing up I used to play games on my Nintendo 64 all the time. Everything from Mario Party to 007. As I got older, I dabbled with my Xbox 360 and some PC games but not to the extent my peers did. I’ve always liked video games, but I also liked reading and watching tv a bit more. 

When it comes to potentially creating a video game, I have to keep in mind what a good portion of people would even want to play. With the topic of sustainability, there is an assortment of ways to go about it. For this assignment, I have decided to focus on social sustainability.

The game I’m proposing would be called “In Demand” or something business related. For the story, the player would be in the position of as a newly elected CEO of an existing company. Modeled after mobile games such as “Dictator,” you will be presented with choices that will raise your relationship with certain groups, but also lower your relationship with others.

The groups would be your executive team, the board of directors, consumers, competitors and the media. Situations would range from launching a new product to handling a crisis. The choices presented would make the player consider what would be in the best interest of all (or most) and how to maintain balance amongst the groups.

If a relationship with a group sinks too low, the game ends with the firing of the CEO. This game would challenge players to not only find the balance to maintain solid relationships but also strive to remain in power as long as possible.

With it being a mobile game, “In Demand” would reach a wider audience while also appealing to casual, non-gamers such as myself.

The power of short films

“Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405” is a raw, emotional and moving story of Mindy, an artist battling with mental illness and broken family life. Her childhood laid the foundation for complex relationships with her mother, father and those around her. The title of the film alludes to where she feels safer and at home beyond doing her artwork. The way the film is put together allows for the audience to feel as though they are having these intimate conversations with Mindy. The b-roll of her artwork, process and supplies adds to the visual appeal of the film. With sounds such as the shaking of pill bottles and the selection of markers from a bag, the viewer is more aware of how these elements are a daily part of Mindy’s life. What makes this film powerful is the intimacy established with the candidness of the interviews and fusion of past imagery (home videos and photographs) and present imagery (artwork and the daily life of Mindy).

“Period. End of Sentence” is a bit of a fast-paced short film documenting the struggle for women in India fighting the stigma surrounding menstruation. Additionally, the film documents the creation of a machine to manufacture sanitary pads. The film highlights a real situation taking place in a country and culture that we in America might not fully be aware of. What I found empowering about the film was the women’s drive and fight to not only create the pads but market them for placement in local businesses. It goes beyond showing the issue but places emphasis on the women standing up and pushing for what is right. It is a powerful film about perseverance and sheds light on the stigma around menstruation, even beyond the Indian culture. 

“Black Sheep” is a powerful story of a man who as a teen experienced extreme racism. Later, he would go on to bleach his skin, use blue colored contacts and change his demeanor in order to assimilate with the racists who targeted him. Of the three films, this to me was the most intriguing and relatable. The narrator himself never fully admits his actions were wrong, but rather acknowledges becoming like the “monsters” in order to feel love. It’s a complex story told in an intimate with recreated scenes to keep the viewer engaged. Overall, I felt this film deals with a subject that is as relevant today as ever. The way the film was structured also allowed the viewer to feel as though it was just them and the narrator. 

iAngry over iPhone glitching

Turning my storyboard into a video:

Looks like looping loops limit listening

Having listened to a few podcasts over the past weeks, I listened to a RadioLab episode about loops. The topic itself is broad and essentially covers how repetition can be found and/or used in everyday life. As a whole, I think the topic is very interesting. This is especially because we live in a time where loops are increasingly popular such as with Instagram’s Boomerang feature and Tik Tok videos. 

However, the podcast’s delivery left me a bit uninterested. While I enjoyed hearing about the mother whose memory was looping, I hoped there would have been a bit more of a conclusion. As for the podcast as a whole, I didn’t enjoy the constant breaking of the linear story. With hosts jumping in and out of the conversation and not knowing what was a prerecorded clip or an actual interview was annoying. 

To me, it felt like an hour long show that didn’t really have a clear idea of what it wanted to be or do. As a first time listener, it’s hard to get all of the hosts’ humor. This could have been partly why I personally didn’t care for the episode or podcast. I think the same topic and stories could have been delivered in an easier and more digestible way without all of the interruptions and jumping around.

This American Moth’s Sandbox

This week I listened to three different podcasts with each dealing with a storytelling. The podcasts I listened to were Moth, This American Life and Sandbox. Personally, I had heard of Moth and This American Life, but had not yet gotten around to giving them a listen. The episodes I listened to were:

- “Bye-Bye New York: Emad Kiyaei,” Moth
- “Valentine’s Day,” This American Life
- “The Sensory Connection Between Art and Science with Ani Liu,” Sandbox

For me, the Moth episode was the most interesting to listen to as it dealt with a man who told his story via Skype. Usually, participants are present at a live Moth slam to tell their stories. However, because Emad Kiyaei had been forced to leave the United States under President Donald Trump’s administration, the man told his story by only using a Skype audio call. He talked about how he grew up in South Africa and how he moved to New York just after Sept. 11. He talked about being racially profiled by TSA and the treatment he received while being interrogated for something he had no knowledge or involvement in. After his release from the interrogation, which lasted several hours, he found himself alone at night in a city he knew nothing about. Emad then talked about how he lived in New York for a few years, developed friendships that became family, and found a career he loved. Then, abruptly, he was given only so many days to leave the country. This meant majority of his belongings had to be given to friends or sold. His story was powerful and it immediately drew me. It also drew in the audience and judges, as he ended up winning the competition that evening.

Next up, the This American Life episode I listened to was about how various people took a break or pursued love. Overall, the stories told were very interesting and entertaining. My only issue was that the hosts would continuously interject with questions or comments that took away from the natural flow of the stories. On top of that, the music and general format of the show just didn’t really interest me. It was more so the content of the stories being told that kept me listening.

Lastly, the Sandbox episode I heard was not very interesting to me personally. Either that or I just was tired of podcasts at that point. I do, however, think the sound quality for this episode was superior to the others. It sounded crisp and clear. The speaker was great and she didn’t stumble over her words or come across as if she were reading.

New Phone, Old Problem

My storyboard is hard to see, so I've included a video below with each panel in order to read it better. This story of anger deals with a recent situation where my iPhone 8 was defective not once, but twice. 

Story Board:

Video:

White Bags, Hearts and Illusions

For this assignment,  I decided not to tell a specific story regarding Valentine's Day. Instead, I wanted to talk about how the day is perceived from childhood to adulthood. The audio was recorded in Adobe Audition without the use of effects. I then created the video in Adobe Premiere (my first time ever really using it). The images were pulled from Google, as I did not get a chance to take photos or create images. The background music is from AudioBlocks.

Tarantino Reflection: Ambition Over Critical Acclaim

While watching Quentin Tarantino’s interview with Charlie Rose from 1994, there was a question Rose posed regarding which film of his Tarantino liked more (“Reservoir Dogs” or “Pulp Fiction”). The answer Tarantino gave was one I found to be relatable. He says that to him “Pulp Fiction,” which came out two years after “Reservoir Dogs,” was the better film because it was more ambitious. 

As someone who writes and creates publishable content, I can understand where Tarantino is coming from. Regardless of if an older work is critically better, the work that one has spent the most time dedicated to and making the best it could be is the one the creator typically favors. At least, that has been my personal experience. Knowing that I did something that was challenging and ambitious makes me like it a bit more. Even if the audience or reader isn’t aware of the time and energy put into it, I still know what it took to get from point A to point B. This is what I think Tarantino was essentially saying. 

My Bey-gest Regret Retold (Audio Story)

For the retelling of my biggest regret, I incorporated sound effects. These effects include the sound of walking on pavement, birds chirping, and a record scratching. I also recorded a bit as the will call clerk and used an effect to make it sound similar to how I heard it. 

To me, this was the better version because I didn't feel rushed. I also had more of an idea of what I was going to say so it felt more like a conversation than reading a prompt. 

'Psycho' vs. 'Pulp Fiction'

Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” presents a linear tale of a man who is suffering from mental illness, which drives him to commit murder. The film, which was released in 1960, is simple in structure with the story being told without the need of flashbacks or out of sequence scenes. The dialogue is clear and is used as a tool to drive the story along, including as foreshadowing. The film relies on the dialogue, camera angles, lighting and music to add layers of suspense.

On the other hand, Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” has a complex story that involves a circular and out of sequence structure. The dialogue is a spattering of one-liners and sometimes unnecessary added detail such as what a quarter pounder with cheese is called in France. Tarantino tells multiple character stories that are still connected in some way. The film does have more blood, sexual themes and strong language than Hitchcock’s “Psycho.”

In terms of effectiveness, “Psycho” draws pulls in the audience with suspense and unexpected twists. By killing off who is believed to be the main character not even half-way into the film, Hitchcock raises the stakes for how the narrative will move forward. However, Tarantino relies on more comedic characters to maintain the audience’s attention. Based on personal opinion, “Psycho” captivated my interest a lot more simply because it didn’t need to go to extremes to convey a deeply psychological tale.

On a side note, this was the first time I watched “Psycho” from start to finish and it led me down a rabbit hole of researching the three other films in the franchise. I have not watched these films, but I’ve read their summaries and how Norman Bates’ life ended up after “Psycho.” It’s an interesting tale of mental illness and redemption.

My Bey-gest Regret (Audio Story)

For this blog, I will be telling the story of my biggest regret in life. That reget being missing out on a free opportunity to attend a Beyoncé concert. Trust me, no one is judging me harder for this than myself. So sit back and enjoy!

What is digital storytelling?

As someone in the journalism/communication field, I have learned that storytelling is essential to the dissemination of information. For instance, when writing a news article I have to first collect the facts that are found in stories told during interviews. Those facts then must be woven together with transitions and descriptions in order to make the overall story clear, concise and easily conveyed.

Now that newspapers are transitioning to being fully online, I have to better understand what storytelling looks like in the digital world. As a whole, digital storytelling seems to be the natural evolution of oral and written stories. The usage of modern technology such as laptops, microphones and cameras help provide the audience with more dynamic ways of receiving information.

Digital storytelling matters to me as I am a person wanting to learn more about how journalism can thrive within the realm of social media. How can journalists tell a story beyond the written word? How can communicators effectively reach beyond their intended and known audience?

Understanding fully what digital storytelling is, beyond my own assumption, is important in order to survive the ever-changing ways one tells stories and information. This spring 2019 semester I will be exploring this topic in hopes of having a stronger grasp on how digital storytelling works and why it truly matters.