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. 

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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.