Hi everyone!
Last nights lecture on digital storytelling was great. I hadn’t realized how many different free tools there are out there to help people get their stories out there. One of the topics Alec asked us to reflect on was regarding how the changes in media, tools, and connectivity shape our stories, and as well, shape our story tellers.
To me, this is a very interesting question. I grew up in the age of television but didn’t have cable tv until I was in around grade 7 or 8. VCR’s were just coming in (anyone remember betamax?), and I remember dvd’s coming in and wondering what all the hype was about – I mean you couldn’t tape a show on a dvd – and the internet was becoming something useable in a visual way (with windows explorer, Netscape, and AOL) about 4 years after I finished my teaching degree in 1993. I read a lot (and still do) for entertainment, but I have come to rely on the new technologies that have been developed and become widespread to experience stories in different ways.
When I was growing up, the only way to get an audience for a story was to have a public performance, write a story and get it published, or write / produce a radio program, play, television show or movie. This limited the ability of most people (some of whom actually had talent…) to have a large audience, gain a following for their work, and have an impact on society or popular culture. Only a fortunate few received their big “break”.
The main difference I see today is that ANYONE who learns to use the tools can put their story, in what ever form the choose, on the internet and have a huge potential audience. No studio, no publisher. This means there is a potential for many more talented people to have an impact on society whether that impact is culture changing or simply an entertaining few minutes. However, they still need to garner a following to have their story experienced.
Here is where the social networking comes in – if people like something, they will pass it on to others, if they don’t, they won’t. The unpopular media will wither. I just read an article that twitter is having an impact on movie revenues and that the more negative tweets there are about a movie, the bigger day-to-day loss of revenue there is. Something to think about Hollywood – perhaps hyping bad movies to get a big box office weekend to pay for the garbage produced isn’t going to work as well anymore. Perhaps making good movies, without trailers that tell the entire story before you see it, might be a good idea. I guess my point is that now the online public decides what is good and what is not rather that some unknown executive “expert”.
Even if people don’t develop a large following, a few fans can inspire the storyteller to keep doing what they love – some might even be “discovered” and make a living from it (has anyone seen Julie and Julia?). Another example of fans gone rampant might appeal to those original Star Trek fans out there. Anyone ever wonder what might have happened in seasons 4 and 5 if they had been made – these fans are creating their own episodes! (and I have to admit, the special effects are sooo much better that the original series 
)
One last thought before I wrap up this novel (my apologies). I must admit to having concerns about digital media and storytelling doing away with books, the ability to use our imaginations and the dangers of becoming passive listeners to the stories being thrown at us. However, I realize that this might be a bit extreme. Perhaps, our storytellers imaginations are being stretched into expressing themselves in new ways and how we interact with the stories is changing as well. Now, the audience can give direct feedback to the storyteller, and even add to the story when in the past, we could just sit and watch it on tv…
Thanks for sticking around!
G
Tags: eci831
October 19, 2009 at 8:15 am |
Hey Greg,
I know what you mean about novels leaving us….but I don’t think that could ever happen. They are to precious and I think from what we read…that leads to digital stories. People read these amazing stoires and have a vision that they want to share with so many people. That is why sometimes the book is better than the movie because we saw the books vision different than the director.
October 19, 2009 at 3:51 pm |
Hi Amy!
I agree with you – I usually prefer the book over any movie made from it. I’m sold, but how many of our youth are? It’s scary when I ask my adult students (19 – 50) when they last read a book – for the majority it has been years…. How sad is that?
Most of them could tell me about television shows, but have real trouble talking about what anything might mean – everything is accepted at face value.
I don’t think books will disappear, but as more people go to online sources, I think fewer of them will be published in a paper form. I just hope that digital story telling takes off, and catches the imaginations of those don’t read books!
November 12, 2009 at 8:19 pm |
Well, all I know is that although there are e-books and audio books, my preference is still for the real thing. I am not a strong oral learner and keeping attention to stories being told to me is very difficult. I have tried many times, as I have driven at least 45 min -hour each way to my jobs for almost as long as I have been working. I have “read” books on tape/Cd but have never really warmed up to them, although I wish I could as I sadly spend more time in the car than anywhere most days. I wish there were more professional reading selections in this medium, as I would hit two birds with one stone that way. But in a way, I am also glad, as reading the story and holding it, has so much more invested in it for me. I enjoy a good movie from time to time, but again, if it is for entertainment and escape, the written story form is my preference. But, like you mentioned, it is not for many and even a 30 min TV show is too involved for many. Although pictures and visuals are powerful story telling tools, I think something is also lost in the translation, or transmission, of the message. The picture, or movie, for me, is like the Coles notes version – gives the necessay info, but not necessarily the poetic and artistic version that is much more satisfying to me. But I am text biased, so what can I say!
November 15, 2009 at 2:28 pm |
I think we are both text biased! Let’s hope the newest generations also get on board! Thanks for sharing!