Making / Telling Stories That Matter

Keynote: Skidmore College, March 18, 2014

Maybe it goes back to cave paintings, maybe as humans we are wired for it, and maybe some of the magic of stories is that we cannot quantify them inside a neat definition. Our bodies react to a powerful story, a surprising story, a story that resonates with our own experiences. We can make better use of stories when we also practice listening, observing, retelling, experimenting, and practicing and practicing. Recipes do not work to make good stories, but I can share much of my own experience in creating and teaching what we call web-based storytelling. Through examples, experiences, and activities, I hope you can walk away from this session with new ideas to use in your own narrative and creative acts. Storytelling is about performance; Storymaking is what goes into creating a story to be told. We need both. And did you notice the lack of any mention of technology? It will be there!

Presentation Resources: http://go.cogdog.it/skidmore-storytelling
Sampler of Interactive Documentary Style http://lab.cogdogblog.com/i-docs

Transcript

1. MAKING / TELLING STORIES THAT MATTER ALAN LEVINE go.cogdog.it/skidmore-storytelling
2. cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by pasukaru76: http://flickr.com/photos/pasukaru76/3694736727/
4. * THE MYSTERY BOX *
5. JJ ABRAMS THE MYSTERY BOX http://youtu.be/vpjVgF5JDq8
6. ONCE UPON A TIME...
8. The last man alive on Earth sat alone in a room.
9. The Last man alive on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock at the door. "KNOCK" BY FREDERICK BROWN http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knock_(short_story)
10. cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by pasukaru76: http://flickr.com/photos/pasukaru76/3694736727/
11. IF WE DON'T REMEMBER ME http://iwdrm.tumblr.com/post/12284715341
14. TELL ME A STORY
15. (1) FIND SOMEONE
16. (2) ONE MINUTE: THE PROMPT
18. (2) ONE MINUTE: THE PROMPT
19. (3) TWO MINUTES: TELL AND LISTEN
20. (3) TWO MINUTES: SWITCH
21. (4) DOUBLE THE GROUP
22. * THE "SO WHAT?" *
23. (5) THE RE-TELL
24. WHAT WORKS? cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by i am brad: http://flickr.com/photos/iambrad/220687809/
25. GRABS ATTENTION (ONLY)
26. MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY TRAILER http://youtu.be/ODePHkWSg-U
27. GRABS ATTENTION AND COMMUNICATES
28. A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT http://youtu.be/9_LLj4_3ZRA
29. CHARACTER cc licensed ( BY SA ) flickr photo by Alan Levine: http://flickr.com/photos/cogdog/6145701425/
31. ACTION cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo by Barry Yanowitz: http://flickr.com/photos/tomvu/5371659662/
32. * THE HOOK *
33. LOST FLASH DRIVE - REMIXED THEN RETURNED http://youtu.be/IG1ZkW_u_Bw
34. THIS AMERICAN LIFE: EPISODE 206 SOMEWHERE IN THE ARABIAN SEA http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/206/somewhere-in-the-arabian-sea
35. THE PYRAMID
36. THE LUMPY HILL
37. THE CYCLE
38. THE OBVIOUS
39. The Story Spine by Kenn Adams http://aerogrammestudio.com/2013/06/05/back-to-the-story-spine/
40. KURT VONNEGUT "THE SHAPE OF STORIES" http://youtu.be/oP3c1h8v2ZQ
41. PAUL ZAK: EMPATHY, NEUROCHEMISTRY, AND THE DRAMATIC ARC http://youtu.be/DHeqQAKHh3M
42. RANDY OLSON: DON'T BE SUCH A SCIENTIST http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Be-Such-Scientist-Substance/dp/1597265632
43. "IT'S A SIMPLE AS TWO THINGS: AROUSE AND FULFILL. YOU NEED TO FIRST AROUSE YOUR AUDIENCE AND THEN GET THEM INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY; THEN YOU NEED TO FULFILL THEIR EXPECTATIONS."
44. * STUDY CINEMA *
45. CINEMATIC STORYTELLING http://www.cinematicstorytelling.com/
46. * EXPECTATIONS *
47. "...A SEMBLANCE OF TRUTH SUFFICIENT TO PROCURE FOR THESE SHADOWS OF IMAGINATION THAT WILLING SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF FOR THE MOMENT, WHICH CONSTITUTES POETIC FAITH." SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief
48. TROY LIBRARY: BOOK BURNING PARTY http://youtu.be/AoT13m8-Kxo
49. * ANTICIPATION *
50. MONKEYS AND SQUIRTING APPLE JUICE
51. MONKEYS AND SQUIRTING APPLE JUICE
53. * SHOW, DON'T TELL *
54. JAWS DINNER TABLE SCENE http://youtu.be/04mIMg4PTO8
55. SHERRY TURKLE (TED RADIO HOUR) http://www.npr.org/2013/08/16/172988165/are-we-plugged-in-connected-but-alone
56. SHERRY TURKLE (TED RADIO HOUR) http://www.npr.org/2013/08/16/172988165/are-we-plugged-in-connected-but-alone
57. * LAYERS *
58. RADIOLAB BEHIND THE SCENES https://vimeo.com/66583939
59. * ABSORB GLASS *
60. THIS AMERICAN LIFE http://thisamericanlife.com
61. DOCUMENTARY DOCUMENT-WARILY
62. THE CREATIVE INTERPRETATION OF ACTUALITY
63. THE MAJESTIC ___________ http://youtu.be/GLgh9h2ePYw
64. via Filmaker IQ http://filmmakeriq.com/2013/10/what-do-you-want-to-do-on-set/
65. THE ULTIMATE CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT IS WHEN APPLE CREATES A SOFTWARE COMMAND NAMED AFTER YOU
66. ST PETERS SQUARE nmcnews instagram image http://instagram.com/p/W2FCksR9-e/
67. ST PETERS SQUARE nmcnews instagram image http://instagram.com/p/W2FCksR9-e/
68. WE ARE LIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LARGEST INCREASE IN EXPRESSIVE CAPABILITY IN THE HISTORY OF THE HUMAN RACE.
69. A GROSSLY SIMPLISTIC, NAÏVE, AND LIKELY WRONG HISTORY OF MEDIA
72. http://www.insidethestory.org/
73. http://storify.com/martincouzins/story50-50-things-to-know-about-factual-storytell
75. MY STORYTELLING STORY http://nextexit.com/
76. MY STORYTELLING STORY http://50ways.wikispaces.com/
77. MY STORYTELLING STORY http://bit.ly/1UTdt3
78. MY STORYTELLING STORY http://5card.cogdogblog.com
79. MY STORYTELLING STORY http://pechaflickr.cogdogblog.com
80. MY STORYTELLING STORY http://ds106.us/
81. ds106.us
82. ds106.us/tag/gmuspr14
83. assignments.ds106.us
84. bank.ds106.us
85. tdc.ds106.us
86. MAKING / TELLING STORIES THAT MATTER ALAN LEVINE go.cogdog.it/skidmore-storytelling