Power of Storytelling

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Power of Storytelling

• Delivered at the meStories
• Production Workshop
• March 6, 2006

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Historically

• Bible teaches thru story
• Stories effect a change.. Surrendering of the
  defenses a sense of caring for the characters
• Modern period.. Shifted to science and
  technology relegated to uneducated
• Post-modernism.. Resurgence of story

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1- Point of view

• hardly anyone narrates events in their lives
  without some good reason...
• all stories are told to make a point..
• most stories follow a pattern of describing a
  desire, a problem that must be addressed by a
  central character
• that characters point of view may well be what
  drives the reader to empathize with the character
  and identify with the story

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1- Point of view

• what is the reason for the story?
• what is the premise?
• how authentic?

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2-dramatic question

• simply making a point doesnt necessarily hold
  interest
• needs tension
• reduce the number of topics to a minimum...
• the set-up, dramatic expectation...
• how do you reward these expectations?

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3- emotional content

• what do you do to engage the viewer emotionally?
• resurrection tales... a character must know how
  to negate anything working against their desire
  to achieve it... fatal flaw..
• something must be lost and regained
• gain theory.. people would rather gain something
  than actually have it..

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4- power of voice-over

• reading vs reciting

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5- soundtrack

• match the emotion...
• overlapping
• supplemental to visual vs instead of... (music
  videos)

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6-economy

• its a visual medium... let the viewer make the
  connections
• fewer words the better...
• juxtaposition vs continuity (Contrast vs
  Affinity)
• importance of closure

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7- pacing

• the rhythm of a story determines much of what
  sustains interest.
• vary the rhythm
• make sure the vitality matches the emotional
  mood...

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Page to screen

• Screenplay is only an outline
• Have a theme
• Linear structure beginning-middle-end
• Has a subject
• Storyboard thinking - visualize the sequences
• Epic thinking- buildup to big finish
• Target Audience

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Project Hints

• A good title helps set the scene
• Have a story -beginning-middle-end
• Tell your story visually text as a crutch
• Use transitions with a purpose
• Use of colors
• Use of tempo, length of time pics are on screen
• Music
• Credits