Slides for a workshop for an audience of international journalists visiting DePaul University in Chicago, June 2016. Workshop learning objectives: 1) Understand key concepts in digital storytelling, as applied to news production, and be able to apply to story development on current political news example; 2) Improve photography with a smart phone for using in social media and/or digital news stories, plus in-the-field activity to practice concepts; and 3) Using Snapseed photo editing application to edit photos on a smart phone.

1. Jill
Hopke
@jillhopke
Digital
Storytelling

2. • The
visual
brain
and
storytelling
• Developing
narra8ve
arc
with
images
• 4
C’s
of
good
storytelling
• BeAer
digital
photography
with
a
smartphone
• In-­‐the-­‐field
Exercise
• Mobile
photo
edi8ng
with
Snapseed
applica8on
Workshop
Overview

3. The
Power
of
Visual
Imagery

4. • Gestalt
Theory
– See
a
larger
picture
before
its
parts
• Vary
shots
– Helps
brain
analyze
story
from
variety
of
“points
of
view”
(POV)
• One
element
is
subject,
all
else
perceived
as
background
• Filter
through
our
personal
experiences
Percep8on
Processes
of
Visual
Imagery

5. • “Pictures
and
words
should
not
match,”
Al
Tompkins
in
Aim
for
the
Heart
(p.
103)
• Use
text
and
cap8ons
to
explain
images
– Give
viewers
informa8on
they
otherwise
wouldn’t
know
– Don’t
just
state
what’s
happening
in
picture
– Explain
the
“what
about
that.”
Words
Explain
Images,
Not
Match
Them

6. Your
Visual
Brain
on
Storytelling

7. Think
back
–
What
is
an
experience
when
you
remember
being
totally
absorbed?
Wonder
or
awe?

8. “Being
completely
involved
in
an
ac8vity
for
its
own
sake.
The
ego
falls
away.
Time
flies.
Every
ac8on,
movement,
and
thought
follows
inevitably
from
the
previous
one,
like
playing
jazz.
Your
whole
body
being
is
involved,
and
you’re
using
your
skills
to
the
utmost.”
~Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi
on
FLOW
Source:
hAp://www.wired.com/1996/09/czik/

9. • Developed
by
Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi,
formerly
of
U.
of
Chicago
• Science
of
crea8vity
FLOW:
Theory
of
“Posi8ve
Psychology”

10. • Completely
involved,
focused
• Sense
of
ecstasy
–
Outside
everyday
reality
• Heightened
inner
clarity
• Ac8vity
feels
do-­‐able
• Serenity
• Timelessness
–
Focused
on
present,
lose
sense
of
8me
• Inner
mo8va8on
How
does
in
“the
flow”
feel?

11. • Human
universal
• Appeal
to
us
as
social
beings
• Persuade
and
mo8vate
– By
appealing
to
emo8ons
and
our
capacity
for
empathy
– Engaged
through
“psychological
realism”
– Relate
to
story
à
Higher
transporta8on
The
Science
of
Storytelling

12. • Social
cohesion
– Research
shows
storytelling
develops
social
bonding
in
groups
– Pass
on
knowledge
between
genera8ons
– “Flight
simulators”
for
social
life
(Oatley
and
Mar)
– Learning
tool
within
groups
• Read
more:
Hsu,
J.
(2008).
The
secrets
of
storytelling.
Scien0fic
American
Mind.
Available
at:
hAp://www.scien8ficamerican.com/ar8cle/the-­‐secrets-­‐
of-­‐storytelling/
The
Science
of
Storytelling

13. Narra8ve
Structure

14. Narra8ve
Arc
–
Drama8c
Curve
Exposi5on
Inci5ng
Moment
Rising
Ac5on
Resolu5on
Crisis
or
Climax
Adapted
from:
Rabiger,
M.
(1998).
Direc0ng
the
Documentary.
Boston:
Focal
Press.
Time
Intensity

15. • Take
audience(s)
somewhere
• Focus
on
“why”
and
“how”
• Subject
in
their
reality
• Basis
for
all
produc8on
decisions
• Usually
OK
to
take
sides
Point
of
View
(POV)

16. Types
of
Conflict
Internal
External
Societal
Environmental

17. ① Connec0on
–
Emo8on
② Context
–
Explain
moment
③ Change
–
Turning
point,
see
something
in
new
way
④ Closure
–
Reflec8on,
personal
growth
Four
C’s
of
Good
Storytelling

18. • Did
you
go
somewhere?
• Did
you
meet
anyone
interes8ng?
• Did
you
learn
anything?
• Did
you
feel
something?
• Were
there
surprises?
• Did
it
transform
your
thinking?
Adapted
from:
Wadhams,
S.
(n.d.).
Thinking
about
radio.
Unpublished
manuscript.
A
good
story
will
take
you
on
a
journey

19. Storyboarding

20. • Lead
photo
– Grab
viewer
aAen8on,
maybe
a
portrait
• Establishing
shots
– Mood,
ac8on,
humanity
• Close-­‐ups
– People
engaging
with
each
other
• Extreme
close-­‐ups
– Light,
texture,
paAern,
etc.
• Closing
shot
– Resolu8on,
sense
of
closure,
par8ng
moment
Developing
a
Photo
Essay
Digital
Story

21. • WriAen,
or
graph,
sketch
of
all
your
story’s
elements
– Brainstorm
for
images,
text,
technical
requirements,
any
audio
or
other
elements
– Chronological
order?
Other
organiza8onal
schema?
Start
with
a
Storyboard
Brainstorm

22. Ques8ons?
Jill
Hopke
jhopke@depaul.edu