What is a digital story?

1. Digital Storytelling

2. What is a digital story?
“A digital story combines text and
images with narration to form a
short digital movie.”

3. Media
Digital storytelling uses many types of media:
scanned drawings/pictures
digital video clips
text
digital or scanned photos
voice narration
music
titles
transitions
You choose what media to use and how to
arrange it.

4. The Seven Elements of Digital Storytelling
1. Point of View
2. A Dramatic Question or Hook
3. Emotional Content
4. The Gift of Your Voice
5. The Power of Soundtrack
6. Economy
7. Pacing

5. Element 1: Point of View
All stories are told to make a point.
 You, as the author, need to figure out
what you want the viewer to think, feel
or understand.
 What message are you trying to get
across?
In other words, what is the theme?

6. Element 2: A Dramatic Question or Hook
 A good story has a “hook” that will hold
the attention of the audience until the
story is over.

7. Element 3: Emotional Content
 A good story deals with emotions; for
example: loss, love, loneliness,
courage, acceptance, rejection,
hardship, excitement etc. This is what
helps the audience maintain their
attention.

8. Element 4: The Gift of Your Voice
The tone of the storyteller’s voice sets the mood
and impacts how the audience feels; for
example: excited, sad, happy etc.
Change the tone of your voice and the pace in
order to create the right mood.
Remember! You don’t want to sound bored.
Practice!

9. Element 5: The Power of Soundtrack
 Music also sets the mood.
 Match the music to the story.
 Instrumental music, without words,
works better.
 The music should support and enhance
the spoken story.
If you want to share your movie, use
copyright-free music (Soundzabound)

10. Element 6: Economy
 Use the least amount of images (pictures,
video etc.) required to tell the story.
 Your selection of should illustrate the theme
without becoming a distraction.
 Too many images can confuse the audience.

11. Element 7: Pacing
 Changing the pace of the story can be very
effective. Your narration can have pauses;
the music can change tempo, and the images
can be set to enter at different rates of
speed.
 Changing pace allows the audience to
concentrate, think, and maintain interest.

12. Once you know the story you
want to tell, these are the steps to
creating your digital story movie.

13. Capturing Stories, Capturing Lives: An Introduction to Digital Storytellin
David Jakes & Joe Brenn