Digital Storytelling: Making the Connection Developing digital stories with impact

1. Digital Storytelling: Making the ConnectionDeveloping digital stories with impact Lenette Golding, PhD, MPH Senior Technical Advisor Health Equity Unit CARE USA

2. CARE – Who We Are • We build human capability through improvements in women’s empowerment, education, health and economic opportunity • We address discrimination and poor governance because they fuel poverty • We focus on marginalized women and girls • We work in partnership and advocate for policychange in order to have global impact http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsVg3okf5Bs&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL_1TzcAmZQmjT3HkwEe-AoGcWNVUllYjU

3. What we are going to cover today • What makes a compelling story-What elements bring a story to life • Developing a finished story using story boarding- The essentials of what you need to film in order to tell your story • The basics of filming and editing • Best devices to film and edit on a small budget

4. Numbers numb, jargon jars, and nobody ever marched into Washington because of a pie chart. -Andy Goodman

5. Humans are not plain, rational beings. We seek experiences that spark our imaginations and kindle the spirit. Stories are the pathway in.

6. “Stories have the remarkable capacity to allow us to “perfink” – perceive, think and feel all at once.”Jerome Bruner

7. What we are going to cover today • What makes a compelling story-What elements bring a story to life • Developing a finished story using story boarding-The essentials of what you need to film in order to tell your story • The basics of filming and editing • Best devices to film and edit on a small budget

8. Surprise Emotion Conflict Concrete

9. Popular story lines • What the protagonist believes is true versus what is actually true • What the protagonist wants versus what the protagonist actually has • What the protagonist want versus what’s expected of her • The protagonist versus herself • The protagonist’s inner goal versus the protagonist’s external goal • The protagonist’s fear versus the protagonist’s goal (external, internal, or both) • The protagonist versus the antagonist • The antagonist versus mercy (or the appearance thereof) Lisa Cron, The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence

10. Where do I start the story? Begin with a scene or a moment. A point of conflict/tension is a great place to start. Start where the action is.

11. Seven steps to a better story • Once upon a time……………………….. • And every day……………………………… • Until one day………………………………. • And because of this…………………….. • And because of this……………………… • Until finally………………………………….. • And ever since that day……………….. Brian McDonald, Invisible Ink: A Practical Guide to Building Stories that Resonate

12. Tanzania: A Village’s Story The problem: In Gabajiga, a village of 4,000, many expectant mothers used to perish on the way to the nearest medical facility more than five miles way. Without a vehicle, four men would have to carry them. The Intervention: The village, with CARE’s help, purchased a tricycle ambulance. Among other things, CARE also trained a village volunteer who teaches mothers about nutrition and the importance of seeking medical assistance. The Result: No expectant mother has died in the past eight years.

13. Gama’s Story The Problem: Women such as GamaLuslunila faced a tragically high risk of death during pregnancy and birth in Gabajiga, Tanzania. When problems developed, four men would have to carry expectant mothers five miles to the nearest medical facility. Some didn’t make it alive. The Intervention: The village, with CARE’s help, purchased a tricycle ambulance. In 2001, Gama was the first woman to use it. The Result: “I was in labor and bleeding,” Gama said, recalling the day she lay flat on the bed of the tricycle ambulance as a driver pedaled furiously down the only rutted dirt road connecting Gabajiga to the rest of the world. Later that day, she would undergo an emergency c-section. Asked recently if it was successful, Gama smiled at the 8-year-old seated next to her, wearing a matching floral wrap. Her name, she said, is Catherine. And she’s a living testament to a proud fact around here: no expectant mother has died in eight years.

14. “You can break a single matchstick, but not 12 together” The Challenge: Anasuyamma refused to provide a dowry for her daughter, believing it degrades women. This angered her husband who, along with her future in-laws, doused Anasuyamma with kerosene. When her husband lit a match, Anasuyamma ran, seeking shelter and support from her VSL group. The Solution: During that same time the VSL group’s soap-making business began to flourish. It now produces 3,200 bars a day, bringing in enough profit for each woman to send her children to school. One daughter is now the first in the village to attend college. The women have exerted their influence over the local government, successfully pushing for a local ordinance banning alcohol, which they see as fuel for violence against women. As for Anasyamma’s own daughter: she wed without a dowry. “You can easily break a single matchstick,” Anasuyamma said, “but not 12 together.”

15. Narrowing Down the Candidates • Is this person comfortable sharing his/her story? • Look for conflict. Is there someone who has overcome a daunting challenge? Do they feel empowered as a result? • Is there someone who has taken their newfound power and applied it in a way that brings real gains at home? Or, better, are the gains felt more broadly, across an entire community? • Charisma counts: look for good storytellers.

16. Tips for Interviews • DO your research and have a list of questions. • DON’T worry if the conversation strays from those questions. • DO follow up on interesting or unexpected information. • DON’T be afraid of silence; give people time to think about their answers. Asking to repeat answers is fine….you might even get a better quote. • DO treat it like the most interesting conversation you’ve ever had!

17. Tips for Interviews • Try to avoid “yes/no” and “leading questions.” • For example: “How has family planning improved your life?” • Better: “Do you see any changes in your life since you started using Depo-Provera?”

18. Create Scenes • Put the reader there. Donors, policymakers and the general public use the same senses you do. Tell us what it smells like. What are the sounds? What strikes you visually? • Get the name of the dog. Small details count. They give a story texture and make it real. Don’t say trees – tell us what kind. • Embrace setbacks. If a VSL participant, rather than using loan money to buy grain, blew her first loan on something frivolous, don’t discard her story. Please dig deeper. Did she get a second loan and learn from her mistake? If so, she’s more human. And readers will be drawn to her. • What were they thinking? In prompting someone to recount a story – say the day they sent their daughter to secondary school – we want to know what they were thinking at the time. What were their last words to the daughter as she left for school? Not generally. Exactly. • Capture the originality of someone’s voice. If they say something over and over – particularly if its unique like “Village Second Life” – make a note of that.

19. What we are going to cover today • What makes a compelling story-What elements bring a story to life • Developing a finished story using story boarding- The essentials of what you need to film in order to tell your story • The basics of filming and editing • Best devices to film and edit on a small budget

20. Production Plan • How much time do you have for the project? Work backwards visualize the piece you want to before you create it • Decide on story format (narrative, interview, poetry, etc.) • Decide on story media (stills, video, combo) • Prepare interview questions

21. Script/Story Plan Story/Script • Keep pieces to < 6 minutes • Your story should have a beginning, middle, & end Storyboard • The plan for the images/video and audio that will illustrate your story • Simple three column layout breaks down the script and what images/video/ audio matches TOOL SUGGESTION: Create a simple storyboard with paper

22. The Egg story

23. What we are going to cover today • What makes a compelling story-What elements bring a story to life • Developing a finished story using story boarding- The essentials of what you need to film in order to tell your story • The basics of filming and editing • Best devices to film and edit on a small budget

24. Example : Abay’s Return1-6 minutesStories with a written scriptIllustrated (mostly) by still imagesMusic track to add emotional tonehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWQwp3v1fYw

25. Capture Varied Shots Wide shot - establishes the scene Medium shot - gives more intimacy Close-up - for emotion and a direct connection

26. Get Closer!!! • Fill at least 1/3 of the frame with your subject. • Take 3 steps forward from where you think you should stand. • Be careful zooming on point-and-shoot digital cameras (past 3x the image quality suffers). Don’t zoom closer, move closer.

27. Get Closer

28. Get Closer

29. Rule of thirds Place important elements of your photo where the lines intersect or along one of the lines.

31. Perspective Change the angle of the shot. Kneeling down or standing on a chair can make an ordinary photo more appealing.

32. Capture your subject in action

33. Action

34. Action

35. Use morning and afternoon light

36. Use lack of light to your advantage

37. Sound Tips • Video shows the story but don’t forget the importance of audio. • Audio adds emotion and excitement to a piece and can offer valuable contextual information. • Remember that the microphone is on the camcorder so the closer the subject is to the camera, the better the sound will be. • Be aware that if you shoot in a place with a lot of background noise it is likely that your subject's voice will be drowned out, so pay attention to your surroundings, especially in an interview situation. Get as close as possible to the source of the audio you want to capture.

38. Voice Over Read your story to convey the emotion of the story • Be mindful of ambient sound (machines, traffic, air conditioners, alarms, cell phones, other people).  • Ears tune out white noise;recording devices pick up white noise --it will distract your audience. TOOL SUGGESTION: Digital Voice Recorder, Mobile phone recorder,Audacity (free editing software)

39. Editing Your Story • Put the clips in order of the storyboard • Match the images to your audio track • Basic Story Format       a. Opening Credits introduce the piece       b. Clips/Footage are the pieces of your story       c. Closing Credits acknowledge roles/resources *TransitionsMove the audience from one part of the story to another 4. Add sound- Enhance the tone of your piece having the music and sounds coincide with what is happening

40. Common Video Formats .WMV Window Media Video File.AVIAudio Video Interleave File .MOV Apple QuickTime Movie.M4ViTunes Video File .MP4 MPEG-4 Video File.MPGMPEG Video File

41. What we are going to cover today • What makes a compelling story-What elements bring a story to life • Developing a finished story using story boarding- The essentials of what you need to film in order to tell your story • The basics of filming and editing • Best devices to film and edit on a small budget

42. USB Digital Voice Recorder$25 - $300 USB Digital Voice Recorder$25 - $300 USB Digital Voice Recorder$25 - $300

43. Image/Video Create, Capture & Collect Images to Tell Your Storya. Capture HIGH Quality still images - (300 dpi scanned, or at least 3 MegaPX)     b. Be careful of cell phone images/video     c. Video: at least 400x300 pixels - Let the setting be known - Shooting techniques: wide shot, panning (left to right) tilting (up/down)    d. Visual Effects (overdoing can distract from your images and story) INEXPENSIVETOOL SUGGESTION: Flip camera

44. Audacityaudacity.sourceforge.net Record live audio. Record computer playback on any Windows Vista or later machine. Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs. Edit WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP2, MP3 or OggVorbis sound files. Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together. Change the speed or pitch of a recording. And more! See the complete list of features.

45. The Free Sound Projectwww.freesound.org/searchText.php Different sounds available

46. Sumopaint - Online Free Image Editorwww.sumopaint.com/app http://www.sumopaint.com/app/ Free version!

47. Creative Commons Searchsearch.creativecommons.org

48. iMovie: Importing IMPORT VIDEO1. Attach device2. Go to File > Import 3. Select Source 4. ImportIMPORT STILLS/AUDIO1. Select Asset 2. Drag/Drop it into the work areaGO TO THE HELP MENU, tutorial, or online resources for more hints! $14.99 Bad reviews

49. Flashkit Sound Loopsflashkit.com/loops

50. Get People Talking Distribute byBuilding Buzz with Social Media • Share your story with others • Encourage audiences to share it…and so on • Optimizing your video for search: include title, description, tags TOOL SUGGESTIONS:Vimeo, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr