Weeners and Losers
Weeners
Here are a few of my favorite storytelling sites:
http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/
Time Magazine’s photo essay section is a very strong representation of how images and sounds can be combined to create powerful stories. Of the myriad of websites devoted to multimedia storytelling, Time.com's packages engage users by telling stories in ways appropriate to this medium. The photojournalism is consistently impeccable and well edited. Time.com's high-impact images combine with intense audio, particularly in "21 Days to Baghdad," drawing the user inside the story. Interface design and navigation are straightforward and never gimmicky. There is a reason why Time’s site won the National Press Photographer’s Association Award for Best Use of the Web in 2004 (winners for 2005 will be announced shortly.)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/?nav=globetop
The Washington Post has done a remarkable job leading the industry in photojournalism and multimedia. This is what the New York Times is aiming for. While their current style no longer pushes the envelope of online journalism, the approach is classic and clean, reminiscent of a print style of presenting information. Check out the “Raising the Stakes" narrated gallery for a quick introduction to how they use Flash to mix images and audio. What I find particularly interesting is the Post’s significant commitment to short documentaries. They are venturing away from traditional print medium (text and photos) to video production. And they are doing it well. I find there are times where I can get lost in all the features. Now if only they could dump all the ads cluttering the edges of the page.
http://www.jacksonville.com/special/jamesCroft/jamesthegiant.html
For a totally different spin, “Walking with the Giant” is worth a look. This is a multimedia feature article from the Florida Times Union in Jacksonville. They broke the story into three smaller segments, making it a little less daunting for the viewer. I am not too hot on the pink, grey and light blue palette, but I guess one can’t really argue taste.
Stinkers
As far as stinkers go, there are so many to choose from. Two that come to mind are:
http://www.seattleweekly.com/ Oh the clutter and all those little boxes
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ The Guardian is all about the text. Just the facts, lots and lots of them.
Our Digital Campfire
A good story is about the human experience. It is about what it means to breathe on this earth. And whether the trials of that human experience are monumental or minuscule, if the listener, reader, viewer, or visitor cannot understand the voice of the storyteller then it is all a lot of wasted words, images, and digits. A good story teller must have a voice. That voice should have passion. Passion for the truth is wise, but not a necessity. A storyteller may show their passion by exploring the motivations and choices of their characters. Passion can present itself in the author’s choice of genre, or their love of the subject. But a storyteller must be passionate about their story.
Kimberly Appelcline writes about the craft of writing. She reminds us of the need to craft a potent stew of setting, character, plot, backstory, and detail when we write our stories. And while those five elements are the foundation upon which we build a narrative, our stories will feel somewhat like obituaries unless as authors we find our individual voices. As we write we need to ask ourselves such basic questions as, “Who is my protagonist?” “Who is my antagonist?” “What is my narrative arc?” “Are there any moments of decision?” “Where am I headed?” and the big one, “Why the hell would someone care about this story?”
The web uses words. But it also uses pictures. Far too many of the sites I visit don’t have a clue how to use the power of imagery to convey a story. As the web drifts aimlessly into the realm of video, it is being steered by people who write, not by people who understand the balance of words, sounds, emotions, and most of all, images. I am tired of pedantic talking heads. I am tired of getting my facts in a sound bite. I am tired of shaky cameras in a postage-stamp-sized window. Tell me a story with words AND pictures. So you have a great story tell. Terrific. What are you going to show me? Not another schmoe sitting behind a desk, I hope. And not some nabob planted in front of a plastic office plant. And please, oh please, not some nare-do-well sitting on the sofa backlit by a picture window where they look like a participant in the witness protection act. Give me a glimpse into people’s lives. Let me see what they make for dinner. Let me see them drive to work. Let me see them struggle with life’s many challenges. Let me see how life can be messy and cluttered with the emotions of change.
I just want stories where the author has a point of view. Tell me a story. Make it have a beginning, a middle and an end. Help me to understand why you told me your story. And most of all, make me care about it.
