Tell me a story
Conflicts lie at the heart of a captivating, dramatic story.
Deeper the conflict, stronger the audience's identification with the characters. As dramatists say, the set-up needs to be deeply involving.
Stories are the best way of arousing emotions. The human brain welcomes a well-structured story.
Since there is always a preconception based on the set-up, dramaturgy has a great scope in influencing a receptive audience.
The process involves change. The audience shift from being uninvolved to involved. From ignorance to knowledge.
But change scares many people. So, what's the solution?
A set-up that establishes(quickly) itself as serious and credible will create interest among the audience who will decide to stay until the end. And this makes them receptive to change.
All stories operate on two levels - action level(what happens) and narrative level(how it happens).
What the audience sees is a person suited up, an office setting and a couple of props.
How the audience sees is how the picture is composed- the man is centred. The camera angle, the lighting, editing all add to the composition.
There are different techniques of storytelling- dramatic, non-dramatic and interactive.
As Aristotle said, "drama must have a beginning, a middle and the end."
Dramatic storytelling creates conflict using the unity of time, place and action. It plays out in real time bound by the limits of the stage.
In the 19th century, melodrama received major attention until Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein introduced a genre that gave importance to conflict, contrast and struggle called the Eisenstein montage technique that made use of Japanese ideograms.
The entire drama lies within a triangle formed by the persecutor(the antagonist), the rescuer(the hero), and the victim.
The set-up draws the audience in, creating a forward momentum. It later takes us through the presentation- exposing the relationship between different characters and then creates a rising conflict. The conflict resolution is the climax after which there is a fade out.
Dramatisation, therefore, involves creating a limited space which is a reinterpretation and distillation of reality.
Deeper the conflict, stronger the audience's identification with the characters. As dramatists say, the set-up needs to be deeply involving.
Stories are the best way of arousing emotions. The human brain welcomes a well-structured story.
Since there is always a preconception based on the set-up, dramaturgy has a great scope in influencing a receptive audience.
The process involves change. The audience shift from being uninvolved to involved. From ignorance to knowledge.
But change scares many people. So, what's the solution?
A set-up that establishes(quickly) itself as serious and credible will create interest among the audience who will decide to stay until the end. And this makes them receptive to change.
All stories operate on two levels - action level(what happens) and narrative level(how it happens).
What the audience sees is a person suited up, an office setting and a couple of props.
How the audience sees is how the picture is composed- the man is centred. The camera angle, the lighting, editing all add to the composition.
There are different techniques of storytelling- dramatic, non-dramatic and interactive.
As Aristotle said, "drama must have a beginning, a middle and the end."
Dramatic storytelling creates conflict using the unity of time, place and action. It plays out in real time bound by the limits of the stage.
In the 19th century, melodrama received major attention until Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein introduced a genre that gave importance to conflict, contrast and struggle called the Eisenstein montage technique that made use of Japanese ideograms.
The entire drama lies within a triangle formed by the persecutor(the antagonist), the rescuer(the hero), and the victim.
The set-up draws the audience in, creating a forward momentum. It later takes us through the presentation- exposing the relationship between different characters and then creates a rising conflict. The conflict resolution is the climax after which there is a fade out.
 |
| The visual tells a story between the child(victim), the ailment(the persecutor) and the hospital(the rescuer) |
Non-dramatic storytelling motivates the audience to listen. It lets the audience make their own assessments.
A woman, by water, looking back at us. No wind, no waves. She sweeps a quilt around herself, becoming one with the atmosphere, enveloped in stillness. She says nothing but the audience understand that the quilt is soft.
 |
| PC: Essentials of Visual Communication, Bo Bergstrom |
Interactive storytelling turns the audience into active participants. It combines text, pictures, film and sound.
It could be done in 2 ways:
One-way storytelling where the content has a beginning and an end. The visitor has one way to go.
Most e-learning platforms follow this.
Free storytelling where the visitors have various alternatives to choose from and create their story.
Computer games make use of this technique.
Web sites have a crucial structure that shows the various parts of the site and their relationship. A flowchart helps the visitor navigate through the pages.
A linear structure (one-way) takes the visitor from one page to another. It is direct, easy to navigate and uncomplicated. But it could also get boring and predictable.
A tree structure (free) has its content structured in clear groups and sub-groups. But it is important to ensure that the hierarchy is minimal and content should never be placed more than 3 clicks away.
A web structure (free) has no real first or last page. Everything relates to everything else.
A combination (one way and free) would be the best option.
For instance, airlines website can have a tree structure for displaying flights and destination and a linear structure for ticket booking.
Game-based storytelling is another interesting technique yet to be conquered fully.
My grandmother's lingo is one such interactive animation that tells the personal story of a young aboriginal woman dedicated to preserving her endangered culture through language.
The right storytelling perspective must be chosen to keep it captivating. There needs to be an element of surprise and humour.
The interplay between text and image can often mislead us in a disarming manner. It helps create expectations on what is to come-protention based on what has already happened-retention.
A visual that casts our mind to imagine a mysterious visit by 2 men to be a burglary that turned out to be a visit by 2 service-minded suppliers who fit the kitchen when the house owners were away.
Storytelling is becoming an important medium of communication. While good storytellers become role models, sometimes stories could be smokescreens to distract attention.
An old native American saying goes- "Tell me the facts and I 'll learn. Tell me the truth and I'll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever."
And it is these stories that are shaping up a million brands.
The right storytelling perspective must be chosen to keep it captivating. There needs to be an element of surprise and humour.
The interplay between text and image can often mislead us in a disarming manner. It helps create expectations on what is to come-protention based on what has already happened-retention.
 |
| PC: Essentials of Visual Communication, Bo Bergstrom |
A visual that casts our mind to imagine a mysterious visit by 2 men to be a burglary that turned out to be a visit by 2 service-minded suppliers who fit the kitchen when the house owners were away.
Storytelling is becoming an important medium of communication. While good storytellers become role models, sometimes stories could be smokescreens to distract attention.
An old native American saying goes- "Tell me the facts and I 'll learn. Tell me the truth and I'll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever."
And it is these stories that are shaping up a million brands.
Comments
Post a Comment