The end of television
I've heard him say it before and since - but it still sounds almost too big a statement. "We are witnessing the end of broadcast television."
Joe Lambert also goes on to say - "Broadcasting was a mistake."
"If it was not for television we would not have George Bush." 'as president' is implied. Unless of course you think that his birth was also a mistake of broadcasting.
Joe, the Executive Director of the Centre for Digital Storytelling, was summarising the ten years of digital storytelling festivals, the first being in Crested Bute, Colorado in 1995. As I have already confessed I missed the start of his presentation because I was enjoying an afternoon in the sun and riding a rented bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. So by the time I returned he was already recalling some of the more outrageous moments of last year's festival in Sedona when two of by British colleagues, Rupert and Huw, took centre stage at an impromptu and informal storytelling event at a hotel in the town.
Back to the end of broadcasting. This is of the type that gives a lot of power to a few people who have access to the broadcast medium. Joe pointed out that there are now 4 million people who know how to use digital editing software on their computer. They have found their own voice. Joe said it was time to move from celebrity to correspondents.
There are stories to be told for which we cannot wait for grants before we go to gather them. We have to be there now - eg New Orleans.
We need new performance rituals - to stop and listen - to reflect spiritually on what is being said.
The last session of the festival was the recreation of a
Next Exit event as frequently staged by Dana Atchley. Joe Lambert narrated and introduced the speakers and some of Dana Atchley's best loved films were played. They took us back to the start of the digital storytelling movement.
Reflecting on the festival I realise that now is not the time to look at how digital storytelling might be exploited for commercial purposes, or how it might revive broadcast television. We have just begun the process of giving people their voice - today it is still a whisper - one day it will become a roar.
The KQED manual
In the second week of the festival I ran a workshop with Leslie Rule of KQED. Ten participants worked hard to make digital stories, each producing their own short film. Together we learned to make short stories out of some of the most diverse and long oral narratives I have ever heard in a workshop. The workshop was based on a manual produced by Leslie and Denise Atchley. It is now online so you can
download your own here.
You did this? You're brilliant!
Digital storytelling in Education
Feature Presentation: Jeanne Biddle and Leslie Rule
This session on Sunday morning was the most inspiring of all the presentations. Leslie and Jeanne showed digital stories made by school pupils and they engaged me more than anything else I saw at the festival.
Swim Fishy, Swim was made by Rachel, a first grader. It contains a level of wisdom that confirms that we should take notice of what comes "out of the mouths of babes and sucklings .. "
In the film a lazy baby fish only learned to swim after coming under threat from its mother AND a predator shark. A child's drawings and superimposed script drew us into a drama that convinced me that this girl's name will appear in the credits of a much longer piece of work in twenty years time.
Leslie's work brings teachers into her workshops at KQED and then follows them back to the classroom to introduce them to their IT departments. As we all know to our cost teachers and IT staff do not speak the same language!!
She is generous with the project equipment and allows less well equipped schools and projects to have the free use of her laptop computers. Her level of trust and risk is rewarded with a catalogue of digital stories.
Leslie told us about the Coming to California competition for schools in the Bay Area of California. The films are on the
KQED website. Worth watching.
Jeanne Biddle is the Director of Technology for
Scott County Schools in Georgetown, Kentucky.
She introduced a film told by Renee a teenage girl with issues at home and at school after a series of set backs including an unwelcome move to Kentucky. Her digital story,
Help, was the first thing she had ever completed. Her mother wouldn't let the story onto the web until she had seen it. It transformed their relationship - there were tears and hugs - "You did this? You're brilliant!" Her behaviour was transformed for a time. Later poor behaviour returned but the place of making the digital story was acknowledged in the local paper, which inspired her to return to school for a few days - her story was again given significance.
2nd grade students are using Photoshop, Premier and even Final Cut Pro. They don't have a problem with it. Teachers hold pupils back because they think they need to master the tools first - instead of putting them in their hands and letting them do it. A Digital story made by a senior student - makes fun of the teacher - pupils took over the process and a three week project was completed in the 40 minute periods.
When children come to school we are asking them to power down - they want to power up.
Public Service Announcements
Children make digital stories to appeal to funders to maintain support for technology. Sponsors often walk through the buildings and see computers without considering that they are out of date - why do you need more?
At first digital storytelling was after school add on - too much work - too long - bad mouthed - it took 4 years to be accepted.
Class room management - accessibility to technology - teacher as facilitator - celebrating our success - competitions and contests - good at critiquing their own work. Festivals.
There are lots of stories to watch on the
Scott County Schools site
