The Art of Storytelling
Storytelling is a timeless and universal art that has woven the fabric of human communication since the dawn of civilization. From the flickering flames of ancient campfires to the glow of digital screens in our modern age, stories have been at the centre of shared human experiences
The evolution of storytelling mirrors the evolution of human expression. From cave paintings to parchment scrolls, from the printing press to the internet, the mediums may have changed, but the core essence remains.
In the age of digital storytelling, where words are complemented by visuals, sound, and interactivity, the ancient art has found new dimensions, with a common fundamental purpose: to connect, to inspire, and to provoke thought.
Storytelling is the art of using words, images, or other mediums to convey a narrative. It’s a fundamental human activity that has been used throughout history to share experiences, pass down knowledge, and entertain. Whether through oral traditions, written works, visual media, or a combination of these, storytelling is a powerful means of communication that engages emotions, captures attention, and communicates ideas.
It is a means of transmitting knowledge, values, and emotions. Oral traditions, passed down through generations, have preserved cultural identities and shaped societal norms. These tales were not mere narratives; they were vessels carrying the wisdom of elders, the lessons of the past, and the dreams of a collective future. Through stories, communities found cohesion, children learned moral lessons, and individuals discovered their place in the grand tapestry of existence.
Some key elements of storytelling are:
- Characters: These elements drive the plot and allow the audience to connect with the narrative and typically involves humans, animals, mythical creatures, or even inanimate objects.
- Plot: The plot is the sequence of events that make up the story. It includes the introduction of characters, the development of conflicts, and the resolution.
- Setting: This helps create the atmosphere and context for the narrative and can be defined through time and place, for example, a specific location, a historical period, or a fantastical world.
- Conflict: Conflict is a crucial element in storytelling and often helps in developing the storyline.
- Theme: The theme is the central idea or message that the storyteller wants to convey. This could be an underlying meaning or purpose of the story.
- Point of View (POV): First-person POV involves narration by a character telling the story from their own perspective, while third-person POV can be omniscient (knowing everything) or limited (knowing only the thoughts and feelings of one character).
- Style: The writing style, tone, and language used in a story contribute to its overall feel. For instance, it’s formal or informal, humorous or serious, the style enhances the storytelling experience.
- Resolution: A story should always conclude with a resolution that ties up loose ends and provides a sense of closure. However, some stories intentionally leave certain aspects open-ended, inviting interpretation and discussion.
Stories have existed since the dawn of human civilization and they have been our most continuous and enduring link to our shared consciousness. Stories have fueled our imaginations and molded us into the civilization we are today.
Pittsburgh | September 28, 2023
Storytelling and Narration
“What is the most concise, effective and impactful method for conveying or narrating a story while making sure the story/idea/theme gets across” — This was the inquiry posed during the class session.
The day commenced with a drawing exercise, prompting us to illustrate an image inspired by a given word. The displayed results were remarkably and surprisingly alike. This was called a “Prototype”
To be exact : A preliminary version or model of something, typically created to demonstrate ideas, or validate assumptions is called a prototype.
We did a couple of more rounds of this activity, until we started our rounds of discussion about the observations we made apart from finding similarities. We realized, as the words started getting abstract, the representation or the visualization of the word became more difficult.
Have you ever engaged in a game of ‘The King, the Minister, the Soldier, and the Thief’? It’s a type of role-playing game with four participants, each drawing a chit to determine their role. The Minister, in particular, must deduce the identity of the Thief and share it with the others.
I had a similar experience, although with a slight variation. Instead of personally selecting a role like the Thief, our professors distributed folded papers randomly. Each paper contained a topic and related information. With 13 topics for a class of 25, everyone had a partner except one person.
My assigned topic was Bioplastics, an area where my knowledge was both familiar and unfamiliar.
The task was clear: “Delve deeper into bioplastics, share findings with my topic partner, and explore any unique insights that we uncovered.”
Personally, I began by looking into the generally available information, considering what common individuals should understand about Bioplastic. My research primarily focused on its definition, origins, purpose, effectiveness, and the human role in its use
…and this commenced our second project of the Communication Design Studio, 2023
Pittsburgh | October 3, 2023
Bioplastics and more
Building upon the insights and discussions from the previous class, we were assigned a storytelling task. The challenge involved crafting a narrative around the information we had gathered on the topics assigned to us, creating storyboards, and presenting our stories to partners who shared the same topic for a detailed discussion. It became evident that, despite having similar topics and likely comparable findings, our approaches to conveying information differed significantly. Essentially, we each had a distinct storytelling style when it came to discussing Bioplastics.
Subsequently, when we shared these stories with individuals unfamiliar with our topics, we were intrigued to discover that they interpreted the narratives in diverse ways.
The question that lingered was whether we had successfully communicated our thoughts and effectively conveyed our ideas to the listener.
Why was it so?
Was it because of the quantity of information, quality of information, or the representation of information?
This made us introspect if we were narrating the story correctly, which morphed into multiple storyboard iterations to develop the story in a more meaningful way so that it would become interesting and understood by people aware or unaware of the topic…
Pittsburgh | October 8, 2023 — October 28, 2023
The Bioplastic Story
In the subsequent classes, the focus shifted to crafting a narrative aimed at animating the concept explaining a facet of the assigned topic (Bioplastics). Additionally, initial frames for the storyline were developed through very basic storyboarding/sketches.
The written story got revised again and again basis the goal that we wanted to achieve : explain the unsaid — how to put across or explain ideas and theories that cannot be explained verbally, and how visual support helps achieve that.
This entailed creating multiple iterations of storyboards and scripts that intricately explained the seemingly inexplicable concept for the assigned topic — that answered the questions — what it is and how it works…
Ultimately, a definitive version of the storyboard was crafted, building upon the revised script. This script was composed in a format divided into two sections: one conveying information textually and another conveying information through graphical or visual elements.
Audio recording was undertaken to enhance the visual elucidation of the concept. Subsequently, an animated movie was produced, ensuring a comprehensive explanation of the intricate aspects of the assigned topic.
Through this activity, we recognized the effectiveness and advantage of incorporating visual elements in communication. It became evident that visual aids significantly enhance the clarity and understanding, especially when conveying ideas or concepts that may be challenging to articulate in verbal conversations.
