“Novelty is the new normal” — 5 questions for Hackastory
@Interactive Storytelling Meetup #4 –14 April 2016
Interview by Klasien van de Zandschulp and Femke Deckers
“Hackastory” is a project of Nienke Huitenga (Avans University), Albertine Piels (RTL Z) and Hay Kranen (De Volkskrant).
The internet, social media, mobile and wearable technology is changing the way we tell stories. But Hackastory believes we haven’t embraced the full potential yet because the needed expertise still inhabits different worlds. Hackastory aims to create a tsunami of digital and interactive storytelling experiments by bringing storytellers, developers and designers together during hackathons and workshops.
During the meetup the full team of Hackastory presented their adventures and the interactive story prototypes that came out of them. From storywebs, to newsgames, from VR multiplayers to refugee chatbots. Developed in Amsterdam, Breda, Istanbul and Cape Town.
We asked Nienke Huitenga (N.H.) and Albertine Piels (A.P.) 5 questions and their answers include fun animated gifs!
1. What was your motivation to start Hackastory?
A.P.: “We felt that the potential of interactive or digital storytelling isn’t embraced fully yet. Everybody talks about innovation in this area, but mostly in her or his own professional circle. That was true for ourselves as well. We wanted to change that. The future doesn’t fit in containers of the past.”
“The future doesn’t fit in containers of the past.”
N.H.: “As the internet, social media, mobile and wearable technology are opening up new horizons for storytelling, we wanted to experience that hands on. How does tech actually change the way we tell stories? As digital storytelling doesn’t have a very long tradition compared to filmmaking and newspapers, we think that working together with different skills is the most essential step to take: developers, gamers, storytellers and designers should join the making process from the get go.”
2. What do you believe will be the future in storytelling?
A.P.: “We think it’s important to realize this first: novelty is the new normal. Amy Webb said: “We must cope with hundreds of first-time situations driven by technology at a pace unmatched in any other time in history.” Virtual reality, augmented reality, 360 video’s, the ability to personalize stories; lots of new ways of storytelling will emerge. That continuous stream of change will be the future.”
Amy Webb said: “We must cope with hundreds of first-time situations driven by technology at a pace unmatched in any other time in history.”
3. What would you like to give as advice to storytellers who want to become more digital and innovative?
A.P.: “Just go for it. One of our participants, a senior newspaper journalist, told us she always felt overwhelmed with all the online possibilities. Digital techniques to her were somewhere in a parallel universe where she never went, afraid to be eaten alive. Only to realize that the designers and coders, in her eyes the experts, don’t know it either and it’s all a matter of experimenting, tinkering failing and starting over. Our advice: don’t be afraid and dive in.”
“Our advice is: don’t be afraid and dive in”
4. What do you think are the key elements for collaboration between the different disciplines you work with?
N.H.: “Experts like storytellers, developers and designers still work in separate worlds right now, unable to speak each other’s languages. So one key element is patience and an open attitude. After a hackathon participants tell us they are not just proud of the work they have done, but also the insights they have gained of learning with and from others. Learning someone else’s professional ‘language’ is a first step to bridge this gap. And in the process of things it really is ok to not quite know what you’re doing! No one actually does.
The second key element is to really make it happen by actually bringing these professionals together to work in one process at the same table. They have to ping pong together. Innovation will only happen when understanding is matched with collaboration.
And, most importantly: actually make prototypes together. To sum it up: an open mind, patience, just do it-attitude, be relaxed, dare to make mistakes in order to discover new ways. Also, don’t be afraid to take a plunge and have fun.”
5. What project /challenge is still on your wish list?
(A.P. & N.H.) “Hackastory wants to turn the world in one big media lab. We strongly believe in learning by making. Just start doing it. We shouldn’t talk as much about it, before you have tried it. That’s why we are developing a ambassador program that will give you the tools and guidelines to innovate in media and journalism.
In an accelerating world, we need to experiment more. No one actually really knows what is the best way right now or for the future. New habits, new media, new stories will emerge. They just do. Our motivation is to create a tsunami of digital and interactive storytelling experiments.”
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