Comments on: Online Storytelling, Justification, And What The Godfather Has To Do With It http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/ Pravda on Media, Technology, and Rebel Filmmaking Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:07:39 +0000 hourly 1 By: Guy Bendov http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1787 Guy Bendov Wed, 05 Dec 2007 07:26:38 +0000 http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/#comment-1787 hint: Internet is an asynchronous interactive media. So stop thinking TV. If anything, theater (and at that, Commedia dell'arte) is closer to what you are looking for. hint:

Internet is an asynchronous interactive media. So stop thinking TV. If anything, theater (and at that, Commedia dell’arte) is closer to what you are looking for.

]]> By: Kfir Pravda http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1786 Kfir Pravda Wed, 05 Dec 2007 05:14:38 +0000 http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/#comment-1786 Thanks all for your comments. John - this is the challenge - how can you do that without a diary kind of plot? Tim thanks for the historical perspective. We are looking into ARG as well -and from what I saw it is the most advanced one. John- do you anyone? Thanks all for your comments. John – this is the challenge – how can you do that without a diary kind of plot?

Tim thanks for the historical perspective. We are looking into ARG as well -and from what I saw it is the most advanced one. John- do you anyone?

]]> By: John Holden http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1790 John Holden Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:16:12 +0000 http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/#comment-1790 "We’ve created a multidisciplinary team, including a TV director and media innovators, to work together and define the medium." I hope you have a poet on your team. And I don't mean a poet with a capital p. I mean a small time, little magazine, coffee house person. Find one who knows about syndicating short works of dubious worth on an irregular basis. And I have a feeling you'll find more parallels between "storytelling" in poetry and online video, than any other medium. “We’ve created a multidisciplinary team, including a TV director and media innovators, to work together and define the medium.” I hope you have a poet on your team. And I don’t mean a poet with a capital p. I mean a small time, little magazine, coffee house person. Find one who knows about syndicating short works of dubious worth on an irregular basis. And I have a feeling you’ll find more parallels between “storytelling” in poetry and online video, than any other medium.

]]> By: Tim Street http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1789 Tim Street Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:01:12 +0000 http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/#comment-1789 Like a good book, online storytelling can take you places you are not supposed to visit and let you see things you are not supposed to view and…it can let you interact with the characters and have the real world intrude on your story. When <a href="http://fortheloveofjulie.com/" rel="nofollow"> For the Love of Julie </a> launched we were contacted by the LAPD, the Santa Monica PD and the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department because people thought the guy who had “created” the site was stalking Julie. In <a href="http://onlinecaroline.com/" rel="nofollow"> Online Caroline </a> you get to interact with the main character Caroline and help her make choices. Both of these interactive online stories were created years ago and we were unable to monetize them directly because advertisers didn’t understand what we were doing but Movie Studios and Television Networks got it and hired me to create online stories for them. Then advertisers started to test the waters with ARG (Alternative Reality Games) and I think that is where the biggest strides have been made in online storytelling to date. Like a good book, online storytelling can take you places you are not supposed to visit and let you see things you are not supposed to view and…it can let you interact with the characters and have the real world intrude on your story.

When For the Love of Julie launched we were contacted by the LAPD, the Santa Monica PD and the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department because people thought the guy who had “created” the site was stalking Julie. In Online Caroline you get to interact with the main character Caroline and help her make choices.

Both of these interactive online stories were created years ago and we were unable to monetize them directly because advertisers didn’t understand what we were doing but Movie Studios and Television Networks got it and hired me to create online stories for them. Then advertisers started to test the waters with ARG (Alternative Reality Games) and I think that is where the biggest strides have been made in online storytelling to date.

]]> By: John Leeke http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1788 John Leeke Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:09:28 +0000 http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/#comment-1788 >> or you can become the 4th wall yourself.<< In which case the 4th wall dissolves, even the notion of "story telling" evaporates, there is no storyteller, just a direct connect between the story and the viewer. In the best case all artifice evaporates, the camera, internet, even the images and words become a mere connection between the listener and the teller, and then the teller and the connection drop out and the listener is IN the story. >> or you can become the 4th wall yourself.<<

In which case the 4th wall dissolves, even the notion of “story telling” evaporates, there is no storyteller, just a direct connect between the story and the viewer.

In the best case all artifice evaporates, the camera, internet, even the images and words become a mere connection between the listener and the teller, and then the teller and the connection drop out and the listener is IN the story.

]]> By: John Leeke http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1792 John Leeke Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:56:42 +0000 http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/#comment-1792 You can construct the "4th wall" out of any materials and systems you wish, or you can become the 4th wall yourself. Vlogging an (extra)ordinary life Do you wish your life had a better outcome, like that really great movie you saw last year? Do you wish you could get that spark of insight that solves one of life’s major problems by simply reflecting on the glint of sunlight in your cup of coffee, like the neat vlog you took a moment to watch yesterday? Then live your life like the movie or vlog you want it to be. Decide what effect you want your life/movie/vlog to have on it’s viewers, including you and the people close to you as well as distant observers. Write up a treatment. Shop it around to your friends. Pitch it to your sponsors, your champions and even your enemies. Dream up the story. (Don’t forget the twist at the end where everything works out great.) Write down the script. Sketch out story board. Live the story (hey, that twist at the end? in reality it double-twisted better than I could have imagined!) Shoot the footage and edit, edit, edit. Distribute it to the theaters, or feed it out on your vlog. Five stars? No stars? Either way, learn the lessons, write the next chapter in your life, live it, vlog it. Why does this work? Because we humans have an inner need to share our selves and our lives with others. Because if we follow good plans the result is good works. Because if we know someone is watching the work is bound to be better. With my own work in this world I help people understand how to care for the historic buildings they live and work in. I earn my living with hammer, clipboard and camera in hand, writing and vlogging about my work. I do often make decisions about what to do, with print articles and vlogs very much in mind. My remaining life is getting too short to do anything for just one result. If I take a hands-on contract to restore a porch on an historic house down the block, I need to get at least three to five results: 1. Earn some money fixing the porch so I can feed my family. 2. Take notes and photos of the work so I can write a print article or book chapter about that type of work. 3. Shoot some video for a vlog or two. 4. Help out my neighbor. 5. Fix those classically styled Ionic porch columns so they improve the looks of this neighborhood and make the whole world a little more beautiful place for all of us to live a better life. If I have a choice between two projects and the first will give number 1. above, and the second will give 1. through 5. above, I’ll definitely pick the second, which has the greater outcome. Case in point: Stop by to shoot the breeze with John out on the Front Porch: http://historichomeworks.com/hhw/frontporch/front.htm#House - John Leeke by hammer and hand great works do stand by pen and thought best words are wrought by cam and light he shoots it right You can construct the “4th wall” out of any materials and systems you wish, or you can become the 4th wall yourself.

Vlogging an (extra)ordinary life

Do you wish your life had a better outcome, like that really great movie you saw last year? Do you wish you could get that spark of insight that solves one of life’s major problems by simply reflecting on the glint of sunlight in your cup of coffee, like the neat vlog you took a moment to watch yesterday? Then live your life like the movie or vlog you want it to be. Decide what effect you want your life/movie/vlog to have on it’s viewers, including you and the people close to you as well as distant observers. Write up a treatment. Shop it around to your friends. Pitch it to your sponsors, your champions and even your enemies. Dream up the story. (Don’t forget the twist at the end where everything works out great.) Write down the script. Sketch out story board. Live the story (hey, that twist at the end? in reality it double-twisted better than I could have imagined!) Shoot the footage and edit, edit, edit. Distribute it to the theaters, or feed it out on your vlog. Five stars? No stars? Either way, learn the lessons, write the next chapter in your life, live it, vlog it.

Why does this work? Because we humans have an inner need to share our selves and our lives with others. Because if we follow good plans the result is good works. Because if we know someone is watching the work is bound to be better.

With my own work in this world I help people understand how to care for the historic buildings they live and work in. I earn my living with hammer, clipboard and camera in hand, writing and vlogging about my work. I do often make decisions about what to do, with print articles and vlogs very much in mind. My remaining life is getting too short to do anything for just one result. If I take a hands-on contract to restore a porch on an historic house down the block, I need to get at least three to five results:

1. Earn some money fixing the porch so I can feed my family.

2. Take notes and photos of the work so I can write a print article or

book chapter about that type of work.

3. Shoot some video for a vlog or two.

4. Help out my neighbor.

5. Fix those classically styled Ionic porch columns so they improve the

looks of this neighborhood and make the whole world a little more

beautiful place for all of us to live a better life.

If I have a choice between two projects and the first will give number 1. above, and the second will give 1. through 5. above, I’ll definitely pick the second, which has the greater outcome. Case in point:

Stop by to shoot the breeze with John out on the Front Porch:

http://historichomeworks.com/hhw/frontporch/front.htm#House

- John Leeke

by hammer and hand great works do stand

by pen and thought best words are wrought

by cam and light he shoots it right

]]> By: Justin Kownacki http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1791 Justin Kownacki Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:40:45 +0000 http://pravdam.com/2007/12/04/online-storytelling-justification-and-what-the-godfather-has-to-do-with-it/#comment-1791 The "rules" of online storytelling will be defined by the successful storytellers. They will also likely be variations on the "rules" that have worked in previous media. I think the key rule is immediate audience engagement. A web viewer isn't seated in a theater, subject to the pacing of the writer / director for 90 minutes. He or she is also not watching TV, where the act of changing the channel still requires the act of finding and clicking a remote control. On the web, sitting still long enough to watch a 5 minute video IS the anomaly of "standard" behavior, so to engage that viewer, a video must be immediately interesting. After that, anything goes... for five minutes. (And yes, that includes references to unseen / offline characters. It worked in "Cheers" as well -- we never see Norm's wife Vera in the entirety of the TV series' run, though she's referenced in nearly every episode.) The “rules” of online storytelling will be defined by the successful storytellers. They will also likely be variations on the “rules” that have worked in previous media.

I think the key rule is immediate audience engagement. A web viewer isn’t seated in a theater, subject to the pacing of the writer / director for 90 minutes. He or she is also not watching TV, where the act of changing the channel still requires the act of finding and clicking a remote control. On the web, sitting still long enough to watch a 5 minute video IS the anomaly of “standard” behavior, so to engage that viewer, a video must be immediately interesting.

After that, anything goes… for five minutes. (And yes, that includes references to unseen / offline characters. It worked in “Cheers” as well — we never see Norm’s wife Vera in the entirety of the TV series’ run, though she’s referenced in nearly every episode.)

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