The Modern Campfire

The Modern Campfire - a practical guide to storytelling

@seancoleman

Monday, 21 October 13

WHY A CAMPFIRE?*

*nothing beats a good metaphorMonday, 21 October 13

WHY A CAMPFIRE?*

• Someone has to build it.

WHY A CAMPFIRE?*

• There are those who poke it to make it bigger or

brighter and there are those who just enjoy it.

WHY A CAMPFIRE?*

• If it is a good fire, none of us can take our eyes

off it.

WHY A CAMPFIRE?*

off it.

• If we light it badly, it will go out.

WHY A CAMPFIRE?*

off it.

• If we don’t feed it, it will go out.

WHY A CAMPFIRE?*

off it.

• If we just leave it, it could quickly get out of

control and burn the whole place down.

WHY A CAMPFIRE?*

off it.

• It gives us a place to sit and share stories and

experiences.*nothing beats a good metaphor

WHY A CAMPFIRE?*

off it.

• It gives us a place to sit and share stories and

experiences.*nothing beats a good metaphor

• There’s always some dick who ruins it by playing guitar.

*the world can be a very confusing p lace

SOME DEFINITIONS*

sto·ry [stohr-ee]noun

SOME DEFINITIONS*

1. a narrative, either true or fictitious, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct.

SOME DEFINITIONS*

2. a complete horizontal section of a building, having one continuous or practically continuous floor.

SOME DEFINITIONS*

storyteller [ˈstɔːrɪˌtɛlə]noun

SOME DEFINITIONS*

1. a person who tells stories

SOME DEFINITIONS*

1. a person who tells stories

2. (informal) a liar

SOME DEFINITIONS*

transmedia [tranz-mee-dee-uh]adj

SOME DEFINITIONS*

transmedia [tranz-mee-dee-uh]adj

SOME DEFINITIONS*

OUR BRAINS ARE WIRED FOR NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION*

*when it comes to the way we appreciate stories, our brains don’t segregate media or platforms

FOR SALE. WEDDING DRESS. NEVER WORN.

STORIES MAKE US HUMAN

RULE # 1 - KNOW YOUR STORY*

What are you trying to say?

Who is speaking?

Who are you speaking to?

Who is speaking?

How are you going to say it?

Who is speaking?

How are you going to say it?

Really?

what are you trying to say?

what are you trying to say?RULE # 1 - KNOW YOUR STORY*

a clear theme that you can curate around

http://www.pictorymag.com

http://dearphotograph.com/

WHO IS SPEAKING?

WHO IS SPEAKING?RULE # 1 - KNOW YOUR STORY*

WHO IS SPEAKING?

Who is your central character and what is their voice?

WHO IS SPEAKING?

Are they the best guide for your audience?

WHO IS SPEAKING?

Are they the best guide for your audience?

Be consistent

tv documentary web documentary

tv film graphic novel

LINEAR INTERACTIVE

FICTION

WHO ARE YOU SPEAKING TO?

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SAY IT?

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SAY IT?RULE # 1 - KNOW YOUR STORY*

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SAY IT?

Really?

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SAY IT?Really?

Don’t make your audience work too hard

Cheap, Deep or Mainstream - pick two

Don’t make your audience work too hard

HINDSIGHT IS ALWAYS 20:20Kirill

Drama Series (10 Episodes)

Website Hub

Adventure Game

Video blogs

Web Series (Video, Audio, Blogs)

Participation Drama

Hidden Clues

Additional Websites

Audio Recordings

Full length Film

HINDSIGHT IS ALWAYS 20:20

Kirill

Layer 1: News Articles and Blogs - establishing character

Vivienne Villars, Journalist, begins her investigation into the theory that the LHC could cause a wormhole. She immediately finds herself in the centre of a heated online debate with other bloggers. She writes a number of other articles for MSN channels - Cars of the Future, The problem with modern movie heroes, What we will be wearing in 2020, Making Time to Travel - all of which serve to bring new followers to her blog. She is the light-touch science blogger with an eye on the sensational headline.

Layer 2: Talking to real people - Blogger outreach (and research)

Things we knew

They are geeks We are geeks*

about our audience about ourselves

They are mostly male We are all male, mostly*

*apart from Tara, but she’s Australian. Same difference

They are Sci-Fi fans We are Sci-Fi fans*

Some of them dress up Some of us dress up*

They’re generally cynical We’re completely cynical*

They’re hard to get on side We need them to be on side †

† how the f*$# do we do that?

Kirill

Layer 3: The background

Nomi website launches

**********FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION - ALL NOMI EMPLOYEES************

To: ALL (Nomi Solutions Worldwide; Web-Actel Intexx; R-Tronetel Computing)

Re: Removal of Gregory Boyle as CEO, Nomi International PLEASE NOTE AND FORWARD TO ALL NOMI ASSOCIATES AND SUBSIDIARIES IMMEDIATELY – ACTION ALL INSTRUCTIONS THOROUGHLY As of 31st October 2008 Nomi International’s Chief Executive Officer, Gregory Boyle, is no longer working for the Nomi Group. Gregory Boyle was at the forefront of Nomi’s significant growth in the last decade and his legacy will remain for many more years in the future. His expansive knowledge of the international and domestic markets allowed the Nomi Group to establish itself as the world’s premier energy solutions conglomerate. The future of NOMI is now in the hands of an experienced and ambitious syndicate, with a board of directors who are commited to continuing this growth year on year. It is their wish to remain anonymous for the short-term future and it is therefore IMPERATIVE that ANY enquiries from external sources are forwarded DIRECTLY and IMMEDIATELY to Jennifer Samuelson (ext. 2600). This is a matter of the UPMOST IMPORTANCE. The reputation of The Nomi Group is constantly in the spotlight from certain members of the national and international press. Treat ALL enquiries, no matter how apparently trivial, as CONFIDENTIAL and DO NOT respond personally.

ANY BREACH OF THE ABOVE WILL BE CONSIDERED GROSS MISCONDUCT

Kirill

CCTV and conspiracy news

Kirill

CCTV and conspiracy news

Kirill

Echoes in time

Kirill

Echoes in time

Kirill

Layer 4: Full blast Official Website Launches

Drama Series on air

Web series begins broadcasting on MSN,facebook and youtube

4 week live schedule

Episodes

Websites

Kirill

Layer 5: The plot thickens

Staff at Nomi disappear

*Audience tells her not to go

Audience “accidentally” gets sent email chain

Nomi request to meet Viv*

Kirill makes contact - who is he

All leading to a thrilling....

Kirill

anti-climax*

*humph!Monday, 21 October 13

90%90%90%90%90%

Content

90%90%90%90%90%

Content

Audience

90%90%90%90%90%

Content

Audience

90%90%90%90%90%

Content

Audience

• Where does the story start? Where and how is it continued?

• Does it need to start in a single place? Or is it possible to retell an opening “chapter” from a different

character’s perspective, or go back and add a prequel?

• How do I know which medium comes next as I “read” the story—or does the story need to be told in

a linear sequence? Can the audience dip into it at different points of their own choosing?

• Can you expand on backstories, or tangential histories? What about adding incidents that fill in gaps

in the existing narrative?

• How are similar bits of information or story elements expressed in different media?

• Why is a particular medium used to convey a certain section of the story? What can one medium

accomplish that another can’t?

• How do all media components complement one another and provide a richer audience experience?

• How does the overall experience immerse the audience in a story?

thanks*

*no, really.

@seancoleman

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