Digital storytelling, a modern method of communication through which stories of various ages and times can be exchanged, combines various media like images, audio, and videos to craft narratives that can pique the audience’s interest.
A beginner’s guide to digital storytelling, similar to all forms of storytelling, includes a beginning, middle, and end; a clear plot; and engaging elements. However, it is also a versatile medium that allows people from any part of the world to enjoy stories.
The steps to digital storytelling start with
- Step One involves coming up with an idea. The idea could be anything ranging from the thought you’ve had while showering to a topic you may have learned in school. Once you have a solid idea, you can write a proposal that helps you dive deeper into the topic.
- Step Two: Now the idea needs content to back it up, and you go to extreme lengths to get that information, whether that means diving deep into the Mariana Trench of the World Wide Web or climbing the Mount Everest of Wikipedia. The key part is organization; using mind mapping will make the next steps much easier.
- Step Three: Use the brainstorming done to begin the writing and scripting process; it is as simple as piecing a jigsaw puzzle together. Consider the audience, the amount of content, and the vocabulary you want to use.
- Step 4: Generate audio and visual content by using microphones and improved camera angles. In today’s world, soundproofing is a godsend that eliminates noise and distractions in their entirety and thus rewards a clearer, more understandable audio quality. Humankind has experimented so much with camera quality and angles that now, to obtain a certain type of visual quality, the camera needs to be angled at a particular angle.
- Step 5: Compile the audio, visual, and written scripts. Gather or create audio and visuals that resonate with your content and ponder a way to put them together so that the story comes alive.
- Step 6: One advantage of digital storytelling is the ease of sharing, whether through social media, a website, or the platform that was used to create it.
Some of the current favorite digital storytelling tools include
- Canva.com for design and content creation: Beautiful templates and numerous options for customizing colors and fonts can make anyone feel like a graphic designer.
- Icons The Noun Project is an easy-to-use platform that allows you to search for and download almost anything you can imagine.
- StoryMap JS: An interactive platform that allows you to layer titles, texts, images, or even videos on top of a geographic map
- Timeline JS: Create interactive timelines by incorporating videos, images, and audio files to tell a chronological story.
- Adobe Spark: For image-based storytelling, Spark Pages is great for short linear stories that have many visuals. Spark offers a gallery of ready-to-use images to bring your story to life.
For more information and to learn more, try our virtual rehearsal simulator!