July 8, 2022 - INSPIREFLIX - Films of a Million +One

Storytelling Tips or Tricks

Leave a Comment / Posts / Gabor Kukucska

Storytelling in its earliest form manifest as visual stories. From the oldest cave drawings in Sulawesi, Indonesia to the cave art in Spain and France, they are vestiges of bygone ages that speak of the human propensity to connect, to share. Telling stories has since evolved as man’s capacity and capability expand. Today, storytelling is on steroids! Digital storytelling has pervaded our daily lives. A click of a button on your smart phone, tablet, and computer connects you to an audience from one to a million. According to the “The Internet Minute” data in 2021 compiled by Lori Lewis, 695,000 stories are shared on Instagram, 28,000 subscribers are watching on Netflix, 500 hours of content are uploaded on You Tube, 69 million messages sent on Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp – all of these taking place in 60 seconds. INSPIREFLIXhas undertaken to carve a positive niche in the deluge. We do not just put out any story on film. We are on the lookout for the ‘good finds’ – stories that inspire, build up, and create a beneficial impact on society. Anyone can tell a story but below are useful tips do better at it and a few tricks to avoid. Let’s break them down to three core essentials: Keep it centered What is the central focus of the story? Is it the character/s, the event, an idea, a conviction or insight? Build your narrative around it. Oftentimes in storytelling, one can easily get carried away and linger unnecessarily on some particulars, drawing the audience away from the focal point. What is the central message? What are you conveying? If you don’t have this clearly pinned down, the story will lack trajectory, meaning, and purpose. The notable poet and writer, Carl Sandburgh, had once said “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” He, most certainly, had not meant it the way to go with telling a story. The central message is what takes the narrative home. Concise but substantive In this digital age, it looks like we’ve beaten the legendary 9-second attention span of the goldfish. Microsoft study has it that the human average time span has dropped from 12 to 8 seconds. This leaves your story less time to capture the interest of an audience. Brevity is key; let every word augment, not diminish the story. Keep the integrity of the story Story headlines scream for attention and many stories are being reduced to crass sensationalism. Avoid the trap. Keep the integrity in your narrative. The noise may catch attention, but only for a short while. A story in its purest form leaves enduring marks worth the journey back to its time. Will you trust us with your story? Share with us what tips or tricks you’ve encountered in storytelling that may help someone else. REFERENCES: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/journey-oldest-cave-paintings-world-180957685/ https://www.allaccess.com/merge/archive/32972/infographic-what-happens-in-an-internet-minute https://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/

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5 Reasons to Tell Your Story on Film

A human story is an aggregate of knowledge, experiences, values, and heritage assimilated into the life of an individual. YOU are a walking story in progress, continuously evolving and creating an impact throughout your lifetime – and even beyond. Sharing a snippet of your life is not merely telling a story, but leaving imprints of the aggregate elements that make up who and what you are. INSPIREFLIX endeavors to take your story to a tangible and purposeful level. Consider these five reasons to tell your story with us, on film: The combined potentials of motion picture and sounds in conveying your story. If a picture paints a thousand words, imagine how much more a film can bring to life the information, insights, and emotions that you want to share. Interactive medium The auditory and visual elements in a film can captivate and immerse the audience in ways that an oral or written piece could not. Whether it’s the relatability and portrayal of the characters, the ambient noise or music, the scenery, the setting – any of, or all these can draw the viewers further into your story and elevate the storytelling experience for them. Create connections The story creates a bond that holds the filmmaker, the crew, the actors, the environs, and the audience together; a film is the conduit through which connections flow and form. Accessibility through technology Today, technology has enabled us to take our stories across borders and boundaries. Films can now be viewed not only on television & movie screens, but literally at one’s fingertips through the digital screen, on your tablet or mobile device. Harnessing this technology, a film breaks down the barriers of human and physical limitations. A refugee in some war-torn area, a teen-ager going through depression, or a first-time parent taking care of a newborn, a film about one’s struggle or triumph, however big or small, could be someone’s inspiration or lease on life. Stimulus for action and a catalyst for change A film is a powerful medium that can turn passive emotions into action or bring about change in the hearts and minds of the audience. Off the list of the University of Southern California’s 15 films of 2018 that left a social impact is “Shoplifter,” a movie about a family who resorts to shoplifting as a means to survive. Before seeing the film, a viewer may have had strong conviction against stealing but following the lives of the family unfold, watching their deprivations, their struggle, one could end up finding humanity in the characters resonating one’s own. These people could be any of the homeless lot you passed by somewhere, one who does odd jobs for you, or they could be YOU at some point in your life. Such is the influence a film can hold and the impact your “ordinary” story may have on someone, in some place, at some time.