How Do You Tell a Story?
How do you tell a story? Yes, it is a simple question, but we are finding out it is not a simple answer. How to tell a story is a question we are exploring in the workshops we are coordinating in Juanacátlan and debating amongst ourselves as we begin shaping our documentary more decisively. We are entering the third week of our first round of Flip Video workshops, reflecting on the direction of our workshops, and meeting with wise IMDEC popular educators to shape its future. The enthusiasm and material generated by our workshop participants so far is incredible, and we are more impressed and inspired each time we meet.
So far, we agree upon this much about what comprises a story: A story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. With any luck, it has a climax and a revealing contrast. The good ones possess a twinkle, a raw emotion, and/or something we hold onto and want to share with others. If you are interested in reading more from a master, I recommend “Ira Glass’s Radio Manifesto.” A good friend and collaborator, Becca, is also exploring how to tell a story visually with youth in Hyderabad, India, and I highly recommend checking out her approach.
Now, this question becomes more complicated. We are teaching others how to tell a story and we don’t want to tell them but instead facilitate their process of defining and discovering how to tell their own stories (ahh popular education, you are so beautiful and so difficult). Here we are, week three, attemping to guide a talented and motivated group of eight (en español) to capture all the contents of a story on film and edit said story into a compelling clip. Lucky for us, the participants in the workshop are naturally inclined to work well with technology AND people (often a rare combination). They may be new to film. However as I discussed in a blog post in September, film is really all about the story and you have to be careful not to let technology get in the way.
All of these steps the A2S team is taking are challenging and rewarding. We are both students and teachers in the world of film and social media these days, and we take those duel roles very seriously. In our workshops, we discuss and explore the ethics of being community journalists and how we can act responsibly in our respective roles. The power of social media is incredible and with that power comes a lot of responsibility and caution to wield it properly.
The contamination of the Río Santiago, particularly in El Salto and Juanacátlan, is sad and often challenging to feel hopeful about. It is difficult to express in words or film the severity we are witnessing. Sometimes I feel down and question how we can help and what we can do. Then I go to our film workshops, and feel my spirits lift. The hope in these kids and what they are working to create is beautiful. In filming and editing, they are reexamining their communities and themselves, as well as collaborating successfully together. It is pure alchemy.
Taking charge of the editing process
Lets recap how far we have come in our video workshops. 1) Find motivated group. 2) Teach them how to use cameras, conduct interviews with constructive questions, and get stoked about film. 3) Grapple with popular education and reflect about how we can improve. 4) Facilitate the editing process and making group decisions 5) Impart responsibility and discuss ethics 6) Repeat step #3 with more zest and experienced help 7) Coming Soon…
The virtual storyboard
For all you storytellers out there, we would love to hear your tips on how to elicit a good story from others, and your criteria on what makes a truly spectacular story.
Thanks for reading.
-Sarah
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By April Davila, 22 January 2010 @ 17:59
Story is all I think about these days. I’m working on my first novel, so I have the luxury of dealing in fiction, but one thing I have always found to be true is that heroes need an opposing force. The best docs, in my opinion, always tell both sides of the story. I don’t know enough about the Rio Santiago to give you specific examples, but I would be really interested to know exactly how the river got so polluted. Most people don’t set out to destroy an environment, they just have their priorities out of whack. In any case, I’m loving the updates. Can’t wait to hear more. Keep up the good work. Cheers, April
By erica, 22 January 2010 @ 20:34
wow, these are fascinating questions and ideas…thanks for this post. it’s gotten me thinking, and i’ll be back if i think of anything more helpful to say! this work is so inspiring!
By arthur, 25 January 2010 @ 18:27
Thanks for the thoughts and encouragement, April! We’ve been thinking a lot about what you said about ‘heroes needing an opposing force’. It’s something I think we’re going to try to weave into our documentary and it’s definitely something we’re going to share in our video workshops. Thanks again for reading and keeping up to date – Sarah and I are enjoying watching your own tale unfold
By Sarah, 25 January 2010 @ 18:37
I love the conversation! Thanks, April and Erica, for your thoughts and encouragement. One aspect we are focusing on in the workshops and our own interviews is how to ask open ended questions that don’t sway the person being interviewed. That makes it easier to capture all sides of a story. We’ll keep y’all posted as the discovery process continues.