Before we start on our journey into the complexities of what makes a good digital story there is some background that is important to the examples that follow. Since I was young, I’ve been very obsessed with anything Asian, looking back I feel I can partially blame Disney for Mulan (not like I dress up as her for Halloween or anything -cough cough-). This progressed into anime first with Sailor moon as many young girls can say then my first year of high school really set my lifetime of anime otaku-ness on its path when a friend asked me “Do you watch Naruto?” I had no idea what Naruto was (oh the bliss of ignorance) but that didn’t last long since the show played on Cartoon Network’s new Tunami. Of course, not wanting to be out of the loop with my new friends I started watching Naruto like my high school social status was in jeopardy. And that is how my anime lifestyle took root as you’ll soon realize.
You probably haven’t realized how much of your life is rooted in storytelling, digital stories in particular. Everyday millions of people get on Facebook to watch the lives of others using video and text, Instagram has made a picture really worth a thousand words with the storytelling it does. Digital storytelling is an art that can be hard to master. You need to use literary elements well to create a good story.
Some of the first digital storytelling that passed my eyes was fanfiction. This is a simple text-based storytelling that leads you on a journey of your favorite characters as an observer, though I still partake in my fair share of fanfiction I do think that with the advancement of the internet better digital storytelling has emerged. Bryan Alexander talks about internet transforming storytelling for people, making it more personal “Participants developed stories about their lives or the lives of people close to them. Scripts were written to emphasize the creator’s speech, what the Center for Digital Storytelling (CDS) came to refer to as the “gift of voice”—a heightened sense of personal presence resulting in the final video.” I think this is where YouTube really brought out the creative collective who wanted to be seen, Youtube gave them a place to tell their story. Point of view can really have an impact in how you connect to a story and this is a important part of digital storytelling. Youtube shows how the point of view of a story can make a difference. I’m sure by now we all have tons of people we are subscribed to on Youtube just so that we can hear their “voice.” This vlogging kind of storytelling makes it personal, because you see another person’s story from their eyes and get connected to them through your similar life events. Making a connection with people like IMTMobile on Youtube did for me sometimes helps you get through the day and keeps people going. IMTMobile is a set of day to day videos of fun times, and watching it brightened my day and gave me something to strive for, friendships that never end. Others like me wouldn’t have been able to form a bond like this without seeing the Youtubers on IMTMobile’s story the way they see it, a first person point of view makes vlogging a great way to tell your story.
Who doesn’t like a good conflict? Conflict is a great thing, when you’re not the one part of the conflict. Humans are curious and that means we’re nosy, it’s okay, admit it just to me. As soon as there’s an argument or some drama around the corner you want to know what’s going on. The biggest example I have for what makes a great story is Naruto (remember I said that that history would be important?). Yes, Naruto started as a comic, then was an anime but just like anything good you can never have to much, and now there are also quite a few video games. The one I am currently playing is NinjaStorm 4 and Naruto Boruto, and they both have all the things you need to make a great digital story starting with their main conflict. Playing as Naruto is great and all but what I love about NinjaStorm 4 is you get to play as Sasuke too, who is part of the main conflict of whether he will return with Naruto to the leaf village. You think one conflict is enough? Heck no! This game throws conflict on top of conflict. You are thrown straight into battle to become stronger at the beginning of the game. It starts with an old rivalry of supreme ninjas; your battle rearranges the earth around you. The battle is important in giving you a history to why the war has gotten to where it is now, from there you get to follow either Sasuke or Naruto in their personal journey in the Great Ninja War. If you make it through the battles ahead you can even be greeted with some romance for when you think there is to much bro going on.
A complex interactive story makes a great digital story. You don’t only want to click through each interaction, or simply watch the story like a T.V. show such as the comedy of SAO Abridged on YouTube when the internet has so much more to offer, more to explore. The best digital stories suck you into a new world and have you talking to a friend like you’re from this imagined land your story takes place in. I’ve been caught more than once with a worried glance from a stranger who wasn’t sure how to take a passing statement with no context, and that’s what is great. To be taken over by a story. Take my word for it and get lost in the game play of Naruto NinjaStorm4 because it’s a digital story like no other.
#DigitalStorytelling, #LiteraryElements, #Conflict, #IMTMobile, #Naruto, #Sasuke, #NinjaStorm4, #BryanAlexander
Work Cited:
Bryan Alexander Digital Storytelling
https://www.youtube.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/IMTMobile/videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6kJKxvbgZ0&list=RDQM0CHjlitaTHo&start_radio=1
NarutoNinjaStorm 4/ Naruto Boruto
Naruto Bandai Namco https://www.bandainamcoent.com/games/naruto-shippuden-ultimate-ninja-storm-4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvXKvjyTOPo