Digital Storytelling Festival

Next Exit

Introduction:

JL: You are simply not presenting data. The story arc has to have closure, it has to start well and end well, in order for it to really work.

DA: I think this is one of the extreme challenges for people who are trying to do interactive working with multiple paths. If I were to put Next Exit on CD, I would appear and act as your guide, and you could wander at will, but have me return to offer suggestions and possible paths. The various attempts in creating interactive film and stories become labyrinthine narratives in which you lose that sense of closure. I think the ancient Greeks got it right. When you take away the traditional story arc, you might as well surf the Internet, because an endless labyrinth exploring people's stories and their links is going to be a much more intriguing interactive experience than the limited branching of a CD ROM story.

Corporate Consulting

JL: In your consultant practice, you are using storytelling in the context of professional presentations. How are you communicating the idea of storytelling to executives?

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