Digital Storytelling Festival

Next Exit

Interview

Next Exit

Corporate Consulting

Dana went back to work, and I went along. At some point I suggested he put away the media and focus on telling a story. What was the throughline? What held the evening together; most importantly, what were we supposed to be learning about him? Where were the emotional revelations? Dana followed my advice. He wrote for six months and then recombined the words and video and music. The next run proved more successful and led to invitations to perform in various settings, technology gatherings and the like. The next thing we knew, Next Exit had a life of its own.

Next Exit places Dana as a campfire storyteller. His set piece is a pile of logs with a small television on top playing a loop of burning fire. From his stump beside the fire, Dana narrates a series of stories from the six decades of his life. On the projected screen behind him, we see him navigate a custom-designed interface that allows Dana, using a wireless mouse, to choose between an assortment of icons that are then constructed into a given night's performance. The show mixes stories about coming of age, romance, his relationship with his father, and a number of his exploits as a traveling artist and video producer. It works as enjoyable entertainment but also as a provocation to look at one's own stories, and to mine the personal photographs, letters, and home movies for stories about one's life

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