Digital Storytelling Festival

Next Exit

Introduction:

JL: Do you think we are also talking about integrity? I believe we use digital storytelling in the same way the film community uses independent film. Independent has come to mean more than "outside of the studio system." It is work in which the director's or screenwriter's narrative voice is sustained. Similarly, in a culture where digital becomes synonymous with special effects and the generic narratives of games, we use storytelling to ground the use of digital tools in the search for meaning.

DA: I wouldn't try to overdefine digital storytelling because it can be inclusive of many different kinds of work. I think you and I are most compelled by work that shares honesty and integrity, and has an emotional basis for its message.

JL: Next Exit is an inspiration for many people. What makes Next Exit effective?

DA: First of all, it is honest and emotionally resonant. Secondly, Next Exit has a pool of 60 stories from which I can draw. Each story stands on its own, but they also interconnect and combine in numerous ways.

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