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Simply put, digital stories are multimedia presentations that combine a variety of communicative elements within a narrative structure. Many people use elaborate non-traditional story forms, such as non-linear and interactive narratives. Thanks to new media and digital technologies, individuals can approach storytelling from unique perspectives. One can think of digital storytelling as the modern extension of the ancient art of storytelling, now interwoven with digitized still and moving images and sound. These new technologies allow individuals to share their stories over the Internet on YouTube, Vimeo, compact discs, podcasts, and other electronic distribution systems. This newer form of storytelling emerged with the advent of accessible media production techniques, hardware and software, including but not limited to digital cameras, digital voice recorders, iMovie, Microsoft Photos, Final Cut Express and WeVideo. One can define digital storytelling as the process by which diverse peoples share their life stories and creative imaginings with others. The term "digital storytelling" is sometimes also used more broadly to cover a range of digital narratives (web-based stories, interactive stories, hypertexts, and narrative computer games) It is sometimes used to refer to film-making in general, and as of late, it has been used to describe advertising and promotion efforts by commercial and non-profit enterprises. The media used may include the digital equivalent of film techniques, stills, audio only, or any of the other forms of non-physical media (material that exists only as electronic files as opposed to actual paintings or photographs on paper, sounds stored on tape or disc, movies stored on film) which individuals can use to tell a story or present an idea. ĭigital stories often present in compelling and emotionally engaging formats, and can be interactive. "Digital stories" are "short vignettes that combine storytelling with still pictures, video clips, music, and text using a variety of video software". ĭigital storytelling is a community-based activity and should be distinguished from electronic literature, which is a literary movement where genres include hypertext fiction, digital poetry, interactive fiction, generative literature, and from other forms of digital narrative, for instance in video games or fan fiction.
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They are thought to have educational, democratizing and even therapeutic effects. The method is frequently used in schools, museums, libraries, social work and health settings, and communities.
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Process where ordinary people create and share their stories using digital media.ĭigital storytelling is a short form of digital media production that allows everyday people to create and share their stories online.
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