Storytelling in the Video Age

By Leslie Slape

If you’re a storyteller with a webcam, you can record your stories and post them on-line. It’s remarkably easy. Since July I have been busily recording stories and songs, making up for years of talking myself out of it because of the expense, the time commitment and my nervousness in front of the camera. Now the videographer is me, the venue is my own home, and telling to the webcam is as natural telling in front of a mirror.

Videos are a way to reach a far, far wider audience than you ever dreamed. Through my presence on storyteller.net, ProfessionalStoryteller.ning, Facebook and, most of all, YouTube, I have told to people in unexpected places such as Qatar, Croatia, Argentina and Indonesia. I have also forged new friendships with other storytellers. I absolutely Read more »

Podcasting is the future of storytelling…

Very few storytellers make it easy for potential clients to listen to their material online. Many storytellers choose to hide the treasure of their professional work behind a wall of profit and self-interest. Unluckily for them profit and self-interest can be better served by bringing down the wall. How do you expect potential clients to be sold on your ability as a storyteller if they have never heard you tell a story? How many potential presenters or school administrators are not hiring storytellers just because they had one bad experience and need more evidence to overcome their prejudice? How do you expect people to buy your online CD’s without being able to test the waters?

As a movement we are offering what the world wants to hear. Currently America is filled with cynical, disconnected and apathetic people who are dying for authentic relationships. What is good storytelling? – authentic, real and Read more »

The National Storytelling Conference of 2008 – Panel on the Future of Storytelling Online.

Press Play to hear this interview that was recorded as a conference panel presentation at the National Storytelling Conference on Friday, August 8th, 2008 at 11 am ET – 2008. The Future of Storytelling Online from left to right Brother Wolf as moderator, Panel members Rachel Hedman, Robert Kikuchi-yngojo, Mary Margaret O’Connor and Fred Crowe off picture to the right.

Here is a brief bio on each participant.

Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo was the co-founder, along with his wife Nancy Wang of Eth-Noh-Tec. For the past 26 years they’ve created, performed, and re-synthesized ancient Asian mythologies and folk tales. As a storyteller Robert also performs solo, traveling nationwide working with national chapters of Young Audiences and other agencies. Lesser known, are his accolades in the Asian American music scene. He has recently launched Eth-Noh-Tec’s new podcast: “Once A Pod A Time”.

Karen Chace is a storyteller, web researcher and director of a student storytelling troupe. She is the author of Story By Story – Building A Student Storytelling Club, contributed to the NSN publications, A Beginner’s Guide to Storytelling, Telling Stories to Children and writes the Stor-e Telling column for Storytelling Magazine. She maintains a amazing website of resources at http://www.storybug.net

Rachel Hedman (http://www.rachelhedman.com) is a fusion of energy who takes everyday events, discovers the adventure behind them, and shares the stories with everyone. From sophomore high school youth teller to BYU Storytelling Club founder, she now serves as Co-Chair for the Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance. She spearheads approval of the Boy Scouts of America storytelling merit badge. She posts semi-monthly on her blog ” Voice – A Storyteller’s Lifestyle” at http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com.

Mary Margaret O’Connor is the founder of iTales.com. Mary Margaret lives in Irvine, California and runs a pharmaceutical marketing consulting company. She is married with two kids. Despite this being her first visit to the beautiful Great Smokey Mountains, she couldn’t quite get inspired enough for yesterday’s 5am Pacific Time hike!

Eric Wolf is a children’s storyteller and host of the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf. Eric Wolf has a M.S. from Lesley University, apprenticed with Storyteller David Elhya in 1993. He writes on his experience as a dyslexic storyteller on his personal blog www.dyslexicstoryteller.blogspot.com/.

Bio’s Above ———–

————- Offers Below

Eth-Noh-Tec will be leading several cultural delegations to Asia: India 2008, China 2009, Singapore and Korea in subsequent years. This Fall, from Oct 31 through Nov 16, 2008, join them as they explore the storytelling in the oral and musical traditions of Chennai, India. There is room for their fall tour. Contact them: at there website www.ethnohtec.org or call: 415-282-8705.

Karen Chace has a four page handout available for you today. However, you may also receive it via email attachment. All of the URL’s will be hyperlinked for your convenience so you just have to point and click! Simply email Karen at storybug@aol.com with the subject heading “NSN Panel Offer.”

Be one of the first five people to post a comment to one of Rachel Hedman’s blog entries (http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com), share feedback on the entry, and request for a one-hour free consultation call with her about your blog. All other people who respond are welcome to get quick tips by email – info@rachelhedman.com.

iTales would like to offer storytellers to go to www.iTales.com and sign up to sell your story. In return, we will host and assist in the global marketing of your story.

Eric Wolf invites you to listen to his podcasts at http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com where you will be able to hear the complete recording of this panel in about month or www.fairytalesforever.com where there are 20+ stories online for easy listening. If you are interested in podcasting as possible venture please signup to his free e-course on Art Centered Podcasting at: http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com/podcast/

Eric Wolf Speaking during the podcast….

Thanks again to Fred Cowe for dropping in on such short notice….
http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com

Storytelling in The Street at Festivals and as Outdoor Theater and Storytelling With Magic.

Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of Interview #054 Joshua Safford for $2.23 Telling to the street – magic for eye.

Joshua Safford writes…
I’m looking forward to discussing with Eric what it means to be a street Storyteller as well as the fusion between magic and storytelling. While I have performed in theaters, schools, cafe’s and more traditional storytelling venues, I most commonly perform for people under trees, in fields and on corners. This is actually a more traditional means of performing storytelling back when storytellers worked in the marketplace in the street or would travel from home to home singing for their supper. Largely I do this in the context of a Renaissance or fantasy festival but I have, in the past, taken it upon myself to just do storytelling in the modern street.

Why work in this storytelling fashion? Well for one it breaks the third wall in a very special way. One can actually reach out and touch ones audience members, clink mugs and adjust ones programming according to their expressions. Certainly this can be done in a theater but one gains a greater sense of control through a cluster instead of a crowd. And storyteller can pay greater individual attention to the storytellers audience. The storyteller can also judge them more effectively when storytelling with a tighter lens so to speak.

Picking the right story for an individual that you meet in passing can be very powerful. One is also afforded a greater Read more »

Jeff Gere – Making waves: A Thinking Bigger Blueprint with Television and Radio

Tired of the tin sound? Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of Interview #051 Jeff Gere for $2.23 How you can Think Big with radio and TV.

A BLUEPRINT: I offer a blueprint based on my evolution here in Hawaii mapping a progression from a teller to a story producer of a Festival, a radio, and TV series. I believe it is vital for us to moving storytelling into the blood stream of the mainstream.

MY OPINION: Storytelling is like folk music before Peter Paul & Mary. Its self-image loves small and intimate, is largely adverse and suspicious of media and documentation while the REST of the Web Entertainment World explodes bland content in an ever-growing variety of methods and technologies. Content is King, storytelling is a DEEP WELL of PROFOUND CONTENT, but it/we are NOT reaching the fast-food masses. Our self-image does not serve us. I believe there’s a need for Storytelling. We have an opportunity: We who drink in this well ARE the ones to bridge this gap, get OVER our techno-phobia, and feed this rich story mana to the Masses. OK, you say, but HOW?

“The First impediment is self-imposed” Helen Keller.

A FLOOD BEGINS WITH A DROP: (you): Start with YOURSELF. Do your homework, find your Voice & polish coal into a jewel with your tongue. Tell tell tell tell and tell: THEN get biz card, resume, and website. Start small and Read more »

Diane Williams – Literacy Development and Storytelling in the classroom.

Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of Interview #046 Diane Williams for $2.23 Literacy Development – Storytelling in the classroom.

Diane Williams spoke about creating a storytelling classroom and literacy development in the storytelling classroom. Teachers, parents, storytellers and students can effectively get involved in a systemic, sustainable, and holistic approach to learning across the curriculum by incorporating story and storytelling elements.

This discussion delves into how a storyteller can Read more »

Exploring the Podcasting Revolution.

Interview #044 Baba the storyteller in LA for $2.23 Sharing the podcast revolution.

Baba and I speak about the podcasting revolution. Comments or feed back welcome here on the blog post. Do you think I should have Baba back? Is podcasting to narrow a subject? Are we off topic fro the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf? Will we ever stop talking off topic of podcasting during this episode? All this and so much more on two tellers talking – the podcasting special. Read more »