Digital storytelling is the ability to transform a story into a multimedia work that not only captures the audience's attention but provides the viewers and listeners with an emotional experience.

—Bianca Floyd

For class discussion...

Webby Awards for Online Film & Video

Digital storytelling

"Digital storytelling begins with the notion that in the not too distant future, sharing one's story through multiple medium of imagery, text, voice, sound, music, video and animation will be the principal hobby of the world's people." —Joe Lambert, Center for Digital Storytelling

The seven elements of digital storytelling.

  1. Point of View:
    What is the main point of the story and what is the perspective of the author?
  2. A Dramatic Question:
    The dramatic question is a key question that keeps the viewer's attention and will be answered by the end of the story.
  3. Emotional Content:
    Emotional content represents serious issues that come alive in a personal and powerful way and connects the story to the audience.
  4. The Gift of Your Voice:
    Your voice is one of the primary means to personalize your story to help the audience understand the context.
  5. The Power of the Soundtrack:
    The soundtrack is music or other sounds that support and embellish the storyline.
  6. Economy:
    Using just enough content to tell the story without overloading the viewer requires skillful economy.
  7. Pacing:
    The rhythm of the story and how slowly or quickly it progresses is a factor of pacing.