What do all good stories have in common? A strong protagonist? A conflict? A thought-through suspense curve? An emotional dilemma? Or maybe all of the above? We can discuss this question from a structural point of view in the comments if you wish. However, there is one thing on which we will likely agree. Good stories connect. They connect humans with each other. They connect one person to another person’s experience. They connect us with our inner selves. “Connect” was the topic of this year’s conference, “The Power of Storytelling” in Bucharest, which celebrated its comeback after a long break. As usual, the event gathered participants and speakers from all over the world and from different disciplines. You can’t call it an ordinary conference, though. It was more like group therapy and a safe space for people who have stories in their blood – journalists, documentary filmmakers, writers, marketing specialists – and those who love those stories. Below, I want to share some of my personal storytelling insights and takeaways that I believe to be universal if a) you’re human and b) you work with stories. Image credit: Mihai Ciobanu / The Power of Storytelling How technology affects good stories Kranzberg’s First Law of technology goes like this: Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral. As Chris Wiggins, Chief Data Scientist at The New York Times and an associate professor of applied mathematics at Columbia University, reminded us in his keynote, the same applies to humans. People who...
Published By: CineD - Yesterday