telling great stories

Lesson #1 | Josiah's Story

1. VIEW JOSIAH'S STORY (trt 16 min.)

CLASS DISCUSSION

2. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ELEMENTS OF THIS STORY THAT MAKE IT SO COMPELLING?

3. THROUGHOUT THE STORY, THE REPORTER REVEALS A SERIES OF SURPRISES (GOLDEN NUGGETS). HOW DO THESE "GOLDEN NUGGETS" KEEP THE AUDIENCE ENGAGED? (VIEW UNTIL 10:28)

GOLDEN NUGGET EXAMPLE

4. SILENCE CAN BE GOLDEN IN A STORY. OFTEN WE FEEL THAT STORIES NEED TO BE FILLED WITH INTERVIEWS AND VOICEOVERS. IN FACT, LETTING A STORY BREATHE IS A POWERFUL TECHNIQUE. WHY IS THIS EDITING TECHNIQUE EFFECTIVE IN KEEPING AN AUDIENCE ENGAGED? (VIEW UNTIL 9:10)

STORY "BREATH" EXAMPLE

5. HELP YOUR AUDIENCE CARE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER. IN FEATURE STORYTELLING WE WANT THE VIEWERS TO CONNECT WITH THE SUBJECT OF OUR STORY. WHEN THAT CONNECTION IS "DEEP AND EMOTIONAL," YOUR STORY WILL BE MEMORABLE. THERE ARE SO MANY SCENES IN JOSIAH'S STORY THAT HELP US MAKE AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION. WHAT SCENE WAS MOST MEMORABLE FOR YOU? (VIEW UNTIL 5:51)

CONNECTING WITH THE STORY

REPORTER TOM RINALDI

6. REPORTER'S WRITING AND INTERVIEW STYLE. TOM RINALDI HAS WON SIXTEEN EMMY AWARDS AND SEVEN EDWARD R. MURROW AWARDS. HIS UNIQUE REPORTING STYLE HAS HELPED HIM TELL EXTRAORDINARY STORIES FOR ESPN AND FOX SPORTS. SOME OF HIS BEST WORK HAVE BEEN IN STORIES ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE. WHY DOES HE CONNECT SO WELL WITH THE SUBJECT OF HIS STORIES? HE HAS A UNIQUE STYLE.

FURTHER DISCUSSION

1. ESPN'S E60 BROADCAST'S TRADEMARK IS THEIR DISREGARD FOR THE "LEAD ROOM" RULE WHILE FRAMING INTERVIEWS. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS UNIQUE FILMMAKING STYLE? (VIEW UNTIL 5:51)

2. E60 STORIES ARE OFTEN FILLED WITH MOVING SOUND DESIGN. HOW DOES THE SOUND DESIGN/MUSIC ENHANCE THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF A STORY? (VIEW UNTIL 2:10)

3. THERE IS A COMPELLING STORYTELLING TECHNIQUE CALLED "BOOK-ENDING." THIS MEANS THAT THE STORY'S FIRST AND LAST SCENE WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE SAME DAY AND IN THE SAME LOCATION. IN BETWEEN THE FIRST AND LAST SCENE, THE STORY TAKES THE VIEWER ON A MEMORABLE, OFTEN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER ADVENTURE WHY DOES THIS TECHNIQUE WORK SO EFFECTIVELY? (VIEW FIRST AND LAST 30 SECONDS)

Josiah's Story Begins and Ends in
State College, PA

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