COM/ENG 395 - DOCUMENTARY STORYTELLING

Course Description

Storytelling can be found as the fabric of the universe; it is, in many ways, what makes us human. Throughout history, groups of people have taught, learned, entertained, and communicated with stories using a variety of mediums. From cave paintings to court jesters, gramophones to the internet, this course considers this act of storytelling across a range of digital media formats, with specific focus on techniques for creating production-based story-rich projects. However, the stories we tell are not innocent. How we frame, execute, and communicate the piece determines the audience, the power, and privilege of the story. This course additionally seeks to consider the democratization of digital media in both production and dissemination through its tool selection, framing, and communication-based elements. Ultimately, this class allows for students to develop a critical perspective of engaging with digital technologies and to articulate the rationale of incorporating digital media into their everyday practice.

Final Project Showcase

For the final project of the course, students were tasked with develop and creating a public-facing digital storytelling project. The course was structured so that the final project was developed through benchmarks established throughout the semester allowing students to brainstorm, research, draft, and refine these efforts over time. Using the tools and strategies learned throughout the class, students will present a digital narrative about their chosen stor in our final showcase! Learn more about the projects below.

Student Project Information

Alex Tskynov: Literary Analysis of Dan Abnett’s works as a Freelance author, created as an audio essay.

Anna McPhaul: A a short documentary film detailing dog rescues and what they offer their communities.

Anthony Carter: An art collage of different pieces spreading awareness for Mental Health issues.

Anthony Waddy: A Storymap about the environmental justice movement and the NCEJN (North Carolina Environmental Justice Network).

Ashley Van Havere: A StoryMap focused on Marilyn Monroe: her legacy told accurately and truthfully, discussing her childhood, adolescence, careers in film, modeling, and singing, as well as her adulthood and the traumas she faced throughout her life.

Eimile Zamorano: A choose-your-own-adventure built in Twine based around real-world stories on abortion.

Ellie Hendrickson: A StoryMap encouraging austistics people's perspectives on autism and their experiences as austistics, rather than prioritizing not-autistic rhetoric.

Gage Whitfield: Mini Video essay concerning police, the arguments surrounding defunding them, the way they are portrayed in the media, the hatred people feel towards them, the narrative pushed by BLM, and their relation to gun violence.

Gavin Bathgate: An interactive nonfiction story about the history of hockey at NC State University.

Jacey Nelson: A StoryMap focused on mental health trends on college campuses over the years, providing personal accounts from students and interviews with the director of the NC State Mental Health Task Force to see what action is being taken to spark change.

Jana Wildy: StoryMap intended to educate the community about the resources provided to children across the United States by the Boys and Girls Club.

Lauren Crossley: A StoryMap about the transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.

Madeline Alford: A short documentary film highlighting the sexualization of women in media.

Matthew Morris: An interative timeline explaining the evolution of video games as a medium and industry that highlights the cultural impacts of the video game indsutry on society.

Nicole Fisher: An infographic displaying the inspirational life and achievements of Temple Grandin.

Rachelle Hernandez: A short Twine game highlighting a foreign Easter dessert.

Riley Shaak: A video that explains the support around student athletes and mental health by the organization, The Hidden Opponent, created by Victoria Garrick.

Riley Stephenson: A video essay giving an overview of the history of the Ainu people and the struggles they face in modern-day Japan.

Suzu Lee: A StoryMap project on raising awareness about transgender people and busting harmful myths and misconceptions.

Tolar Ray: A 3-minute fundraising video on Carolina Crown's new direction and community programs, an elite marching arts nonprofit based in the Carolinas.

Tyler Nelson: An advocating documentary film about the grueling impact of the shark finning trade.

Victoria Davis Neal: A documentary film about the impact of the Falls Lake Dam construction on a rural north Raleigh community.

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