This week, I decided to check out another adversity story from the StoryCenter site. I found a piece entitled “Roller Coaster” by Denise Ward. It’s often difficult to listen to another person’s struggle after a tragic event, but it’s good to know at the end that people can overcome trauma. As in previous critiques, I judged this digital story on the following assessment traits (as established by Jason Ohler in his book Digital Storytelling in the Classroom):
Story – Like many good stories, Ward tells hers in the first person. She gives the viewer some historical background about the 25 years her air medical organizing had operated without a crash. She draws the viewer in further by giving a descriptive timeline of the day her rescue flight crashed. She gives a name (Brent) and a face of the pilot who died on the scene. She furthermore describes the scene in the hospital emergency room and what she needed at that moment. Ward talks a lot about how the rescue organization she works for feels more like a family that can work together to resolve any internal crisis. At the end, Ward comforts the viewer by mentioning that she has been able to continue with her job for 10 years.
Media application – There is a good mix of content, including still photos, program memorabilia and background music. Ward creates a nice collage of visual images using a series of soft transitions. Many of the photos emphasize Ward’s interest in her air rescue work as well as her compassion for her co-workers. The instrumental music creates a relaxing tone that does not distract from her narration.
Media Grammar – This is the one trait that could use some improvement. Ward’s images, most of which are probably from photographic prints, seemed to have been scanned at a low resolution. Noticing digital pixels in a presentation can be distracting. In addition, Ward has the images moving around sporadically at the beginning. Many people attempt to use what is referred to as the Ken Burns effect with images, but it’s not always effective. It would have been better to have the photographs move slower or perhaps as little as possible.
On a side note, I like how StoryCenter has a dedicated YouTube site for exhibiting the works of their storytellers. Not ever organization does this and it makes it difficult for people to both find and share good digital stories.