How to Tell a Great Digital Story

“I am Africa. This is My Story…”

African Youth Web Storytelling Contest
Sponsored byUNESCOPower of Peace Network

By Richard C. Close, Servant -CEO
The Chrysalis Campaign

Overview

Join in one voice. “I am Africa. This is my Story…”

We are asking you to join and be counted in a powerful group of stories about African Youth.

Once these stories were told around the campfire, now you will reach the world through TVs, computers and cell phones. Imagine that… you will havea global voice. Here is our chance for African Youth to become one powerful movement.

Why Storytelling?

Think of the great stories you have heard in your life. Some may be from an expensive Hollywood movie or a TV show. The best ones are when someone you know opens their heart and tells you about their life. It is sharing something important with a friend, it is personal and real.

  • When great stories come from the heart and soul, something inside of us changes.
  • Great stories also seem to be about someone overcoming the odds of failure and oppression to build something positive and new.
  • When we hear a great story, we secretlycheer the storyteller on; wehonor what they have done.

Personal Storytelling

When someone tells a story about their life it is powerful, because it is real. Like lighting a candle in a dark room, a story brightens our life with hope. The story breathes life into our hearts and encourages us to keep on going when things seem impossible.

  • Great stories inspire people to do new and innovative things. We listen, watch, learn, and then build something even better.
  • When your favorite ball team wins,you see yourself in the victory ceremony. When an African youth succeeds,all of Africa succeeds. When an organization helpsone African Youth transform their life,they have helped all of Africa’s youth transform.
  • When you look at all of the amazing stories African youth have achieved together we witness the oneness and the promise that is Africa’s future. That greater collective story must be told.
  • So we encourage you to place your story online for the entire world to witness the wonder that is Africa and the future it will build.
  • Just publishing your story makes you a winner. It makes you apart of the greater story that is “I am Africa. This is my story.”

Why is Chrysalis Campaign doing this?

Everytime I have worked in Africa taking photographs, writing, or working at missions, I have been asked by orphanages, business owners, teachers and youth raising families, “Please tell our story.” It always breaks my heart to hear this, because there are so many stories to tell.

When chatting with Wandila Simon Kamukwape of YAFNET, Zambia, we realized that we could empower African youth with the free resources to tell their stories to the entire world. Now the idea is being realized, with the help of UNESCO, with a YouTube channel and the African youth community.

One more thing: we made it clear to UNESCO that there will be no movie stars or dignitaries representing you. African youth and supporters are the heroes, and it is you who deserve the recognition and fame.

Let’s save some lives.

Richard C. Close, Servant-CEO, Chrysalis Campaign, Inc.

Be Creative Be Yourself

This document shows you how to build a step by step digital story. Do not worry if it seems too complicated. A single recording on a cell phone could win the contest.

  • This document is designed to give ideas for you and your group to work with. It will help you organize your ideas. It will help you keep your ideas within the three to four minute limit.
  • No video will be voted on based on sticking to this plan. Voting is done on YouTube by the world.
  • A good story can be as simple as a three minute testimony on a cell phone or web cam with no background and then uploaded onto YouTube. This all about you and your story. It does not really matter if you win or not. It is about having a voice, speaking out, and giving thanks.
  • This is a local project and when it’s finished, it can go on your school’s or cyber cafe’s web site.
  • This can also be your own town or school’s contest. You can vote on the best story from a town’s cybercafé or school and have a local competition. Just have fun and give honor to all who have helped.
Some tipson directing digital storytelling

There are many ways to tell a great story. We do not expect you to use our way, however, we thought we would provide you with a basic way to tell a complete story. This is also a good guide for your “CyberGuide,” school, or cyber café to use.

Be honest

A good story is believable. As your story unfolds, your honesty and integrity are critical to your voting audience. Honesty and integrity issues are a problem, not only in Africa, but throughout the world. It takes great character to be an honest person in a dishonest world. Your audience will be watching for the story’s honesty and integrity.

Be Yourself

Never over act or put on a show. The less you put on a show or show off,the more people will like you and believe you.

Be Brief

The reason we cut up the 3 minute video into scenes is for you bebrief in making each point. Think of a series of small 20 second TV commercials. Look at the sample of Youth for Human Rights storytelling YouTubes on the Ning.

Show your world to the world

Try to have a background or image that relates to what you are talking about.

Keep it simple

If you can do some big production… go for it. Just remember, it is all about the story and not the production. One simple story from a cell phone movie could win it.

How to make a digital Story?

This is about the person and the story. It has no awards to technical or creative quality. So make something with the tools you have on hand. We also highly recommend seeking out help from your community. Perhaps a cybercafé or someone in a NGO has a camera you can use. Remember, they will get credit and recognition in the end.

How to enter contest

Join the contest social community. GOTO:
See contest instructions.

Upload your YouTube story onto YouTube with “I-am-Africa” in the Tag box.
See contest instructions

Tell a good honest story

In the following pages we will teach how to map out an in-depth story.

Find help

Look at this as a project and recruit friends, business owners, cyber cafes, teachers and missions to help you.

What can be uploaded into YouTube?
  • Anything that can upload to YouTube:
  • YouTube upload requirements:
  • YouTube help:
  • Cell phone movies: See your cell phone manufacturer
  • PowerPoint presentations with sound
  • Microsoft MovieMaker - See free download and tutorial
  • Camtasia eLearning – See free download (30 day trail) and tutorial
  • Download:
  • Tutorial:
  • Free Audio Editing Software
  • Download:

Using a Storyboard

The next two pages take a typical digital story and breaks your story down into simple scenes. Each scene is just like a movie and they go from one to the next until the story is ended.

You can do this on a simple blank piece of paper or use software like PowerPointor MS Wordto do your story board. The example outline below was done on PowerPoint.

Scene or PowerPoint page /
Notes: / Minutes.
seconds
/ This is a story board and it has questions you can copy, change or do change completely.
Storytelling is a way of describing a series of scenes together and taking your audience down a path to prove an idea or share an experience.
Keep in mind that this contest is about teaching and encouraging all African youth. It is to be positive and real. Your mission is to use your life to help someone else.
/ When major movies are made or even small commercials, they make a story board.
You can use the blank form after this page for your own story board.
/ Your opening screen is the first thing people will see on YouTube that will encourage them to open and listen to your story.
Use a title and image that will make people curious and want to open it. For example:
“How I built my own African company”
“Life after tribal war”
“A light in the darkness”
“How microeconomics changes African lives”
“When tribal peace seemed impossible”
Transition
/ African tradition and traditional storytelling around the world have always started with who the person is and where they came from.
Caution: Remember the world will see these videos. Using first names and respecting other people privacy and security is always important. Keep the security of others in mind.
  • Always start with “My name is (first name). I am from (town, country,) Africa and this is my story.”

Transition
/ This is when your story starts. To take your audience back in time. Describe the place with great detail. “It was the rainy season in April, and we went to sleep with the sound of rivers of water running down the street.”
Say what was happening and how it made you feel.
Tell of the moment things started to change. Why they changed. How did your journey start?
Transition
/ To change a life or build anything, we need people and resources. To build a home, we need bricks and workers to stack them. To change a life, it may be a teacher, shop owner of spiritual leader who influences you. How did you find that person?
What series of events happened that made you take a different path?
Transition
/ We all exist together and to accomplish anything, we need help from people. Sometimes it is one person who guides us, other times is can be an entire group like a micro-economic bank, NGO or school. Here is your chance to mention the people who have helped you and what they did to change your life.
Sometimes we seek out these people and sometimes they are handed to us. Either way their advice needs to be accepted. What was that advice you listened to?
Sometimes people give us bad advice that hurts us or tells us we are failures and our ideas are impossible. It is ok to mention the bad advice, but do not use specific names.
Transition
/ Once you have acquired your resources to succeed and the people to help you, you must have made the right choices to achieve your goals.
Explain what you actually did to change your life.
We know life has it hurdles, failures and social injustice. This is your opportunity to explain how you over came them and those things that made it seem impossible. Sometimes our own fears are the biggest hurdles. Be real here, your audience knows life can be very hard.
Transition
/ After all the hard work, risks and fears are overcome, there is your personal achievement. It does not matter how big or small it is. It is your achievement. Someone who earns enough for a cycle taxi is as important assomeone who builds a company. Also, you can talk about the impact your work has on your community.
This is your time to prove to the audience that the impossible is possible.This is your moment of fame. Go ahead and boast a little about your success.
Transition
/ Life teaches us many lessons that are always unique to us.
You have learned things that can help and encourage other people. Even advice regarding the foolish things you did will be an encouragement to others.
Tell your story with its mistakes; the world loves the one who keeps going against all odds.
Transition
/ This contest is about partnership and people helping one another across families, tribes, classes, races and country borders. In recognizing those that help you, you are teaching others how to work together and build a more peaceful working environment for all of Africa’s youth.
You are allowed to use organization logos, emails and phone numbers in this section. However, do not let them use a spokesperson to pitch for funding. This is your story, and a commercial at the end will spoil it.
Transition
/ If you are reading this, chances are someone is helping you. It’s time to give them credit for their help.
Again: You are allowed to use organizations logos, emails and phone numbers in this section. However do not let them use a spokes person to pitch for funding.
This is your story; a commercial at the end will make it less genuine.
Transition
/ Remember that winning stories are judged for being:
  • About an African youth’s life (ages 14 -35)
  • Encouraging to all
  • Most important feature to judges
  • Educates and inspires people
  • Clean language and images for all ages to see
  • Honest
  • Positive and hurtfulto no one
  • Not as a fundraising commercial

Transition

Interview Technique

The next two pages take a typical digital story and break it down into simple scenes. Each scene is just like a movie and they go from one to the next until the story is ended.

This form can be used for you and your team to write your own questions to the StoryTeller as an interview. It is OK for the StoryTeller to repeat the question while you are recording. You can download this form blank from the “Training” Tab at

Scene or PowerPoint page /
Notes: / Minutes.
seconds
/ The storyteller’s voice.
My name is ______.
I am an African, and This is my Story.
/ Interviewer:
“Tell me about who you are where you come from.”
/ Interviewer:
“Tell me about what your life was like and the pressures on you. How did it make you feel?
/ Interviewer:
What did you decide to do?
What did you have to do?
How hard was it?
/ Interviewer:
  • Who helped or encouraged you?
  • What did they say?
  • Did the offer you resources or training?
  • How did it help you?

/ Interviewer:
  • How did you change your life?
  • Did you have a plan or did a series of events change things?
  • What were the steps you took?
  • What did it feel like when you were trying to change yourlife?

/ Interviewer:
  • What happen after all of the hard work?
  • How has your life changed?

/ Interviewer:
  • After all that has happened, what advice do you have to give another African youth?
  • What would you have done differently?

/ Interviewer:
  • Who would you like to thank for their personal encouragement?
  • How can people contact them?

/ Interviewer:
  • Who would you like to thank for helping you create this video?

Chrysalis Campaign Projects

I am Africa. This is my Story…” digital storytelling contest on YouTube sponsored by UNESCO

Chrysalis Campaign, inc.

Mission

Provide safe community learning centers, safe social communities for collaboration and global Web resources in collaborative ways that transform the poor into self-sufficient communities with new possibilities.

African Youth’s Web Storytelling Contest…

Everything about poverty breathes failure, worthlessness and closed opportunities. This contest will empower African youth and demonstrate to world that this is an illusion, if not a great lie.Africa’s youth are bright, driven, and building a new future worth investing in.

Description

This is a youth storytelling Internet contest that leverages a variety of organizations (cyber cafes, schools, missions, and libraries) with Internet access to help youth tell their stories on YouTube.

About Chrysalis Campaign. Inc.

Chrysalis Campaign, Inc. is a non-stock holding incorporation in Connecticut, USA. We are applying for 501 C3 status with the U.S. IRS. All sponsorship fees will not be considered tax deductible until 501 C3 statusis granted.

Contact Information

Chrysalis Campaign, Inc.

13 Geiger Rd.
New Milford, CT 06776

Email:

Chrysalis Campaign, Inc. Site:

Twitter: @richardcclose
Linkedin:

Chrysalis Campaign, Inc. Chrysalis Community Learning Center 1 | Page