Talk the Fire Out: An Experiment in Multimodal Storytelling

Abstract

This study demonstrates the benefits of using multiple artistic modes to tell a story. The bulk of the research I present here was occupied with studying the work of storytellers who use multiple media and deciphering the reasons for the choices they make, particularly in places where the medium shifts. I then used this information to make these same choices in my own creative work. I found that a change in medium can dramatically shift the perspective of the audience, pulling them deeper into the story. It also allows audience members who process information and communicate differently to access the story. Working in multiple media allows the storyteller to meet the audience where they are and engage them in it by moving them through different positions relative to the story and by providing a variety of ways in.