Storytelling Workshops

During the in-person workshop, we try to complete a very rough edit of your digital story. We depend on you to bring your own photos or video or audio images to the workshop. This workshop works well for people living in the Vancouver BC area.

Each workshop is customized for the storytellers attending, as some people have more technical skills or access to technology than others. We strategize with you to develop your idea and help you work with your own photos, video and audio materials. We can do the editing for you on a short (under 2 minutes) video or we can give you pointers while you learn to edit on your own computer with your own software. 

We share experiences and knowledge online with other creative people. Each workshop is divided into four parts: Intro where you talk about your idea; Production where you bring in images, graphics and audio that you’d like to include; Editing where we share work in progress; and Screening as we wrap up each story. The Storytelling Portal is designed to support you at each step of the way, from helping you to brainstorm to providing tech check lists to sharing links to editing tutorials.

We meet with each small group four times for about an hour. Our Zoom meetings take place inside the Storytelling Portal. You can store your files and contact workshop facilitators in your own section of the Storytelling Portal.

During the first meeting, we introduce ourselves, share ideas on the projects, and strategize about what comes next. We try to create a safe space for artists/creative folks from many disciplines to share and develop new ideas. You might be making your first project, working through a creative block or laying the foundation for your own future projects.

During the second workshop gathering (scheduled two weeks after the first), you share your digital images, short video clips, and possibly audio recordings. We can edit your story using a shared screen or view and discuss a rough edit you’ve created yourself. The process of production, editing, discussion and revision continues during the series of four online meetings during the workshop.

Sharing with an audience, even a small one, is a chance to get feedback. But the choices in editing are always yours. You control your own digital story and retain copyright to all of the materials. 

Our workshop is designed to support you while you tell your digital story. What can you do to get ready? Share your idea with friends. Look through your old images. Your old videos. Your old podcasts. Take photos during your daily walks. Gather visual and audio materials to include in your story. Do research prior to the workshop so you are ready to move forward.

There are two things to consider as you start to wrap up your digital story. How will you refine your project? Who is your audience? If we edit for you, your roughly edited digital story will be posted to the Storytelling Portal for you to review.

You might also use the workshop as an opportunity to practice using video editing software/apps – but access to software is not included in the workshop. 

To refine your project, you might look or listen a few times. Share your digital story with friends or family. Ask them what they liked and what wasn’t totally clear. You might want to replace one photo with another or change a voice-over (if you choose to have one).

We will go through one round of changes with you as part of the workshop process. We can supply you with a digital copy of your completed project if you want to send it to festivals.

Your story could appear on the Digital Stories Canada site (with your permission). It is easy to share on social media or with email links.

If you participate in one of our grunt gallery workshops, we’ll share your story with Mount Pleasant Community Art Screen curators. While the screen is visual and without sound, simple captions can be added to replace audio as needed. Artist fees are paid for works selected for the MPCAS.

Your files will be available for download an additional 6 months after the workshop. You will not be able to start a new project after your workshop ends.