The 7 Elements of Digital Storytelling

The seven elements of digital storytelling are a relatively simple and easy to follow set of reccomended guidelines which are essentially blueprints for using the subtleties (and not-so-subtleties), nuances and etiquette of multimedia production in the best possible manner on order to most effectively convey one's story, whatever that may be.  These elements are most especially helpful for amateurs such as myself who have little to no experience in using (properly, I might add) the many different techniques that are involved with an undertaking such as digital storytelling.  In fact, the power of quality (or sub par) digital storytelling production is so strong that it can and will be the ultimate factor in whether people will even watch, read or listen to your story.  This can make a normally boring topic seem almost exciting, while conversely it can also make a normally exciting topic dull, boring and even hardly worth the time to examine.
                                      
Telling a story is an art form.  This is true in not only the digital world, but also within storytelling in the traditional sense.  It is not only difficult, but frustrating to listen to someone explain something who fails to understand or grasp the art of storytelling.  For example, we have all been forced to sit through a story with those speaking too fast, too quiet, too slow, or too loud while they are talking about something in a manner that is confusing or uninteresting.  These same problems occur in digital form as well. Then there are those who can convey a story in an intelligible and captivating mannner that even when they are talking about relatively mundane topics they are still able to hold an audience.  These are the stories we remember.  By using the seven elements of digital storytelling we will also tell our stories in a way that is conducive towards captivating and educating our audience.  No one should be dumber for having heard or read a bad story told by a bad storyteller.
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Get it?
(image courtesy of NRA)