There are seven main elements of a digital story developed by digital storytelling pioneer Joe Lambert in the 2003 version of his Digital Storytelling Cookbook. Lambert re-visioned these as seven steps in 2010:

Additional Source:
      Bull, G. & Kajder, S. (2004). Digital storytelling in the language arts classroom. Learning & Leading with Technology, 32 (4), 46-49.

 

    Middle Grades Examples
    Sabrina: A Growing Tree

  • Point of View: "... the goal of digital storytelling is to allow a writer to experience the power of personal expression. Therefore, students' digital stories need to be constructed from their own experience and understanding. Using the first-person pronoun "I" rather than the more distant third-person point of view is essential."
    Noelle's story is told from her point of view as one who loves her pets. Sabrina describes herself as a growing tree; clearly her point of view.
    Steven tells the story of his unstoppable headache from his own pont of view.  

  • A Dramatic Question: "A story that holds the attention of the audience has a dramatic question that is resolved by the end of the story. This characteristic distinguishes the digital story from a travelogue. Narratives that lead the reader to become invested typically pursue a compelling question that evokes interest and commitment."
    Noelle: No dramatic question, really. Not necessarily needed for every digital story. Sabrina: Her story works well without a dramatic question.
    Steven: Will his headache go away or will his head explode?!  

  • Emotional Content: "The most effective digital stories evoke an emotion from the audience. We often see laughter, tears, and expressions of pleasure from the audience when digital stories are screened. This can be tremendously rewarding to student writers, validating the effort and investment they have
    made."
    Not only do we sense Noelle's feelings toward her pets but we also are drawn in by the sweet and engaging way she tells us about them. Sabrina evokes her own as well as our emotions using repeated figurative langage of comparing herself, her strength, and her growth to a powerful tree.
    The story of Steven's headache is told with emotion and we can relate to his feelings both physical and emotional. We all feel relieved when the headache goes away.  

  • The Gift of your Voice: "The pitch, inflection, and timbre of the storyteller's voice convey meaning
    and intent in a very personal way. This has proven to be one of the most essential elements that contribute to the effectiveness of a digital story. There is no substitute for using your own voice to tell your story."

    Noelle tells her story with enthusiasm and clarity.Both volume and expression help us connect with her and her pets in a positive way. Sabrina's voice is clear and heartfelt helping us not only see but also hear her describe herself and what she likes (e.g. Soccer) in an affirming manner.
    Although the speed with which Steven tells his story is a bit fast, his voice is clear and easy to hear. He also emphasizes key words and phrases "I had the poer to FIGHT the headache."  

  • The Power of the Soundtrack: "Properly employed music can enhance and underscore the accompanying story, adding complexity and depth to the narrative."

    Noelle uses a sound effect of a cat' meow to grab the viewer's attention. No other music is needed. Sabrina uses urban hip hop music to set the tone for her story and most likely because she likes this piece of music, it tells you more about her.
    Steven uses music to great impact at the beginning (drums beating) and the end (cheerful yet smooth instrumental music).  

  • Economy: "Modern digital editors offer a plethora of special effects and transitions. It can be
    tempting to replicate the visual onslaught of music videos on MTV. We have found that the effective digital story uses only a few images, a few words, and even fewer special effects to clearly and powerfully communicate intended meaning."

    There is good balance of all media components to interest the audience and draw us in to the story.

  • Pacing: "Monotonous refers to an unvaried inflection and pace. The word has become synonymous with boring because an unvaried pace will not hold the audience's attention. For student writers, pacing means pulling back or racing forward when the story calls for it, as opposed to when the time limit approaches."

    Timing and pacing are good in all of the stories and they don't lag or lose the audience's interest.

 

 

 

 

BUT in 2010, Lambert rewrote his seven elements into seven steps (Which do you prefer?):
The following is adapted from Lambert's Digital Storytelling Cookbook (2010) with some direct quotes where appropriate.

Step 1: Owning Your Insights
We want to help storytellers find and clarify what their stories are about. We often start with the question: “What’s the story you want to tell?”

Step 2: Owning Your Emotions
To help storytellers identify the emotions in their story, we ask a series of questions regarding their process: “As you shared your story, or story idea, what emotions did you experience?

Step 3: Finding The Moment
We want to help them tell their story as a story by identifying a single moment that they can use to illustrate their insight. Is there more than one possible moment to choose from? If so, do they convey different meanings? Which most accurately conveys the meaning in your story? Can you describe the moment in detail?”

Step 4: Seeing Your Story
Because we help storytellers share their stories in the form of a digital story, we also want to look at how the use of visuals and sound bring things to life for the audience. “What images
come to mind when recalling the moment of change in the story? What images come to mind for other parts of the story?”

Step 5: Hearing Your Story
The recorded voice of the storyteller telling their story is what makes what we call a “digital story” a digital story—not a music video or narrated slideshow. “Beyond the recorded voiceover, would the story and the scenes within it be enhanced by the use of additional layers of sound? Would the use of ambient sound or music highlight the turning point in your story?”

Step 6: Assembling Your Story
At this point in the process you have found and clarified what your story is about and how it sits with you today. You have also established the overall tone you want to convey. "How are
you structuring the story? And, within that structure, how are the layers of visual and audio narratives working together?

Step 7: Sharing Your Story
Therefore, it is important to take time now to revisit the context in which the story was initially described in order to determine the relevant information to include when the story is being shared. To help storytellers do this, we ask: “Is audience? What was your purpose in creating the story?