During the first ten minutes of class, write a summary memo based on your reading of Chapter 3, Moving Towards Convergence, in Miller’s Digital Storytelling. In addition to your summary, briefly discuss examples of convergence that you have seen and experienced. We will discuss these things before moving on to Project 1, Execution.
4 thoughts on “Reading: Miller’s Digital Storytelling, Chapter 3”
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Chapter three talks about the movement of story telling. Experts still haven’t pin pointed the exact meaning definition of the word convergence but have a fairly straight forward explanation for it. In the chapter the quote “it will define itself by the way it is used” is the best way to describe it. Information, stories and different genres of text are moved and manipulated to different mediums and platforms which sometimes drastically changes their use. The merging of images, sound, video and animation adds vast possibility to an array of projects. Books into movies are one of the biggest examples, adding voices and sounds to scenes and characters drastically changes how a book is understood and for what purposes it may be used. Re-purposing or adaption are two words for this, often when a book is turned into a movie its called an adaptation because it may not follow the exact notion of the book, re-purposing is moving it to a new medium without changing it much. The ability to converge stories has drastically changed how we tell, understand and relate to stories and the manipulation of such material while fascinating is never ending.
To: Professor Ellis
From: Mariah Rajah
Re: Summary on Millers Chapter 3
Date: Feb, 17th, 2016
Miller’s Chapter 3 was a rather short discussion on convergence of digital media. When the topic of convergence was brought up I immediately though about the coming together of one form of media with another to make a whole and I was right. However, Miller goes further into explaining how convergence over digital media has changed the model for digital storytelling by creating different pathways or modes for the story to be told; from games becoming movies or movies becoming games. Also, a high point of the chapter is the aspect with which Miller mentions how convergence has made it to a corporate level such that one organization finds its way buying over many others. Lastly, when it comes to devices these days a technology that does not have convergent capabilities is seen to be somewhat obsolete. We expect devices to have the affordance to play our music while enabling us to check our email. With all of this said the biggest impact convergence has on digital storytelling is that it has the possibility to turn a linear book into an interactive game. This however is not a new form of to bind technology so to speak it has just become more popular over time as our need for devices and in this case storytelling to enable us to do more and get more out of it.
To: Professor Ellis
From: Pamela Drake
Subject: Digital Storytelling – Summary of Chapter 2
Date: February 17, 2016
Chapter three of Digital Storytelling by Carolyn Handler Miller attempts to explain what moving towards convergence is. Miller begins by explaining that convergence is not easily explained because of its nature of the scope of complexity. However, in an attempt to clarify the term as it relates to storytelling, Miller states that it is seen as the “technology of voice, video and data delivery coming together through a single package” (44). To further explain, digital storytelling can transpose from one medium to several medium changing its format while still maintaining the essence of the story. As such it allows opportunities for greater experiences and increases interaction. In conjunction with adaption, miller claims that adapting furthers the mileage of experiences.
To: Professor Ellis
From: Jodieann Stephenson
Subject: Summary on Miller’s Chapter 3
Date: February 17th, 2016
In Chapter 3 of Miller’s book “Digital Storytelling,” she explores the ideas of converge in the age of new media also known as digital media. With the integration of media it creates many affordances such as cultivating unique user experiences. Also, it is important to note that new digital devices has changed the course of digital storytelling. For many organizations this may present a challenge. Companies need to move to the new types of platforms being made available or risk becoming a dinosaur in an ever changing digital ecosystem.