Out of Order: Storytelling + Technology

Catalog description

This course is about how to tell stories with your projects. Like a classic linear story, we’ll start at the beginning with the question of how good stories are told. We’ll learn about classical storytelling techniques and conventions from a variety of cultures, genres, and media. Next, we'll explore what various tech and media can and can't do in the context of story. We’ll end the semester throwing linearity out the window to create narrative work that engages with the tropes and conventions of non-linear storytelling. Chaos may ensue, as the defining feature of non-linear storytelling is that the author cedes some control of the narrative to the audience. There is no creative writing involved. Students will not be asked to invent new stories for this course—non-writers are welcome! The work of the class will involve reading, reading responses, active class discussion, and group work/play with projects riffing on assigned existing stories and narratives. For example, we might ask students to use a specific canonical story, poem, myth, parable, or film plot as a narrative jumping off point for assignments. The course is co-taught by Kio Stark, a researcher/writer of both fiction and nonfiction and Mia Rovegno, a theater writer/director who focuses on site-specific and immersive work. The semester is divided into three units. Unit 1: Narrative structures. In this unit, we dig into what it means to tell a story. Some of our major themes include: • What are the most commonly used story structures in media such as the novel, graphic novel, film, TV, and theater—and what expectations do they set up for the audience? • What are the techniques, tropes, and conventions of both western and nonwestern storytelling traditions? • What are some approaches that are in dialogue with or rebel against these traditions? • How do we understand and manipulate the audience’s narrative…