Category Archives: digital storytelling

I’m A Man

The Beard Story Morphs

My first digital story was about My Bosnia Story. It was a project that I did during my Basic Digital Storytelling workshop.

My second digital story was supposed to be about shaving my beard and mustache after my having them for 27+ years. I wrote it and liked part of it but I was not satisfied with how it ended. Over the course of six months I would struggle with it and then put it back on the shelf again many times.

I got the chance to take the Facilitator Intensive Training offered by The Center for Digital Storytelling. This workshop gave us perspectives on how to facilitate a digital storytelling workshop in our environment.

So I brought my “Beard Story” to be mulled over by the collective of instructors and fellow facilitator trainees in a story circle.

I was asked deep probing questions about what was the story really about?

This was tough right-brain work that I’m not used to doing. Issues were being uncovered like “what makes a man?” and “do I know I’m a man?” and “how do I know I’m a man?”.

I rewrote it and then shared it again with my classmates and the lead facilitators. More layers of the story onion were probed and revealed. I rewrote it again.

Over the course of four days, the Beard Story morphed. It was hard work and my brain felt like mush but I really like this revised story.

Enjoy!

I’m A Man from Patrick Bartkus on Vimeo.

My thanks to Daniel, Amy, Kayann, Christina, Corinne, and all the great folks in our group last week.

My Bosnia Video

Digital Story Telling Workshop

I’ve been wanting to make better videos. I’ve known that good technical video technique did not necessarily make a good video. What makes a good video is a good story. This is an area in which I am weak.

Last week I spent three days at a workshop in Washington, DC, put on by the Center for Digital Story Telling. We went through a quick but intensive time making my first digital story.

I made it about my experience in Bosnia. Here’s my finished story:


My Bosnia Story from Patrick Bartkus on Vimeo.

My thoughts on creating this

I had a great time making this video. I had great feedback from the instructors and other students in the workshop. We worked hard and we all came away with great videos. I already know the topic of my next video: My Beard and the Great Shave.

Your thoughts on this

So what do you think? I’m interested to know what you think about what I’ve made.