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Electric Shadows: Digital Storytelling from ITVS Interactive
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Circle of Stories |
“As a Web-only presentation, CIRCLE OF STORIES… is available year-round, at any time of the day or night — which is something that even the most syndicated of syndicated shows can’t match. And while it does its small part to preserve a culture for those familiar to it, CIRCLE also gives North Americans who aren’t Native Americans a chance to learn a few stories from the place where they live.”
—Jim Regan, Christian Science Monitor
Electric Shadows is an ITVS Interactive pilot project bringing independently produced projects to the Web. Using special funds allocated by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the Electric Shadows initiative is charting new territory for ITVS, bringing diverse points of view and innovative storytelling to audiences who may not tune in to public television. “There is a tremendous need for compelling, socially responsive content on the Web,” says Claire Aguilar, director of programming for ITVS, “particularly content that addresses the needs of ITVS’s core constituency of youth and minority audiences.”
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FACE TO FACE
- 2003 Web Award for Best Educational Resource – South by Southwest Interactive Festival
- New Media Award – Media That Matters Film Festival
- Distinctive Merit Award – Public Service/Nonprofit category, New York Art Director’s Club
- Sundance Online Film Festival Selection – New Forms Gallery
- Official Selection – Flash Film Festival 2003
- Yahoo! Pick of the Week, June 2, 2003
- Reversioned for the NPR Radio Series Soundprint
- “Cool Site of the Day,” April 14, 2003
CIRCLE OF STORIES
- Sundance Online Film Festival Selection – New Forms Gallery
- Official Selection – South by Southwest Interactive Festival
- Yahooligans! 5 Coolest Sites
- AOL Research & Learn History Highlight
- “Cool Site of the Day,” March 30, 2003
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Since launching in 2002, the first two Electric Shadows projects have garnered much attention. FACE TO FACE, produced by Rob Mikuriya, connects the experiences of Japanese Americans during World War II with those of Arab Americans today through a series of personal stories told through audio and Flash animation. In the aftermath of September 11, this site has brought attention to and stimulated dialogue around the pressing issue of what it means to have the “face of the enemy ” in one’s own country. CIRCLE OF STORIES, by Jilann Spitzmiller and Hank Rogerson, in collaboration with the Cultural Conservancy, introduces Native culture bearers, or storytellers, from the four directions in a visually rich sequence of images, audio, video and Flash animation. Both sites were produced by traditional filmmakers working in collaboration with Web developers Second Story Studios. Resources, links, message boards, lesson plans and discussion guides have made these sites valuable to a wide range of users.
More to Come!
In spring 2004, ITVS will launch the third Electric Shadows project specifically for teen audiences, a group particularly underserved by public television. The site was chosen from applications submitted through a nationwide open call for proposals. In planning for this initiative, ITVS staff spoke with leaders in the youth media field and held two focus groups with teens to explore their interests and Web habits. To help with the selection process, ITVS called on a group of national experts in new media and youth media who convened for a panel in San Francisco, as well as a teen advisory group who gave their valuable input on a selection of the top projects.
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