B2653 - STORYTELLING MULTIMEDIALE I (M-Z)

Course contents

For A.A. 2023/2024, the course focuses on digital platforms.


Attendance is strongly recommended, as you will work in groups as in a newsroom.


Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch will be the media under analysis.


Aware that a myth is a narrative that has made it, this workshop offers insights into creating impactful content through storytelling techniques (not to be confused with copy writing and content marketing).


The teaching mixes theoretical parts (with very practical implications) with practical activities and will provide plenty of examples.


The first technique we will discuss is horizontal connection, which is the basis of a creative process. Examples will be given to clarify how to construct meaningful content based on this technique. The layout of the content is an integral part of this technique, ideal for creating high-engagement social content.


The second technique is based on the consumption process of multimedia content, which can be summarised in three steps: cut-remix-share. Grice's maxims, synaesthesia, minimalism, the use of colour vs. black, the concept of new and, above all, identification (based on the 6 universal emotions) will be the concepts to be explored. Especially for YouTube and social media distributing video content, it is crucial to design narratives that can be broken into smaller parts.


The third technique, based on the use of emotions, has to do with the rhythm of stories. The hero's journey allows different narratives to be structured, with 3 or 5 hinges.


The fourth technique focuses on activators and fears. The attention threshold of a digital user is very low, so this technique allows to capture and maintain attention. We will see numerous examples.


Last technique: TOV construction based on enunciative strategies. In this analysis, semiotics offers fundamental insights: enunciator/enunciator, débrayage, values...

Readings/Bibliography

Fundamental texts:

Fontana, Storie che incantano, ROI Edizioni

Fontana, Storytelling for dummies, Hoepli

Testa, Le vie del senso, Garzanti

Suggested texts for attending students/one compulsory choice for NON-attending students:

alcinelli, Figure, Einaudi

Hobsbawm e Ranger, L'invenzione della tradizione, Einaudi

Han, Infocrazia, Einaudi

Grandi, DOI, Denominazione di origine inventata. Le bugie del marketing sui prodotti tipici italiani, Mondadori

Teaching methods

Lectures.


Group work.

Assessment methods

For frequent participants: group projects (maximum 5 people), realisation of content on topics chosen by the individual groups.


For NON-attending students: written exam on the texts in the bibliography (the fundamentals + 1 of your choice among the suggested ones)


The overall assessment will take into account


FOR THOSE TAKING THE WRITTEN TEST


evaluation of the written test (3 open-ended questions on the examination texts);


FOR THOSE ATTENDING:


assessment of the project work and skills acquired (relating to: conception and processing, post-production, production, promotion and social dissemination);


attendance, commitment and participation in the course and in the tutorial workshop activities;


If the student is not satisfied with the assessment, they may take a subsequent oral examination in an attempt to improve it.

Teaching tools

Slides, videos, examples

Office hours

See the website of Riccardo Pirazzoli