The message that the storyteller is communicating
Saving Aslan is a documentary by Fixodent, which is famous for denture adhesive globally. Saving Aslan is a documentary that illustrates the influence of our teeth and our comfort with them on our emotions and identity, using the lion which is regarded as the king of the jungle. In this documentary, the film vividly shows how hard one’s life can be when they lose their teeth or a bite. Aslan lost his canines and felt isolated in life.
Storytelling elements used to communicate the message
Any given story must have characters, who are a crucial part of the story. Characters enrich a story with a life. Saving Aslan uses a lion named Aslan as the character of the story. The story is well developed using the lion which is usually regarded as the king of the jungle due to its strength. The story applies and combines anthropomorphism, education and entertainment to achieve emotion engagement that stating facts plainly. The lion’s voice given through Richardson, also referred to as “the lions’ whisperer ” . Richardson gives the images used in the film significance to the audience.
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The setting of the story is a key element in storytelling. The setting of the documentary is in the Richardson Sanctuary where we first encounter Richardson walking calmly in the field as the lions play nearby him. He wrestles, pet and kiss different lions showing his familiarity and great bond with the lions. Richardson then bonds specifically with Aslan the character, with the images of Aslan since younger days as a cub. Richardson narrates why Aslan is his favorite lion in the sanctuary. this justifies why he was acting as the voice for Aslan, having known Aslan for nine years of his life. Therefore, when Richardson talks about Aslan, the viewer believes him. This makes the documentary to work.
The plot is the vital part of a story because it defines whatever the story is about and what the audience will experience. The plot helps the audience to empathize with a protagonist, connect and understand the details and characteristics involved with it. Saving Aslan uses a simple plot to convey the story. In the film, the lion broke his canines resulting into a great change. The lion afterwards became agitated, aggressive, aloof, insecure and socially isolated in life. The lion is saved by undergoing a dental surgery, after which he gained back his old self before breaking the canines.
The conflict element crafted in the short film is that Aslan, one of the lions in the Sanctuary broke his canines, leading him to be socially isolated, unfriendly and unconfident in his identity in life. This magnifies the importance of canines to the lion.
The solution of the story is reached later when Aslan undergoes a surgery to fix his problem. After surgery, Aslan is neither aloof, isolated nor aggressive. We are then shown Aslan’s image after surgery interacting with other lions in the sanctuary, as Richardson confirms that even the other animals are also happy to see Aslan, their fellow back to the old self.
Melody as an element is well achieved in the story which provides familiarity with the audience and what is yet to be perceived. Using the melody in the animal sanctuary, especially the voice of lions gives the story certain emotions that makes the audience recognize and understand an idea what they can expect next.
Theme influences how plot is perceived, the surrounding of the story offers a direct support to the character traits, enabling the audience to understand the underlying motivations and fear in the story. The act of saving gives the film a great film, that shows how a lion is helped back to its old life before losing the canines.
Décor refers to the graphics used to support the theme of the story. It has a given look and feel. The film uses various images to deliver the message. Images used include those of the lions, Richardson among others in the wildlife sanctuary. Graphics in storytelling helps human remember and learn things by establishing the world in which the plot and character takes place.
Identify the strengths and the limitations of the storytelling strategies used for each message
Strengths
Use of multimedia- using the film, the creator combined the motion, audio and images that enhance visual presentation to the audience.
Enticing character: the lion (Aslan) is an enticing character tied with the theme of saving him. It is enticing because the audience wonders how the lion, which is a king of the jungle can be saved.
Limitations
The lion used cannot talk: this is solved by using Richardson’s voice to pass the message
The video does not show the images of the toothless lion, only the emotions of the lion are felt.
Persuasive strategies
The vocabulary that is used in the story is persuading. Both the language used to describe Aslan and the dental vocabulary match in the story. The story also appeals to the needs of the audience, especially to those with dental issues because at the end of the story, their problem is resolved through a surgery. The storyteller backs up his points with real data and facts about problems associated with losing teeth. A victim can be unfriendly among other limitation s which might hinder them from living a wholesome life.
Overall Assessment of The Effectiveness of The Storytelling Concepts Used to Communicate the Desired Message
Saving Aslan is an effective story because it applies various concepts to convey an important message to the audience. The fact that the story has shown good application of media by using relevant images to enhance visual delivery. The story is also simple yet interesting without loss of the content. The title of the story also grabs the attention of the audience whereby the audience is eager to know how Aslan is saved. The marketing advert resonates with real problems that many audiences in their life, that of dental issues. Therefore, storytelling effects are well achieved in the documentary to communicate the desired message
Using technology and Bioscience to fight cancer – Intel
The message that the storyteller is communicating
Bryce Olson, the storyteller, through the film is informing the audience, especially cancer patients that using technology in the cancer treatment can make a large impact. He indicates that a collaboration between Intel and OHSU Center for health and healing applies genetic sequencing by combining technology and bioscience to change the way people fight and mitigate cancer. Olson also indicates that the more data that can be analyzed digitally, the more effective the process of fighting cancer using technology and bioscience.
Storytelling elements used to communicate the message
Bryce is the character element of the story, who is telling his personal story on how he was shocked when he was diagnosed prostate cancer and how he later on sought medication. The story has an interesting plot where Bryce Olson narrates how he was diagnosed with prostate cancer Friends and family convinced him to go and see the doctor. He had stage four of metastatic prostate cancer. He was shocked, frustrated and motivated. He underwent cancer treatments but the disease was unique and kept on going back to the state. He sought to use technology, through a collaboration between OHSU and intel to digitally combine technology and bioscience to treat cancer.
The storyteller introduces the conflict of the story by narrating how he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, underwent different treatments but the disease could not be cured still. He became frustrated and shocked. The solution of the story is achieved in the film by Olson indicating that despite being frustrated and shocked, he was motivated. He was motivated to use combine technology and bioscience which could enable achieve genetic sequencing, and using the data of cancer patients to analyze which types of treatments can work for which patient. The melody of the story in terms of background music gives the story a matching mood of sadness and calmness. He also keeps on varying his tone, rising and falling depending on the magnitude of the message.
Identify the strengths and the limitations of the storytelling strategies used for each message
Strength
Right use of the narrative arc: the storyteller reveals the conflict and resolves it at the end, he uses the rising tension, climax and resolution to lure the audience.
Persuasive strategies used
To enhance his persuasion in the story, Olson adapted the vocabulary that matches to both technology and cancer treatment. He appeals to the needs of the audience by using an enticing topic, and goes on to describe how unsuccessful the normal cancer treatment procedures we ineffective. Olson finally gives the solution by introducing the combination of technology and bioscience for cancer treatment. Olson has also backed up his story with real data, explaining how the treatment can be done and where it is done.
Overall assessment of the effectiveness of the storytelling concepts used to communicate the desired message
Narratives
June: Life is better when you share
The message that the storyteller is communicating
The message of the story is about the importance of sharing in one’s life. The animated short story reveals how a lonely widow in historic south Chicago is inspired to start sharing her ride and her life too. The song used was an inspiration after the Lyft driver connected with a passenger in his daily routine.
Storytelling elements used to communicate the message
The plot element of the story is that a lonely widow in Chicago is inspired by the act of sharing from other drivers to start sharing her ride and her life. The conflict of the story is that drivers and passengers can lead a miserable life when they decide to isolate themselves and become selfish in the Lyfts. The solution of the story is well shown through a lonely widow who adopts sharing as a great virtue in life, and is later on saved by people when she stuck when it was heavily raining. The theme of sharing is described using various collections when drivers and the passengers on the Lyft were involved in different activities. The importance of the theme is portrayed when people share and are helped.
The décor of the story, using photographic animations fits in the situation of the story.
Identify the strengths and the limitations of the storytelling strategies used for each message
Strength
The conversation of the story is engaging because the target of the story was the press and the entertainment bloggers. Use of photographic elements: the animation story is narrated using photographic elements in composing, making the story different from the ordinary animation and illustration.
Limitation
The absence of verbal communication makes it hard for some audiences who depends on audio to follow up and understand the story. Animation videos are not liked by everyone hence; the message might not reach those who dislike animations.
Persuasive strategies used
The story uses variety of stories from the Lyft experiences to persuade the audience to come together, share the ride so that they can enjoy the better part of life in unity.
Overall assessment of the effectiveness of the storytelling concepts used to communicate the desired message
The storytelling concepts in this story are very effective because the user uses simple and interesting facts of the daily experience on the Lyft drivers and passengers. Each and every collection of the Lyft experiencing is effective to the audience since there is a good use of photographic concepts that is useful to the bloggers. June connects the communities by blurring lines between the Lyft drivers and the passengers, indicating that they are all one in the same life.
Recommendations
The stories in the form of documentaries and narratives discussed above are an illustration that stories are great tools for advertisement. The agency should adopt various strategies used in the story of saving Aslan, using technology and Bioscience to fight cancer and life is better when you share. The use of good vocabulary, rea life data and concepts, simple stories among other key elements led to the success of the stories. The agency should identify its message and audience, and decide between animation and plain videos, which one to use in advertisements.
References
Fixodent (2015, April 3 rd ). Saving Aslan-Fixodent [YouTube Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-3W_yPDvBo
Intel (2015, March 12). Using technology and Bioscience to Fight Cancer-Intel [YouTube Video].
Lyfts (2016,Decemberm,14th). Life is better when you share [YouTube Video].
