Does Technology Make Us Better Storytellers?

MacProVideo by Francesco Schiavon

Overwhelmed at the speed of change
As I get older I more often feel overwhelmed with how fast our creative industries are changing. Sometimes I feel a certain apprehension about being left behind, not only by all the changes that are happening at neck breaking speed, but by the new competitive environment we find ourselves. Do you relate?

This is when I step back, think, and figure that my experience is now my most valuable asset. Read on…

It used to be that only a select few could join the club (of creative professionals), mainly because of cost. Expensive gear required high expertise, and of course, a hefty budget. Now, it seems that anyone can do everything and anything… with their phones!

The Desktop Video Revolution
Just a few weeks ago, someone pointed me to this video on "The Desktop Video Revolution":

In this 3-part video, the author, Chris Zwar, makes an argument that we have gone through a "video revolution" similar to the earlier "desktop publishing revolution", as he compares the technical workflow used to make two TV commercials 16 years apart. It's a fascinating, albeit sometimes long, comparison on the different steps, usually involving multiple companies/businesses (8 in 1997) and skills required then, and how streamlined it is now (only 2 companies involved in 2013). If we were to look at the audio industry, or animation, gaming, education or any other creative industry, we'd find a similar story.

I see 3 common underlying threads, though: read more...