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Tom Hall
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T
he word ‘storytelling’ has been popularised in many creative
industries, leaving it open to pretension. Austrian designer
Stefan Sagmeister is among those who’ve thrown shade on the
term: “No fuckhead, you are not a storyteller, you are a roller coaster
designer,” he snaps in an online video I saw recently.
He goes on to say that novelists and those inside the world of theatre,
movies and the like don’t feel the need to call themselves ‘storytellers’.
And, while his delivery was amusing, I found this to be a moot point:
Individuals in these established industries don’t have to draw attention
to their storytelling chops, because it’s already a given.
I think the concept of storytelling and creating 3d narratives has
boosted events and helped our industry thrive (p26). There are obvious,
mainstream examples, like Secret Cinema, but also subtler ones like
IMG’s recent Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh at Saatchi
gallery, which wove together multimedia snippets documenting the
fascinating tale of the tomb’s discovery – and the life of the Ancient
Egyptian ruler – into a satisfying journey from start-to-finish.
So, while we might occasionally overuse or misuse the term, thinking
more in terms of ‘story’ is a great way to get inside your visitor’s mind,
and create genuinely engaging experiences.
... And I even think it’s improved rollercoasters while we’re on the
subject.
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Tom Hall, Editor
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