Thursday, September 1, 2016

Audio stories in contemporary culture


Since the beginning of the 80s,  “Video killed the radio star” seemed to be true in many ways. Radio broadcast is not as popular as it use to be twenty years ago, but it still has it own position in today’s media world. As for me audio has been a huge influence in my life. I grown up with my grandparents in China, who would constantly put on radio broadcast through out the day. Sometime its news, sometime music or classic old stories, I would sit and listen and imagine myself as a character in the story and still have a free hand to be able to do what I want to do. In today’s culture, young people including myself have been constantly busy with their eyes, gazing at the small phone screen or laptop etc. However I think what audio can do to us its irreplaceable. Because it allows us to constantly build an image with our own mind, instead of covering our eyes with images, it somehow limits us from our own imagination.

In the broadcast, I have chose the Moth, A Dish best served in Gold.  The story is very interesting in many ways; it attracts my attention and brings me into the scene. The storyteller’s unique way of telling it, make me feel I’m related to it, which would simply happen to anyone around me and made me think what I would do if that actually happens to me. If this is made a video, I’m sure it could be a great video or a short film. However, I don’t think it would have the same feeling as the audio, and give me the time to picture myself as a character in the story, and engaging my own emotions to it.

4 comments:

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  2. I really appreciate the introduction to this blog entry. I think you've set up a clear disposition of ideas and text very nicely to communicate a distinct purpose. I like that you have added a personal example as to how you have been influenced, and assimilating these details into the success of audio stories today. I think the answer is clearly understood and evident. I definitely agree that Audio stories maximizes our ability to create with our minds instead of limiting our imagination with visual images.

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  3. I understand what you mean when you state that audio stories can really transport you into the scene of the story. My response was very similar to yours in that I also believe it is easy to imagine oneself as a character in the story. While it is nice to watch films and videos, listening to a story can be more relatable with no boundaries to describe what each of the characters physically look like. Such stories become a lot more intimate in my opinion and establish a connection between the listener and the story.

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  4. Great introduction to your ideas. I love that you contextualize your thoughts about storytelling within your own personal experience. I enjoyed your assessment of "A Dish Best Served Cold" and it's true that the speaker's style of sharing his experience is captivating with the sound of his voice alone. The podcast Storycorps does offer animated videos to accompany some of their episodes: https://storycorps.org/animation/.

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