5 lessons learned at X Media Lab: What’s Your Story?

"Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today." Robert McKee

Stories are a fundamental part of culture.  Whether told to educate or entertain, it is a human desire to understand each other and the stories we tell tend to reflect universal human experiences.

Though storytelling is most often associated with the realm of fiction, as a history student, I can't help but be aware that history itself is a series of stories. In this way, an awareness of the fundamentals of storytelling is essential for all public historians.

Actually, it occurs to me that an awareness of the craft and mechanics of storytelling is important for all of those in the humanities, a range of academic disciplines centred around understanding the human condition. Though much of the important work of academics involves talking amongst themselves, they are increasingly required to engage public audiences.

Digital media has arguably eroded the authority and influence of 'expert' commentators by empowering large numbers of people to create and disseminate information - an evolution that I believe is neither a wholly good, nor a wholly bad thing - and has radically changed the landscape of storytelling. It is for this reason that I was excited to attend X Media Lab 2012 - a digital media creative workshop held in Perth a few weeks ago.

After listening to a diverse range of speakers from a range of backgrounds, I distilled a couple of the ideas I found most interesting into the eclectic (and highly subjective!) list below.

1.    Storytelling is biological process as well as an mental one.  Evocative storytelling – especially visual storytelling - can have physical effects.
Screenwriter Linda Aronson spoke about the 1992 discovery of ‘mirror neurons’ by neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti, phenomena that allow us to empathise and relate to the situation of others “by feeling, not thinking”.  Rizzolatti  found that when you watch someone clapping his or her hands, you simulate the same action in your brain. You are essentially living their actions. The discovery struck me as a testament to the power of visual storytelling – films, TV and documentaries in particular. I am fascinated by the science of empathy - and believe good history is rarely without it.

2.    Push your creative process to its limits. You’ll never know what you might find there.
Warren Coleman, a screenwriter on the animated film ‘Happy Feet’, outlined the creative process of Robin Williams during voiceover recording. Williams would initially read the script as written and only after this would he start to improvise new material. The initial jokes were always ‘blue’ material. Completely inappropriate and unusable.  But once he pushed past this stage? Gold. Coleman admitted that of the 8 lines used in the trailer, 7 of them were improv from this final stage. His lesson? Hang in there during the creative process. Push through to the other side – you may be surprised at what you come up with. Wonderfully, Coleman also confessed the challenges of animating a movie about a tap-dancing penguin... when penguins have no knees.

3.    Don’t restrict yourself to traditional channels such as film, TV and publishing. The online world is now mature enough to tell complex, participatory stories.
Creative Director of ABC Innovation, Sam Doust, shared learnings from recent experiments in online storytelling. In 2010, ABC launched ‘Bluebird’ an internet only, alternate reality drama in which viewers were encouraged to ‘unlock the drama’ by uncovering the secret plans of an eco-billionaire over a 6 week period. It was a fantastic project however, although I found the idea really interesting, I think that participatory storytelling (and co-creation of stories) can be highly problematic. In my experience creating online communities using both bespoke and existing social media platforms, the number of people who have the time and inclination to create content can be very low. Doust acknowledged this too, citing that a major learning was the need to provide casual observers with a better way to catch up quickly on the action (reality TV does this brilliantly). Doust also spoke briefly about ABC’s online-only 3D documentary ‘Gallipoli: The First Day’ - very cool.  I have since uncovered a raft of online documentaries which I will discuss in a follow-up post.

4.    Don’t just use digital media to tell stories. Use it to start conversations about your story. Use it to build a community to share your story.
Jaunique Sealey, former social media strategist for Lady Gaga, outlined ways to leverage social platforms to build an audience for stories. It was basic stuff for a broad audience (which drove me crazy as I had SO many burning questions about Lady Gaga’s social media strategy) but contained some solid advice. Sealey stressed the importance of offering free content to create conversations around your central product. For example, if you want wanted generate buzz for a documentary series or museum exhibit, you could offer extra content or online Q&A sessions.

Sealey also spoke about “Good Deed” content.  This stuff is a social media manager’s holy grail. Content so good that simply sharing it with a friend makes you feel benevolent. I was surprised that no one mentioned Kony 2012! For me this campaign took the idea of “Good Deed” content even further. Not only could you gain social currency by sharing interesting content with another individual … the central claim of the campaign was that you could actually assist in tracking down the world’s most wanted criminal just by ‘knowing’ about him.  The apex of first-world slacktivism… or political genius?

5.    But remember, content needs to catch up with technology.
For all the new ideas, opportunities and innovation, there was a strong feeling that content needs to catch up with these new technologies of storytelling.  Helen Papagiannis, an expert in Augmented Reality from York University (Torronto) reminded us that in the early days of cinema, it was the medium itself that was the source of wonder, rather than the story.  We need to move past this. Forget about the gimmicks. The story should come first.

Despite these challenges, the nature of Augmented Reality lends itself strongly to historical content.  The London Museum’s Street Museum iPod ap allows tourists and locals to travel back in time, using GPS and camera technology to overlay historical images on mobile phone screens. Augmented reality can also liberate objects from the confines of perspex display cases in museums and allow them to be observed (virtually) in their original environments. The possibilities are endless. I recently heard of an guerrilla art exhibition held in MoMA, New York City where artist artists used the "Layar Augmented Reality browser" (available for free in the iPhone app store and Android market) to hold their own exhibition, without the knowledge of MoMA curators. The exhibit occupied all six floors -  including a virtual seventh floor. Now that's rock and roll!

Do you recognise Perth in the 1950s?

I was reminded of this fantastic film the other day and felt compelled to share it. Produced by the Australian National Film Board in 1954, the wonderful ‘Postcards From Perth’ was created to promote Western Australia to tourists and immigrants. Back then, as it is now, the city was one of the most isolated places in the world.



At times the city seems almost unrecognisable. St Georges Terrace has always been the main city thoroughfare however, over the twentieth century, it has evolved from a 'gracious boulevard' to a 'windswept canyon of concrete, steel and glass'.

How did this 'gracious boulevard' come into existence? Many of the finest buildings along the Terrace were constructed during the gold boom that spanned the 1890s. During this time Perth became home to some of the grandest hotels and theatres in the southern hemisphere.

After the Second World War, development was both inevitable and badly needed. Rapid population growth led to the development of new suburbs, new freeway systems and the transformation of the Swan River by the narrows bridge (1959).

The film is important because it captures a city at a turning point. I can't help but be struck by how much has changed. Not only the unfamiliar skyline but the tram line (which used to extend all the way to the western suburbs) - even down to the wrought iron street lamps.

Yet, hindsight makes it all too easy to criticise postwar development. In 1950’s Perth the air was filled with progress, prosperity, optimism and change. Older buildings became easy victims of a desire for new technologies and modern conveniences.

If you are interested in exploring lost Perth the State Library of Western Australia has incredible archive of photographs that span as early as the 1860’s, some of which have been celebrated in a fantastic Facebook group.

You’ll find that many of these early images were produced in strikingly high resolution, certainly comparable to today’s digital cameras. I’ve often thought about printing out some favourites on canvas although to this date I have found it too hard to choose!

8 lessons from X Media Lab Perth: Storytelling in a digital age.

I find myself continually drawn to the intersection of history and digital media so jumped at the chance to attend X Media Lab Perth: Storytelling in a Digital Age. Technology has always shaped our relationship with the past and today it offers exciting opportunities to reach new audiences and communicate in more engaging ways.

A range of speakers from various disciplines shared their understandings of this paradigm shift. Their views were inspiring, thought-provoking and, at times, contentious. Though aimed at a broad audience, there were some valuable insights for digital historians:

1. No matter what technology you use, the fundamentals of storytelling remain the same.
Stories are central to mankind and humanity. They teach us about how the world works, how to live in society and how to get along. Both Marshall Vandruff (Artist) and Dominic Knight (The Chaser) spoke about storytelling as a craft. It’s not enough to express yourself. There are rules and they can be learned. While most relevant to those writing non-fiction, it is important for historians to acknowledge the structure and effects of a compelling narrative. Despite all the talk of crowd-sourcing, collaboration and co-creation, Dominic rightly questioned the ability of a committee to write a classic novel or make a TV show like The Wire. It’s all about balance.

2. The most engaging stories reflect our basic human emotions.
Marshall Vandruff has had an extraordinary career as an artist and knows a thing or two about storytelling having worked for clients including Warner Brothers, Hanna-Barbara, Dark Horse Comics and MAD magazine. I was hanging off every word as he gave a lecture about classic storytelling (doing his best to condense 40 hours of lectures into 10 minutes). The most powerful stories are those which connect us with others, take us on a journey (not a tour) and give meaning to our lives. Vandruff’s focus on human empathy resonated with me - I recently read a fascinating article which cited empathy as a ‘universal solvent’ and ‘the world’s most valuable resource’. I believe good history is rarely without it.

3. Good storytelling conveys both the familiar and unfamiliar.
Another gem from Dominic Knight. Powerful storytelling treads a careful tightrope across our comfort zone. It is the tension between the familiar and unfamiliar that can convey realisations about ourselves. I was reminded of a powerful quote by historian William H. McNeil (Mythhistory and Other Essays, 1986)...

“Historians can only expect to be heard if they say what the people around them want to hear—in some degree. They can only be useful if they also tell the people some things they are reluctant to hear—in some degree.”

4. Stories can transcend borders.
Peter Shiao spoke about his work adapting classic Chinese martial arts literature for the Western world. The themes of transformation and spirituality have a powerful ability to transcend borders. His work has a strong cross cultural appeal in USA and China - two countries are most often talked about in terms of differences, rather than similarities.

5. Digital storytelling can give a voice to the voiceless.
Emma Kaye spoke about the ways in which mobile phones are being used in South Africa to empower impoverished communities to tell their own stories. In Africa, oral tradition was central to building and maintaining of community and today digital platforms have allowed a resurgence of personal storytelling. Unlike traditional filmmaking, editing and broadcasting content on mobile phones has low barriers to entry, resulting in a renaissance of content being made by the community for the community.

6. People are already pushing boundaries.
Ana Serrano shared several examples of digital storytellers who are leveraging technology and social media to create more immersive experiences. Some of the results are more engaging than others however all are breaking new ground.

• 'Life In A Day' is a historic global experiment to create the world's largest user-generated feature film: a documentary, shot in a single day.
• Spend a minute in a test tube with David Suzuki.
• The Johnny Cash Project – a crowd-sourced music video project.
• Turtle Talk at Disney/ Epcot uses 3D, voice-activated technology to bring animation into real life.
• The first Facebook Movie, 'Him, Her & Them', offers a new experience that blends interactivity with passive viewing. Filtered by the viewer’s social media graph each ‘version’ of the film is unique.
• An interactive zombie adventure from a NZ Pizza Chain.
• 'Conspiracy For Good' is an augmented reality drama that allowed people to participate in a fictional story.
• 'The Witness' is another blend of gritty drama with augmented reality. If you had a mobile phone, you could take part in the film.

7. Don't fear a shift from sole creator to co-creator.
Social media has changed everything. It’s now possible to interact with a ‘story community’, build relationships and even maintain these over the long term. Just think about all the opportunities to use these tools to connect communities for local history projects! The new remix culture (legitimised by revolutionary new frameworks such as Creative Commons) can also be harnessed to fuel innovation.

8. Interactivity can increase the level of engagement - but tread carefully.
Professor Duane Varan from Murdoch University shared his 10 Commandments for interactive storytelling. His research at the Interactive Television Research Institute has proven that interactive stories can be better than traditional linear narratives – but only if we stick to the rules of structure. Varan noted it does not matter how small the screen is; if it is an iPhone, laptop or wide screen TV. Media platforms do not hold power – content is king and interactivity should be used to complement the story rather drive the narrative.

Perth’s lost city.

In 1831, 400 people left everything they had ever known to follow a British entrepreneur to one of the most isolated places on earth.

Instead of a brave new world, the 400 were stranded on the Western Australian coast for over a year in a chaotic makeshift city that came to be known as Clarence Town.

Lost for 150 years, the site was recently rediscovered by a local archaeologist and is revealing new information about our colonial past.



The Swan River Colony was always intended to be Australia’s first private settlement. Convict labour was definitely not part of this vision; in fact, until the latter half of the 20th Century many Perth families would strenuously deny their convict roots. But where to access cheap labour to build this new British outpost?

An answer was found in indentured servants – workers bought over from Britain in exchange for a period of labour (generally 3-7 years). Though the agreements were generally entered into voluntarily, the backbreaking work and harsh conditions were a high price to pay.

Thomas Peel was one of the colonies’ major investors and planned to bring over 400 indentured labourers. In exchange, he had been promised 1,000 square km of prime land - however there was a catch. To claim the land Peel had to arrive before November 1829. Unfortunately Peel was six months late so by the time he arrived the land had already been claimed.

Panicked, Peel threatened to take his entire cohort back to England and protracted negotiations began for a new allocation. While these continued all men, women and children were stranded on the coast, where they inadvertently created one of Perth’s first towns. The site itself was completely unsuitable with little water, basic shelter (the lucky ones created canvas tents, with others forced to dwell in barrels and boxes) and dwindling supplies.

After over a year living in slum conditions, the government stepped in to release all labourers from their contracts. Peel balked – his dreams for a grand town in his name were all but shattered – causing Governor James Stirling to write:

‘Had the Magistrates given a contrary order and compelled your people to remain in your service they would have acted illegally, for such an order would have been equivalent to Sentence of Death by Starvation.’

The settlement was abandoned.

Peel died in Mandurah in 1865 and it is said in his later days he would ride his horse throughout the colony in full (but tattered) English riding gear. Once the colonies’ main investor, he ended his life as a local eccentric with illusions of grandeur. Indeed his folly was so famous it even caught the attention of Karl Marx who used his tale of woe as an example in Das Kapital.

The citizens of Clarence Town are rarely mentioned in colonial records, indeed most could not read or write. However, recently, a team of archaeologists led by Dr Shane Burke have been working to release their unique voices from our colonial past.




















For over 50 years historians believed the town site was at Woodman Point however a treasure trove of artefacts have proven that the actual site was 8km further south. Finds have included hundreds of thousands of artefacts – including pipes, bottles, coins, thimbles, flint and limestone structures – even a piano key...




The objects left behind are revealing much about the people of Clarence Town. Once abandoned on the fringes and erased from the records, they are finally telling their side of the story.

The forgotten freedom fighter.

Sometimes the stories we forget reveal more about us than those we remember.

Yagan was a freedom fighter who lobbied for peace between Australia’s first peoples and the first British colonists. His exploits and efforts to bring peace to the Swan River Colony made him a celebrity in his time, however today his legacy is little known.

The son of a Noongar elder, Yagan was in his early twenties when colonists arrived in 1829 and quickly proved himself a bold and charismatic leader. In 1831 he was declared an outlaw after seeking revenge against an settler who murdered one of his tribesmen - one of the first examples of Aboriginal resistance in the Swan River Colony. Over the months that passed, Yagan’s exploits became legendary as he evaded authorities.

His trust in settlers, many of whom he considered friends and relatives, resulted in his eventual capture in September 1832 however he soon escaped. In an act of incredible bravery, instead of going into hiding Yagan boldly walked into Perth and negotiated a treaty between the Noongar and European settlers.

Yagan’s celebrity grew and the Perth Gazette newspaper made frequent mention of his doings, praising his good nature. Settlers went so far as to compare him to a Scottish resistance hero, William Wallace.

The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal, Saturday 20 April 1833

Peace was shattered when a visitor to the colony murdered a group of Noongar women and children. This unprovoked slaughter sparked a series of revenge attacks and the incarceration and execution of Yagan’s father. Once again, Yagan was an outlaw and once again his good nature was his undoing.

Three months later a teenage boy, who Yagan considered a friend, shot Yagan to claim a reward. The Gazette reported his death with ‘mingled feelings of gratification and regret’ later calling his death ‘treachery’. Yagan’s head was preserved and sent to England where it was studied and displayed an anthropological curiosity - before finally being forgotten in a distant archive and buried in an unknown grave.

Since the early 1980’s attempts were made by the Noongar community to locate and repatriate Yagan’s head. After being located in Liverpool in December 1993, permission to exhume it was granted by the British government in 1997. The return of the head by a delegation of Noongar elders was highly symbolic to Noongar people and one which was likened by some to the repatriation from Gallipoli of Australia's Unknown Soldier. Yagan’s traditional burial took place this year, more than 170 years after his death.

Australian historian Henry Reynolds once asked ‘ if we are to continue to celebrate the sacrifice of men and women who died for their country, can we deny admission to fallen tribesmen?’. Unless we come to terms with frontier conflict and our part in it, Yagan will be doomed to be remembered for controversy rather than his extraordinary courage and stance against injustice.

This failing will be ours and we will be lesser for it.