20: Digital Storytelling your documentary

Scorbé-Clairvaux
chez Dominique

 I left for France after seven months with an idea of traveling light and experimenting with digital storytelling, where you use different type of media. I wanted to create with only photos voice-overs, music and sound effects.

This desire came from the need to travel during Covid in the easiest and cheapest way possible and to eliminate excess baggage.

I took a Ryanair flight out to Poitiers from London for 30 euros, with two cabin bags. I left my camera, mic and tripod taking only a

• Huawei P30Plus phone
  
• Boya mic.

I call this freedom

The first digital story I saw was by Chris Marker who created La Jetée in 1962. It is not a documentary but creative fiction with photos, narration and music. It will always beguile me. A MUST see if you do not know it.

Dominique and Maurice

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The first person who inspired me in the small village of Scorbé-Clairvaux was Dominique, an impassioned musician who can play 18 instruments. His obsession at the moment is learning how to use Adobe After Effects, and is bringing out a steady stream of music videos that are totally off the wall.

View a clip here

Dominique lives in the house his ancestors grew up in, and it is like stepping back into a time warp. Nothing but nothing has changed since he moved back home in 1990 after twenty years on the road as a musical director.

I took over 150 photos while he played his old Honky Tonk piano and told me about his life.

The first interview is about his love of music and his inspirations.

(That is coming soon.)

​The real beauty of working with photos in this way is it is

• so immediate
• intimate
• people are less concerned by our presence

 Try experimenting by

• Ditching you camera
• Taking your cell phone
• Getting a lightweight mic
  
• Go photo and innovate

I'll be creating Dominique's sequence in the next few weeks, so stay posted.

Thank you for passing by, have a great week, take care and be well. Jeanne

Here is my latest article on Substack - Soaps&Sagas about gardens, fig trees and ratatouille.