Transcript of section 1


 * (SLIDE 1) Empowering children to become their own storytellers (presentation by Stephanie Powell)

Traditionally broadcast children’s television shows tend to preference the content over the audience. While ratings and audience research do have some role in presenting and packaging the material to young viewers it is a very uni-directional medium. Our research into how digital and new media is empowering kids to become storytellers, suggests that the child is becoming a lot more central to the narrative process, and that this is not limited to only television shows, but also to cinematic and highly narrative video games, mobile phones and online platforms. (SLIDE 2) Transmedia academic Geoffrey Long defines the new generation of media users as, ‘the millennials,’ they are: the first generation to grow up with widespread access to high-speed internet connections. He explains that this has redefined their role as storytellers and media-creators. To give a local context to our research we investigated two case studies, which involve interactive and digital storytelling media from an educational and an entertainment perspective.


 * (SLIDE 3) These are Kahootz and an investigation into the digital media projects run by the ACMI.

(play video in SLIDE 3) Kahootz is a 3D multimedia project created and funded by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation. It is currently sold and used in most primary and secondary schools across the state of Victoria. It directly places the young user at the centre of the narrative by providing them with the skills and technology to create and shape the ‘Kahootz’ story. (SLIDE 4) The aim of Kahootz (taken from the mission statement on their website) is, ‘to empower students with the skills and tools to create their own media and connect them to a diverse, engaged audience.’ So not only does Kahootz aim to develop the skills of children so that they can become media creators, it also gets them to create the media in a communal environment.

(SLIDE 5)Peter Maggs reinforces this notion by suggesting, 'kids now want to be creating their own digital media, whereas 20 years ago, no one probably knew what digital media was.' (SLIDE 6) The kahootz program is in its infancy and the wider cultural implications have not been determined yet; here are some of the experiences of kahootz in schools we have researched. In this sense we see a cultural shift in the classroom away from traditional forms of 'one-to-many' communication, kids are now being exposed to all different types of new, social and converged media daily. (SLIDE 7)It is reshaping their media literacies by simplifying the technology to increase its usability and subsequently reshaping the users experience of the multimedia (viewer-creator). Basically Kahootz is equipping young kids with the skills they need to create their own media and narrative and a forum in which to get feedback and publish their work. (SLIDE 8) Essentially it is shaping them as future media users in an era of digital, new and social networking software, which sees an enhancement in interactivity, ‘prosumerism,’ and user-generated narrative. (e.g. youtube and secondlife)

(SLIDE 9) ACMI offers a number of programs through-out the year which engage kids as storytellers and media creators via the medium of Digital Media. Video games, claymation and digital animation are some of these highly cinematic mediums that enable kids to build their own stories. (SLIDE 10) We spoke to a volunteer at ACMI who emphasised the importance of getting kids to be active in the creation of media. A program run during the ‘PIXAR’ exhibition saw young kids being dressed up, taught simple filming/set skills and being able to create their own story against a specially set-up green screen. (SLIDE 11) Again we see this reshaping and simplifying of media literacies to increase the ability of young children to master and effectively engage with the technology.  Findings:


 * (SLIDE 12) Children of today are much more exposed to interactive digital media, gaming and online platforms (and this leads)
 * (SLIDE 13) There are expectations that a program/game will have interactive/transmedia elements to it (Maggs: no longer a passive audience)
 * (SLIDE 14) Digital media programs like Kahootz and ACMI are equipping children with the skills to become media creators by simplifying the technology (and consequently enhancing the media literacies)
 * (SLIDE 15) Digital and gaming media puts an emphasis on empowering young kids to develop media as a community (ACMI PIXAR)
 * Does this reflect the popularity of ‘adult’ programs like Youtube or Secondlife? Are we as a population reshaping our role in narrative and media?
 * (SLIDE 16) Research into new directions of digital media and narrative will hopefully help us identify how to be effective media creators in our future careers in the presence of a much more media skilled audience who have expectations for an extended role in the creation of their media.

(back Presentation of Findings)