The Digital Naturalist

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The Digital Naturalist

A space to explore and discuss video, film, and multimedia with a cause. www.TheDigitalNaturalist.com Good ones, great ones, total flops.

In this age of tablets, smart phones, and social networks, video is a powerful way to introduce people to a cause. But on YouTube and other video-sharing sites, real-world issues often take a back seat to pop-culture favorites like "Fuzzy Fuzzy Cute Cute" (which, incidentally, surpassed a nonprofit video about global warming by more than 2 million views). The reality is, many advocacy groups are s

truggling to capture the attention of the general public. It's time for them to step up their digital-storytelling game. As an editor for National Parks magazine, stories come across my desk every day that are powerful enough to shift even the most apathetic views-- if told well. In a recent effort to expand our coverage off the printed page, I've watched, studied, and analyzed scores of advocacy videos. But even the total flops shine a light on worthy issues, which brings me to this conclusion: If more good people behind these good causes could learn to meet the most basic criteria of good digital storytelling, their work might actually start to turn heads. This website is an attempt to help them get there. It puts advocacy videos under a microscope, dissecting the elements that make them succeed or fail. It brings together an elite panel of experts-- through analysis, forums, personal accounts, and Q&As-- who have successfully used video to portray and broadcast the most critical and complex issues of our time. Just as a naturalist strives to understand the natural world, The Digital Naturalist strives to understand the science behind this exciting, new world of digital advocacy. Because there are just too many important stories to tell.

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Video storytelling advice, analysis, and critiques. Nonprofit consulting on video storytelling and process. A fantastic network of talented filmmakers telling the most important stories of our time.

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