Interview (including live performance) with the extremely talented folk singer, Chloe Hall.
In this interview I talk to independent folk singer, Chloe Hall about storytelling, folk music and the struggles faced by independent musicians. I’ve have been working with Chloe Hall recently to produce a weekly online show that follows the Chloe Hall Trio as they tour Canada and Europe. The main aim of the show is to encourage people to start supporting independent artists, who with little support from funding bodies or major labels, are trying to make a go of it. It’s time people like you, me and everyone else out there actually do something to keep original storytelling and music alive. So take the time to read this interview and watch Chloe perform live and if you like what you see, I strongly recommend you to go to www.chloehall.com.au, show your support for The Chloe Hall Trio by registering that you’ve listened to their music and help keep their dream alive.
* What’s your story? (in 140 char. or less)
I’m an alternative folk singer-songwriter from Melbourne. I love making and sharing music, and I’m trying to work out a way to build a sustainable career.
* How did you start out?
I’ve written songs as long as I can remember.
After high-school, I studied composition at the Con in Melbourne, where I realized I was not only a terrible opera singer, but I actually didn’t like 20th century music that much. I dropped out after 2 years and hit the folk festival circuit (with my first demo – on cassette)…
* Can you remember the first song/story you ever wrote?
Uh huh.
There might have been others, but the first song I remember was when I was about 3, looking out of the back seat of the car watching the moon through the passing overhead wires. “When the moon was shining brightly and the stars were in the sky”. Genius.
* Tell us a bit about your new tour, ‘the 10,000 mission’ and the your online show, ‘Show on the Road’. What you are trying to achieve?
During this tour, we’re running 2 online campaigns.
“Chloe Hall is on a Mission” is about getting 10,000 people to hear the new album before the end of the tour (3½ months). They don’t have to buy it (although they can!), they can just go to the website, stream it, and register that they’ve heard it.
The way I see it, there are lots of people out there who will love the music, and particularly the new album – and it’s my job to find them.
I’m genuinely proud of this album, and I want to get it in front of as many people as possible – to give it the best chance that I can.
“Show on the Road” is a weekly web-based documentary of life on the road. It’s filmed by me and my trio on the road, the raw footage is uploaded… and the superstars at Agent Blank edit it and upload it each week.
It’s a fresh and exciting way of staying in touch with fans and giving a fly-on-the-wall experience of what life is like on the road.
* What makes a good story?
For me, people make good stories. If there’s real emotion there, you can bet it was triggered by a decent story. If it’s boiled down, I think a good story is an access point into a shared, simple emotion. An offering, from the teller to the listener.
* What’s your favourite story? (can be a film, book, myth etc)
I don’t have a tidy answer for this one. I’m probably most involved with the story I’ve most recently heard (and I’m always on the lookout for a good story!). I’m typing this from an alternative community in BC, Canada, where a group of American college friends bought land 35 years ago. They built the most extraordinary houses, reared chickens, pigs and cattle. Grew gardens and crops. Through summers and snowy, 40-degrees-below-winters. They led both independent and communal lives. Held legendary parties. Somehow, they’re still here – stronger than ever. All still friends. Continuing to build, play and work together. It’s inspiring. So, right now, it’s my favourite story.
* How do you think technology is changing the way we tell stories?
This is probably not a popular answer, but I think technology is changing the methods and appearance of the way we tell stories. But the stories themselves aren’t that different. Storytelling has been the same (in different forms) since we first began communicating our shared experiences.
Whether we sing a song passed down orally through generations, write a story on paper, type a blog or stream a live art-piece live on the web, we’re still connecting with people through common experience.
I think technology is opening up channels for broader communication though – allowing us to reach more people, more easily.
* Let’s talk about the difference between recording an album and performing live, how do you think the two processes change the way you tell your story?
I love them both, but recording and performing are very different.
For me, performing live is about a particular moment, with a particular group of people. We’re all a part of it. It only occurs once, and it’s a unique experience. It’s alive.
Recording is more like visual art. There’s so much preparation and refinement. It’s an exciting process – an intense exploration of the ideas and sounds, and often an amazing experience for the musicians and technicians involved. Once it’s finished, like a novel or a painting, it becomes a one-way communication with the listener/reader/viewer. It’s complete. It doesn’t change. It’s a moment captured.
* How will ‘Show on the Road’ be distributed?
Each week, Show on the Road is being uploaded to my website, youtube and other web video channels.
* What are the major hurdles to making a career from being a musician and trying to tell your stories?
The two big ones are self-belief and money.
There is an incredible amount of rejection in a musical career, so you need to have a strong belief in what you’re doing, have a thick skin, and have confidence and faith in the fact that there ARE people who will love what you’re doing, and be excited to be involved. So much of making a lasting career in music is finding a supportive community of like-minded people. On both sides of the stage/stereo.
And money? I think that’s self explanatory. Hard, hard work!
Tell us particularly about how/why folk music seems to be more about storytelling than other styles of music?
Folk music is, funnily enough, about ‘folk’. It’s by people, for people. It’s not driven by an industry, but it has a long, proud history of telling people’s stories. Remembering, sharing, sometimes protesting and resisting through music. It’s about communities and the strength of people working together. It’s real stories about real people and genuine emotions. It’s not just pop music played on acoustic instruments. It’s not always cool, but it’s timeless, classic and rich (but, you know, I might be a little bit biased!).
* Is the tour/show self funded?
I didn’t intend for this tour to be self funded (I made what I thought were 3 very strong applications for government and industry funding), but it’s ended up being a completely self-funded project. It’s wiping me out, actually. I’ll come back from this tour in debt, with no real idea of how to get out of the financial hole that I’m putting myself in. But I’m too far down the track to stop now! And you never know, if we just keep going around that next bend…
* Greatest fear in life?
Yeah right, that’s an easy question…
* What is your idea of freedom?
Setting off in the morning on a push bike. That first pedal down, where you feel the momentum of the bike take over and the wind against your face. I never tire of that feeling.
* Your greatest ambition?
This might sound a bit clichéd, but ultimately I want to be a happy, healthy, loving, loved, confident woman with a fantastic community of friends and musicians, making my living through music and songwriting. Living a rich and colourful life full of good company, good food, good music and adventure. True.
* Your tips for spreading the word and getting online support for your projects?
I’m just learning about this. At this point, I’m in other people’s hands. Definitely using social networking sites (although I could do this a lot better I think)… It’s all quite new for me at the moment, but I’m hoping we develop some good strategies along the way.
* Can you tell me the favourite song you’ve ever written and why you like it so much?
This changes all the time. At the moment it’s Shipwreck (listen to it here). It just feels so good to sing live – especially when the harmonies kick in!
It’s about being single… ‘Are you the rose or the thorn? Are you the teacup or the storm? Are you the one worth waiting for? Are you the shipwreck or the shore?…’ and I love seeing the single people in the audience (men and women) light up in recognition. It’s light, but there are seeds of truth in there… Ultimately though, it’s a very uplifting song.
* Why are you drawn to storytelling?
For the way it breaks through and makes us feel. For the way it connects people. For the way it makes us think, and question, and laugh and look around. I love hearing stories and songs just as much as I enjoy writing and sharing them. It feels important to me. Part of our own strange human story.
* If you had to live by a motto, what would it be?
I really don’t know, but I asked my (very helpful) band mates:
Teal said “Carpe PM”
Chris said “Look both ways before you cross the street”
Our host, Bob, said “Do what you like, like what you do”.
So you can see how easy that one is to answer!
- I thank Chloe for taking the time out of her extremely busy tour schedule to answer my questions. If you’ve read this far, then I encourage you once more to show your support for independent music and take a couple of minutes to check out www.chloehall.com.au.
A number of interesting facts came to my attention this week which I feel compelled to bring to your attention.
The first fact that left me absolutely gobmacked, yet somehow reassured was that Fox successfully argued that they could use the first amendment to essentially lie when telling the news.
Why did this reassure me? It reassured me that the old media guard is under siege and surely can’t survive much longer in the face of the power of tools such as Twitter. When real time news can be spread directly from the source to the masses, there is hope that news will become less about ’spin’ and more directly accountable. Let’s also hope that people will no longer tolerate the ‘pop’ and/or fear propaganda masquerading as news being thrown at them daily on the television or through tabloids.
My hopes in this department are encouraged by a recent interview by TED in which they interviewed Clay Shirky regarding the situation in Iran and how Twitter has been used to encourage collective action. You can read the full interview here. Essentially Clay talks about the fact that Twitter actually encourages empathy because we feel faster than we think. It’s definitely an interesting point, and the worldwide impact of the Iranian people’s use of Twitter has been extraordinary. They have not only brought their plight to the worldwide stage, they have also encouraged collective action on the issues at stake.
In this change toward real-time news there must be a mechanism to ensure that sources are checked and crossed checked. However, it seems to me that with the power of Twitter any false sources will be quickly weeded out in less time than it takes traditional media to verify, pull together a story, and print or run the story on television. A recent example of this is the absurd announcement on Australian national television that Jeff Goldblum was dead. Within minutes of the claim, a number of tweets from friends and associates of Jeff Goldblum confirmed the actor was in fact alive and well.
I’m not advocating the death of journalism, good research or storytelling. Far from it, I think that real-time news feeds and tools such as Twitter will simply weed out average writers, presenters etc as they simply won’t be necessary.
Hopefully those journalists etc that remain will do so because they have meaningful insights or impeccable storytelling abilities. Either that or they will be famous and/or goodlooking in a plastic way. I’m hoping there will be more of the talented former and less of the plastic latter.
There are those that are scared that the move to news feeds and social media will lead to information overload and a lack of empathy. However, we need to keep in mind the fact that tools such as Twitter are just that – tools. If we also keep communicating in other meaningful ways with each other then I think we’ll just be fine. We should all heed Julia Angwin’s advice and next time we make a call or see someone face to face ask them, ‘How are you really?’
And I’m all for bringing back a sacred tradition – let’s all start to switch our phones off when we’re sitting at dinner with our friends, family or colleagues. Technology can never replace the intimacy of face to face conversation and the importance of taking the time to actually listen to other people.
Technology certainly can add another dimension to the sharing of information and conversation though.
I am sick and tired of hearing the debate between ‘traditional’ media and ‘new’ or digital media. The old guard of the media world are grimly holding onto the term ‘tradition’ to keep themselves afloat in the rapidly changing media landscape. What disgusts me most about the old media guard, the ‘traditionalists’ of the filmmaking, television, newspaper world etc are that they blatantly misuse the term ‘tradition’. They brandish it as a weapon against the ‘new innovators in tradition’, like myself, who are more interested in telling a good story than in the eventual form it takes. The old guard fire their ‘tradition propaganda’ so they can maintain their balance sheets and/or elite ‘art’. Tradition is being used as a tool to maintain power and money in the hands of a few select individuals. Well, those days are numbered. Tradition is bigger than all of them and here’s why:
One of my great pet hates in life is the way that people buy into ‘tradition propaganda’ and fail to think through issues for themselves. As a result they use tradition to disguise their own inflexible, and narrow mind.
Let’s look at what tradition actually is:
‘The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem, acc. of traditio which means “handing over, passing on”‘- thanks Wikipedia.
Now let’s split this debate over tradition into its form and its function.
- The FUNCTION of tradition is to pass on stories or beliefs that represent an important aspect of humanity
- The FORM tradition takes can vary from the macro level of religious institutions, political systems, symbols and mythology through to the micro level of families, village cultures etc.
I studied architecture for a number of years and there was often the debate over form vs function. There was always a great deal of discussion over what should come first, form or function. The end result was always crystal clear for me. Those architects that began with the function of a building and allowed the form to develop always created the most unique, breathtaking, and engaging works of art. Those that began with the form, were generally left with a showy, useless piece of crap that fell apart in a few years.
So for me, the debate around tradition is fairly simple. Those that start from the position of form are either:
- Wankers: largely defined by the way they mask their insecurity through megalomaniacal displays, verbose self-congratulatory language and recycled ideas (think the old guard) Or;
- Narrow-minded: and unable to think outside the fear box being broadcast at them. They are scared that if they do start thinking for themselves, those vile, persuasive messages being thrown at them might jump out of the screen and make them so obese that they won’t be able to stop their family being captured by paedophilic terrorists. Or;
- Both. These are the worst kind: Wankers, that have no idea what they’re talking about.
I’ll throw the types outlined above into the same category of ‘Dumbos’. These people have an inherent need for the existing superstructures to be maintained. That is, they either have a vested interest in maintaining their own power (wankers), or asserting their own stupidity to make them feel better about themselves (narrow-minded).
It is these very people that tarnish the word tradition. They usurp the function of tradition and then deride innovators or original thinkers for not being respectful of tradition.
Hence pioneers of digital media are often derided by ‘traditional’ mediums as being crass, cheap and unmindful of traditions.
Dumbos are also the ones that can be found arguing that a political system, religion or village culture is inherently good or evil. (Let’s not get into a debate on Fascism etc here). It is the people in charge of instigating the policies in such systems that do good or evil. I believe there are some underlying, basic human morals and innate beliefs that transcend a political, religious, village or family system. These are what together make up the FUNCTION of tradition, not the political, religious or other FORM they may take.
Which leads me back to the story. And digital media.
The medium of delivery whether it be a film, novel, artwork etc is not the tradition. Just as a religious or political system are not the tradition.
They are the FORM that tradition takes.
Let’s start thinking for ourselves again and look at the FUNCTION of tradition. What are we trying to say? What is our story? How are we going to communicate our tradition most effectively to future generations?
By starting from the FUNCTION of tradition some interesting, innovative and engaging FORMS of tradition may emerge.
Let’s embrace tradition, and hand over and pass on the messages and stories that are really important to new generations. Let’s start sharing stories about climate change, cultural diversity and shared growth, how we value an individual’s contribution to society beyond dollar signs, and the mechanism’s we need to not only ‘advance’ but to ‘connect’ as humans. I could add many more stories to this list, but you get the idea.
And while we’re at it, why not embrace the new technologies that allow us to share these stories with the world like never before? Even more than sharing them, we can make them calls to action by getting people involved in the conversation. Yes, sometimes we all want to passively absorb media, but we all also want to communicate and share our ideas.
Welcome to the world of The Digital Wave, the real-time ambient conversation. But that’s another blog.
For now, don’t be scared. You’ve got a flexible mind, should you choose to use it. Within our tradition is your story waiting to be discovered and shared.
I’m excited to share this email interview I conducted with Frank Kelly, the organiser of the 140 project. This is the first, in what is hopefully an ongoing series of interviews with storytellers from around the world.
I’ve mentioned the 140 project before in an earlier blog, but for those who aren’t familiar with the project, Frank has been inspired by Twitter to come up with a new way to make a film. On June 21st, 8pm GMT, 140 filmmakers from 140 locations around the world will record 140 sec of footage each. I’m one of the filmmakers involved, and I’m very interested to see the results of the final product. Find out more about the project here.
In this interview Frank provides some interesting insights into his life, the changing face of storytelling and his own personal quest to find and tell great stories.
Please note, that as this is Frank’s story I haven’t edited any of his answers, so excuse the odd mispelling etc.
What’s your story? (in 140 char. or less)
I make films. I’ve written screenplays for about 10 years, shorts, features, TV shows. Made some shorts and won a few awards doing it too!
How did you start out?
First film I made was Emily’s Song, a short about two brothers which played in festivals around the world. That was the first real step into filmmaking. But I had been writing for years before that, learning my craft as a writer. Before that I studied Animation Production in college, but decided to go into live action when I graduated, live action being my first love.
Tell us a bit about the idea behind this project.
I was frustrated with not getting anything made, I had made a film in a year and there didn’t seem to be anything coming up. Right about then I signed up to twitter, my first thought was ‘I don’t need this,’ I figured it would just be a distraction, but then I started to think about how I might use it to get something going. Seeing how quickly you could communicate with a lot of people and taping into the expedient nature of twitter I started to think about connection and synchronicity.
How do you think technology is changing the way we tell stories?
Storytelling is as much a part of our DNA as the colour of our eyes. As humans we tell stories everyday, perform little plays for each other, try to entertain each other. One of my favourite things to do is watch people telling stories, in a cafe, on the town, one is usually the audience, while the other is the story teller, waving his or her arms around stepping in and out of different characters, retelling some tall tale of something that happened last week, exaggerated ten fold for effect. I think technology will simply be another outlet for telling stories, we’ll tell the same stories, but in another way.
One of the filmmakers on 140 is Zach Helm, the writer of Stranger Than Fiction, and probably one of the most unique story tellers of this generation. He is using twitter in a new way to tell a story. He has a fictional character called Henry Thorpe whose life he is played out in real time as he twitters his adventures, which is an interesting use of the medium.
Do you see this project being fiction, non-fiction or both?
It’s non-fiction, although some filmmakers may chose performance pieces, I’m not sure yet, I won’t know until I see everyone’s footage. It’s a documentary of sorts, an experiment. It will cut together as visual experience that will, hopefully, perhaps have a message, an over all feeling.
What tools are you using to bring the various filmmakers and footage together?
I’m bringing the filmmakers together online, mainly through twitter, but also via email. I’ve asked the filmmakers to shoot on whatever format they have available to them, as the filmmakers come from every degree of experience, from student to seasoned professional. They will then send to footage to me as a file and I’ll upload it and begin cutting… which should be fun!
How will your project be distributed?
I will promote the film on the film festival circuit for about a year and seek distribution.
Is this project self funded? Or do you have sponsors onboard?
There is no funding. The idea was to make something from nothing, using the internet and the ingenuity of the artists involved. I don’t have any money, so I figured there was no point in trying to make something that cost a fortune… or even €10!
What makes a good story?
I’m not sure, something that surprises you. It’s a mixture of Deja Vu and Jame vu, something you know you’ve seen before, but at the same time, something you’ve never seen before. It’s old and new at the same time… tricky!
What’s your favourite story? (can be a film, book, myth etc)
Back to the Future is my favourite film, I think it’s a wonderful film and a brilliant story. His Dark Materials are my favourite books, masterful storytelling. I loved the Lord of the Rings movies. I think I like grand adventures, something I can be completely absorbed and lost in.
Where did you get the name pale stone productions?
Pale Stone is the name of a character in a story my writing partner have been working on for several year. I wont tell you too much lest it spoil some of the plot.
Greatest fear in life?
Losing someone dear to me.
What is your idea of freedom?
I akin freedom to happiness. And not sure happiness exists as a complete and constant state, we have moments of happiness, but we could always be happier! We’re still tied to so many worries and anxieties: bills, dept, health concerns, car payments, mortgage, credit cards, all of us struggling to make something good, make a living, make a mark. Freedom, or happiness are not things I feel everyday, whereas I feel worry everyday, and freedom is life without worry I think, which is impossible. Maybe only when we’re dead will we really find freedom… Happy answer!
Your greatest ambition?
To provide a good living for my family, make sure they are looked after and safe.
Your tips for spreading the word and getting online support for your projects?
The network theory. I tell everyone I know and ask them to tell everyone they know and so one, hopefully soon everyone will know! We’re all connected now, so it should work.
'Broken Wall' by Frank Kelly
The favourite photo Frank Kelly has taken called ‘Broken Wall’. You can see more of Frank’s photos here.
I took it in a place played as a child. I later found out it is the factory where my grandparents worked and indeed met, so it has a strong significance for me.
It was part of an exhibition I did called ‘Old Shoes and Broken Walls’ about the crumbling factories around my town and simbolises, for me, how easily we forget, and how we get so fixated on what’s directly in front of use that we forget about where we came from, who made us, how we got here, and there is no reverence for that. I think there should be.
Why are you drawn to storytelling?
Simple answer; I don’t know. Something to do with the fact that I like being surprised, I like feeling part of something, I like making people feel surprised and making them feel part of something. There’s a big hole in all of us, something we strive everyday to fill, with food, money, cars and all the material things we want. I don’t think any of those things are as satisfying as a good story, when we hear a good story, whether in a film or a book or from a friend, we feel complete for a few moments. It’s something primal.
If you had to live by a motto, what would it be?
I have no idea!
- Many thanks for Frank for sparing the time to answer a few questions. You can also find out more about what he is up to at his blog.
I’ve have been getting a number of responses to my previous post on Ag8 and the future of storytelling. I believe a lot of people seem to be confusing the medium for the message. I simply believe that paradigm is outmoded. The internet, by its very nature lends itself to discussions around technology. I want to start hearing more conversation around our story.
Storytelling throughout history has been independent of the medium. Sure, as a result of the medium certain forms, genres and archetypal characters of storytelling emerged. An incredible history has built around the shared myths and symbols that have emerged from the various mediums.
However, a good story usurps any medium.
When you read a great book, the story doesn’t stop there, you tell your friends, you discuss the book with others, and a myth is built around that book. This will largely be shaped by your close networks, what you have seen/read/heard about the book in other media etc. While the audience may not be actively communicating with the author, they are certainly shaping the subjective story that emerges. For the story, once read, becomes independent of the page and subject to the experiences, views and symbolic belief systems of the audience.
In a sense, nothing has changed. Their are still people creating and people consuming. However, the crucial aspect is the currency of openness and speed. The creator must now use the feedback of the audience to refine, defend or promote their story and be clear in their reasons for producing the story in the first place.
If story is truly about educating as much as entertaining then it is up to every storyteller out there to be clear in their convictions. They must tell stories that connect meaningfully with their audience. This doesn’t mean they ever have to lose sight of the story they are trying to tell. It’s just that instead of telling stories in a linear, clear-cut way, storytellers must now develop multiple levels of meaning. They must create, or allow the audience/creator to create, through-lines that are more human in nature than traditional narrative structure.
The story needs to embrace worlds to truly reflect the many worlds that make up our existence (e.g. internal, local, national etc).
Humanity will always require leaders to balance the needs and wants of society. As such, it will require creative leaders and storytellers to guide these communal stories. However, sometimes the best stories come from the most unexpected places. It might just be that we all have a story to tell. This may come as a shock to all the history saturated, culturally elite, traditionalists out there. I’m not interested in tradition for tradition’s sake. I’m interested in the human story. Aren’t we all?
Respect where the story has come from, but also be open minded enough to see where it may go.
The future of the story is out in the wild world. You better get ready.
NB: While all mediums were created equal, we needed the internet to bring our story together.
I’m pleased to announce that Agent Blank finally has its first online home. www.agentblank.com.
Like any new home, it will take a bit of time to settle in, but we’re confident that in time it will grow into a dynamic destination devoted to telling great stories.
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
We want to find out about you and your story. We’re keen to start the dialogue with independent artists, businesses and educational institutions about the stories they are trying to communicate online. So feel free to contact me via Twitter, Facebook or via the contact form on the Agent Blank site
Stay tuned for some very exciting announcements soon around how we’re planning to help independent artists.
For quite some time now, I’ve been pondering how storytelling will change with the rapid advances in digital media. I’ll always have a soft spot for films as a great medium to deliver a story. However, I have come to realise that filmmaking as we know it is changing forever.
While, they’ll always be some great auteurs or traditionalists out there making great standalone films, more and more we are going to see the development of stories with no clear beginning, middle or end. Let’s face it, this traditional narrative structure was really only invented due to the limitations of the mediums being used. Clearly, no one is ever going to sit in front of a movie screen watching a film for five hours (unless you’re a masochist), that’s why the standard 90 minute film became the norm. It fitted in with people’s attention spans.
Now, however people’s attention spans are becoming shorter than ever. With the inundation of social media feeds, and the various sites we all subscribe to, we are barely able to keep up with the information being thrown at us.
This is creating an interesting phenomenon. It means that we want small, bite sized pieces of information that we can consume quickly. However, the web has also played nicely into humanity’s innate curiosity. There is still something fun and magical about discovering a new interesting piece of content or story on the web that you can send onto your friends etc.
Where is this leading?
The future is clear. Storytelling will no longer be one person trying to shape a story to an audience. There will be no separation between the ‘creator’ of the story and the audience. The audience will be creating the story as much as the original creator.
This calls for a very different mindset than the capitalist way of thinking that has been so dominant over the past few decades. The individual is no longer paramount, the collective is. Stories will no longer be shaped in isolation, and be protected through archaic practices like copyright. Stories will be created through various ‘entry points’ on the web, be that a blog, a video, a facebook page etc. The audience themselves will then shape the story and even be contributors to its creation.
For the first time since ancient cultures, where stories were passed down from generation to generation through verbal communication (around fires etc), the world has now found a new, communal space to share and grow its stories that represent humanity. What’s more, if we plan this right, we can have a trail of websites that archive and document the development of these stories.
In other words, stories are no longer simply stories, they are world views that will evolve with discussion, creation, and review.
So I welcome you to the new world of digital storytelling, where everyone of us are creators, audience, and critics all at once.
The only question left to answer is what does this human story mean to all of us? What does the future hold?
I think Tom Himpe and David Bausola, with a little help from Ridley and Tony Scott, have struck the nail on the head and are set to be leaders in the digital media space. I encourage you to go and explore their site. The future is here.
I have been too busy to follow the latest developments on this issue, but I find it extraordinary that the Rudd government has just released new, seemingly more transparent Freedom of Information laws. I’m curious as to how this reconciles with the strangely archaic attempts to censor the internet in Australia.
The attempts to censor the internet by Senator Conroy represent one of the greatest threats to the right to freedom of information that Australia has seen. I strongly urge everyone whether you are from Australia or not to help raise awareness of this issue. As part of doing this, I encourage any talented, creative people out there to participate or send in ideas to an ad campaign being run here:
It is the internet that has allowed such great collaborative efforts such as the campaign above. I cannot emphasise how important it is for our individual freedoms and right to information that the internet is not censored in Australia. Without accountability, important information about controversial issues that lead to informed discussion and debate may be removed from the Australian people. This is not about censoring kiddie porn. The research shows that such material is now circulated off the world wide web in closed rings of deviant people. This is about our right to information.
If Australia is to keep up with the rest of the world, we also need decent internet speeds. The filter proposed will throttle these speeds and turn Australia into a technology backwater.
It is even more concerning when police start conducting raids on the homes of people that are trying to make the blacklist of censored sites available for public scrutiny:
I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts on these issues.
Firstly, I must apologise for being just like all the other wannabe bloggers. I started this blog with noble intentions. Like a new years resolution, I vowed to write each day and educate, inform and inspire people on digital storytelling. Like a new years resolution, it fell apart within a week.
However, I am back to show you innovation in digital storytelling. It could be argued that the link below isn’t to an innovative digital story. I would argue that it is a simple narrative story that effectively uses new technology to send a message to the world. I will leave the meaning behind this message to your own interpretation.
