Just Good Storytelling #2

This installment of "Just Good Storytelling " starts in Chicago from photographer Jon Lowenstein. I am honest in saying that I was immediately captivated and immersed in, "A Violent Thread," a powerful film shot over four years since 2009 in Chicago's South Side. I use the word "visceral" a lot to describe good storytelling, and this would be the definition of that. The footage is genuine, gritty, and honest. And the editing by Phil Batta is phenomenal. This is worth the 7 minutes and 46 seconds. 

Just as much as I LOVE stories from Russia, I also LOVE large-scale, in-depth documentary projects. The Sochi Project is the definition of all things I love.With the digital tools available today the only limitation to creating immersive and interactive storytelling projects is your creativity. Described as "slow journalism" by the creators of The Sochi Project, Rob Hornstra and Arnold van Bruggen have documented Sochi, Russia since 2007, the site of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. This interactive project is a beast, and you will continue to find yourself turning over new stories over the days it will take you to consume it all. But it's well worth exploring the eight chapters to truly understand this unique region of contrasts. 

 An oldie, but goodie, I bring you "12 Minutes of Freedom in 460 Days of Captivity," a special report from the New York Times magazine, published back in September. I didn't have a chance to fit this in the first installment of "Just Good Storytelling," but man this is really powerful storytelling. From Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett comes the riveting story of Lindhout and her companion Nigel Brennan's abduction in 2008 by Somali insurgents. I was so engrossed by this stort that I nearly missed my subway stop at Canal Street station. I'm not gonna lie. It's long. But just place yourself there, and you'll keep reading. 

Finally, I'll leave you with two light-hearted and inspiring visual storytelling. From the American Red Cross comes a PSA about babysitting. It's effective message-oriented storytelling, hilarious, and best of all, told through the voice of kids. The last suggestion I have is to check out the photography from the winners of the Red Bull Illume photo contest recently posted in The Atlantic. Those are some lush, beautiful photographs. My favorite image comes from Lorenz Holder. Pretty self-explanatory how epic the image is.

Thanks all for reading! 

© Lorenz Holder/Red Bull Illume