Competencies
In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competencies:
- Create and deliver communication messages informed by the application of storytelling concepts
- Analyze how stories are used to meet various communication goals
- Evaluate cultural representation in various forms of communication messages
Scenario
You are a communications consultant being asked to create a storyboard presentation for a campaign sponsored by an organization looking to engage their audience in some way.
The details for each scenario are vague to allow you to add your own details if you would like, but you cannot revise or remove what is already listed in the scenario.
Choose one of the following scenarios:
- A nonprofit organization focused on saving endangered wildlife wants to raise awareness about the impact of natural disasters on wildlife.
- A nonprofit organization that operates a food pantry and kitchen is having difficulty retaining volunteers to work in positions that do not require direct interaction with the people the organization serves. Such positions include stocking the shelves and early morning kitchen prep.
- A nonprofit organization that works with LGBTQIA+ youth is looking to promote their new 24/7 crisis text line service and recruit volunteers to work as crisis counselors.
- A for-profit organization that manufactures furniture wants to increase the sales of its new line of tables. The tables can extend in multiple directions to accommodate up to 20 people.
- A for-profit organization that provides financial planning services wants to announce its new office location in a country outside of the United States.
- A county public health department is concerned that the people living in the county do not trust its information or recommendations because of the negative implications of being a government organization.
Directions
Part 1: Storyboard Presentation
Create a storyboard that details your vision for how you plan to tell the story that will convey your message. Use the storytelling principles you’ve learned throughout this course to structure your presentation in an engaging, persuasive way that will captivate your audience’s attention. While you don’t have to follow the order of information outlined in these instructions, you do need to incorporate all of these items into your presentation or speaker notes:
- Target Audience and Story Message Overview: Provide an overview of the story message (what it is, why it’s important, etc.) and an overview of the target audience you’re looking to reach.
- Identify the communication goal of your story and the story’s overarching message.
- Describe the target audience for the story (its demographic, geographic, and psychographic details) and the data sources you used to research your target audience.
- Justify how your story relates to the cultural experiences of the audience and how your message could influence these experiences.
- Explain why this story will grab the audience’s attention.
- Story Outline: Outline the story you will be telling to convey your message.
- Identify how you intend to present your story in terms of delivery and style, including the following:
- Its genre (fiction, nonfiction, or a combination)
- Its style (documentary, animation, etc.)
- Develop key narrative elements and story structure, including the following:
- Characterization (for primary and main characters)
- The story “world” (its location, time period, environment, cultural attributes, etc.)
- Important plot points with a story arc, including an opening scene (to grab attention), inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action (denouement), and ending.
- Identify how you intend to present your story in terms of delivery and style, including the following:
- Channels, Cultural Representation, and Story Effectiveness Analysis:
- Channels: Analyze how your story will be shared with your audience.
- Define what channels you’re planning to use to distribute your communication message.
- Construct a rationale for why these channels are most appropriate for reaching your audience.
- Cultural Representation: Analyze how your story will likely be interpreted based on the audience’s culture.
- Describe how your audience could interpret your message based on its portrayal in the story. Focus on how audience culture can affect how your message is interpreted.
- Identify any potential areas for cultural misrepresentation or bias in your story. Be sure to identify what personal bias (either positive or negative) you encountered during the creation of your story.
- Provide recommendations for reducing or eliminating bias and cultural misrepresentation in your story’s portrayal. Explain your rationale as to why these recommendations will reduce or eliminate bias.
- Story Effectiveness: Analyze how well the story communicates your message. Include the following information as part of your analysis:
- Evaluate how your story aligns with the best practices of one or more communication theories.
- Compare and contrast the strengths and limitations of conveying your message using a story.
- Emphasize the call to action. As a result of receiving your message, what should your audience understand or do in order to achieve the communication goal?
- Analyze the persuasive strategies you incorporated into your story (for example, pathos, logos, and ethos appeals; anecdote; conversational language; levity and humor; or contrast) and your rationale for doing so.
- Channels: Analyze how your story will be shared with your audience.
Part 2: Presentation Speaker Notes
Write speaker notes for each presentation slide so that your instructor can understand all of your points in greater detail. While your presentation slides should be high-level and only highlight major talking points, your speaker notes should get into specifics.
What to Submit
To complete this project, you must submit the following:
Storyboard Presentation
Submit a presentation outlining your storyboard. On each slide, include a basic outline of what will be discussed. You may use the template provided in the “Supporting Materials” section to submit this portion of the project, or you may create your own presentation using PowerPoint, Google Slides, or other presentation software.
Speaker Notes
Submit speaker notes for each slide of your presentation. These slides will be graded as part of your presentation. List each slide in your notes, and for each slide, provide extensive details beyond what is outlined on the actual slides. You may use the template provided in the “Supporting Materials” section to submit this portion of the project, or you may create your own speaker notes using Microsoft Word.
