DigStory

A cat story by Joy Terese Vital


In the Fall of 2009, during a small seminar in Manila, Philippines , a young girl tells the "tail" of how she came to own the best cat, ever.  "The Entertainer" song is playing during the entire 2 minute piece, which is something when normally heard ice cream comes to mind, or over I think of how the song has been over used. Here, it works, it incites the sensation of knowing a good treat is on its way. Just listening to Joy speak is joyous.  She is able to narrate pauses, commas, and exclamation.  She tells the origin of her cat, which is obviously cute, but she tells a funny story of her cats abilitiies. The digital story appears to be made on Windows Movie Maker and is a collection of home photos and stock (google) photos.  The photos chosen represent some humorous scenarios or just an image of her said cat.  Is there a craft at hand? I think it shows a young story teller using different effects that appeal to her.  There are dissolves that transition one cat picture to the next. Are they just selected to get from one image to another?  No.  Simply flashing pictures one after another would be heartless, which is not what comes off here. It feels like she, Joy, has made something that represents her artistry at her young age.  We do not expect pre-schoolers to paint master pieces, we expect finger paintings.  This is her "finger painting."  It is worthy of being on a fridge.  




People Like me by Roy Hayes.


The title alone is why I clicked on the video.  It can be read many different ways. People Like Me! - maybe its a story on popularity?  People, like me - maybe its a story that winds up saying "we" are all the same.  No. Those two don't work.  People like me - a story on finding ones people, rather ones voice.  Roy is the "people," in the title. He created his story at the AIDS Library workshop in the Summer of 2010.  There is no music, there is no score, there is nothing, but Roy and his voice.  His voice to tell his story.  Roy opens with a photo of a doctor (maybe) or surgeon.  I thought it was an astroman. I paused the clip and noticed, there is a skull under the mask. Not good. There is 3 images in the first minute of this 3 minute story.  They range emotions of death, despair, and hopefulness. After watching the video a few times, the second image Roy chose sticks out.  Roy zooms in on a black male whose hands are tied by a red rope, red being the Aids ribbon color.  A man fresh out of jail is now sentenced to "jail" again. Roy ends on a bright color of peace (blue), before that an image of a unbound man fist in the air expressing himself, and his freedoms...the image is of Roy.