Stories have always been an integral part of human life.
From cave paintings to finding new mediums throughout the centuries, storytelling has evolved and continues to find new formats and tools to bring words, pictures and ideas to life. Presently, we’re a click away from millions of digital stories, but how did we get here? From the printing revolution to immersive stories such as VR film The Invisible Man, here’s a look at the evolution of storytelling.
The Printing Revolution
In 1455, Johannes Gutenberg invented Europe’s first moveable type machine, almost 150 years later after China’s Bi Sheng invented the very first moveable type. In the Western world, the invention meant that ideas, words, news and stories could now circulate and be exchanged around the world. The printing press also revolutionized the ad industry, by allowing brands to create print ads found in newspapers and magazines. The 19th century marked the start of the Newspaper Era which was when advertisements began emerging as print ads.
Also by the 1920s, Penguin Books became a publishing company that transformed the way books were consumed. The publishing company ensured that paperback books would be reasonably priced but contained well-written stories that resonated. This meant that authors and readers alike had access to a world of great books regardless of class.
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The Motion Picture Makes its Mark
While books were one of the most universal mediums when it came to storytelling, motion pictures were also making their mark. In 1878 Eadweard Muybridge successfully captured motion images of a horse galloping, which was the first motion picture.
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The Motion Picture Makes its Mark
Years later, by 1903, the first silent film premiered, known as The Great Train Robbery. By the 1920s, Hollywood had played thousands of silent films, followed by The Jazz Singer, its first spoken-word film. At this time, movies were used as a way to get people’s minds off of the horrors of World War One and The Great Depression. By the late 50s to the early 70s, New Wave Cinema began, which saw directors take new approaches to create experimental films that went against the grain. Filmmakers such as Stanley Kubrick were inspired by great literature to bring meaningful stories to the screen.
The motion picture as a medium allowed advertisers to start creating television and film ads. In the 1940s, the first commercial aired for Bulova Watch. By the 50s, many big brands such as Coca-Cola were broadcasting commercials for television audiences.
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The Golden Age of Advertising
The 20th century was also known as the golden age of advertising. Companies were beginning to use narrative-driven advertising and focused on personalization. Apple’s 1984 ad, which features a woman infiltrating and fighting a machine inspired by George Orwell’s novel 1984 to prove that Apple’s Macintosh won’t be anything like the brainwashing machine. This commercial marked the beginning of an era where advertising became news-worthy.
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The Streaming Takeover
By the 2000s, movies, television, books and ads were becoming even more accessible through DVD, Video on Demand, and the rise of the Internet. The advertising industry was beginning to see the potential of streaming as well by integrating 30-60 second ads into streaming platforms.
The adoption of streaming changed the way people viewed and created stories. The streaming platform Netflix was created in 1997 as a DVD subscription service. Nearly ten years later, the company began streaming TV series and movies, unlocking a world of potential for storytelling. A few years later, Amazon, Hulu and HBO came out with their own streaming services. By 2013, Netflix came out with its first original show, House of Cards. Amazon was producing its own original content too, including Fleabag and Manchester by the Sea.
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The Power of Social
By the 2010s, it was evident that social media was beginning to become a huge part of storytelling too – whether it was angry fans seen with the Game of Thrones ending in 2019 or partaking in funny memes as seen with Netflix’s Birdbox, which was also used as a marketing tactic. During this time, users were becoming a part of the narrative. This was also when YouTube was transforming digital content into a platform where users could be the creators, which shifted the way audiences participated in storytelling. Not only did YouTube allow just about anyone to be storytellers, but they also allowed users to engage with videos directly with comments. Interactive and non-linear stories were emerging too, such as Netflix’s interactive film Bandersnatch and HBO’s nonlinear True Detective series which shifted the way stories were told in popular series and films.
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The Power of Social
Digital advertising was also emerging, which meant that users were playing a much bigger role in engagement. Rather than passively consuming advertisements as they did in the golden age of advertising, audiences were now actively watching and experiencing the stories. Advertisements could become viral through social media just by resonating with users. A great example of this is the Always #LikeAGirl ad, which was circulated and shared through social media due to its strong message and effective hashtag.
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Immersive Stories
By the 2010s, a new method of storytelling was emerging: immersive stories. Film, TV, journalism and advertising are all on the way to using technologies such as virtual and augmented reality to create meaningful stories that audiences can experience.
In 2016, the first virtual reality ad network, Virtual Sky, was launched which created opportunities for digital marketers to create memorable ads that transcend the screen. In the streaming industry, Apple TV + and HBO Go both announced that they are working to incorporate AR into their original content. Movies are using VR and AR; Sundance Film Festival saw its New Frontier category, which exhibits AR and VR films get so popular that they created a mini-festival specific to these films.
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Storytelling Continues to Evolve
Storytellers now have lots of mediums to choose from, and can explore beyond traditional ways of telling stories. While storytelling has come very far from the days of the printing revolution, we still use those mediums to this day, all the while exploring new ways of conveying meaningful messages and involving audiences. Whether its films, advertisements, journalism or TV, immersive storytelling won’t replace these older mediums but will help make the stories further come to life and inspire more creatives to tell their stories to the world.
)
The Printing Revolution
In 1455, Johannes Gutenberg invented Europe’s first moveable type machine, almost 150 years later after China’s Bi Sheng invented the very first moveable type. In the Western world, the invention meant that ideas, words, news and stories could now circulate and be exchanged around the world. The printing press also revolutionized the ad industry, by allowing brands to create print ads found in newspapers and magazines. The 19th century marked the start of the Newspaper Era which was when advertisements began emerging as print ads.
Also by the 1920s, Penguin Books became a publishing company that transformed the way books were consumed. The publishing company ensured that paperback books would be reasonably priced but contained well-written stories that resonated. This meant that authors and readers alike had access to a world of great books regardless of class.
The Motion Picture Makes its Mark
While books were one of the most universal mediums when it came to storytelling, motion pictures were also making their mark. In 1878 Eadweard Muybridge successfully captured motion images of a horse galloping, which was the first motion picture.
The Motion Picture Makes its Mark
Years later, by 1903, the first silent film premiered, known as The Great Train Robbery. By the 1920s, Hollywood had played thousands of silent films, followed by The Jazz Singer, its first spoken-word film. At this time, movies were used as a way to get people’s minds off of the horrors of World War One and The Great Depression. By the late 50s to the early 70s, New Wave Cinema began, which saw directors take new approaches to create experimental films that went against the grain. Filmmakers such as Stanley Kubrick were inspired by great literature to bring meaningful stories to the screen.
The motion picture as a medium allowed advertisers to start creating television and film ads. In the 1940s, the first commercial aired for Bulova Watch. By the 50s, many big brands such as Coca-Cola were broadcasting commercials for television audiences.
The Golden Age of Advertising
The 20th century was also known as the golden age of advertising. Companies were beginning to use narrative-driven advertising and focused on personalization. Apple’s 1984 ad, which features a woman infiltrating and fighting a machine inspired by George Orwell’s novel 1984 to prove that Apple’s Macintosh won’t be anything like the brainwashing machine. This commercial marked the beginning of an era where advertising became news-worthy.
The Streaming Takeover
By the 2000s, movies, television, books and ads were becoming even more accessible through DVD, Video on Demand, and the rise of the Internet. The advertising industry was beginning to see the potential of streaming as well by integrating 30-60 second ads into streaming platforms.
The adoption of streaming changed the way people viewed and created stories. The streaming platform Netflix was created in 1997 as a DVD subscription service. Nearly ten years later, the company began streaming TV series and movies, unlocking a world of potential for storytelling. A few years later, Amazon, Hulu and HBO came out with their own streaming services. By 2013, Netflix came out with its first original show, House of Cards. Amazon was producing its own original content too, including Fleabag and Manchester by the Sea.
The Power of Social
By the 2010s, it was evident that social media was beginning to become a huge part of storytelling too – whether it was angry fans seen with the Game of Thrones ending in 2019 or partaking in funny memes as seen with Netflix’s Birdbox, which was also used as a marketing tactic. During this time, users were becoming a part of the narrative. This was also when YouTube was transforming digital content into a platform where users could be the creators, which shifted the way audiences participated in storytelling. Not only did YouTube allow just about anyone to be storytellers, but they also allowed users to engage with videos directly with comments. Interactive and non-linear stories were emerging too, such as Netflix’s interactive film Bandersnatch and HBO’s nonlinear True Detective series which shifted the way stories were told in popular series and films.
The Power of Social
Digital advertising was also emerging, which meant that users were playing a much bigger role in engagement. Rather than passively consuming advertisements as they did in the golden age of advertising, audiences were now actively watching and experiencing the stories. Advertisements could become viral through social media just by resonating with users. A great example of this is the Always #LikeAGirl ad, which was circulated and shared through social media due to its strong message and effective hashtag.
Immersive Stories
By the 2010s, a new method of storytelling was emerging: immersive stories. Film, TV, journalism and advertising are all on the way to using technologies such as virtual and augmented reality to create meaningful stories that audiences can experience.
In 2016, the first virtual reality ad network, Virtual Sky, was launched which created opportunities for digital marketers to create memorable ads that transcend the screen. In the streaming industry, Apple TV + and HBO Go both announced that they are working to incorporate AR into their original content. Movies are using VR and AR; Sundance Film Festival saw its New Frontier category, which exhibits AR and VR films get so popular that they created a mini-festival specific to these films.
Storytelling Continues to Evolve
Storytellers now have lots of mediums to choose from, and can explore beyond traditional ways of telling stories. While storytelling has come very far from the days of the printing revolution, we still use those mediums to this day, all the while exploring new ways of conveying meaningful messages and involving audiences. Whether its films, advertisements, journalism or TV, immersive storytelling won’t replace these older mediums but will help make the stories further come to life and inspire more creatives to tell their stories to the world.