De Efteling

You have corporate storytelling.
But what if you make storytelling to be your corporate business?

Here in The Netherlands we have The Efteling. Founded in 1933 with a Fairy Tale Forest started in 1952, now a World of Wonders.

It is a large forest where the various characters from beloved fairy tales have taken their residence. Sleeping Beauty sleeps here in her castle, with the other inhabitants of the castle fast a sleep, except for one.... the witch is spinning her wool. Little Red Riding Hood is at the door of grandmothers cottage (where, when you peek through the window, you actually see she is not in her bed, but the big bad wolf is). The dwarfs are mourning Snow White who they carefully put in her glass coffin, surrounded by the animals from the woods. And Rapunzel is letting her hair down, but who is climbing up, yes, the witch. 

All fairy tales come together here, displayed in their various homes in a luscious green forest. Where a narrator tells you the story and at some places you can even read the story in a big book.

Everything in the park is themed around various stories, thrill rides, restaurants, shops, even the bathrooms and the waste bins. 

If you want to experience a bit of what I'm talking about. Look here.

Surrounded by stories, you feel like you are walking in a storybook come to life. A childhood dream, that will take everybody back to the wonderful world of fairy tales.

Clouds - for Zach

I can't tell the story any better than Adam Mordecai from Upworthy can. So I'm just going to redirect you to their site. Read it all and watch the video.

Clouds - for Zach

To have your story told, even when you have left this world! How wonderful!

Book to movie adaptations - The Hobbit

Nothing harder than turning a book into a movie. One type of storytelling turning into another. But such different ways of storytelling.

In a book you can explain, tell what people think, how they feel. In a movie you have to show. You can let the person say it out loud, but it still is different than somebody reading about it.

And when reading people use their own imagination, what they know about live, what they have experienced, how they see the world, to complete the story. A movie shows the vision of the director and screenwriter on the story.

With a beloved book like The Hobbit it is even harder. The book has been around since 1937, millions of people have read it. Know it almost by heart and have their favourite characters. But the movie is showing what Peter Jackson thinks the characters looks like.

I'm going to use The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug to explain.

Beorn, "He is a skin-changer. He changes his skin: sometimes he is a huge black bear, sometimes he is a great strong black-haired man with huge arms and a great beard."
From this I have always seen a big, broad man. Not a giant, but a muscular, black haired man. Very large, both tall and wide To use an image, more like Hagrid from Harry Potter, only stronger, more muscles.
And what does Beorn looks like according to Peter Jackson 

It does fit in the movie, although I see more a cat than a bear in him.

Another part is spot on with what I had figured:
"Before his huge doors of stone a river ran out of the heights of the forest"
This is what it looks like in the movie:

But maybe somebody living in a different part of the world and having seen rivers of a very different kind their entire life, will have a completely different vision.

What do you think? Have you ever seen a movie that was spot on with what you had read in the book? Or something that was completely different? Please, do tell.

The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug - movie

And after the book, there came the movies.

Last year An Unexpected Journey (AUJ for short) and this week The Desolation of Smaug (DOS for short).

The movie is now also released in the USA, so I can now tell a bit more about it than that I liked it (and sorry to the Aussies, who still have to wait till Boxing Day).

First, this is not The Hobbit book turned into a movie. This is a movie that takes some clues from the book The Hobbit. Some parts stay very true, others you will never ever find in the book. But at some points, all of a sudden, you watch the movie and think, "Hey, those lines I do remember from the book".

This is a much more action filled movie than the first one. It doesn't need to introduce much more extra characters and in AUJ we were left in the middle of action, not in quiet Bag End. 

First we meet Beorn, the huge skin changer. Unfortunately he doesn't look like what I had in mind from the book. But I loved the way his home looked and those giant bees. Although I did miss the dinner scene where the animals serve the dinner to the dwarves.

Mirkwood wasn't as scary as I always read it in the books. With the more played out hallucinogenic effects of the forest it became fun to watch. The spiders remained scary and I really liked how they let the spiders talk. 
The elves I liked very much. Thranduil is so very arrogant, well played! It was fun to see Legolas here and I thoroughly enjoyed Tauriel. Even when she isn't in the books, she fitted in the story. And for people worried about that so much rumoured "love triangle" it isn't that, it is more of a start of a friendship and a mutual understanding than love. 
And "my wee-lad Gimli" woohoo, so much fun to hear that.

The escape in the barrels. Hello action-scene. I loved the set-up, with Bilbo putting down his foot those dwarves had to listen to him. The entire scene was a bit too much for me, with the orcs chasing the dwarves, the elves chasing the orcs and the dwarves, elves running over dwarven heads, Bombur being catapulted into the air, tumbling over orcs, smashing them with a hammer. I had a laugh, but it was a bit overdone.

Laketown and Bard look amazing. As do The Master and Alfrid. The Master, yikes, dirty, sticky, smelly, brrrr, well played! 

But after this the story deviates a lot, for me too much, from the book. Thorin leaving behind dwarves in Laketown? Why? They should travel together to the Lonely Mountain! And why is Bilbo the one having to force the dwarves to stay for the opening of the door? Dwarves would never have given up so easily when they are finally at the mountain. They would have camped there for months to get that door to open, not 5 minutes. As if they were afraid to sleep in the dark outside?

And than to the name sake of the movie, hello Smaug, the stupendous, the magnificent! He looked amazing, the movements were spectacular, he is huge, the voice very smooth. Only ... where is that plate of gold and jewels on his chest? That's one of the things I took most from the book. That crust of jewels with the one patch missing. Now there is a patch missing, but that was damaged during his previous attack on Dale. 

The scene in the mountain is very spectacular, a slow build up with Bilbo and Smaug and later with the dwarves a high speed chase through the mountain. Getting to see much more of the inside of Erebor this time around. Although I thought the scene with the golden statue was a bit overdone, I loved the effect it gave on Smaug!

And than finally the ending, how unfair! I think I could hear Peter Jackson giggling somewhere in the back. A major build up to one of the major events of the movie and than ... end credits. I was like a fish on the dry, gasping for air. How unfair. Or, how very clever, because now I have to see the next movie (as if I wasn't going to).

All in all, a fun action filled movie. But don't expect a book adaptation.

The Hobbit - the book

Before there was the movie (or right now two, and next year even three), there was the Book - The Hobbit. Written by J.R.R. Tolkien, published by George Allen & Unwin in 1937. And why? Because the proof reader of the book, Rayner Unwin, aged 10, liked the book. He gave it the okay because he thought the book was entertaining for kids and the images and map in the book helped also.

What a great way to give a childrens book a go. Let your kid read it, and if they like it, it is okay.

And it actually is a childrens book. Hard to believe when you have seen the first two movies, because they are not a typical Disney movie.

The book starts with the very famous line: "In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit.". This Hobbit is Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who has never any adventures. But Gandalf, the wizard thinks he can use an adventure and sets it up so 13 dwarves come together at Bilbo's house and take him with them on a quest to their homeland, Erebor. To reclaim it from Smaug the dragon, who has taken it, together with all the treasures inside.

As if that isn't already exciting enough. On their way they encounter trolls (with a talking purse), goblins, get rescued by eagles, sleep in the home of a skin changer (man and bear), get lost in an elvenwood, almost eaten by spiders, trapped in the dungeons of the elvenking, have to escape in barrels to a lake city. And than find a way inside a mountain where there is a live dragon.

The books is a classical heroes adventure. To set out, get in trouble, with some help get out of the trouble, and in the end, all ends well. With a narrator, telling the reader what is actually happening, what Bilbo is thinking or what the dwarves are actually doing.

An exciting book, fun to read, even for adults. And if you want to get an easy introduction into the world of Middle-earth, start here!

Dress to tell your story

It is officially known as cosplay, but most people will call it dress up or costuming. To dress as your favourite character from a book or movie. And tell a story with what you look like.

This week at the Premiere of the Desolation of Smaug I saw some amazing costumes. 

Most of these costumes are hand made by the people who wear them. Watching the movie several times to see what the costume looks like. Looking at pictures for the details in stitching or accessories. Spending hours looking for the correct fabric. And with armour it also takes hours to make chain mail or plating. Some people may smile at the thought, dressing up. But it takes up hours of time and dedication to finish a costume. And it isn't cheap.

But on the other hand, it also is lots of fun to do, especially when it is your favourite character. To have your costume finished, wearing it, becoming that character for a while. And especially when others see which character you are and want to take pictures of your or with you.

Some examples from the premiere:

An elven lady and a tall Bilbo with cloaks

Two Hobbits

Amazing cloaks. Hand stitched!

That's not movie-Thorin, but she, yes those are all ladies, comes very close.

Thranduil x2

The tales that really mattered

or the ones that stay in the mind."

Some people reading this line will recognize it immediately. It is from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Samwise Gamgee is talking to Frodo when they struggle on their path in Mordor.

They are talking about the important stories. How people in those stories had chances to change their paths, back out so they wouldn't get into trouble. Being in a situation like Sam and Frodo at that moment. But they didn't, they kept on going. Making it in the end a beautiful story. A story to be told: "Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring!" And they"ll say: "Yes, that's one of my favourite stories."

Lord of the Rings has become one of those famous stories. Still being told after almost 60 years. Read by millions of people. And turned into three billions earning movies. It is one of the first fantasy novels recognized as literature. Most fantasy books afterwards have their roots in The Lord of the Rings.

But all stories can learn from what Sam is saying. Make your story so that it really matters to your readers. Or make sure it stays in the mind of your readers. With those ingredients you have a good story to tell.

Sinterklaas

Today, December 5th, is a very important day for Dutch children. 

Because today we celebrate Sinterklaas. 

This Saint comes each year to The Netherlands. On his ship, all the way from Spain. Bringing with him gifts for the little children. Assisted by his loyal helper Zwarte Piet (Black Peter).

The story around Sinterklaas dates back from a very, very long time ago. First he came in the form of Wodan, one of the old Northern European Gods. Collecting the offerings from the people and bringing them new seeds for next years harvest.

Later the Catholic church gave Saint Nicolas, protector of children and sailors, the role of the bringer of gifts in the cold December month.

Nowadays Sinterklaas arrives half November and from that day children are allowed to put out their shoe during the nights. Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet come around to bring some sweets and maybe a small present. In return they love to receive letters, drawings and maybe something for Amerigo, Sinterklaas' loyal horse.

And on December 5th they bring around the big gifts. For the adults in the evening, so they can have fun unwrapping, reading poems and teasing eachother a bit. For the kids, a big pile of gifts awaits them December 6th in the morning.

Hmmm, it just came to my mind
Writing about a story this kind
I should write in rhyme
That belongs to this time.

So on this day fair
A story to share
A tale for you
To give to friend or two

And now, off to unwrapping gifts. Lets see what Sinterklaas has brought me.
And do tell me, what did you get?

Stories around my wrist

A story doesn't have to be a book, a movie, a song. It doesn't need a website or a cover. Some stories you carry with you, where ever you go.

My personal storyline for the past couple of years has been my Pandora bracelet; a bracelet to which you can add charms, in various shapes and colours, to make it your very own, unique bracelet. 

I started with a bracelet with one charm. And whenever somebody asked me: "what do you want for your .....". I asked for a charm. But I let them pick it and tell me the story why they thought it was for me. 

So let me tell you the stories around my wrist.

1. A suitcase. The one I got from my parents when I got the bracelet. For safe travels on my trips.
2. A present. I got this from a co-worker when I changed workplace. A gift for the gifts of knowledge I had given her.
3. A wave that says "Best friends". I got it from my nephew for my birthday. We are of course best friends.
4. A tea cup. A gift from other co-workers when I left. Because you can have such nice chats with me while having a cup of tea or coffee.
5. An arty design with pink sparkles. This one I gave to myself, after I finished a huge museum exhibition I organised. It marked a big event in my life.
6. An apple. A souvenir from The Big Apple. I love New York.
7. A witch. Because, well, I can be one....
8. A clover. I got it when I went back to school to get my bachelor degree. For good luck.
9. A pink bead. Because, if it is pink, it probably belongs to me.
10. Dad. The bead has the word dad on it, with some blue stones in it. I got it from my dad.
11. Two hearts; mother/daughter. Because when you have your dad with you, you also have to have your mum with you.
12. The safe keeper. It ties both ends together, so should the lock fail, the bracelet still stays together. Because, as you can imagine, I don't want to lose this storyline.

A day on an airport - Atlanta

I love travel stories. What do people have to tell about a place they have just visited. To go with them, through their story, to a new place or to hear them raving about their most favourite place in the world. To maybe do stuff I would never dare to do or be able to do. 

And I love to share my travel stories. Don't start me on New Zealand, because you won't be gone within the next half hour. I just keep on going, I love it there. And New York, ah! Or the Dutch sea side or ..... (there you go.... I can't stop and in my mind I'm there again).

Getting from one place to another is for me also a fun part of traveling. Being at an airport, watching other people come and go. And traveling itself. By train, bus, plane. To interact with other people, hear where they are going. Watch them spending their time.

CNN made an amazing visual and written story. About the airport of Atlanta. "A day in the life of the world's busiest airport". With beautiful images from the people and life at the airport. But also stories of the visitors. People who are waiting for others to come home. People who are traveling somewhere.

Go check it out. It looks stunning and the reading is wonderful. Start scrolling through it or pick a key word you want to see and read about.

Unwritten

"No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten"

This is the chorus to Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield.

A song on how you can write your own story. You decide who you are and what you tell the world. And with your story, you can reach the top and even inspire other people.

So, just start writing, singing, dancing, painting, photographing, being, your story. Be Unwritten. And inspire others to share their story.

Bedtime stores

Since this week has turned into storytelling week, I'm going to share with you one of the funniest and sweetest movies I know about storytelling.

Bedtime stories (2008).

It tells the story of Skeeter Bronson. He grew up with his father telling him bedtime stories. And when he has to look after his sisters kids for a week, he tells them bedtime stories. 

The first evening he and the kids make up a story.
Where various things happen to the main character, Skeeter. But the kids think the story is a bit boring and add to the ending that it rains gumballs.

And what happens the next day, while Skeeter is driving his car?
It rains gumballs. My absolute favourite scene in the entire movie.

When Skeeter finds out it are the additions from the kids that come true. He tries to steer their story into things he will benefit from. But, of course, it is a Disney movie, so the movie needs a lesson. This doesn't go well and he has to try to make his own story happen.
One of my favourite quotes from the movie is: "Your fun is only limited by your imagination". Too bad they don't really use it in the movie. Because towards the end all the strange things happening are brought back to reason and just every day happenings. And why tell a good story when you can't have the impossible happen?

Storytelling with a brush

Yesterday I told the wonderful story of Inkheart, where one of the main characters has the magical ability to read characters out of the books he is reading.

This short film I found on the wonderful storytelling world of the internet.

A Japanese man can tell a story with a brush. Wow, absolutely stunning.

Just sit back for a couple of minutes and see this man tell a tale with a brush and watch a dragon come to life.

Inkheart

Yesterday I talked about reading to children. How wonderful it is to them to use their imagination and go on an adventure with the main character of the story.

But how amazing would it be if they didn't have to use their imagination. What if the characters the person who was reading about would jump of the page and land in the real world.

That's what Inkheart is about. 

Inkheart (2003) is the first book of a series of three by Cornelia Funke. There has also been a movie made from the book. But I personally like the book better.

The main character in the book is Meggie, a young girl who lives with her father. Her mother has left when she was really young. Her father, Mo, is a bit strange. He binds old books and is always looking for a certain book he can't find. 

The further we come in the story, the more we learn about Mo. He has a special ability. He can read a character from the pages of a book. The character he is reading about actually comes to life. But, it has a down side. When a character from the world of the books comes to this world, a character from our world disappears into the book. And this is what has happened to Meggies mum. She ended up in the world of Inkheart. And some really bad guys from Inkheart have been stranded in our world.

Meggie discovers this secret and from that time on, she and Mo are no longer safe. They have to find a way to to bring her mum back into this world. And put the bad guys back into the book. A true adventure with some amazing characters from various other books.

And for bookfans. Each chapter starts with a short passage from another book. Especially fun when you have read that book and see the reference to the chapter in Inkheart. And yes, there even is a reference to Lord of the Rings!

My advice, do read the book, but be careful. Maybe you also have that magical ability to read characters from the book, and I really wouldn't like to have Capricorno or the Shadow in our world.

Storytime

Reading stories to kids is very important for their development and a great way of creating stories for them and you.

Children who are used to reading from a young age tend to read more when they are older. And they will like it better. Which can come in good use when they have to do so much reading when in high school.


Reading together is bonding time. The picture below shows my dad who is reading to me (the one with the finger in her mouth) and two friends a story. I still have very fond memories of my dad reading to me and my brother. In our pajamas on top of my brothers bed. And dad with that big story book. Reading out loud to us. If the story was too long we had to wait till the next day to hear the ending of it. 

Reading will spark the imagination of children. Going on an adventure with the main character of the book. Dancing with fairies, fighting dragons, going to school like Christopher Robin, or waiting for him to come home together with Pooh Bear. They can all do this safely on their bedside without having to leave the home.

And children who have had the joy of somebody reading to them will probably pass it forward. Like my brother. He had a favourite story when he was a young kid. He found his favourite book again and started reading it to his son. And guess what, he loves the book. So much he can actually qoute it by heart!

Please share stories with children, so they learn the joy of stories and hopefully will share them when they are grown up.

Your resume

You as a person tell stories about yourself. Without knowing it, with smiling or frowning. But also very deliberately, like with your resume.

In the cover letter you write why you would like the job, looking to the future, seeing yourself in the position you are applying for.

In the resume, you are writing your history. Where did you go to school, where did you work before. What are you good at, what do you like to do in your spare time.

And, as Gandalf says, each story needs a little embellishment, so your resume might also be a better story than it actually is. You did graduate from your school, but you don't mention how you had to struggle to make the final exams. And in your previous position, maybe you only did that part of the job description once, but why mention it.

Sometimes that's not a real problem, since you do have to get used to your new work environment and can learn new roles. But don't embellish your story too much. Otherwise people will get dissappointed with your story and with it, also with you. And when other people don't believe your story, they will not listen to you and your stories anymore.

Coca Cola Refreshing the world, one story at a time

Over the past year Coca Cola has been changing their website and the way they interact with brand loyals / fans of the brand. Mainly because: "...storytelling is the cornerstone of 21st century communications. We believed that great, brand-created stories matter, that exceptional writing wins the day, and that building a digital newsroom would lead not only to a transformation in how we engage with our consumers but also how we work. Like a modern election campaign, we believed that the best content is social at the core, digital by design, and emotional." 

All companies tell you a story, because convincing customers to buy your product is telling a story. But to put it this straight forward and really making customer stories the centre of the website, wow, I love it.

Quote from the website:
"Today, storytelling is the heart of the company’s brand, driving every phase of its advertising and marketing campaigns."

The website uses stories around various kinds of ways to interact while enjoying Coca Cola. But the site does remain a very Coca Cola feel. For instance some of the headers used:

• Unbottled: the website section with blogs

• What's bubbling: most favoured blogposts

• The Fizz: Most read, most shared, most watched, most debated

The main colour use remains white and red (coke red).
And they keep up with their previous slogan "Share a smile, share a coke" with sharing happy stories and doing good for the world.

Go and have a look at the website and the stories they tell. I'm absolutely thrilled by it.

Mama, just killed a man

Songs, another great way of telling stories. The writer of the song puts their words to music or adds words to the music. And, when all goes well, hunderds of people will sing along to your song.

Hopefully most of you will have recognized the title as one of the main lines from the Bohemian Rhapsody (so mama, don't worry, I didn't kill a man).
This song is obviously not based on reality. Since I doubt Freddy Mercury, who wrote the song, actually killed a man. Because I haven't read reports about him being in jail for several years. Something that will happen when you kill a man by putting a gun against his head.

The song is written for fun, amazing lyrics with great rhyme and the some very strange words.

This part is the trail of the "killer"
I see a little silhouetto of a man
Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango

To be honest, I had to Google Scaramouch (roguish clown character of the Italian commedia dell'arte who wears a black mask and, sometimes, glasses. He entertains the audience by his "grimaces and affected language") and the Fandango I remember from my time in music as a lively dance.

The Bohemian Rhapsody was one of the first songs that had a video clip accompanying the song. A big part of the videoclip is still seeing the band perform. But for instance the trial part does show a silhouet of a man, in a costume that would fit a Scaramouch. And with the rest of that part of the song you see just the heads of the band, looking down, as if in a real trial. Where a very angry jury is looking down upon the man on trial.

In this way the images of the videoclip are adding to the story told by the song. Both telling the same, but enhancing the other. Like a musical used to do before. 

THE Doctor

Who?
Yes!

Sorry to all the not-so-very-incrowd. Just had to put that one in.

Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the TV-show Dr. Who. 50 years of storytelling!

Well, not really 50 years. Another great part of storytelling, you will believe it, when the story is good. Dr. Who is a great show, so fans will believe 50 years. But it has been on air from 1963 till 1989, and restarted in 2005. Which means not 50 years worth of shows, but 50 years between the first airing and this day.

I have seen some episodes in the 80s. They scared the living daylights out of me. I can't even remember what the episode was about, but I know I didn't want to see it anymore. When I entered the Lord of the Rings realm, a lot of Dr. Who fans were there as well. I gave it another try. And since that time I'm hooked.

Which means I celebrated The Day of The Doctor yesterday.
An amazing episode, David Tennant and Matt Smith make a great comedy duo. John Hurt, well that man can't do anything wrong, in my eyes, since The Storyteller. Just have to hear his voice and I'm happy.

But what I love even more, all the spin-offs popping up with just one TV-episode.
Have you seen the Google-doodle about Dr. Who? 

It is also a game, the Daleks (enemies of the Dr.) have captured the Google-logo and you have to help the Doctors to free it. (I have to admit, I didn't free it. I'm just terrible with games).

The BBC has a complete part of their website devoted to Dr. Who. With fun spin offs for the day and making offs for the episode itself. Even if you aren't a big fan, just have a look, to see how much work they put in around the telling of one story, the story of the Dr.

Thanksgiving

Holidays are great ways of telling stories. A day you share with all your countrymen. Your neighbours, family and friends will all (probably) celebrate the same day. Sharing the story of the day, the meaning of the day.

Luckily with Thanksgiving (Day) it is easy to get the meaning of the day. Saying thanks for the preceding year. And in history also a big thank you for a good harvest. Hence all the lovely food at a Thanksgiving dinner.

A few of you will be wondering, what is this Dutch woman talking about. They don't celebrate Thanksgiving in The Netherlands. And I have to agree with you, we don't. But that is the lovely part of stories and sharing stories. I do get into the feeling of Thanksgiving.

Thanks to Facebook and connecting with people you share an interest with, I got connected with Rebekah. A Lord of the Rings-friend from the United States. She included me in sharing her Thanksgiving preperations. So even when I wasn't in the USA, and unfortunately couldn't join her for her dinner. Because, wow, it sounded so amazing what she had been cooking. I got the feeling of cooking together, preparing all the lovely dishes, the huge amount she cooked. And later also the fun of the dinner, sharing with her family and friends. 

With a big Thank You to Rebekah and the story of Thanksgiving, now this Dutchie got to enjoy a Thanksgiving Day, even when it was from a distance.

I hope all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving will have a lovely day with friends and family. And you will all survive Black Friday (something else I only get through stories, but for this one, I'm actually glad I don't have to cope with).