The technology of storytelling | Joe Sabia

Translator: Manon Fiorino Reviewer: Sven Clement

Ladies and gentlemen, gather around.

Dir Dammen an dir Hären, kommt all erbäi.

I would love to share with you a story.

Ech géing iech gären eng Geschicht erzielen.

Once upon a time

Viru laanger Zäit

in 19th century Germany,

an Däitschland am 19ten Jorhonnert,

there was the book.

gouf et e Buch.

Now during this time,

Deemools

the book was the king of storytelling.

war d'Buch de Kinnek vum Geschichtenerzielen.

It was venerable.

Et war éierwierdeg.

It was ubiquitous.

Et war allgéigewäerteg.

But it was a little bit boring.

Mee et war e bësse langweileg.

Because in its 400 years of existence,

Well a senger 400-järeger Existenz,

storytellers never evolved the book

hunn d'Geschichtenerzieler d'Buch ni

as a storytelling device.

als Medium fir Geschichten ze erziele weider entwéckelt.

But then one author arrived,

Mee du koum en Auteur,

and he changed the game forever.

an hien huet d'Spill fir ëmmer geännert.

(Music)

(Musik)

His name was Lothar,

Säi Numm war Lothar,

Lothar Meggendorfer.

Lothar Meggendorfer.

Lothar Meggendorfer put his foot down,

De Lothar Meggendorfer huet mat der Fauscht ob den Dësch geschloen

and he said, "Genug ist genug!"

a gesot: "Genuch ass genuch!"

He grabbed his pen,

Hien huet e Bic an de Grapp geholl,

he snatched his scissors.

hien huet no senger Schéier gegraff.

This man refused to fold to the conventions of normalcy

Dëse Mann huet refuséiert sech de Conventioune vun der Normalitéit ze erginn

and just decided to fold.

an décidéiert Pabeier ze falen.

History would know Lothar Meggendorfer

Geschicht kennt den Lothar Meggendorfer

as -- who else? --

als - wee soss? -

the world's first true inventor

de weltwäit éichten wirklechen Erfinder

of the children's pop-up book.

vum Opklappbuch fir d'Kanner.

(Music)

(Musik)

For this delight and for this wonder,

Fir des Freed a Wonner

people rejoiced.

hun d'Leit gejubelt.

(Cheering)

(Jubel)

They were happy because the story survived,

Si ware frou well d'Geschichten haten iwerlieft,

and that the world would keep on spinning.

an d'Welt wärt sech der emmer weider ausdenken.

Lothar Meggendorfer wasn't the first

De Lothar Meggendorfer war net deen éichten

to evolve the way a story was told,

den d'Art a Weis wéi eng Geschicht gezielt get weiderentweckelt huet,

and he certainly wasn't the last.

an hee war ganz secher net dee leschten.

Whether storytellers realized it or not,

Ob Geschichtenerzieler et realiséiert hun oder net,

they were channeling Meggendorfer's spirit

si hun dem Meggendorfer säi Geescht kanaliséiert

when they moved opera to vaudville,

wéi se vun Oper ob Vaudeville,

radio news to radio theater,

vu Radio Norichten ob Hörspiele,

film to film in motion

vu Film ob bewegte Film

to film in sound, color, 3D,

ob Film mat Toun, Faarw, 3D,

on VHS and on DVD.

ob Videokassett an DVD weider gaangen sin.

There seemed to be no cure for this Meggendorferitis.

Et huet geschengt wi wann et kee Géigemettel fir d'Meggendorferitis géif gin.

And things got a lot more fun when the Internet came around.

An d'Saach as nach vill mi flott gin wi den Internet bis obkomm as.

(Laughter)

(Laachen)

Because, not only could people broadcast their stories throughout the world,

Well, net nemmen konnten d'Leit hier Geschichten duech d'Welt senden,

but they could do so

mee si konnten dat maan

using what seemed to be an infinite amount of devices.

mat Hellef vun et schengt onendlech villen Hellefsmettel.

For example, one company

Zum Beispill, eng Entreprise

would tell a story of love

kann eng Liebesgeschicht azielen

through its very own search engine.

mat Hellef vun hierer eegener Sichmaschinn.

One Taiwanese production studio

Een Produktiouns-Studio an Taiwan

would interpret American politics in 3D.

kann amerikanesch Politik an 3D interpretéieren.

(Laughter)

(Laachen)

And one man would tell the stories of his father

An ee Mann kann d'Geschichten vu sengem Papp azielen

by using a platform called Twitter

an deems en eng Platform di Twitter heescht benotzt

to communicate the excrement his father would gesticulate.

fir seng Ausscheedungen a Gebärden ze kommunizéieren.

And after all this, everyone paused;

A no all deem huet jidderen fir e Moment stall gehal

they took a step back.

an ee Schrett no hannen gemaach.

They realized that, in 6,000 years of storytelling,

Se hu realiséiert, dat se an 6000 Joer Geschichtenerzielen,

they've gone from depicting hunting on cave walls

vum Duerstellen vun Juegt ob Höhlenmaueren

to depicting Shakespeare on Facebook walls.

ob Duerstellen von Shakespeare ob Facebook Pinnwänn gaangen sin.

And this was a cause for celebration.

An dat war e Grond fir ze feieren.

The art of storytelling has remained unchanged.

D'Konscht vum Geschichtenerzielen as onverännert bliwen.

And for the most part, the stories are recycled.

An zum gréißten Deel gin d'Geschichten recycléiert.

But the way that humans tell the stories

Mee d'Art a Weis wi d'Menschen Geschichten erzielen

has always evolved

huet sech emmer weiderentweckelt

with pure, consistent novelty.

mat purer, bestänneger Neiheet.

And they remembered a man,

An si wärten sech emmer un ee Mann arenneren,

one amazing German,

een immensen Däitschen,

every time a new storytelling device

all Kéiers wann e neit Mettel fir Geschichten ze erzielen

popped up next.

obkomm as.

And for that,

An dofir

the audience --

wärt d'Publikum -

the lovely, beautiful audience --

eist allerléifst, wonnerbart Publikum -

would live happily ever after.

wann se net gestuerwen sin, haut nach liewen.

(Applause)

(Applaus)