The story of stuff is a great educational site. Watching the series I found that their “documentaries”are very effective tools for education, conscientization, social awareness etc. Rather than commenting on the content of the “documentaries”, which are eminently valuable, I wish to comment on the other communication elements that are used here.
One sees that all the various elements of communication media are used in an effective manner. Take for example the Narration: It is very visual, clear, logical and very convincingly presented. The anchor person has either a clear background or just the visualization of what she is narrating. The effect is little of distractions and a lot of clarity and focus. The style is also very persuasive.
The Animations are superb. They are very simple animated figures, but their message is crystal clear. Because they are line drawings, again, they do not distract the viewer with other non-essential details. The style can appear to be a little childish – but we need to remember that these are highly effective with kids and those in growing stages. Oh, well they are not unlikeable for adults too. The animations are also fast and often with a lot of humorous element. This makes the documentary interesting.
The music used is very functional. It is used minimally, just when and where it is required. In fact one tends not to notice the music at all, because it is used in a pleasing and blending manner.
The graphics are again excellently utilized here. The Fonts are calligraphic, but very legible and friendly. It blends well with the animation. Use of hand-written font gives to the movie a very educational touch. It stay off from an attitude of being pedantic. There are instances when the graphic recalls a powerpoint, or to some it can remind one of a blackboard. However the function is educational – making the ideas clear and helping to commit them to memory.
The Story of Stuff site is also helpful with followup. You have links to act on what you have seen and heard, and also take necessary action so that the message of the documentary can be actualized – or at least, one can cooperate with many like-minded persons in realizing the message.
What I liked about Story of Stuff is, apart from the valuable lessons one can learn, that it is technically speaking very fast paced, and interesting – in short, a very effective communication. Over all, the Story of Stuff is inspiring not only for the message, but also for the Medium. Therefore may be it could be said here that “The medium is the Message”, as Marshal McLuhan puts it.