Imagine a scenario where our ancients were used to hunting and lived in caves for their survival and draw some random paintings of different activities or animals that depict their stories. Fast forward to today, we are glued to screens for consuming high-resolution pictures of different stories in the form of movies, web series and so on. From wall paintings of survival stories to streaming platforms of present stories of the cinematic universe and beyond, the storytelling concept has significantly evolved over the years.
In simple terms, storytelling is an act of expressing some stories about something or someone through narratives, writing or paintings. The main aim of telling stories is typically for entertainment, educational purposes or informational purposes.
The evaluation of storytelling is not just a technical evaluation but also a societal and cultural growth that evolved through different mediums like wall paintings, oral traditions, written words, theatre, film and so on. Nowadays, we consume different streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime and so on and they have become our daily parts. What do you think, what stories are such important for us and storytelling become an integrated part of our lives?
Early beginning of storytelling
Jack Zipes stated in a Princeton Publication “The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre” that humans used to tell stories when they were even not able to speak. For storytelling, the sign language was used in the early period.
However, an example of the oldest wall cave paintings was found in the Chauvet cave of France which is more than 36,000 years old. In this painting, different events or occasions are stories like volcanic eruptions, multiple rhino attacks and so on. Other events like spiritual rituals and hunting were also painted to communicate people’s experiences with others during any dangerous situation.
The visual storytelling history is rooted around 3,000 BC. The Egyptian hieroglyphics were a mix of pictorial symbols, sounds and so on that were used to tell stories. Historians believe that these stories were documented for religious purposes to deliver a positive message to the future generation.
However, as soon as societies evolved and humans began to speak, visual stories became spoken words to express the feelings of humans. Do you know one fact that stories like Illiad, Mahabharata and so on were shared orally for many centuries before being written down? It was believed that oral storytelling was so powerful that it helped me with memory development and it also built a bedrock of the history, culture and identity of humans.
The birth of literature through written storytelling
Around 700 BC, the first recorded stories that included the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Illiad were found. During that period, it was aimed for these stories got spread quickly and widely globally. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in Mesopotamia and is believed a story regarding history, myth and culture.
To ensure accuracy and permanence, Egyptian hieroglyphs were also used to document different stories, events and rituals. Homer wrote the Illiad to recount the Trojan War events. Now we can remember the heroic tales of Achilles and Hector and it has become a cornerstone of Western literature.
If we highlight the more written stories we can’t avoid the religious texts. The Bible, Quran, Mahabharata and Ramayana are great examples of religious documents that were preserved over years and influenced generation after generation.
Modern storytelling
From different steps like wall painting, written stories and visual stories the birth of modern digital stories arrived. We have different sources to tell stories and share our expressions with other people.
However, television brought revolution in the 20th century and totally changed the way we listen to stories and remember them. The rise of television changed our perception of not only listening to the stories rather than virtually consuming them. Different TV shows have changed the perception of people and formed a sense of anticipation and emotional investment. With the upgradation of technologies, we have a theatre where we can virtually and emotionally connect with different stories through films.
After television, the rise of video games brought the latest form of interactive storytelling. In this source, players can directly influence the narrative of the stories they are listening to or interacting with. Some of the examples we can consider here might be The Legend of Zelda, The Last of US etc. In this way, video games revolutionised the storytelling process by combining the story-delivering arts and technology.
In the 21st century, a considerable transformation arose with the evaluation of streaming platforms. Different streaming platforms have reshaped the culture of television and theatre. Different streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime and so on shaped the stories consumption process.
The stories shared on Netflix have an unusual depth of stories that changed our perceptions regarding love, desire, anger, loneliness and so on. Rather than traditional TV shows publishing one episode everyday basis, Netflix used to publish a bunch of episodes of a web series that hooked people to consume the stories. The art of character building, plot building, delivering emotions etc. hooked people to consume a whole series for a 25-minute or 45-minute episode.
However, Stranger Things, The Crown, Squid Game and other on-demand content are responsible for creating a more immersive viewing experience. With the advent of modern technologies, AI algorithms have also changed how we discover stories and how they tailor our individual preferences. Even we can connect with global storytelling ideas and processes that help us to discover different cultural stories and preserve them.
It can be concluded that the journey of storytelling that evolved from random cave paintings to high-requisitioned platforms like Netflix has been impacted by changing human needs, cultural change and technological evaluation. In future, it might be changed because of the advancement of modern techs like VR, AR, IoT and others but the core purpose of it might remain the same. We will use stories to connect with more people, expose them to different cultures and entertain them.
FAQ
How has storytelling evolved from cave paintings to modern-day streaming platforms?
From wall paintings of survival stories to streaming platforms of present stories of the cinematic universe and beyond, the storytelling concept has significantly evolved over the years. The evaluation of storytelling is not just a technical evaluation but also a societal and cultural growth that evolved through different mediums like wall paintings, oral traditions, written words, theatre, film and so on.
What role did oral storytelling play in preserving culture and history before written language?
Do you know one fact that stories like Illiad, Mahabharata and so on were shared orally for many centuries before being written down? It was believed that oral storytelling was so powerful that it helped me with memory development and it also built a bedrock of the history, culture and identity of humans.
Why were ancient texts like the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad important in the development of storytelling?
Around 700 BC, the first recorded stories that included the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Illiad were found. During that period, it was aimed for these stories got spread quickly and widely globally. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in Mesopotamia and is believed a story regarding history, myth and culture. Homer wrote the Illiad to recount the Trojan War events. Now we can remember the heroic tales of Achilles and Hector and it has become a cornerstone of Western literature.
How did the advent of television change the way we consume stories?
The rise of television changed our perception of not only listening to the stories rather than virtually consuming them. Different TV shows have changed the perception of people and formed a sense of anticipation and emotional investment. With the upgradation of technologies, we have a theatre where we can virtually and emotionally connect with different stories through films.
What is interactive storytelling, and how has video gaming influenced this form of narrative?
After television, the rise of video games brought the latest form of interactive storytelling. In this source, players can directly influence the narrative of the stories they are listening to or interacting with. Some of the examples we can consider here might be The Legend of Zelda, The Last of US etc. In this way, video games revolutionised the storytelling process by combining the story-delivering arts and technology.
How have streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime revolutionized modern storytelling?
Rather than traditional TV shows publishing one episode everyday basis, Netflix used to publish a bunch of episodes of a web series that hooked people to consume the stories. The art of character building, plot building, delivering emotions etc. hooked people to consume a whole series for a 25-minute or 45-minute episode. With the advent of modern technologies, AI algorithms have also changed how we discover stories and how they tailor our individual preferences.
What technologies might further transform storytelling in the future, and how could they affect the way we connect with stories?
It can be concluded that the journey of storytelling that evolved from random cave paintings to high-requisitioned platforms like Netflix has been impacted by changing human needs, cultural change and technological evaluation. In future, it might be changed because of the advancement of modern techs like VR, AR, IoT and others but the core purpose of it might remain the same. We will use stories to connect with more people, expose them to different cultures and entertain them.
