Articles
Wednesday, 1 January 2003
The Art of Story
Dorothy Segovia
[Published in San Luis Obispo County Magazine]
Imagine you’re in a teepee with your family circled round the fire. The winter solstice has passed and it’s time for the story. Not just any story. The family story and it’s handed down from grandmother to son. It’s good medicine and thanks to The Telling Tree, its now available on video.
The Telling Tree digital storytelling is an artful combination of Nancy Rushlow’s dream, Steve Aiena’s technical acumen and Eric Davis’ directorial vision. The trio recently came together to offer a video documentary service that captures the personal biographies of those who want to share their family history through recorded interviews.
Nancy Rushlow moved to the Central Coast three years ago from Southern California. She spent the last 20 years working with academy award winner Robert Blalack (Star Wars) and was ready for a change. Nancy’s career as producer is a campfire story in itself. She met Mr. Blalack after answering an ad that a friend told her was posted in an EST office in Los Angeles. Later, during the interview, Nancy’s elbow knocked up against the Oscar sitting on Mr. Blalack’s desk and that’s when she realized the magnitude of the project: She was hired to manage the Cosmos project with host Carl Sagan and billions of production development hours later, was overseeing teams of mechanical engineers and astronomy artists.
Production experience notwithstanding, Nancy knew that she didn’t move to the coast to create a commercial production company. After learning that a friend was beginning video storytelling in the San Diego area, a new chapter in Nancy’s life was born.
“I live vicariously through all kinds of people,” she exclaims, “I am fascinated by people and love to inquire about them.”
Nancy’s natural people abilities are an integral part in The Telling Tree’s goal of creating a friendly, familial atmosphere in which to video their clients’ stories.
“My favorite part of the job (with Blalack) was the interaction with people. It was instinctual in a way because I got them (the artists and the engineers) to open up and trust and work together and it was very satisfying.”
Recently Nancy’s daughter had a school project that involved them reconnecting with an elderly aunt and discovering a trove of rich and quirky ancestral stories.
Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Jungian analyst, storyteller and author of Women Who Run With The Wolves, states “I tell people to do their own mining of stories from their own lives. There is an integrity to story that comes from a real life lived in it.”
Nancy’s excitement is also in the technology available to record those stories. She points out that the valuable service The Telling Tree provides is not only one of quality and intimacy, but also one of expertise.
This is where partner Stephen Aiena comes in. Steve’s experience is in creative development and digital media technologies. After coming to the coast in 1990 from Pennsylvania, Steve started his career in computer software and later joined Xing Technology Corp./Realnetworks where he worked for 7 years in the development of groundbreaking DVD, VideoCD and MP3 music applications. He also participated in creating the first Internet video streaming technology that allows us to watch movies on our home computers.
Since becoming a father two years ago, Steve has spent his time working from his home office providing editing and post-production design services to organizations such as the San Luis Obispo Art Center. He has found that this work provides technical challenges as well as an exciting creative outlet. “Although extremely rewarding, working in the software development field was for me a like a sculptor working in a chisel manufacturing plant. I love using digital technologies (like computer software) in creative tasks.”
In joining The Telling Tree, director Eric Davis is also realizing his opportunity to bring a personal dimension to his work as a documentary filmmaker. A recognized authority in content production and development, Eric brings to The Telling Tree over 10 years experience in photojournalism and video production having served numerous advertising, corporate, and broadcast clients. His educational and documentary work includes topics ranging from state mandated recycling to the Geo-politics of South Asia.
Eric’s passions include art history, guitar and paragliding which adds to the vision of what the trio are bringing to the residents of the Central Coast: A chance to express their life in through the art of story.
“The service we provide our clients fulfills what seems to be an innate desire people have to connect with our ancestors and descendents,” Steve points out.
Connection is what this new venture’s message seems to be: Learning the stories of our elders gives us a chance to bring our lives back into perspective and balance.
Clarissa Pinkola Estes agrees. “Of course,” she writes, “it is the old people who are the bones of the entire healing and spiritual structures everywhere on the face of the earth.”
End