Perspective

In my last post, I talked a lot about the importance of editing.  In particular, I focused on the unbelievable amount of behind the scenes work that editors dedicate to film productions.  Editors have the unique ability to manipulate the story they have, into the story they want to tell.

So do storytellers.

The storyteller is the person who is – what else? – telling the story!  It’s the narrator, but it is not necessarily always very obvious as to who the storyteller is.  See, not all storytellers tell their story via voiceover, or having a main role.  The storyteller is just the perspective the story is told in.

In “Point of View,” an article by John S. Douglass and Glenn P. Harnden, the authors further explain the importance of the storyteller’s viewpoint.  In a sense, they explain, the viewpoint demonstrates how the entire story is depicted.

Think about the last time you and a friend saw something significant happen.  Take, for example, a confrontation between two of your suite mates, that you and your roommate both saw happen.

Think about the different angles you saw it happen at.  Think of the distance between you and the incident, versus between your friend and the incident.  Think about what you knew about the people involved in the incident, prior to the incident actually happening.

It’s likely that when either of you would tell the story back, and actually go through it play by play, you may have noticed different things.  You may have differing opinions about who is right and who is wrong.  Maybe you saw something happen that the other person didn’t.  It’s all about the perspective.

This article reminded me of the proverb we’ve all heard – before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.  It’s all about perspective, isn’t it?  It’s very important to put yourself in other people’s shoes . . . to think things through . . . to see where else the story can go.  That’s why it is so important to have a storyteller.

The questions this brings me to though, is why do perspectives sometimes differ only slightly, and other times differ completely?  What causes those differing interpretations?  Can they be prevented?  Also, I wonder how perspectives are taken into consideration and context when witnesses testify in court cases?  Perspective can change so much about a case, after all.