Author:

Leo

A Day in the Life of a R&D Librarian (Round 7) – Wednesday

Posted by Leo – July 27, 2011

This post is written for Round 7 of the Library Day in the Life, a project started by Bobbi Newman, where librarians across the world share details of their daily activities. The is the 3rd time I am participating. Here are my Round 5, and Round 6 blog posts. 

I am the Research and Development Librarian at Kansas State University Libraries, and I work in the Office of Library Planning and Assessment.

My messy office welcomes me back  after a week of vacation in Toronto, Canada.  My annoying habit of checking and replying work emails while on holiday deprives me of the excitement/disgruntlement of seeing an inbox with hundreds of unread messages. This morning, I have only 8. One of them is K-State’s daily newsletter, which is a very nice communication tool to find out about what university events are going on and faculty accomplishments. Today’s issue profiles the recent scholarly activities of our library faculty, which includes a blurb on my appointment to the LL&M’s (LLAMA’s journal) Editorial Board. Nice!

K-State Today

The morning is spent on basically catching up on some of the many projects I am involved in, as my current position is very project based. Apart from about 4 hours of virtual reference each week, I spend pretty much all my time on various projects. One of the current one is an experimental team-approach to embedded librarianship project I initiated. The idea is to benefit the students with a broad range of research skills from a team of librarians, while reducing each librarian’s workload and time commitment through division of labor. We are trying it on an online intersession geography course, which begins next week. We have one final meeting today to finalize all the assignments and the assessment tests.

Fire alarm in the afternoon, and everyone has to evacuate the library to 100+ degree heat outside. Luckily, we get to go back in pretty quickly.

Service to the profession is a important part of our tenure process, and I try to be active in national organizations. At this year’s ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, I convened the first ever LLAMA/NMRT New Leaders Discussion Group (NLDG), which I hope to be the first of many collaborations between the two organizations. (You can join the NLDG’s ALA Connect Community to get updates). I actively try to bring the leaders of LLAMA and NMRT together as I see many mutually beneficial opportunities. As a result, I now work closely with Gail Kennedy, past-president of LLAMA, on a LLAMA/NMRT Joint Committee on Collaboration (the name is not quite set, but you get the idea). Today, I work on the charge and the composition of the committee. The general purpose of the committee is to continue organizing the New Leaders Discussion Group at each ALA conference, and to come up with proposals and projects for the two organizations to collaborate. I am quite excited about the many possibilities.

New Article on Writing Library Videos

Posted by Leo – July 21, 2011

I am pleased to see that my article, “Design Your Library Video Like a Hollywood Blockbuster: Using Screenplay Structure to Engage Viewers“, which was written quite a while back, is finally published in the newest special issue of Indiana Libraries for Instructional Design and Technology. My colleagues, Jason Coleman, Danielle Theiss and Melia Erin Fritch also have an article on social software in this issue.

I have since written a few blog posts on the topic, but the journal article goes a bit more in depth by using a few more commercial films as examples. It also has an analysis of of this SPARKY Award winning short video:

Clueless Discovery from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

 

Beer Braised Pot Roast

Posted by Leo – May 29, 2011

Beer Braised Pot Roast

Beer Braised Pot Roast

Even though it’s late May, the weather is still surprisingly cool here in Kansas. Something rich and hearty like a pot roast seems like a good idea before it gets steamingly hot.

I studied abroad in Dijion (which is in the Burgundy region of France) many summers ago, and tasted Bœuf Bourguignon there for the first time. Absolutely. Loved. It. So when I started learning cooking, it was one of the first dishes I tried to learn. It’s a time consuming dish to cook, but the result is well worth the effort. A pot roast, on the other hand, is basically a less fancy version of Bœuf Bourguignon. An American comfort food. Both, essentially, are beef braised in flavored liquid and slow cooked until very very tender.

This recipe is a cross between a Yankee Pot Roast (vegetables are added to the pot partway through the cooking process) and Bœuf Bourguignon. Instead of braising the meat in Burgundy red wine, I use dark beer. It gives a more robust flavor to the dish, rather than the subtle sophistication of wine. Tips: Just like cooking with wine, use only beers that you would drink.

Ingredients (Serve 6)

  • 2 1/2lbs Chuck Roast
  • 2 Tablespoon Canola Oil
  • 2 medium sized Onions, peeled and quartered
  • 2 lb Carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 bottle Dark Beer (Stout)
  • 2 cup Beef Broth
  • Bouquet Garni: a few sprigs of Thyme, Parsley, and 2 Bay Leaves
  • Salt & Black Pepper

Garnish

  • 8 oz Mushrooms
  • 5 slices thick-cut Bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup Water

Directions

Preheat oven to 300° F.

Season Beef with salt and black pepper. Dredge in flour.

Heat oil in Dutch Oven at medium-high heat. Brown beef on all sides, about 4 mins per side. Transfer to plate.

Lower heat to medium. Add onions,  half of the carrots (save the rest for later) to cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 mins. Add garlic, cook for another 1 min.

Add beer and broth. Scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot (this is the good stuff). Add the bouquet garni.

Return beef to pot, cover, and transfer to the oven until the meat is very tender, about 2 – 2 1/2 hours. Turn meat over once half way through.

While the meat cooks, prepare the garnish:

Heat oil in a pan, brown the bacon. Transfer to plate with a slotted spoon.

Brown the mushrooms. Transfer to the plate with the bacon.

Deglaze the pan with water, reduce, and then pour over the garnish. Set aside.

When the meat is done, remove it from the pot to a cutting board.

Strain the stock, discarding the vegetables. Pour the liquid back into the pot. Add the remaining carrots. Reduce stock by a 1/4 (or thick enough to coat a spoon).

In the meantime, cut beef into slices.

Return beef to pan and add the garnish.

Cover, and simmer for about 10 mins to let the flavors blend.

Add salt and/or black pepper to taste.

 

 

The Great Food Truck Race – The Seabirds

Posted by Leo – May 15, 2011

May 14, 2011. After standing in line for hours for the Lime Truck earlier today, I decide that my feet are just not tired enough and head out to try the Seabirds, an all female, all vegan food truck.

Line!

Long line at the Seabirds

We arrive at the lot behind Varney’s around 8pm. Long line as expected. Slow line too. Some jokingly refer to the Seabirds as “the Slowbirds”.

The Seabirds

The Seabirds

The Seabirds are from Orange County, CA.

racing back from Ray's with tortillas

The ladies racing back from Ray's with tortillas

Running out of food again, the ladies race back from the store with more tortillas to a long line of hungry and cold customers. Some, I must say, are not very understanding. Tough crowd, tough crowd. I’m chilled though. Literally.

Win a "hot date" with the Seabirds ladies

Win a "hot date" with the very cute Seabirds ladies

If they served more than just taquitos, I’d totally go for that! :) The Seabirds ladies are adorable. But 20 taquitos seems just a bit much, and I imagine the people behind would get really upset if the food ran out again because of me.

Finally...

Ordering

At around 10:45pm, over 2.5 hours in line, I finally get to order. All is good now.

Jack Fruit Taquitos

Jack Fruit Taquitos

Jack Fruit Taquitos

Jack Fruit Taquitos

The vegan Jack Fruit Taquitos are definitely worth the wait. I was skeptical of vegan food even while I was standing in line. But this is good stuff. The crunchy fried tortillas combines very well with the soft and almost meat-like texture of the jack fruit. Add the tangy and spicy jalapeno sauce, and I don’t miss meat at all. A very pleasant surprise!

The Great Food Truck Race in Manhattan, KS

Posted by Leo – May 14, 2011

May 14, 2011. On Kansas State University‘s graduation day, The Food Network‘s The Great Food Truck Race rolls into Manhattan, KS. Hosted by Tyler Florence, it is “where seven real teams representing the country’s best food trucks hit the road to cook their way across America.”

The Great Food Truck Race

Long lines at The Great Food Truck Race

Three of the five trucks (Korilla BBQ, The Lime Truck, and Hodge Podge) are stationed in the City Park. Seabirds is at the lot behind Varney’s – a prime location in Aggieville. Roxy’s is at Doughboy’s Pizza. My original plan was to try all five trucks, but that goal is dashed once I see how long the lines are and how slow they are moving.

The Lime Truck Menu

The Lime Truck's Menu

After standing line for close to 4 hours, and the condition turns from sunny & breezy to cloudy & windy (glad to have good company in Lis, Jason, and Livia), we finally get to the Lime Truck.

Chef's Choice Burger

Chef's Choice Burger

Since everything on the menu is only $0.99, I may as well try everything.  I particularly like the caramelized onions in the Chef’s Choice Burger.

French Fries with Smokey Mayo

French Fries with Smokey Mayo

The “Smokey Mayo” is actually quite smokey and tasty.

Deep Fried Bacon + BBQ Cole Slaw

Deep Fried Bacon + BBQ Cole Slaw

Even though the chefs tell us that the BBQ Cole Slaw and the Fried Bacon were not designed as side dishes, I think they’re excellent as sides.

Chicken Cacciatore with Mushrooms and Roasted Red Peppers

Posted by Leo – May 1, 2011

Chicken Cacciatore with Mushroom and Roasted Red Peppers

Chicken Cacciatore with Mushrooms and Roasted Red Peppers, served here with bowtie pasta

When I was a college student in San Francisco, there’s this Italian restaurant near campus that delivered to the dorms. I remember ordering their gigantic (and incredibly messy) meatball sub all the time. It was amazingly good and filling, and the price was unbeatable. Slightly more expensive was their supremely delicious Chicken Cacciatore, which as a poor student I’d only order for “special occasions”. It was my first taste of Chicken Cacciatore. Although I have tried many variations of this dish since then, that remains my very favorite version. It was probably the least tomatoey of all the Chicken Cacciatore that I’ve ever tasted. Using taste memory from over 20 years ago, I am attempting to re-create something similar – by using a lot of  mushrooms and roasted red peppers (and some wine).

Chicken Cacciatore with Mushrooms and Roasted Red Peppers - Serves 6.

Ingredients

  • 2lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 16oz Mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
  • 3/4 Cup Red Wine
  • 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
  • 3 Roasted Red Peppers, sliced
  • 1 Medium Onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Thyme leaves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed Rosemary
  • 4 cloves Garlic, Chopped
  • 3 Tablespoon Canola Oil
  • Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece into the flour. Shake off excessive flour. Set aside.

In a medium Dutch oven, heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil over medium heat. Brown chicken in batches, about 4-5 mins per side. Add more oil for each new batch. Set chicken aside.

While browning the chicken, roast the red peppers. Some tips on how to roast peppers here, here and here. It takes about 45 mins altogether, so make sure you begin this process early.

Add mushrooms to the Dutch oven, season with a pinch of salt to draw out the moisture. Cook for 3-4mins, stir regularly. Deglaze the bottom of the Dutch oven in the process.

Add onions, sauté for further 3-4 mins. Add garlic, cook for 1 min. Set the mushrooms/onions aside.

Add chicken broth, and red wine to the Dutch oven, over medium high heat. Reduce by half.

Add crushed tomatoes, thyme leaves, oregano, and rosemary. Stir to combine.

Add the chicken, mushroom/onions, and roasted red peppers (peeled and sliced) back to the Dutch oven. Mix well. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 30-45mins to let the flavors combine.

Serve over pasta or rice.

 

 

 

Linking the Physical Library Space to the Digital: A New Game-changer for Libraries

Posted by Leo – April 26, 2011

The IdeaPower Unconference was a new addition at the 2011 ACRL National Conference in Philadelphia. When I read its description, I was immediately intrigued: “The IdeaPower Unconference is designed to be an exercise in the dynamic presentation of powerful ideas. We welcome you to present an idea that has the power to transform the academic libraries. Expect attendees to engage with presenters, offer feedback on the ideas and presentations, and initiate collaborative projects with like (or unlike) minds. Presenters have 6 minutes exactly to present and 6 minutes to get feedback on their idea“. And the unconference turned out to be probably my favorite program at the conference. I went to 4 of the 6 sessions, and most of them were packed! I also presented there, and it was a lot of fun. There were many fascinating ideas and I thought the delivery was much more engaging and refreshing than the typical paper/panel presentation at the conference.

I don’t think any of the IdeaPower presentations is hosted on the ACRL Virtual Conference Website, at least not yet. (If you missed the actual conference, it’s really worth checking out the virtual conference site). One of the presentations that I enjoyed, “Collaborating with Faculty – a Five-Step Program” by Kim Leeder, is now a blog post. I’m hoping to find more.

Here is an adaptation of my presentation to the blog format:

Let’s make an assumption here, for the purpose of this post, that the concept of a library should include the physical space. In other words, we want to have a physical library, as opposed to a completely virtual one. With that in mind, I think it’s fair to acknowledge that the internet has been a game changer for libraries. It gives the impression that all information is available online. The internet has driven our users away from the physical library.

The rise of the internet shares some similarities with the television revolution. Just like the internet, television was a game changer for many industries, including the sporting venue business. I do not have to go all the way to England to follow my soccer team (Arsenal!). I can watch them play every weekend at home, on TV. But as I watch them play on TV, I also see that the stadiums are packed every time. Why do people still go to the stadiums when we all have televisions? Isn’t it much nicer to see all the actions up close in the comfort of our own homes? Well, let’s look at what the sporting venues did in the face of a game changer that could really damage their business – they put giant TVs in the stadiums!

What we get at home, "plus more".

So instead of losing out to the new technology, they use it to enhance their spectator experience. The spectators get what they would get at home, plus more. I know going to the library is not as exciting as going to a football game, but how can libraries offer people the “plus more” to draw them in?

We put computers in the library. We offer internet connection. But are we just one big computer room? As most academic libraries sit on prime real estate on campus, if we can’t demonstrate the value of our physical space, we might face the danger of losing it.

 

Centrally located on campus (Hale Library, Kansas State University)

To counter that, we are generally evolving into “information commons”, or “learning commons”, which can help create a sense of community. But if we are not careful, we could easily become just another student union.

The good news for us is, there is another game changer – Mobile technology, which allows people to be networked anywhere, anytime. Smartphones, ipads are just the first step. Despite all their current limitations (small screens, or difficult to type, etc.), the technology will continue to improve. We could have eyeglasses as computers one day

Eyeglasses as computer

I think there are two things that makes mobile technology a game changer for us. 1) Well, its mobility. In the pre-internet world, our users had to come to the library for information. In the post-internet but pre-mobile age, our users are chained to their computers. They could be away from the library, or if they were in the library, they tend to limit their activities to where their computers are. With mobile devices, they can move around freely and still have access to our digital resources. That by itself is really not enough. So what if they could move around freely. They could be moving around freely outside of the library

So, the second reason why I believe mobile technology is a game changer for us is its awareness of locations. With mobile devices, where you are physically could actually affect the experience of information seeking. For example, you can point your phone camera at a building and it recognizes it and gives you all the relevant information, as opposed to you having to type in its name (if you even know it), or describe the building to search for its information.

 

Location Based Information

We now have GPS. We are currently developing augmented reality. We are developing object recognition. And one day, we may have computer chips in everything. In the medium to long term, there are a lot of possibilities on location-based information. What about the short term? What can we do now to lay the groundwork, before our users completely forget about the physical library space?

Libraries haven’t completely become virtual yet. We are in a transitional period where we still have sizable physical collections. Browsing is still popular, but there is a disconnect between the physical and the digital. When our users browse physically, they tend to miss the online resources. And when they browse online, they tend to ignore the physical collections. We need to connect our physical collections to our growing digital collections. So when our patrons come to the library, we offer them something that they can’t get outside of the physical library – the “plus more”.

QR codes is the current technology that connects the physical space to digital resources. An example: You find a book that is useful, scan the QR code on the book or on the shelf, and it takes you to the relevant digital resources. Some libraries have already started do that, and museums are really embracing it. You can look at the art work or artifact in real life, and because you’re in that space, you can access the relevant information online easily. This is an especially useful way to enhance the user experience of, let’s say, a special collections exhibit in a library.

 

Physical Space -> Digital (QR code placement in the Mattress Factory’s exhibition space)

Mobile technology offers us an opportunity to attract users back to the library space. By linking the physical space to the digital, we can offer them the “plus more” they could only get at a physical library. Some people are skeptical of QR codes. Is it a trend or a fad? I am not sure either. QR codes might just be a stop-gap measure before we move on to augmented reality and more sophisticated technology, but I firmly believe that mobile technology is the future. Technology is moving incredible fast, and we must try our best to keep pace. At the bare minimum, we must not be slower than our users.

Omakase at Morimoto Restaurant, Philadelphia

Posted by Leo – April 3, 2011

Morimoto Restaurant

Morimoto Restaurant. 723 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215) 413-9070

Attending the 2011 ACRL conference in Philadelphia gave me an opportunity to try Iron Chef Morimoto’s restaurant. (I love going to library conferences!)

Omakase is a Japanese phrase that means “It’s up to you”. At a Japanese restaurant, the chef picks the best and freshest ingredients for the omakase. The chef is “expected to be innovative and surprising in the selection of dishes, and the meal can be likened to an artistic performance by the chef”, according to food writer Trevor Corson.  The omakase I ordered on March 30th, 2011 was a seven course lunch.

Tuna Tartare w/ crispy shallot and chives in a dashi sauce

1st course: Tuna Tartare w/ crispy shallot and chives in a dashi sauce

What a fantastic 1st course! The softness of the tartare was energized by the crispy shallot, and the top quality wasabi gave an exciting jolt to the sweet dashi sauce. I loved it!

White Fish Carpaccio

2nd course: Warm Whitefish Carpaccio with hot oil and mitsuba leaf

I was still thinking about the amazing texture of the Tuna Tartare when the 2nd dish came. The expectation had risen quite considerably by this point, but the Whitefish Carpaccio raised that bar even higher. The lemoniess in the rich olive oil complemented the whitefish wonderfully. I wanted to drink the sauce up after I had finished the fish!

Yellow Tail Sashimi Salad

3rd course: Yellow Tail Sashimi Micro Greens Salad

After 2 sensational dishes, this 3rd course was more like a breather, so that I could calm down a bit. Flavorful yellow tail sashimi and a light vinaigrette dressing on the salad.

Rock Shrimp Tempura

4th course: Rock Shrimp Tempura

The 4th course was our 1st hot dish. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I thought the portion was too big.(!) The thick sweet sauce, combined with the batter (though a light batter) was a bit too much. I felt that the rock shrimp was lost under this heavy coating.

Seabass with Black Bean Paste

5th course: Seabass with Black Bean Paste

The 2nd hot dish was a Seabass with Black Bean Paste. A very Chinese influenced dish. Fresh fish cooked perfectly. It was delicious.

Chef's selection of sushi

6th course: Chef's selection of sushi

Top quality sushi here. Excellent!

Citrus Almond Mint and Chocolate Torte

7th course: Citrus Almond Mint and Chocolate Torte

I had high expectation for the dessert, but this 4 layer torte didn’t not quite fulfill the ambition of the experiment. The chocolate simply overpowered the other three more subtle flavors.

Overall, two dishes (the tuna tartare, whitefish carpaccio) were two of the best dishes I have ever had anywhere. The sushi, yellow tail sashimi and seabass were also delightful, while the rock shrimp tempura and the 4 layer torte were not quite up to the extremely high standard of the others. That being said, I’d still highly recommend anyone who like seafood to try the omakase. I was very impressed. Now, I want to try all the other Iron Chefs’ restaurants.

Campanelle with Four Cheeses

Posted by Leo – March 13, 2011

Campanelle with Four Cheeses

Campanelle with Four Cheeses. Photo by Hillary Trelease.

A nasty eye virus has made my world very blurry, so I have not been cooking much lately, or taking any photographs since I have no idea whether a pic is in focus or not! But a wine and cheese party the other night has inspired me to make something cheesy. And thank you to Hillary for taking a very nice photo for me. (I hope it’s in focus, cause I can’t tell!)

Mac and Cheese is a good dish to use up leftover cheeses in the fridge. However, the quality of the cheeses does make a difference, so I would recommend using something good as a base. Fontina cheese has a mild, buttery, slightly nutty flavor, and it melts easily and smoothly, which makes it a very good choice as the main cheese ingredient. Then you can mix and match with whatever other cheese you have.

This recipe is a modification of Giada De Laurentiis’ Venetian Macaroni and Cheese. I want to make this a very cheesy dish, so I’ve increased the portions of the cheeses. I also want to have a contrasting texture to the smoothness of the cheese and pasta noodles, so this calls for some panko breadcrumbs to make the top crunchy.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon Butter, plus 1 Tablespoon for greasing dish
  • 16 ounces Campenelle pasta
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon for the breadcrumbs, plus more for pasta water
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus another 1/4 teaspoon for breadcrumbs
  • 2 cups grated Fontina
  • 1 cup finely grated Parmesan
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella
  • 1 cup grated sharp cheddar
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 teaspoon of paprika

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with butter.

Cook the Campanelle pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently, about 8-9 minutes. Drain well, but do not rinse.

Whisk the cream, milk, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup cheddar, and parsley.

Add the pasta and toss to coat.

Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish.

Toss the remaining 1 cup Fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta mixture.

Bake for about 12 mins.

In the meantime, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan on medium heat. Add panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. Toss to coat until the breadcrumbs turn golden yellow, about 5 mins.

Sprinkle the toasted panko breadcrumbs on top  of the pasta. Continue to bake for another 5-6 mins, or until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serves 6.

 

Screenwriting for Librarians: Part 3 – Story Structure

Posted by Leo – February 15, 2011

At this critical time when the value of the library is often questioned, libraries and librarians must learn to better promote ourselves to our potential users. Using online promotional video is one good way to achieve that goal. The idea of this Screenwriting for Librarians series of blog posts is to share some screenwriting and storytelling techniques that I think might help fellow librarians who are interested in utilizing this medium to attract more users.

We all know a story has a beginning, middle and end. But what is in the beginning, the middle, or the end? When does the beginning become the middle, and how does the middle become the end? Sounds like silly questions, but knowing the answers means you know how to properly structure a story.

The beginning or Act I is the set up. It has to establish who the protagonist is, what he wants, and what is preventing him from getting it. Then comes an inciting event, which turns the protagonist’s world upside down and gives him a goal. This is where the real story begins. It is the question of whether the protagonist can achieve his goal that engages the audience. Towards the end of Act I, there should be a plot point that changes the direction of the story and makes the protagonist take drastic action to solve his problems. After which, the story moves into Act II. An example:

  • Raiders of the Lost Ark:
  • Setup – The opening action sequence of Indiana Jones trying to retrieve a golden idol in a South American jungle establishes him as an action hero, and then we find out that he is also an archeology professor.
  • Inciting event – Two government agents show up, and in their meeting Indy realizes that the Nazis are searching for the Lost Ark, which would make their army invincible. Our protagonist’s world is turned upside down, and his goal now is to stop the Nazis from acquiring the Lost Ark, and the real story begins.
  • The question – Can Indy stop the Nazis from acquiring the ark?
  • Plot Point I - Indy finds the headpiece of the Staff of Ra at his former lover Marion’s tavern. The Nazis attack the tavern and burn it down. Marion and Indy become partners on his continued quest. This changes the direction of the story and moves it into Act II.

The middle, or Act II is the confrontation. The protagonist actively tries to overcome his obstacles. Another plot point occurs towards the end of Act II that once again changes the direction of the story and moves it into Act III.

So, in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy and Marion confront the Nazis in Act II. And Plot Point II is the Nazis steal the Ark from Indy and kidnap Marion, which changes the direction of the story again and moves it into Act III.

The end, or Act III is the resolution. This is the answer to the question posed in Act I. So in Raiders of the Lost Ark, we find out whether Indy achieves his goal of stopping the Nazis from acquiring the ark here.

Google’s Parisian Love commercial is a good example of great storytelling. It’s simple, and it illustrates the story structure I just talked about perfectly. It shows that it really doesn’t cost a lot of money to tell a compelling story and to make a effective promo.

Act I

Set up – The protagonist studies abroad in Paris.

Inciting event – He meets a girl at a Parisian cafe, who tells him he’s très mignon. (His world is turned upside down, and the real story begins).

The Question – Will he and the girl be together?

Plot Point I – He has gone back home and he seeks “long distance relationship advice”. (This changes the direction of the story).

Act II

Confrontation – He takes action to try to overcome the obstacles to achieve his goal – to be with the girl. He looks for a job and flies to Paris.

Plot Point II – He looks for churches in Paris because he and the girl are getting married. (This again changes the direction of the story).

Act III

Resolution - A happy ending as he and his girl are going to have a baby. And it answers the question posed in Act I.

The message this commercial wants to convey is simply, “Search on”.

This is wonderfully good promotion, as it seduces and it uses the product to tell a story. (read more about good marketing vs bad marketing here).