I went through a good number of past DS106 “Best Projects” and analyzed how they changed a simple story into a digital story using creative tools to aid them. I really enjoyed how the students used these tools to their advantage to create marvelous works of art. These creations have now broadened my previous understanding of what a “digital story” is by introducing new styles of storytelling, such as mashups and remixes.

Although I enjoyed all of the projects, the one project that really stuck out to me was Kiersten’s Toy Story Mashup. After growing up with Disney, especially Toy Story, this trailer really stuck my nostalgic buttons. I love how she created the trailer using not just one of the movies, but from using all 3 of them to bring together the themes. By doing this, she creates a link from the beginning of Andy’s childhood to when he grows up and goes to college.  This not only represents Andy’s progression through life, but it also represents the children in the audience who grew up watching Andy and his toys come to life. In 2010, when Toy Story 3 came out, I noticed that when I went to see it in theaters that the majority of the audience was older high school seniors rather than young children. By the end of the movie when Andy generously gives his childhood toys away, the individuals in the theater who were the most swamped with tears was this same age group. The theater remained in tears long after the movie had ended. Could this be because these individuals grew up with Andy and they just happened to be going to college at the same time as he was?

Toy Story had united many individuals that day, despite the fact that none of them knew each other. Kiersten’s mashup was successful because it told a story much deeper than what was being portrayed on the screen; how time flies by faster than we think and things that seem like just yesterday can