Joe Soll never met his birth parents. Raised by upper-middle class New Yorkers, he spent half of his life tormented by the death of his mother.

But then one day, that story suddenly began to unravel.

"I felt crazed," he said. "I didn't know what to do with it."

What followed was a three decade search for the truth and a mystery that would haunt him for years.

Through almost unbearable personal pain, Joe has devoted his life to a single question, where did I come from?

The quest for that answer has redefined him, setting Joe on a mission to help others.

Broken Lines is a product of the MediaStorm Storytelling Workshop, where participants work alongside MediaStorm staff to create an intimate, character-driven documentary in just one week. Learn more about upcoming MediaStorm workshops and online training at mediastorm.com/train.

Martine Fougeron, Photography and Video

I always wondered how MediaStorm makes such compelling multimedia pieces. The beauty of a MediaStorm workshop is that you learn why and how.

Ultimately, the pieces are strong because they are about one person's story and how to best convey that person's inner voice. They are not about your story and your twist on the story. You are not just a photographer or a movie maker, your art and skills are at the service of the subject's inner voice and dilemma which must be enunciated in an interesting manner.

Here is the key. The audio/video interview. Your first task is to get into the subject's head and bones to ask the right questions in the interview you conduct at the very beginning. This interview is the backbone of the edit and all you will be doing after. It is the subject's truth you will be at the service of in the storytelling. And that truth must have a universal resonance.

To give you an example, I rarely do abstract photography. When I interiorized the haunting feeling of emptiness and loss Joe was in because of the impossibility of knowing who his mother was, I lied down on the ground in Joe's back yard and took photos of the leafless trees out of focus, which were ominous.

Then it is up to you to do your own multimedia-project. You are empowered. But, do not think it is easy. It is an art in many domains requiring an intense collaboration of talents: great interviewing technique, great video technique and strategy, exceptional editing skills, an affinity to music and lastly a gift in storytelling and editing combined not to talk of a particular sensitivity to music and tempo.

Richard Kendall, Photography and Video

After following and being inspired by the MediaStorm’s style of storytelling and innovative approach, I jumped on the opportunity learn from them directly.

I came into the workshop expecting to expand skills from my current background and learn to translate my own visual language as a photographer into a multimedia platform.

During the project, I was assigned as the reporter to shoot video. I was concerned about being pigeon holed in the workshop but the reverse happened. I actually picked up a whole new swag of processes, including a better understanding of workflow practice, narrative building methods, researching for a story, editing and then refining the nuts and bolts of producing compelling content.

Producing a strong story in such a short space of time worried me. I was pleasantly surprised how with hard work and the methods that MediaStorm deploy can really pay off. The professional MediaStorm staff were great and they shared their hands on experience openly from decades of industry experience.

It was a creative and insightful environment where everyone got involved, debated concepts and worked closely with Eric, Jennifer and Brian to deliver the final piece. Apart from all the new skills developed from the project, most importantly I’ve gained a lot more personal confidence in producing multimedia stories.

Frank de Ruiter, Photography and Video

The workshop was a great experience. I had been trying to figure multimedia out for myself but if multimedia storytelling is what you want, this is the way to go! 

At MediaStorm you find an amazing amount of knowhow of the producers who share all their insights into storytelling and give great coaching in the field. It feels very rewarding to put a complete piece together in a week after having completed all the steps that it takes, from finding a story to putting together a final cut. 

There is long hours until 2am but the enthusiasm of teammates and producers and plenty of humor will easily keep you going.

Simon Schorno, Interview

I had high expectations for this workshop, hoping to learn about multimedia and storytelling and wanting to be challenged. Brian and the entire MediaStorm team delivered on all counts, and then some. The workshop is hands-on and intense and was, for me, hugely rewarding. Not only did I gain new technical skills that I will now refine and use but l also came away with a renewed sense of wonder at the potential of documentary. 

The passion of the entire MediaStorm crew for documentary storytelling, their professionalism, their willingness to share what they know and their commitment to help the team produce something we could all be proud of were outstanding. The constant interaction and exchange with teammates made the workshop an unforgettable experience and one that has definitely changed the way I see.

Fotoweek DC International

Year: 2012

Place: Second

Category: Multimedia

MediaStorm online training videos provide essential tools and techniques proven to enhance production and post-production. Created from years of live training experience, the online training videos provide useful tips no matter what your role.

MediaStorm's award-winning team of producers and cinematographers lead the online training videos with lessons learned from their experience producing films and training groups and organizations around the world.