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PNN Podcast
Posted on: 05/07/07
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Crash Course Storytelling
PNN's unofficial guide to making good video
Filming is Storytelling
Before you ever pick up the camera, know your story. Everything you do from now on revolves around your story. Live for your story. Visualize your story when you close your eyes and watch it as a movie in your head.
Your story can be about anything. It's your job to make it interesting.
- Think about what makes your story interesting
- Why do you care about this story?
- If something grabs you by the lips and screams, "hey listen to me!" you might just have a story
Think about your favorite TV show.
- What do you remember most?
- Chances are, the show is based on a character
- Chances are, you care about the character
- Chances are, the character is a little like you
Dissect your favorite TV show. Then dissect your show.
Example: The Simple Life
Premise: It's funny to watch "rich" people doing "every day" things
- You want to see Paris and Nicole's horrified reactions
- You want them disgusted (emiotion) by cleaning a pig pen
- However, you also want them to learn something
- You want them to find a way to get the job done
- You want justice; to make them see how hard everyone else has it
Paris and Nicole became Scapegoats for the upper class. This skyrocketed their careers. Audiences felt they could finally relate to characters they would be alienated from. This is the premise of good stories: bringing people together.
Your story may be about a sales rep who is trying to break into the world of professional wrestling, or perhaps your story is about a zookeeper who refuses to retire. Whatever your story idea, it's your job to use video and audio in a way that makes your audience care about your character.
Keep in Mind:
A well-planned, weekly (even bi-monthly), story with good emotion and character is far more likely to be enjoyed by your audience than a show that has a lot of content, airs daily and says nothing. It takes time to make and edit a good show, so try and capture the "soul" of everything you do. Due to the nature of video editing, shoot for quality over mass quantity.
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