Storytelling For Videos
As human beings, we respond to emotions and we connect with others through shared feelings, empathy, excitement and even bitterness. And this all can happen through storytelling, and videos are made to tell stories. How can you take the most advantage of this in video form?
Nowadays it’s easier to connect with people through images. Thanks to the rise of social media, the text has been little by little going to the background to leave the primary spot of attention to images, videos: we need to enter to audiences through their eyes. But this can become obsolete or inefficient if it doesn’t come in hand with a good story that moves people to their very core.
Take for example the recent release of the movie The Joker. Generations have known this villain, we have seen him in several performances and brought to life by different renown actors, but nothing compares to the overwhelming response this latest movie has received from the masses.
Why is that?
Unlike the other Joker movies, this one was taken from a different angle. This one tells the story from the side of a villain, and through a political and social demand shows how a society that abandoned the mentally ill and broke him to a no-return point, made him the serial murderer we now know. He’s still the antihero of the story, but at the same time, it’s nothing but inevitable to feel a profound empathy for his suffering, and pain for that life he had to endure.
Simple is the new black
The best stories share deep human emotions, but they do it smoothly. Take the slogan “Because I’m worth it”, by L’Oreal since 1973. There’s a lot of meaning behind this story, especially if you’re a woman, and it’s stated in just four words and simple terms. There’s not much explanation or context, but enough information to communicate the truth of women in this world.
When giving 45 seconds of video to tell a story, the best way to know if you’re on the right track is to try to summarize the story in one sentence. If you can do that, then you’re ready to go.
Less words
Have you ever watched Pixar’s short clip, The Blue Umbrella? It’s a 58 seconds video that tells a love story, and no one word is ever used during the video. Non-verbal storytelling is rare, but it allows to get to the emotional core of people. If you can find a way to tell your story without words, you’ll be guaranteed to increase considerable the persuading rates on your audience. Making storytelling for videos in a non-verbal way is hard, but the results and reaction it will get you are worth the try.
Unspoken context makes good stories
Many successful movies and stories achieve this status precisely because of the unspoken context in the stories. Viewers are given just enough information to construct the foundation of the story, without necessarily saying everything to them.
Leaving some gaps for the audience to fill them with the context they can pick up from the movies often makes great stories, and the principle of fewer words also applies in this situation: show more, say less.
Although it’s not easy to create a video like this when taken the time to invest and it, and the right company to help you do it, the results will be worth the effort. Here you can learn how to create powerful creative manifestos and storytelling for videos and your brand.
