The Art Of Storytelling

These days good footage of huge bucks just doesn't cut it. It is all about the storytelling. This blog will give you some ideas on how to improve your storytelling skills.

Understanding Storytelling:
- There is a reason that legends and stories from events that happened 10,000 of years ago are still around today, that is the powerful effect of good storytelling.
- To get the most impact from your videos you have to strike an emotional chord with your audience. Storytelling is a great way to do that.

Step 1) Watch this entire video:

SICMANTA PRESENTS: Donnie Vincent's The River's Divide | Trailer from Sicmanta on Vimeo.

That video should leave you feeling like you have now become part of this hunt of "Steve" and that you want to know what happens. It leaves you wanting more.

Step 2) Watch the video above with no sound
Step 3) Watch the video above while closing your eyes and just listening to the audio

There’s more to what is said than the visuals. Dialog, narration and music score are vital to any video production. So are other, more subtle, production elements.

TIP: When you are editing your footage into hunts make sure that you watch it without the sound and then without the video to see if it still has that storytelling effect.

Tips for telling a compelling story through video:

1) Tell the Truth
Passion can't be forced and people will know whey you are faking it.

2) Embrace Visual Imagery
Can't stress video quality enough. It is key to storytelling.
The human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. For example your brain will think blue before it has a chance to read the word red:
RED
Your video should be able to tell a story without any audio/sound.
Ways to tell a story through video:
• Multiple Camera angles
• POV camera angles
• B-Roll Shots
• Focus shots- rack focus, etc
• Time lapses (show movement in time)
• Sliders (show movement in location)
• Jibs (show movement)

TIP: Take the time to get the shot!

3) Let The Story Lead

We all have a tendency to want to include more rather than less, but the best editors leave a lot on the cutting room floor. Even a 30-second spot should have a plot arc. So pare the narrative down to its most compelling parts to make your story stand out. - See more at: http://ologie.com/2012/03/how-to-tell-a-compelling-story-through-video/#sthash.vWJDgzIS.dpuf

A great way to research different story techniques is to watch commercials, yes commercials. That is because the producers only have a couple of seconds to hook the viewer and the 30-60 seconds to tell them an entire story. So go home and start watching those commercials.  A great website to watch ads online is: http://adsoftheworld.com/?media=4&country=All&industry=All
You can also do this with short films found on VIMEO

Check out this short film- you will not be able to understand what they are saying but by the video and sound you can still understand the story they are sharing


4) Keep a file
Write down and keep a collection of thoughts, ideas, useful information, and things you like. Basically, it’s what you open when you need an idea. You can sort them in folders by the location that your hunting... that way if you come back to the same spot 3 years later you can go back and look at your notes and it will help you remember and build that storyline

Yann Martel used a similar method when he wrote Life of Pi. He would collect all sorts of information on various topics useful to his story, such as surviving at sea, the Bengal tiger, Christianity, Hinduism, the nature of zoos, and put that information into a corresponding envelope.

When he reached the point in the story where he needed to write about one of those topics, he opened the envelope and was rewarded with all the “notes” he had saved.

5) Metaphors
There is a reason that the Bible is the most known story of all time. And a reason that Jesus is known as the best storyteller of all time. What sets Jesus apart? He communicates his messages using metaphors.  For example, in the following passage from the Bible Jesus is walking by the sea of Galilee and was looking for deciples when he came upon two fishermen Simon (Peter) and Andrew casting a net into the sea.
"And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men"- Matthew 4:19
Jesus was appealing to his audience (fishermen) with a metaphor about fishing. If this happened in our time and Jesus walked by a couple of accountants he would have said "Follow me, and I will make you accountable of men." Jesus was a great example of an excellent communicator because he used metaphors and he spoke in the way of that time.

Now, whenever we hear a story, we want to relate it to one of our existing experiences. That's why metaphors work so well with us. While we are busy searching for a similar experience in our brains, we activate a part called insula, which helps us relate to that same experience of pain, joy, or disgust - from http://lifehacker.com/5965703/the-science-of-storytelling-why-telling-a-story-is-the-most-powerful-way-to-activate-our-brains