From the course: Video Journalism: Storytelling Techniques

Telling your story through people - Premiere Pro Tutorial

From the course: Video Journalism: Storytelling Techniques

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Telling your story through people

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The best way to tell your story is through people. Even if the story is about a product or service, it's best to use people. Consider a story about some kind of newfangled widget. If you simply state that your widget will make your viewers' lives better, you will lose your audience in an instant. If instead you show people using your widget and having a grand old time, that'll make your widget story compelling. Or if you have some super service, simply listing its marvelous attributes is certain to turn off your audience. If instead you show the people who provide that service then that will hold your audience's attention. So, to see this in action, let's take took at our three stories. (video playing) The Santa Barbara Rock Gym is a fine facility. To tell its story, I could have listed off its features. It's close to the city center, has lots of free parking, is well managed, has well-built climbing walls, good rental climbing shoes, and lots of variety. All are solid reasons to stop by and give it a try. But even taken collectively, they don't make a compelling story. (video playing) Instead, it's about people: qualified and caring instructors, enthusiastic children, pleased parents. Jeff: What about the fun factor? Female speaker: Well, that's what it is to him. I mean everything else is hidden for the children, all the strength building and the confidence. It's just a fun place. It's camp for him. Jeff: How about the Sticky Fingers Baking Company? There is no doubt that it has a wide variety of tasty treats, but so do a lot of bakeries. That alone will not be enough to convince potential customers to stop by. (video playing) What will work is to show the people who create those tasty treats, let potential customers see the extra care Katherine Glassman and her kitchen crew put into each item in their display case. Marty: Thanks you guys! Enjoy. And point out the personalized, enthusiastic service all customers receive. The Sticky Fingers Baking Company is more than a neighborhood boutique bakery; it's people. (video playing) Axtell Expressions has a successful business with a worldwide costumer base. A visit to their shipping room was a case in point. Virtually all of these boxes are heading off to foreign countries, their shelves are lined with products, but showing only the products misses the point. (video playing) What Axtell Expressions customers are buying is characters: entertainment and innovation. (video playing) And the Company's driving force is Steve Axtell. (video playing) So, instead of a story about puppets, make it about the puppet maker. People are fascinating; they're much more interesting than products or services. (video playing) So, use people to tell your stories. (video playing)

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