The 7 elements of great video storytelling

What do you think it is that makes your story a valuable one?
Here’s my advice, 7 tips and tricks to make your story worthwhile.

1. Emotion
   Showing emotion can be a powerful tool. Audiences relate to a story when they feel a connection to the one telling it or to the story itself. By pouring some emotion into the content, you appeal to the human that receives your message, making it exponentially better. Through video, you get a better understanding of what another person is feeling or going through and it stirs similar feelings in the viewers. You want your story to be seen and heard, which means it needs that X factor that makes it memorable. People tend to remember the things that moved them, that gave them a certain feeling.
2. Visual appearance
   Truth be told, some people, places and figures are more visually interesting. Therefore, focusing on those, ensures the high-impact elements necessary for your video to look attractive to the eye. This doesn’t mean you should avoid stories that at first don’t look appealing, but try and find the hidden beauty in the content you want to deliver. It’s all a matter of fresh perspectives, angles, chromatic and composition. Therefore, even though you don’t see it at first, use your video skill to make everything look prettier.
3. Movement
   You’ve got the freedom to catch movement, sequences and processes, use it! Other forms of media can point at motion, but you’ve got the power to show a full process, no matter its’ type. Nothing attracts the eye like motion and it can give your material the appeal it needs. When watching something too “static” viewers lose interest. If your story has a lot of narration, interrupt it with different frames from the surroundings.
4. Audio
   Your content is a video story so the most important part is definitely sound. Audio improves the quality of your message, helping you give meaning, express emotion and blend with visual appeal in order to create something great. Sometimes in the background, other times the main attraction, sound creates a sense of space, it’s the backbone of every video story, emphasizing moments and actions. Adding narration ties the whole piece together.
5. Special moments
   This can go one of two ways, either the event is truly special, or you make it be. Look up these “special moments” and try to have a unique approach to them. Obviously, everyone wants a great event that only they get to cover. Such a story can launch your career in new ways, so if you find it, be sure to make it as good as possible. If not, you can always give a new meaning to different moments and events. Emphasizing items from your story can give it that something.
6. Characters and plot
   No matter what your story is about, try to involve people, characters. The most interesting stories show some kind of conflict, whether it’s with the self, with each other or some greater exterior force, it keeps things interesting and it allows the other pointers expressed above to develop. Having characters or a plot of any kind ensures movement, emotion, audio, appearance and if you’re lucky enough, you land a perfect timing.
7. News worthy content
   Last, but definitely not least there’s the newsworthiness. This is the key element, the most important one. Your story can have all of the components mentioned above, but lack the most important ones that make up the value of a good story. Journalistic video needs to show something greater than traditional news, it needs a certain freshness, items that make it rather unusual and a good timing. These are the things that keep the receivers’ eye busy and focused; it makes the difference between news reporters and storytellers. Focusing on the first pointers, it’s easy to get lost in trying to set everything straight. Best lighting, chromatic, breath-taking action, one of a kind background audio, evolving characters that people love or love to hate, incredible events and so on. But the true meaning of the message your trying to send into the world comes from all o this merged together into an informative piece.