How to come up with insanely high quality video ideas w/ Cleo Abram

Summary

In this insightful interview, content creator Cleo Abram discusses her journey from Vox to launching her own show, 'Huge If True'. She shares her approach to balancing video production quality with quantity, emphasizing the importance of setting audience expectations and sustainability. Cleo also delves into her creative process, from idea generation to overcoming blocks, highlighting the significance of passion and audience engagement in content creation. Her strategies for staying organized and the role of personal storytelling in her videos offer valuable insights for aspiring creators.

Takeaways

• 😀 Quantity of content is important, but setting and meeting audience expectations is crucial.
• 🎬 Creators should focus on the reliability of their content release schedule, whether it's once a month or once a week.
• 🌟 Cleo Abram, the guest, has amassed a significant following on various platforms and emphasizes the importance of content quality.
• 📚 Cleo's career evolved from working at Vox to producing her own content, highlighting the value of learning and growth in the field.
• 🎥 Video production skills were honed through night classes and hands-on experience, demonstrating the importance of continuous learning.
• 💡 Idea generation is not about having the best ideas but about having ideas that fit the format and expectations set with the audience.
• 📈 The importance of visual elements in video content is stressed, as they help in explaining complex ideas in a simple and engaging way.
• 📅 Cleo uses a spreadsheet to constantly populate ideas and an app called Captio for note-taking, showing the value of organization in the creative process.
• 🔍 Research and deep dives into topics are essential for creating informative and engaging content.
• 💭 Personal passion and interest in the topic are key drivers in content creation, ensuring authenticity and engagement.
• 🏆 The ultimate goal of content creation should be to help and inform the audience, rather than solely focusing on gaining followers or views.

Q & A

What is the key takeaway from Cleo Abram's experience with content creation?

Cleo emphasizes the importance of balancing quality and quantity in content creation, setting realistic expectations with the audience, and focusing on creating content that is both engaging and informative.

How did Cleo Abram's career evolve from working at Vox to becoming an independent content creator?

Cleo started at Vox in TV development, moved to video production, and eventually became a producer on streaming shows. After five years, she launched her own show on her channels, inspired by the explainer videos she admired at Vox.

What inspired Cleo Abram to create her own show?

Cleo was inspired to create her own show after feeling a gap in her media diet where she wanted to see more content that focused on ideas with the potential to improve people's lives, rather than just highlighting what could go wrong.

What is the concept behind Cleo Abram's show 'Huge If True'?

'Huge If True' explores ideas that have the potential to significantly improve people's lives, focusing on what could go right with these ideas, as opposed to the typical focus on potential downsides.

How does Cleo Abram approach idea generation for her content?

Cleo uses a combination of her own interests, visual hooks, and audience engagement. She constantly populates a spreadsheet with ideas, inspired by articles, reports, and discussions she encounters in her daily life.

What role does audience expectation play in Cleo Abram's content strategy?

Audience expectation is crucial in Cleo's content strategy. She believes in setting clear expectations with her audience regarding the frequency and type of content she publishes, which helps in building a reliable and engaged audience.

How does Cleo Abram ensure her content is visually engaging?

Cleo ensures visual engagement by focusing on ideas that have a strong visual component or key visual that can be effectively communicated through video, such as charts, animations, or archival footage.

What advice does Cleo Abram have for creators struggling with creative block?

Cleo suggests giving oneself time to think and not forcing ideas. She also recommends reassessing the format or approach if the script isn't flowing, and ensuring that the idea has a strong visual component that justifies its production as a video.

How does Cleo Abram use social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok in her content creation process?

Cleo uses Twitter as a discovery mechanism for longer-form content and TikTok to test out ideas and engage with her audience. She often responds to comments and uses audience feedback to refine her content ideas.

What is the significance of Cleo Abram's approach to personal storytelling in her videos?

Cleo incorporates personal storytelling to connect with her audience on a deeper level, making her content more relatable and engaging. This approach helps in conveying why she cares about the topics she covers and encourages audience investment.

What are some of the tools and platforms Cleo Abram uses in her content creation workflow?

Cleo uses a spreadsheet for idea generation, Google folders and Dropbox for document and asset management, Slack for communication with her team, and Adobe After Effects and Premiere for video production.