Keep them watching - Tips for better story telling!
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the importance of sequences in visual storytelling, emphasizing their role in shaping audience perception and advancing the narrative. It illustrates how a sequence, typically consisting of 3-5 shots, can change the tone and character understanding by structuring shots to evoke questions and provide answers. The script uses examples, such as contrasting reactions to different scenes, to demonstrate sequence impact. It also highlights the significance of a strong resolution in sequences and the concept of 'show, don't tell' to create intrigue and engagement. The creator shares personal experiences with filming and editing, including the challenges of maintaining natural light and the use of stock footage to enhance storytelling.
Takeaways
- 🎬 Sequences are crucial for visual storytelling in filmmaking and content creation, often determining the success of engaging the audience.
- 📹 A sequence typically consists of 3 to 5 shots that are combined to advance the narrative and can significantly affect the tone and audience's perception of characters.
- 🤔 The concept of 'questions and answers' in sequencing is vital, where each shot should either raise a question or answer one previously posed.
- 🕵️♂️ Each shot should instill simple, subconscious questions in the viewer's mind, such as who is involved, what they are doing, and why they are doing it.
- 🏔️ Setting the scene with the right shots can establish the environment and contrast, as demonstrated by starting with a snowy shot to set a cold tone.
- 🔒 The use of mystery in shots, like showing winter gloves unlocking a lock without revealing who or what, can create intrigue and keep viewers engaged.
- 🛠️ A strong resolution is essential in a sequence to provide a satisfying conclusion and tie up the narrative, as shown by revealing the character's actions with shipping containers.
- 🕰️ Showcasing the passage of time through a sequence, like the gradual turning on of lights, can enhance the storytelling experience.
- 💡 Utilizing resources like Storyblocks for high-quality stock footage and assets can greatly improve the quality and cohesion of your sequences.
- 🛒 The principle of 'show, don't tell' in video creation encourages creators to use visual storytelling rather than relying on verbal explanations.
- 🔍 Leaving space for the audience to ask questions and find answers on their own can create a more engaging and satisfying viewing experience.
Q & A
What is the importance of sequences in filmmaking and content creation according to the video?
-The video emphasizes that sequences are one of the most important foundational aspects of filmmaking and content creation. A poorly built sequence can confuse the audience or bore them, leading them to click away.
What is a sequence functionally in the context of video editing?
-Functionally, a sequence is a few shots, typically around three to five, that are strung together in order to help move the story along.
How can the structure of a sequence affect the tone and audience's understanding of characters?
-The structure of a sequence can drastically alter the tone of the video and the audience's understanding of the characters and their motivations, as demonstrated by the example of a man's reaction to different scenes.
What is the concept of 'questions and answers' in sequencing?
-The concept of 'questions and answers' in sequencing means that each shot should either instill a question into the viewer's mind or answer questions previously set up in other shots.
What are some simple subconscious questions that shots in a sequence might address?
-Simple subconscious questions that shots might address include 'who is it?', 'what are they doing?', and 'why are they doing it?'
How does the video use the snowy environment to set the scene?
-The video uses a long lens shot compressing a lot of snow to make it seem cold and uninviting, providing contrast and setting the scene for the location they are heading to.
What was the purpose of obscuring the image of the video creator in the sequence?
-The purpose of obscuring the image of the video creator was to create intrigue and mystery, delaying the reveal of the character's identity until later in the sequence.
What is the significance of a strong resolution in a sequence?
-A strong resolution in a sequence is important as it provides a sense of completion and satisfaction, tying together the narrative elements introduced throughout the sequence.
What is the backstory behind the sequence involving Kristoff cutting holes in shipping containers?
-The backstory is that the video creators were evicted from their studio and decided to buy used shipping containers to build their dream creative space, which is the context for the sequence.
How does the video suggest using visuals to move the plot forward instead of dialogue?
-The video suggests starting with a scene that raises questions in the viewer's mind, such as starting at the grocery store and letting the audience wonder about the character's actions, rather than explaining everything through dialogue.
What is the final tip given by the video for internet video creators?
-The final tip is to 'show, don't tell', meaning that filmmakers should rely on visuals and allow the audience to discover the story themselves, rather than spoon-feeding them information.
Outlines
🎬 The Art of Sequencing in Filmmaking
This paragraph discusses the importance of sequences in filmmaking and content creation. It emphasizes that a poorly constructed sequence can confuse or bore the audience, leading them to lose interest. A sequence is defined as a collection of shots, typically around three to five, which are combined to advance the story. The speaker illustrates how the arrangement of shots can change the tone and the audience's perception of characters. The concept of 'questions and answers' within a sequence is introduced, where each shot should either raise a question or answer one previously posed. Examples are given to demonstrate how the sequence of shots can set the scene and build intrigue, such as starting with a snowy environment to contrast with the subsequent action. The paragraph concludes with a focus on the need for a strong resolution in each sequence to maintain audience engagement.
🛠 Building a Creative Space and Storytelling Techniques
The second paragraph delves into the process of creating a video, specifically the challenges and techniques involved in building a creative space using shipping containers. The video's production is described as time-consuming, with lighting setups and the use of various equipment mentioned. The paragraph also highlights a partnership with Storyblocks, a resource for stock footage and other digital assets, which is used to enhance the video's sequences. The concept of 'show, don't tell' is explored as a storytelling technique, advocating for a more engaging approach that allows the audience to discover the story rather than being explicitly told. The importance of leaving room for intrigue and audience engagement is stressed, with the suggestion that this method of storytelling is more satisfying. The paragraph ends with a reminder to ensure that sequences, like the overall story, have a clear beginning, middle, and end, to maintain narrative coherence and viewer interest.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Sequences
💡Filmmaking
💡Storytelling
💡Editing
💡Character Motivation
💡Visual Storytelling
💡Stock Footage
💡Resolution
💡Subconscious Questions
💡Show, Don't Tell
Highlights
Sequences are crucial for filmmaking and content creation as poorly built sequences can confuse or bore the audience.
A sequence typically consists of around three to five shots that move the story forward.
How a sequence is structured can drastically alter the tone and audience's understanding of characters.
The example of a man's reaction to different scenes shows how quickly perceptions can change with sequence.
Each shot in a sequence should instill a question or answer one previously set.
Simple subconscious questions like 'who is it', 'what are they doing', and 'why are they doing it' are essential for sequences.
The video uses a snowy environment to set the scene and create contrast.
Obscuring the identity of the character in the sequence can create intrigue.
The importance of a strong resolution in a sequence is emphasized with the example of Kristoff cutting holes.
The backstory of being evicted from a studio and building a creative space adds depth to the sequence.
The video discusses the challenges of shooting sequences in low light conditions.
Storyblocks is introduced as a resource for high-quality stock footage and assets.
The use of digital snow assets from Storyblocks to tie sequences together is highlighted.
The concept of showing the passage of time through lighting in a sequence is explained.
The principle 'show, don't tell' is suggested for more effective storytelling in video creation.
The video concludes with the advice to ensure sequences have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Transcripts
[Music]
let's talk about sequences which
in my opinion is one of the most
important foundational things that you
need to understand for
filmmaking video editing content
creation really any type of visual
storytelling
at all and in my opinion
this is where most internet videos and
amateurish films fall apart a poorly
built sequence is gonna either confuse
your audience or they're just gonna get
bored and click away okay so then what
is a sequence well functionally it's
just a few shots typically around three
to five that are strung together in
order to help move the story along the
assembly of filth and how
it can be changed what's interesting is
that depending on how you structure that
sequence depending on how you move the
story along it can drastically alter the
tone of the video and your audience's
understanding of your characters and
their motivations etc etc
let's assume
he saw a woman holding a baby in her
arms
now we cut back
to his reaction to what he sees
and he smiles
he's a kindly man
he's sympathetic
now we'll put in a piece of film of a
girl in a bikini he looks
girl in a bikini
he smiles
what is he now the dirty old man
he's no longer the benign gentleman
who loves babies
so the first thing that i want to talk
about here in regards to sequencing is
this idea of questions and answers and
so what that means is that each shot
should either be instilling a question
into your viewer's mind somewhat
subconsciously or it should be answering
some of the questions that you stated
previously in those other shots these
are simple questions things like who is
it what are they doing why are they
doing it very simple subconscious
questions so for example at the start of
this video we want to set the scene and
here in hamilton we've got a lot of snow
recently and it was coming down pretty
good so we shot a nice long lens shot
compressing a lot of that snow together
to make it seem
cold like a an environment that you
would want to get out of
that might give me just enough contrast
and it's also the location that we're
heading to so it's somewhat significant
and also maybe helpful i'm gonna go this
way i'll be right back and from that
snowy shot we cut right away to some
winter gloves unlocking a lock now we
don't know who's unlocking it we don't
even know what the thing they're
unlocking is the first time we shot this
i actually had my hood down and i
realized oh we see right away that's me
so we decided let's reshoot it put the
hood up and obscure the image of myself
finally we have the last reveal which is
you now see the tires of my van rolling
in which then punches out once more to a
nice wide shot where we see this large
warehouse and finally we have one last
shot from the front of my van where you
get to see it is i jesse driving into
the location where you would eventually
uh see me here delivering these lines to
hello
[Music]
so
[Music]
one of the things that i like to pay a
lot of attention to and it's just
important for sequencing in general is
that there is a strong resolution to
your sequence now we know it was
kristoff he was cutting a hole but not
only was he cutting one hole he was
cutting several holes into several
shipping containers
resolution if you saw our last video
then you'd know what this is all about
which is that we were recently evicted
from our studio and in a last-ditch
effort to figure what to do next we
decided to buy a bunch of used shipping
containers and we are now in the process
of building out our dream creative space
and so obviously we're shooting a lot of
sequences bringing in containers cutting
insulating
every step of the way is gonna have to
get sequenced
also this video is taking so much longer
to shoot than we had anticipated we are
very quickly losing light and we ended
up having to shoot this now with a 120d
in the fresnel we've got a
p60c
up through the skylight we've got hi
dave
we've got another p60c over here
um making videos takes a long time
[Music]
this video is brought to you by the very
fine folks over at storyblocks
thumbs up what
storyblocks is the go-to resource for
super high quality stock footage sound
effects graphic elements after effects
templates and more and more the list
goes on storybox currently has well over
one million digital assets and they're
continuously adding to this week after
week after week and with their very
affordable unlimited all-access
subscription package you get access to
all of that so that means there are
millions of ways for you to improve your
videos in fact when we started shooting
the opening sequence of this video so we
actually use some of storyblocks's
digital snow assets and doing things
like that just really helps tie your
sequences together
so if you're looking to learn more about
storyblocks and their unlimited
all-access plan click the link down in
the description or go to
www.storyblocks.com
jesse driftwood
if you uh if you pay attention those
lights actually take quite a long time
to turn on so the sequence what it does
is it shows the passage of time the
first shot you start seeing a glowing
ember you're not sure what it is and
then suddenly
lights are turning on you see a finger
switching the breakers and that brings
us
back here where kristoff's in the
background turning the lights on for me
because
we took too long to make this video
one final tip i wanted to throw in here
isn't necessarily just about sequencing
and it's kind of directed at all of you
internet video creators the vloggers the
tick tuckers which is this idea that's
commonly referred to as show
don't tell because filmmaking video
making is a visual storytelling medium
we don't always have to use visuals and
dialogue in order to move the plot
forward i can't tell you how many times
i've watched someone's video where
they're like oh i've got to go to the
grocery store to pick up bananas and
oats for this new banana oat recipe i'm
working on and then the next sequence is
them at the grocery store and you're
watching them buy bananas and you're
watching them by oats and you're like
yeah i know you already said this
whereas i think it's a much more
powerful way of telling that story to
start at the grocery store and we're
wondering who is this what are they
shopping for oh why did they get that
and then maybe when we get back to the
house you can tell us like this is why i
got these because this is what we're
going to do but you still want to leave
space for intrigue you want to leave
space for your audience to ask those
questions because it feels good when
they feel like they found the answers
that they came to the conclusion on
their own they're not constantly being
spoon-fed
thank you so much for watching this
video i i really hope you did learn
something you had some type of takeaway
um if i had to boil it all down to
something it's make sure your sequences
not just your whole story but even your
sequences have a beginning
a middle
and uh
and then and an end
[Music]
that's what film can do for you
or
you for it as it were
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