How to make a Storytelling Video ?

Summary

Shakti from Traveling Mondays shares storytelling and editing tips for travel films, emphasizing the importance of establishing shots, sound design, and finding the right music. He walks through his creative process, from structuring a story on paper to using J cuts and building audience anticipation. Shakti also highlights the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo laptop's dual-screen features, ideal for video editing and multitasking. He encourages creators to let their video lead the story, avoid overattachment, and focus on what adds value for the audience, all while keeping things relatable and impactful.

Takeaways

• 🎬 Shakti emphasizes the importance of storytelling in all his travel films.
• 📝 The first step in video editing is writing down the key parts of the story to stay organized.
• 🎵 Finding the right music is crucial for setting the mood and can make or break the video.
• 🎥 Start with a wide shot to establish the scene and build anticipation with sound design.
• 💻 Shakti introduces the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo, highlighting its dual-screen feature for enhanced editing.
• 🎧 Let the video lead the story, not the music; be mindful of where music fits in the narrative.
• 🔄 Creating a smooth bridge between two sequences is vital for maintaining audience engagement.
• 💡 As an editor, it's essential to view the content from the audience's perspective and cut unnecessary parts.
• 💻 The dual-screen setup of the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo is particularly useful for multitasking and enhances productivity.
• 🗣️ A relatable and well-told story connects with the audience, leaving a lasting impression.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video?

The video focuses on sharing editing tips, storytelling techniques, and a review of the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo laptop, highlighting its features and usability for content creators.

What does the creator suggest as the first step for storytelling?

The first step is to write down all the important parts and subpoints of the story on paper or on your phone if handwriting is difficult to read.

What is the 'J cut' technique mentioned in the video?

A 'J cut' is a sound editing technique where the audio from the next scene starts playing before the visual cut happens, creating a smoother transition between scenes.

Why is finding the right music important in video editing?

The right music helps to convey the mood and emotion of the scene. It can either enhance or detract from the storytelling, making it a crucial element of video editing.

What mistake do beginner editors often make according to the creator?

Beginner editors often let the music lead the video instead of the story. This can result in unnecessary sequences that don’t serve the narrative.

What is a 'bridge' in video editing, and why is it important?

A 'bridge' connects two sequences and should be smooth, keeping the audience engaged and moving them seamlessly through the story.

How does the creator recommend starting a video to hook the audience?

He suggests starting with a relatable thought that the audience can connect with, such as a universal truth or a commonly shared desire.

What are some of the key features of the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo mentioned in the video?

The laptop has a dual-screen setup, a 2.8K 120Hz OLED touchscreen display, and is equipped with an Asus Pen 2.0. It’s designed to enhance multitasking and productivity, especially for video editing.

How does the dual-screen setup of the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo benefit video editors?

Editors can use the main screen for video previews and the screen pad for the timeline, creating more space for an efficient and smooth editing workflow.

What is the creator's advice on whether to keep or delete parts of a video?

The creator advises being critical and detaching emotionally from the video. If a part doesn’t add value in terms of entertainment, facts, humor, or visuals, it should be deleted to maintain a strong narrative.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 Storytelling and Editing Tips

Shakti introduces himself and his YouTube channel, Traveling Mondays, where he shares travel films and storytelling tips. In this section, he highlights his personal approach to filmmaking, focusing on the importance of storytelling. Shakti emphasizes the value of opening with a strong shot, using wide shots and sound design like the 'J cut' to create a cinematic feel. He also advises writing down key parts of the story before editing and suggests finding the right music to match the mood of the video. Relatability and anticipation are key components of his storytelling technique. Using examples like starting a cricket or Ladakh video with a universal theme, Shakti shows how to engage the audience by building curiosity and using music to enhance the narrative.

05:01

💻 Introducing the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo

Shakti shifts the focus to the unboxing and design of the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo, an advanced laptop for creative professionals. He marvels at the dual-screen setup, including a 2.8K 120HZ OLED touchscreen and a second screen pad, both enhancing multitasking and editing. Shakti discusses how the laptop's design supports seamless transitions between screens and programs, making it an ideal tool for video editors. He shares his advice on how not to let music dominate a video and explains the importance of creating 'bridges' between sequences to maintain flow and audience engagement. Finally, he reflects on how editing involves removing unnecessary content and focusing on value—whether entertainment, information, or beautiful visuals.

10:02

👋 Conclusion and Shoutouts

In this final section, Shakti wraps up by emphasizing the power of storytelling to evoke emotions in viewers. He appreciates the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo’s flexibility for multitasking, particularly in editing, and praises it for enhancing productivity. Shakti hints at creating more content on editing, including launching a new channel, and expresses gratitude to Asus for sponsoring the video. He also introduces his cat, Olly, and ends with a warm message for his audience, reminding them to stay awesome while enjoying life.

Keywords

💡Storytelling

Storytelling refers to the method of creating a narrative that engages the audience emotionally and intellectually. In the video, Shakti emphasizes storytelling as the core element of his travel films, sharing techniques like establishing shots and building anticipation to make the audience feel immersed in the story. He illustrates how every film needs a story to make it relatable and engaging.

💡Establishment shot

An establishment shot is a wide or super wide shot that introduces the setting of the scene. In the video, Shakti explains that starting with a super wide shot of the city, as he did in 'My Onewheel Story,' helps to set the scene and introduce the audience to the environment. This creates a cinematic feel and helps the audience visualize the surroundings.

💡J Cut

A J Cut is a video editing technique where the audio from the next scene begins before the visual transition occurs, creating a smooth flow between shots. Shakti recommends using this technique along with sound design to make transitions more seamless, such as introducing a sound layer before cutting to the next visual shot, making the storytelling feel more professional.

💡Music vibe

The 'music vibe' refers to the mood or atmosphere created by music in a video. Shakti explains that finding the right music is crucial to storytelling because it enhances the emotional tone of a scene. He stresses the importance of choosing music that matches the character's emotions or the video's setting, using examples like 'relaxing' music for a sunset scene.

💡Sine wave

Shakti compares a video’s narrative structure to a sine wave, which has peaks and valleys, representing the rise and fall of action or emotion in a story. This concept helps structure videos with alternating sequences of high-energy moments and quieter, reflective scenes to maintain audience engagement and create a dynamic storytelling experience.

💡Anticipation

Anticipation in storytelling refers to creating a sense of curiosity or suspense that keeps the audience engaged. Shakti explains that by setting up scenarios where something interesting is about to happen (e.g., showing the evening view from a mountain), the audience becomes invested in the outcome, which increases engagement with the video.

💡Bridge

A 'bridge' is content that links two different sequences or parts of a video. Shakti advises that these transitions between scenes must be smooth and contain a hook to keep the viewer interested. Effective bridges are essential for maintaining the flow of a video and ensuring the story feels continuous and cohesive.

💡Dual-screen setup

The dual-screen setup refers to the feature of the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo, which has two 2.8K 120Hz OLED touchscreen displays. Shakti highlights this feature as a key advantage for editors, as it allows multitasking, such as placing the video preview on one screen and the timeline on the other. This enhances productivity and provides more space for detailed editing work.

💡Relatability

Relatability is the ability of the story or content to connect with the audience on a personal level. Shakti emphasizes the importance of starting a video with something universally relatable, like 'Everybody has dreamt of visiting Ladakh,' to draw viewers in. Relatability helps the audience feel connected to the content and more invested in the video.

💡Value in editing

Value in editing refers to the purpose and significance of each shot or sequence within a video. Shakti explains that editors must assess whether a part of the video adds entertainment, humor, information, or beauty to the story. If a scene does not contribute value, it should be removed to keep the video concise and impactful.

Highlights

The importance of storytelling in travel films: 'Every travel experience has a story.'

Opening a video with a wide shot and sound design to create a cinematic feel.

Using a J cut and writing down sub-parts on paper before starting the edit to maintain structure.

Finding the right music with the right vibe is as important as petrol for a vehicle.

Start storytelling with a relatable thought to hook the audience's attention.

Build anticipation by introducing curiosity, like the example of the Leh market and its evening view.

Use fade-in music and beat drops to enhance the visuals and engage the audience emotionally.

Presenting the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo as an extraordinary editing machine for creators.

Avoid letting the music lead the video; instead, let the story drive the sequence and flow.

Bridging two sequences smoothly is essential to maintain viewer engagement.

Cut out any scenes that don't add value to the story from the audience's perspective.

Editing with a dual-screen laptop, like the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo, can significantly improve productivity.

Multitasking on the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo, especially for coding or creative tasks, enhances flexibility.

Relating a storyteller's job to making an emotional impact: 'People will forget what you did, but not how you made them feel.'

Conclusion with a teaser for a new editing-focused channel and a thank you to Asus for supporting the video.

Transcripts

What's up, guys? My name is Shakti

and you are watching Traveling Mondays.

I have been making films about my travel experiences in the past few years.

The thing that was common in all those experiences is a story.

The editing tips that I am going to share with you are not from a book.

I have not studied in any film school.

In the next five minutes, I am going to tell you

the secret recipe of my storytelling

and also, the best laptop for editing in 2022.

(music)

The first part is opening or establishment.

It means how the first shot will start.

If you have watched my recent video 'My Onewheel Story',

you must have noticed that I opened with a shot of the city.

And there is some sound of the traffic.

That's how you establish a shot.

If you really want to make a film-kind of scene,

open with a super wide shot.

Another tip is that you can apply a layer of sound design with a J cut.

You must have heard about the J cut if you are into editing.

Firstly, you have to write down all the contexts and sub-parts on a paper.

In my last film, My Onewheel Story, which was all about storytelling,

the first thing I did was writing down all the small parts of the video.

Otherwise, you will never be able to create a long, nice, and crisp video.

First, write down the important parts of the story on paper.

This is your first step.

Done? Let's go!

Suggestion: If your handwriting is terrible, like me, write it down on your phone.

Often, I write stories, but then I am unable to read them.

It feels so sad.

Anyways!

After writing down your subpoints,

next step!

Finding music with the right vibe is as important as finding your soulmate.

It's as important as petrol for a vehicle.

It's as important as Amit Shah for Mr. Modi.

Are you getting it?

How to find good music?

You can use copyright-free music.

Or you can use Epidemic sound or Musicbed like me.

Wherever you take music from, the first thing you need to do is that

you have to get the right vibe of the music.

For instance, if it's a sunset or you are having a relaxing time,

you can search for 'relaxing' or 'laid back' keyword.

Whatever you or the character is feeling,

you have to find music related to that feel.

Finding the right music is an art.

It can kill your video or it can make your video.

There are only two ways of telling a story.

First, "Hello guys! Bla Bla Bla Bla Blah..."

"And subscribe, guys!"

(beep)

The second way,

"Good morning, everyone! Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla..."

Sequence.

"Bla Bla"

Sequence (2)

Voice-over.

"Bla Bla"

Sequence.

Basically, you need to understand your video in the form of a wave.

The sine wave goes like this.

If you succeed in making your video this way, it will definitely hook the audience.

How? Let me explain.

You can start with a relatable thought.

Suppose that you are creating a movie about cricket.

You can start with "Sports is something that requires a lot of dedication and patience."

This thought will relate to everybody.

Everybody knows it,

that you need dedication in sports.

You start a video on Ladakh with

"Everybody has dreamt of visiting Ladakh at least once in their lifetime."

You must have understood what I mean.

You can start off with something that comes to your mind at first,

and secondly, it is relatable.

Alright?

Since you have told a relatable point,

now you need to introduce yourself to the story as a character.

For instance, if you are creating a video on Ladakh and you have said that

"Everybody has dreamt of visiting Ladakh."

Now you can say that "Today, I have come to Ladakh for the first time."

"I have heard a lot about this place. But I am very excited."

"It's the first time I am here and I am wandering in the Leh market."

You have established a character without doing too much *****.

Did you get it?

You have to establish anticipation.

That means that you have to develop curiosity.

You can say that "I have come to the Leh market,"

"but I have never seen the evening view from the mountain behind the Leh market."

"I have seen many pictures on Instagram."

"Let me show you the evening view from the top of the nearby hill."

(music)

That's how you build anticipation.

When you are speaking it,

after speaking 70% of the sentence, fading music starts from there.

As you finish speaking, beat drop!

And the view, the sequences comes.

With the visuals, the audience will feel your story to the depth.

They will feel like they accompanied you on the trip

and they are enjoying your film, they are enjoying your visuals.

As you can see, I have a beautiful laptop.

This is a laptop that you must have never seen.

Laptops are ordinary, but this dude is extraordinary.

Anticipation!

(music)

Here I present Zenbook Pro 14 Duo from the Asus ProArt series.

This is not just a hardcore editing machine.

This laptop is a piece of art.

And here we begin with its unboxing and design.

Zenbook Pro 14 Duo comes in a very minimal yet very creative box.

As you open the box,

hinges open and lift up the laptop,

which gives you a hint about its creative design.

There is a minimal logo of Asus on the back panel of the laptop.

As you open the flap of the laptop, uff!

You see something that you generally don't see in a laptop.

And yes, it's a dual-screen setup.

As you press the power on,

you get to see the world's first 2.8K 120HZ OLED touchscreen display.

It comes with an Asus Pen 2.0.

And now, coming to the second display.

Again, you get a 2.8K 120HZ screen pad.

And combining these both, it looks such a stunning system.

Apart from the screens, Zenbook Pro 14 Duo is packed with these solid specifications.

The question is how good it is in usability.

We will talk about it later in this video.

One of the biggest mistakes that a noob editor makes, which even I did,

when we start creating sequences with the music, we start enjoying it.

*You are unable to control*

Now you have to keep creating sequences because of music.

The story may not need a sequence.

My friend, here comes the next step for you.

Don't let your music lead your video.

Let your video lead the story.

Whenever you feel like music is leading your video,

stop and think about where you can add a shot where you can make a transition,

where you can design the sound to stop the music and get the story back to the front.

Are you getting it?

The content that bridges two sequences is known as 'bridge.'

Okay? Are you getting it?

Whenever you create a bridge between two sequences, it has to be really smooth.

It must have a hook to make the viewer watch further.

The first thing you need to do is that do not get attached to your video

because while editing, we get attached to ourselves or our characters.

We think it's too good.

You will have to think about whether the part is important for your video

from the audience's perspective.

As an editor, it is your job to ask yourself whether that part has value or not.

The value can be anything.

It can be entertainment.

It can be some facts.

It can be humor.

It can be beautiful views.

It can be anything. It has to have that value.

If the answer to these is 'No',

then keep them.

But, if the answer to them is 'Yes',

then, delete it out.

And this is how you will do crazy storytelling with relatability.

Whatever you will speak will reach the heart of the audience

if you tell your story like this.

Are you getting it?

The cat: meow!

Your audience will come to you saying that you have created an amazing story.

Alright! Now let's talk about usability.

Trust me, guys, I was highly impressed with the dual-screen setup.

It is designed in a way that you can just drag and drop your tabs

from screens A to B so smoothly.

Or you can use this button to switch between screens.

Or you can use both screens on one program.

From an editor's perspective, editing on a laptop becomes really difficult.

You're always looking for space on the screen.

But in Asus Zenbook 14 Duo, it comes really handy for editing.

You can put the video preview on the main screen and the timeline on the screen pad.

*There is so much space*

I mean, for a laptop, it's a great feature.

You cannot carry your desktop for remote working.

But you can definitely take this machine out anywhere

and still get a chance to work on multiple screens.

And while doing color grading, this is going to be a great help for editors.

Apart from editing on Zenbook 14 Pro Duo,

it's really useful for office work.

For example, writing codes.

You can write code on the main screen and watch standup comedy on the screen pad.

Or you can watch Traveling Mondays.

I mean the ultimate doors of multitasking are open for you.

Flexibility is yours.

You can definitely take your creativity, productivity, and the working experience

on another levels with Zenbook Pro 14 Duo.

In the end, people will forget what you did for them.

People will forget who you are.

But, they will never forget how your video or your experience made them feel.

And that is the job of a storyteller.

If you want me to create more videos on editing,

do let me know because I am going to create a new channel very very soon.

I will upload fantastic things on that.

So, stay tuned for that!

And also, I want to thank Asus for making this video possible.

The cat: meoowww!

And yeah, also say 'Hi' to Olly.

So with this being said, I'll see you guys in my next video.

Till then, keep chilling, keep enjoying,

and do not forget, dude, you are awesome!

(music)