I’m sure if you polled a few hundred people and asked them what they think is the primary function for any video, you’d get a mix of answers:
- Communication/information
- Historical/documentation
- Entertainment
These are all valid views, but what I’d like to stress is that the best videos, in any category, are those that tell a good story. Good story telling is what separates an hour of unwatchable, random footage and 3 minutes of captivation. It’s careful consideration of good planning, well composed shots, and intentional editing… and everything in between.
Good storytelling doesn’t happen by accident. It is a skill that is learned and practiced, but rarely mastered. This is one huge reason why I’m constantly looking at how other people do things; I want to tell good better stories!
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Become a student of story telling. Check out what others are doing to convey great stories. Stretch yourself so that all of your work doesn’t look the same.
And, maybe most importantly, always be ready to help some one who isn’t as far along as you are; we all have a part in building up the next story tellers.
