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The Science of Storytelling
Purpose in Storytelling- It's Different Than You Think
This week, we’re wrapping up our series on specific story elements. If you’ve been reading along with us for the past three weeks, you’ll know that we have talked about people, emotions, and location. Each of these topics has pertained to the science of storytelling in a specific way, and is unique to the process of building a meaningful experience for your viewer or customer. By combining characters, emotions, and location, you can round out the importance of a story’s Purpose, but also make your story serve a purpose. Those two things may sounds similar, but they are not the same.
Purpose vs. Purpose: One Word, Multiple Applications
We would like to submit that there are two different applications for the ‘purpose’ of a commissioned video for your business. We have split them up into the ‘P’urpose and the ‘p’urpose.
. Purpose- to reduce the idea of capital ‘P’ purpose down to its most basic parts, you could say that the overarching Purpose of commissioning a video for your business is advertising and brand recognition. Truthfully, though, the Purpose of a branded video (whether it be for internal or external purposes) is to lead your viewers or clients to a decision that you want them to make. For example, if you want to increase employee engagement, you may make a video that highlights how happy people are to work for your company and then show it to prospective staff so they can decide that you have a great work environment. While we like to think of ourselves as rational, well thought out people, much of our human decision making is based on emotions. By using the power of storytelling, we can tap into those emotions to show your intended audience what need your product service can fulfill for them.
. purpose- the lowercase ‘p’ purpose is a little bit more conceptual than the capital ‘P’ Purpose. When we talk about purpose in a video spot, we are talking about all the microscopic and macroscopic decisions that go into making a truly compelling video. These decisions include choosing to combine the elements of character, emotions, and location. It also includes lighting choices, camera choices, angles, and all the other elements of filmmaking that give a specific video purpose.
The Purpose of Character Development
If you take a look at our vimeo page, you’ll see that we often choose a specific character to focus on when telling a company’s story. Take the story of Dave Marlin, a flight nurse for Carolinas Healthcare. We shot a series of spots for Carolinas Healthcare that were all meant to increase employee retention and hospital loyalty. Through the course of the video we shot with him, you feel like you know Dave. You feel the excitement and uncertainty of his job, as he goes into work not knowing which patient he will be carrying in his medical helicopter that day. The Purpose of the video is to show other Carolinas Healthcare employees how meaningful their work is and how enjoyable it can be. By putting Dave front and center in the video, you offer the viewer an avatar into the life saving measures he himself goes to everyday of his job. This creates a deep sense of Purpose in the viewer. That if they choose to work for Carolinas, they could have as much satisfaction in their jobs as Dave does. The empathy this creates between the viewer and the company is personal and deliberate. By Dave being the main focus of the video, it creates a clear purpose. You feel that Carolinas Healthcare’s purpose is to take care of their employees. And that is a powerful thing.
The Purpose of Emotions
Let’s stick with Dave’s story since it is a video that uses both Purpose and purpose. Healthcare is by necessity an emotional thing. People’s lives hang in the balance of receiving the treatment they need in times of crisis. The feeling of suspense, anticipation, empathy, and gravity that is conveyed by showing Dave and his colleagues boarding their medical helicopter is tangible as you watch the video. Dave has a sense of urgency in rescuing people with his helicopter that is conveyed to the viewer in a very real way. The decisions to cut the video together in a certain way, to use Go Pro cameras, and use natural lighting all serve the purpose of making the story feel real and lifelike. Carolinas employees are meant to feel how important Dave’s job is, and how seriously he takes it. This forms a feeling of trust between Dave and the viewer. By emphasizing the emotional elements of the story, the viewer feels the Purpose of the video is not just to sell them on Carolinas Healthcare, but to show how serious the viewer’s employment could be to the company they see onscreen.
The Purpose of Location
The most important point about location in terms of making a video is transporting your viewer to a specific point in the story you want to tell. The more real and authentic a location feels to a viewer, the more they are able to put themselves into that space. In the case of Dave’s story, by seeing several shots of him in and around the helicopter, the viewer is transported into his daily life as a flight nurse. This puts the viewer literally inside the story (through something we like to call narrative transportation), and creates a sense of empathy for the place itself. In terms of purpose, by choosing to use locations intentionally as connection points for your viewer, you are communicating that the David’s location is important. If they are ever to work for Carolinas Healthcare, they will feel as if they’ve already been inside the space Dave occupies, which is the video’s Purpose.
At Rooted Content, we want our videos to both serve a purpose and to have Purpose. We believe that telling your brand’s story in an empathetic is the most important thing we can do for your business. By using the elements of character, emotions, and location we are able to convey your business’s story to the consumer. And that is a beautiful thing.
Finding A Story On and In Your Location
Imagine this: a friend comes up to you and asks if you’ve seen the latest summer blockbuster. Could you explain the movie to them without telling your friend where it was set? You could probably tell them a little bit about the plot and characters, but something would be missing from your explanation. A crucial part of storytelling is defining a sense of place and location for your viewer, listener, or reader. Take the latest Star Wars movie, for example. Outer space is just as much of a character as Chewy, Rey, and Kylo Ren are. Now, unlike Star Wars, we don’t necessarily have the assets to pack our gear and go shoot in outer space… yet. But we do believe that shooting on location is important to the narratives we tell. If that sounds like home to you, read on.
Everyone comes from somewhere.
In previous posts, we have explained that stories are made up of different elements. They consist of plot lines, dialogue, images, and characters. All of these different elements are brought together to form a cohesive narrative that, if executed properly, can convey a message and evoke a series of emotions in a viewer. On our trip to Ethiopia to support Eleventh Candle Co., we were struck by how we could not convey Eleventh Candle Co.’s mission without firmly showing Ethiopia and it’s people. This way, when you see Amber Runyan on screen, you realize how revolutionary her work is. Onscreen characters act as avatars for your viewer. The more connected a watcher feels to the person they are seeing on screen, the more transported they are into the material that is being shown to them. This concept is called narrative transportation. By establishing a firm sense of narrative transportation, you are also establishing your viewer in a place, and inspiring them to keep watching.
Local Ethiopian woman at a popular tea and coffee shop.
Places have meaning.
When you visit the same places everyday, sometimes it is easy to forget that each place has a meaning. If you visit the same coffee shop every morning, that coffee shop becomes a part of your personal narrative. You attach a special sense of gravitas to each visit, even if it feels like the most mundane part of your daily routine. Businesses, in the same way, have a firm sense of place, even if you work from home. When you use on-location videos as marketing tools for your business, you are giving your consumer a behind the scenes look at the work you do everyday. This will make them feel like they have a relationship with your business and more of an interest in using or buying your product or service.
Behind the scenes image of our recent shoot at the Columbus School for Girls.
You business, your home.
Much of the time we spend more of our waking hours at work than we do at home. It’s more likely than not that your general consumer feels the same way about their work as you do about your own. Even with the frustrating parts of ‘going to the office,’ everyday, people still take a lot of pride in what they do. By offering them an inside look at your business, you are showing your intended audience how relatable your business is. This can go a long way in building brand loyalty.
Shooting on location means showing respect.
We are often asked to shoot videos for hospitals, schools, and other businesses that deal with sensitive, personal information. When we work with these establishments, we do our best to treat them with the amount of respect they deserve. We feel that the best stories often come out of places that deal with daily human interactions on such a deep, relational level. Take a look at this story about Heather, a nurse at the Carolinas Healthcare network in Charlotte, North Carolina. As you watch her and her team go through their everyday hospital activities, you are offered a rare glimpse in what it’s like to work in the healthcare field. The viewer isn’t just watching a video about a nurse, they are literally transported into the halls of the hospital with their friend Heather. Which is a powerful thing.
Places are powerful and important. At Rooted Content, we want to convey the meaningful nature of the locations where we are so lucky to shoot. For more of our on-site work, click here.
The Narrative Impact of Emotions
Story. A little over a year ago, we filmed a few videos for a local Ohio-based healthcare company called Mercy Health. While working on the shoot, we were struck by something truly powerful that Melinda, a social worker who works in hospice care, said to us. She said, "There are other intimate moments throughout your life, but the two main significant ones are when you're born and when you die." It was the emotional delivery of this sentence that set the tone for the entire video. It allowed us to tell Melinda’s story from a place of depth and importance. Because what she does as a social worker for people in hospice care is important, and it is difficult.
Choices. There is an underrated science to telling a good story. And there is a good story to be found in just about everything. In order for a story to work, you have to have several key elements that all fit and work together. One of these is character. Every story has a protagonist or main character. This main character needs to be someone that your audience identifies with on an empathetic, emotional level. Another element is tone. To get your consumer emotionally involved with your story, it’s important to decide what tone to take. In our aforementioned story about Melinda, it would be easy to assume that we were telling a sad story. In reality, Melinda’s story was more inspiring and hopeful, because of her passion for her job and the difference she makes in her local community.
Truth. We are relentlessly marketed to on a day-to-day basis. Even as “marketers” ourselves, we feel the boredom and perpetual drudgery that is modern advertising. Companies so often seem to want to make us just buy things for the sake of buying things, and they will stop at nothing to increase their bottom line. As a consumer, it is easy to feel manipulated by advertisements. And it’s true: playing on your consumer’s or target audience’s emotions is a very compelling way to sell a product.
Suggestion. At Rooted Content, we strive to tell stories. One of the most important parts of telling a story is what emotions it evokes in you when read it, see it, or hear it. For example: think of your favorite movie or book. What makes it impactful to you? Does it move you? Make you cry? Laugh? Does it make you want to reach out to your mother or brother or best friend? Chances are, there is some kind of emotional attachment you feel to the story itself that makes you want to keep coming back for more. When we create visual aids for our clients we want to capture specific moments in time, but also specific emotions in time.
Connection. In storytelling, emotion is what creates a bridge between (in our case) the viewer and the content they are watching. By documenting real people using their own words, we are connecting the person on screen and the person watching the screen. As we mentioned before, when talking about choosing a main character, we do this by giving the person watching an inroad into your story by making the person on screen emotionally relatable. By using empathy, the viewer then feels connected to what they are seeing on a deeper level.
Summary. As a storyteller, it’s important to focus on all aspects of the story you are telling in order to find which emotion best fits your product, who you are trying to reach, and the message you want to convey to your viewers. This can be accomplished by drawing the proper emotions from your subject material and communicating them to your audience.
Action. At Rooted Content, we tell customized visual stories for your business, non-profit, or healthcare organization. We can help convey the emotional weight of your company’s message in a way that is unique to your business. Let us help you reach the people you want to reach today.
Who Will Deliver Your Brand Story?
The key to business success is winning and keeping customers. And the key to winning and keeping customers is, and has always been, relationships. And the way to create and build relationship is only through connecting with people.
One of the best ways to connect with people is using people to deliver your brand story. This humanizes your brand and gives the audiences someone to relate to. Choosing the right person to deliver the story is crucial to not only grabbing attention but also keeping it.
People attract people who they share commonalities with. So how you do you choose a character for your story? What are the qualities of a compelling character? How do you find the right person to deliver your message? And finally, how many people do I need to deliver the message?
Secrets of a Compelling Character
To keep your audience’s attention, you must choose a character that is closely connected or appropriate to your brand identity. There are a variety characteristics of your brand and the key is to choose those you want to represent and then match them to your character. Look for these 3 characteristics as you narrow your character search.
Relevant
Look for someone who is relevant to your brand and your audience. They need to share similar qualities to your brand and those listening. Naturally we relate to people based on shared interests and similarities in personality, experiences or values. For example, if your audience is moms and dads, use parents to deliver your message. They are walking in the same shoes and dealing with the same experiences. Using parents enables the audience to relate better than say using a nurse or a doctor. Remember the video of the baby cochlear implant that heard it’s mother’s voice for the first time. This was a great example of using a relevant situation to parents who have kids with hearing loss or difficulty. The result of this video would have been drastically different if the doctor would have been holding the baby versus the mother/child bond.
Empathic
A compelling character is one that the audience can empathize with. Understanding and sharing the feelings of another is a powerful way to tap into the emotions of the audience. Empathy is a powerful way to bring people together. We are able to sense others’ emotions and imagine what others might be feeling or going through. Just think about when a solider returns home and you choke up as you watch the tears of joy flow as the family reunites.
In order for the audience to connect with your brand character, they must feel connected with something inside themselves first to spark a connection with your character. The audience will relate to the characters that have similar needs, wants, or troubles.
This video we did for the Columbus School for Girls is a great example of parents who want the best for their little girl, they want to see her succeed and be confident. Parents empathize with this family, as every parent wants the same for their child.
Packed with Personality
Individuals inspire by exhibiting qualities like honesty, fairness, decency, humility and empathy. Not only that but someone who gives energy as they speak. They leave you wanting more. Someone that shows enthusiasm or optimism will energize your audience.
A character that exudes genuine body language helps give the listener more insight and understanding to the message. Non-verbal language is powerful. This includes the way they are sitting, how they use their hands, facial expressions and eye contact. You want to choose someone who delivers the whole message using both verbal and non-verbal cues.
Find A Compelling Character
First understand what your brand identity looks like. Is your brand cool like Apple, rebellious like Harley-Davidson, classic like J. Crew or free-spirited like North Face? Consumers like brands that mirror ourselves, or who we’d like to become.
Take a deep look at those in your organization and your customer base to find someone who matches your brand identity. Maybe your character is a loyal customer of maybe it’s a passionate employee. Once you find a few options ask yourself these questions:
· Is this person genuine?
· Is this person seen around your brand often?
· Is this a character they could eventually get to know on a deeper level?
· Has this person struggled in his or her own life?
· How did he or she come out after the struggle? Did it shape them in positive way?
· How transparent are they?
· Are they willing to share not only their successes but also their failures and frustrations?
Throughout your selection process always consider your audience. Are you talking to parents? Are you talking to medical professionals? Are you talking to corporations? Each of these audiences requires very different characters to effectively connect the messenger with the message.
One Vs. Multiple Characters
When listening to an impactful story, your brain develops thoughts, opinions, and ideas that align with the storyteller. The most effective way to connect and tap the audiences’ emotions is to use a single character to deliver the message. This method gives them someone to care about and sympathize with. Focusing on one character gives you the chance to include more details about that person in turn causing the audience to connect with them on a deeper level. Using multiple characters dilutes the message and doesn’t have nearly the effect on the audiences’ emotions or actions.
Characters Are Powerful
To stand out amidst the marketing noise you have to get in front of enough people in an interesting and unique way. Using a strong and compelling character that your audience relates to and has empathy for changes the way your audience thinks and behaves with your brand.
You have to get them to fall in love with your message and the person delivering it so much that they'll talk about you, tweet about you, and tell all their friends to go buy whatever it is that you're selling. To get customers and potential customers to remember you and keep coming back you need a powerful brand story delivered by a compelling character.
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/psychology-of-stories-storytelling-formula
https://www.classy.org/blog/infographic-nonprofit-storytelling/