After Caryn’s webinar on Tuesday, Storytelling with the Emotional Brain, I came across this video in my Facebook feed. It was posted last year, so you may have already seen it. Watch it now:
Wow. I mean… WOW. Doesn’t it hit you hard? This is storytelling to the max, revealed in one-second intervals. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what’s happening in every shot. I watched it four times before I noticed the news broadcast’s grim report and the newspaper declaring martial law.
This just great storytelling in general, but it also hits the eight essential storytelling ingredients that we recommend nonprofits include in their appeals. Here they are:
1. Emotion
Lots of emotions run throughout the entire video. In the beginning, the girl is happy, cheerful, and silly, and then she’s scared, heartbroken, and defeated in the end. I’m sure you’re also scared for her and her family, right?
2. Compelling Opening
It’s a birthday party. Nothing special, but the plainness of the event makes you wonder what’s going to happen. Why is the birthday important?
3. A relatable protagonist
This little girl could be your neighbor. Her grandma embarrasses her with cheek pinching. She plays in the park with her dad. Her schoolmate tries to sneak a kiss. She’s practicing her musical instrument. These are all totally relatable experiences for all ages in all pockets of the world.
4. Desire
It’s obvious that her family is trying to get to safety. You can tell they’re motivated to get out of the war zone they have been thrust into.
5. Ample conflict
If the gunshots aren’t ample conflict for you, I don’t know what is.
6. Compelling imagery
Since the story is told with the face of a little girl, her experiences (both happy and scary) keep you watching.
7. Real details
There are just enough details in her typical day that we understand this girl lives a happy life and we see where her life takes a huge turn. The level of detail within each second is just enough for us to grasp the situation without making us take in too many ideas at once. The details in her face and in her expressions alone, regardless of the sounds and picture around her, are enough for us to figure out what’s going on.
8. What happens next?
This is where the video is a little unclear. Luckily, there is a call to action box on the YouTube video throughout the video displaying the text-to-give phone numbers.
If you missed this week’s webinar, no worries: Just download the archived version. You’ll get an in-depth explanation of these eight ingredients that were brilliantly illustrated by Save the Children’s video, as well as mistakes to avoid and the science behind storytelling’s impact on our minds (and hearts).
from The Nonprofit Marketing Blog http://ift.tt/1OaCM1e
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