The article below is from the Video Ideas email list.
In this edition of Video Ideas, I want to talk about a technique for starting videos.
As you know, the start is critically important. At this point, most viewers are far from committed and if we don’t manage to hook their attention, it’s likely they’ll click away.
This leads some filmmakers to start their videos in a very noisy way with lots of movement and action. While this can work, it can also lead to the viewer being overwhelmed and confused. In fact, if you think about it, there is often a lot to take in at the start of a video: visuals, voiceover, and if they’re unfamiliar with your channel, the viewer will have lots of questions about who you are and where you’re coming from.
One way to cut down the cognitive load is to simply let the voiceover describe what’s on screen. All the videos in today’s collection take this approach, often using the words “This is…” to describe the visuals on screen. It’s simple but can it be very effective.
What makes Star Wars STAR WARS? | Oscar Boyson ⭐ – Video essay about Star Wars
Each of the first four lines of Oscar Boyson’s script starts with “This is…”. As well as being a good way to ease the viewer into the video, the list of statements sets up a mystery: What does Errol Flynn or the sound of a four-month-old cimarron black bear have to do with Star Wars? You’ll have to keep watching to find out.
The fourth “this is” also gives the viewer the first fascinating fact of the film: that Star Wars borrowed the sound of a man screaming from a western (the famous Wilhelm scream). Boyson scatters these interesting facts such as these throughout the film and they act as fun little “snacks” for the audience while they wait for the bigger questions to be resolved. (What Malcolm Gladwell describes as “candy“.)
The other ingredients in this film are funny moments (“Here’s Luke Skywalker saying “no” ten times”) and thoughtful observations (e.g. there’s something “dirty, real, lived-in, used” about Star Wars that made it distinct from previous sci-fi films).
In terms of structure, it’s kind of: Big question + list of facts, funny moments and thoughtful observations. It’s a smart approach, and one I’d like to try at some point.
A Brief History of John Baldessari | LACMA ⭐ — An explainer about the artist John Baldessari
“This is John Baldessari’s pencil. This is John Baldessari’s chair. This is what John Baldessari sees when he sits at his desk. This is a film about John Baldessari, the artist.”
Another great example of this simple technique, and this film is always worth rewatching.
This is St Anne’s College | Daniel Nils Roberts ⭐ — An explainer about an Oxford University college
There’s a lot that’s strong about this film — the humour, the strong sense of voice — although I have to declare an interest: this is the college I studied at.
The truth is, I find it embarrassing to tell people I went to Oxford, which non-UK readers, less familiar with the English class system might find confusing. Yet this film succeeds in communicating how normal this college is, which is the thing that — as a state-school student — made me feel comfortable enough to apply. (Bonus: new video using “Did you know…” as the hook.)
A ⭐means particularly recommended. While all the films I include in these emails are worth knowing about for some reason, these are the ones you definitely don’t want to miss watching.