Video Storytelling: Complete Guide for Beginners

A storyteller can use multiple mediums to tell their tale. Good video content is much sought after with many available distribution platforms such as television, digital streaming, and social media. Even sites like YouTube, Tik Tok, or Instagram have methods of using video to engage with their audiences.

On social media, video storytelling is more likely to be impromptu or unscripted, but many still can take simple content to professional levels by applying the methods used in major motion picture productions.

Many elements go into making a great production but with some planning and a compelling story, any creatives can use their talents creating content with good video storytelling skills. If you’re interested in learning more skills to use towards this endeavor, check out the Creative Track of the GSC from FIU and Miami Ad School. Even as a beginner, you’ll graduate with a portfolio ready for work from an award-winning portfolio ad school.

The Value of Pre-production in Video Storytelling

The more work you put into the pre-production stage, the smoother the process. First, write a script, keeping in mind not to overly complicate your settings or number of characters.

Next, you’ll want to create a storyboard so you can envision the most effective angles and time of day for your scenes. These can be hand-drawn or done with Adobe programs, to be able to convey the idea.

Plan how to bring the story to life by taking a headcount of how many actors are needed, as well as props and equipment that will be used. This can be a time consuming and lengthy process, so the sooner you start planning, the better prepared you will be.

Get Video Production

Once you’re ready to shoot, plan the days out realistically accounting for travel, rest and meal breaks. Also, realize that in order to take the most advantage of the day, you may need to shoot scenes out of sequence to utilize the time of day or location.

Using your storyboard as your guide, write down your scene sequence so you don’t miss any vital details. It also helps if you write the camera angles, lighting, and the actors to maintain a workflow.

Prepare a production schedule for the crew prior to shooting each scene. If everyone is organized, you’re ready for any unforeseen issues which could be prevented.

Lastly, confirm that you’re allowed to shoot at your locations as well as travel times and necessary permits. While shooting in some public areas may be permitted, it is better to be prepared and not risk losing shooting days or violating local laws. Time wasted is money wasted.

Find Your Story In the Edit

During post-production, you have the chance to take the raw material of your story and make it come alive with good video editing. Besides simply capturing the story on film, you can maximize the work understanding with color grading, editing styles, or even rearranging the scenes once you have all the footage.

Have you ever watched a video or movie that shows the ending and then starts back at the beginning? That’s just one example of how you can play with a story through editing to get different reactions from the audience.

Everyone Can Be a Video Storyteller

If you’ve always dreamed of Hollywood, look no further than your fingertips. Even a film recorded on a smartphone has won awards, so you don’t have any excuse. In the Global Strategic Communication Creative Track graduate program, you are able to take your skills to the next level and create groundbreaking content.

Our program is the Global Strategic Communications Creative Track. It is a 39-credit program that culminates in a Master of Science in Mass Communications degree awarded by Florida International University and Miami Ad School, the most awarded portfolio school in the world.. The interdisciplinary program combines graduate-level academic courses with the creative skills-building curriculum taught by the leading portfolio school in the world.

Contact Grizelle De Los Reyes at gdelosre@fiu.edu, Director of the program to learn more today!