19 things to consider when producing a story

2008.11.19

Here is the long-overdue summary of things to consider when producing a story — in audio or video.

Be where the action is (when you audio/video record)
Capture the energy through ambient sound/video recordings
Set goals and be prepared to adapt them as you go
Gather and label your material
Understand that editing is an iterative process
Look for candidate themes, characters, plots and stories
Let the story identify and tell itself (if you decide the specific story in advance, you may find you’re wrong)
Tell the story using different voices and other elements
Remember that you can tell as much of the story with what you cut out as you can with what you include
Avoid soundbites
Experiment with recording, editing and storytelling
Only use your own voice as much as it’s needed
Use music and ambient sound/video as a backdrop and for transitions
Listen/watch, edit, mix, repeat
Consult with a set of honest (even blunt) ears/eyes that aren’t attached to your own body
Keep your listener/viewer wanting more at each moment
Don’t crowd your listener/viewer
Be patient
Enjoy (even be proud of) the process and the results

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Mark

I'm referring to very concise and *sexy* articulations of ten seconds or less. They're very popular for snappy journalistic reports that have finite and costly blocks of air time available to them.

While it's true that soundbites can be powerful and useful in storytelling (particularly as teasers or grabbers for introducing the story or establishing a cliffhanger), I try to avoid using them. I prefer to use more authentic storytelling elements that capture the person and the story and engage the listener's interest. You can't rush storytelling and if you have the freedom to do so, use the pauses, allow the storyteller to build the story and be human as much as possible.