You Don't Need $10,000 To Tell Stories
Stop overthinking how to create high-stakes videos ~5 min read
Hello pioneers! 🤠
Welcome to the second edition of the refreshed OW newsletter! Just a reminder - we simplified it to three segments. Danny on Storytelling, Sean on Mindset, and Tejas on Business.
Let’s get into it! 🐴
You hear it all the time; to tell a good story, you need buildups and payoffs. Without valleys, you can’t have peaks.
But knowing this is only half the battle – how do you implement them into your videos? When creators learn this, I believe many of them overthink it.
Petrifying punishments. Colossal cash prizes. Stakes high enough to ensure a click from anyone. That’s certainly how most YouTubers see it. But applying a captivating buildup in your story can be a lot simpler…
The dramatic crossroads above feel dramatic because the image excellently uses contrast. The sunshine only feels so wonderful because it juxtaposes the thunderous clouds. In order to feel the impact of a decision in your story, we need to grasp what the alternate route looks like.
This could be anything:
How well-paid your job was, despite deciding to quit.
How no one believed in you, but you didn’t give up.
How you chased a dream, but it fell through.
By pushing one side, the other side grows in strength. It’s simple! Focus on contrast.
Unfinished Chronicles
Smashed my goal out of the park – as well as finishing research, I wrote the script, recorded, and got a bulk of the editing done. The next documentary is about Jerry Seinfeld and it’s 25 minutes long. The biggest project of my life! I think you guys will like it. By next week I’d like to be able to send it off to be sound mixed by a professional.
“AI is going to steal your job.”
This is a sentiment that’s likely been on the minds of many in the last few months. While it might hold some validity, it’s paralyzed by short-sightedness for this one reason: we see AI as the flawless competitor to human consciousness.
But that’s not entirely true.
I often fear that I have to continually use the newest flashiest tool as a creator to stay relevant. Be it a new camera rig or the latest version of ChatGPT, the pressure to pioneer is greater than ever. But stepping back and recognizing what got me here has helped me realize that I don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time. It’s not about the quantity of trail-blazing, innovative and mind-bending new video concepts I come up with, it’s about the quality of the simplified, easy-to-digest information I can distill in an efficient manner.
I’d much rather have a deep impact on 100 people with a simple and effective video, rather than a glancing impact on 10,000 with an over-edited and over-stylized concept.
As a creator, it’s not about who did something first. It’s about who did something so correctly that it’s hard for audiences to not notice.
Unfinished Chronicles
Previous week’s goal: film 2 long-form videos ❌
Next week’s goal: film 2 god damn long-form videos
Life got busy. Juggling a lot, especially a mysterious brick wall my Instagram reach seems to have bonked its head into. Luckily, I’ve already written my two long-form videos, and I’m excited to execute them this weekend. All in all, I’m inspired to trudge my way through this intermittent valley I’ve worked my Instagram into. Here’s to going back to the drawing board 🤝.
Social media is like middle school lunch.
On the first day of both, you have no idea what your identity is. Are you a jock, skater, or theater kid? Are you funny, cinematic, or educational? You see these builds of people and inevitably try to fit into one of them.
The majority of growing creators believe in order to be successful, you need to 100% encompass one of these builds. It makes sense… “SunnyV2 is successful so let me also make cartoon-ified, video essays on people’s downfall.”
But, think back to middle school. The most interesting people were the ones who hopped around lunch tables, becoming a jock on Monday but a gamer on Tuesday. They were unique and had a perspective people found fascinating.
That’s what more creators need to do today. I recently came across @omgadrian, who took making regular creative tutorials to another level by adding a beautiful cinematic element. It feels different, creating a trust with an audience like none other.
You’re obsessed with building your personal brand, but are you just building the second best of someone else’s?
Instead, ask yourself, how can you take your favorite builds and make it your own?
P.S. This segment was heavily inspired by this Alex Hormozi video. I decided to write about it since I got my start creating unique content but feeling like I’ve fallen into the trap of becoming a one-dimensional mold.
Unfinished Chronicles
Previous week’s goal: Have a YouTube video out. ❌
This week’s goal: Publish this damn YouTube video! (In the edit)
To be honest, I’ve completely oversubscribed myself on brand deals. Between catching up on emails to submitting drafts and getting feedback, I haven’t created for myself in a minute which feels like a danger zone. Two solutions - bring down the effort to create a video and/or don’t take on so many projects.
I love the new revamp! I´m excited for the journey ahead =)