Howdy-doody pioneers!
Happy Monday, let’s get into it. Today’s log is inspired by this video by Hayden Hillier Smith, one of the most incredible storytellers today. If you have 9 minutes, it is crucial to watch, then come back and read this log ;)
We’d absolutely love it if you read the whole log and interacted in the comments! Let’s start a dialogue about this topic, and help each other out!
Captain Oulashin, break it down for us…
Of the billions of methods and ways you can go about storytelling, there’s only one that stands paramount at the end of the day. It’s exemplified intentionally by the greatest directors of all time, and accidentally by amateur kids on social media. It’s what separates good from great, forgettable from impactful, and fabrication from realism.
Do you wanna know the best part? It’s all applicable to becoming the best content creator possible. Plus… I’m doing it right now.
Hopefully, with just a handful of sentences, I’ve gotten you to feel differently than the moments before you opened this email. I’ve introduced a premise, and explained its importance, but left out the most important part.
Andrew Stanton, one of the great minds behind Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Wall-E, gave a TED talk in 2012 called “The Clues To A Great Story.” He starts by explaining “story” as an idea and how they relate to every human being’s upbringing. He mentions that stories are the ultimate unifier when it comes to a group of people or a culture. “Storytelling… is joke-telling” referencing any story’s innate quality to be a composition of sentences all working towards a punchline. And if it’s a good enough punchline, it’s one that appeals to us on an emotional level.
But how do you actually tell a good story?
The next concept really stuck with me. It’s the reason television shows are so addicting, or in our case, why TikToks are so watchable.
Stanton posits that audiences, whether they know it or not, want to “work for their meal.”
There’s something unsatisfactory about being handed all the information about something all at once. Instead, if you can gradually get someone to care with bite-sized pieces of information, your impact will last exponentially longer, and you will have crafted a perfect story.
Don’t give your audience “4.” Instead, give them “2+2.”
The key to telling a good story is getting someone to care enough to find the conclusion on their own. Things are memorable for how they make a person feel - so give your audience something to feel.
Hold your audience’s hand, but let them take the steps. That’s how you become a better creator.
Eloquently crafted, Sean. Had me at the edge of my seat. But let’s raise the stakes.
You’re on a bus moving at 50mph. The second it hit 50 - a bomb strapped to the underside activated, and will blow a whole in the world the moment the speed drops to 49. The problem - you’re in a populated, traffic-ridden city. After stampeding through a standstill, you approach an incomplete part of the freeway. Knowing any hesitation means certain death, you accelerate - clearing a 50ft gap. But wait - the bomb still ticks away. You crawl beneath the speeding bus, in hopes of defusing the situation. But when you inadvertently puncture the fuel tank, the bus begins to lose momentum. The speedometer rapidly approaches 49.
1994’s Speed is an exceptional example of ever-elevating tension. And I’ll be honest - you know what it reminded me of? A MrBeast video.
Speed’s premise is simple. Keep driving above 50mph, or the bus blows up. But along the way, new problems are introduced that get in the way of the main obstacle. Take a look at any MrBeast video. World’s Most Dangerous Escape Room is advertised solely with the spiked walls room, a problem the characters face, and solve, in the first 40 seconds. But throughout the eight minute video, the subjects move through another nine death-defying rooms, the stakes continually rising.
But the biggest difference between YouTube and cinema is this screenshot right here.
Where Speed’s challenges come as a surprise, complementing each character’s inner conflicts, MrBeast hands us every hurdle - less than a minute in. We know how many obstacles to expect, a rough idea of their contents, and a big fat reminder of our goal - that juicy $100,000.
Like Sean mentioned, it’s “4”. But who are we to say that “4” isn’t exactly what Mr Beast is going for? Let’s face it - Jimmy’s audience skews younger. And kids want exposition. But maybe we should introduce them younger to the magnetism of character-driven storytelling?
For what it’s worth - MrBeast has been gradually including elements of this. His latest video, $10,000 Every Day You Survive Prison - a man is locked inside for weeks in exchange for cash. Throughout, we slowly witness his growing sense of mortality. The challenge actually results in him proposing to his girlfriend. The video heavily revolves around the human psyche, inner conflict, and our dormant fears. It’s also, in my eyes, Jimmy’s most impactful video.
With palpable desires, comes formidable obstacles.
Look at us critiquing MrBeast, the guy who hit 95,000,000 subscribers just the other day while myself, Sean and Danny combined have 0.00016% of his following.
To make a powerful story, you want to hand your audience “2+2”, not “4”. You want to make them piece together the plot and conclusion, not just hand it to them.
Finding Nemo at surface level is the story of a fish who gets lost and the father has to go through the massive ocean to find his son. But the underlying story, the “2+2”, is watching an overprotective father come to accept his son’s independence. It’s never explicitly said that the father is overprotective but you as the viewer connect those dots in your head.
That underlying story is what attaches me so emotionally to… animated fish. I’m not a father but the worries he has are understandable and I relate regardless.
Although MrBeast’s videos are “4”, the story of MrBeast himself is “2+2”. That’s the beauty of social media today, we are watching in real-time this 24-year-old weirdo create one of the largest, accountant-nightmare, media empires and the byproduct of that is the inspiration of so many.
I’ll say it, I’m not the craziest fan of MrBeast’s videos, but I am front row to see how this guy who is only three years older than me is becoming the largest influence of this new generation of media. Incredibly inspiring guy.
Same with Logan Paul, his videos (especially the older ones), oh god. But to watch his comeback and how he became this business mogul is incredible! None of this comeback is mapped out and blueprinted but I feel like I am on this journey with Logan and learning through his perspective.
I am someone who posts business stories online, that’s my “4”. But I hope my “2+2” is the story of how a 21-year-old college dropout climbs his way into this creator economy.
Sean is an advocate for more awareness on our mental health, but his “2+2” is his journey with a social media addiction and becoming a person who is at peace with himself.
Daniel is an incredible editor who gives us tutorials, but his “2+2” is the journey of becoming a storyteller outside of his bedroom to capture his full potential.
Understanding “2+2” is what makes a next-level storyteller, now let’s put it to action.
Pioneers, you know the deal. We respond to every comment on Substack so let us know your thoughts about “2+2”! Are we doing a good job creating this underlying story? Who is, and who isn’t? See you next week!
Also - be sure to follow our IG! We’re gonna start posting there more. Let’s extend this community beyond email!! See you there :)
BY THE WAY: totally forgot to include the screenshot I mentioned. here it is:
https://ibb.co/WG3V6pT
the “2+2” theory is something i’m struggling to comprehend-- it’s hard for me to envision, in real ways, how this method ((used in full-featured films, where audiences pay $$ + choose to sit for 1.5-3hrs at a time)) could be successfully translated to content creating... given the circumstances at which the media is consumed are completely different, i don’t think the “2+2” principles could REALLY be applied... i’d be curious to see a new theory arise! one that integrates the “2+2” AND the “4”.... what could that theory be, i wonder?
everyone’s “2+2,” in my limited comprehension, I don’t see it in your actual content... i can puzzle it in my head because i am devoted to reading OutWest every week AND i watch your content ((sometimes not always🫢))... i would argue that most of your content is educational/factual/practical based, which is cool bc that’s your style! however, it isn’t very emotional, so it’s hard for me to care sometimes 💔 however, the voice of OutWest is VERY emotional! that’s why i’m here every week, and continue to be... i’ve always wondered why OutWest continues to be separated from your individual content, when in reality, it informs what you do individually!! Maybe OutWest could be your “2+2”?
let me know what y’all think... i love OutWest, i believe in what you are doing here,,, i myself, as a content creator lack a lot of things so everything i said, is my own opinion... i think it’s great how you are all open to conversation, bc so am i! i am here to learn too!