As part of the special presentation on online storytelling techniques for Online Video.

1. TRUE BLUE PRODUCTION
Gareth Benson Intellectual Property Lawyers and Consultants
“Why reinvent the wheel, when the story wheel has been
driving our stories since the dawn of time?”
Gareth Benson
Creative Director
sdan
Using storytelling techniques to create powerful online video
Creating a story around the story of your business can leverage
your brand online by recording your own online videos.
Don’t Dance with the Dinosaurs! We know this is the dawn of a new online age. Online
videos and social media marketing via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter and
LinkendIN is one of the to promote your business or enterprise. It is perfect for small to
medium sized enterprises, sole traders and social enterprises with limited time and budget to
connect with their customers. Web video presented in up to five minute episodes can allow
you to build your brand online using the worlds most oldest and powerful weapon: story.
Having an online profile and presenting your personnel brand or enterprise online means
more than just uploading a profile picture and recording a video from your web camera. It
takes some careful consideration to ensure that your message is not lost online and
complements your existing marketing collateral and puts your most valuable asset forward:
You.
A. Creating to Connect
We all agree that it is important in the use of social and web platforms to connect with our
customers, or in story terms, our audience. Using the ageless human anatomy of story telling
can allow your message to ‘click’ through to your intended audience.
There are now over 1 billion you tube users,800+ million Facebook users, and 140 million
twitter users. In order to differentiate yourself from others the most important asset you have
is to have clarity around your message for it to ‘click’ with your customers.
B. Presenting Skills
We all understand the value of communicating with others in our own message in public. As a
international film and documentary producer previously working for SBS broadcasting I would
like to go one further by offering how to use story to enhance you online presence.
As a member of Thought Leaders International and Toastmasters International we
understand the importance of clarity in our public presentations. These skills are directly
LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOX….
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gareth@trueblue-production.com
(M) 0416779163

2. transferable to the presentation of online videos and it is important to work on these skills as
before begin the storytelling process.
Find below a summary of these tips to take you from the ground floor to the presentation
skills necessary to present quality online videos. The principles of competent communication
are necessary to understand the importance of storytelling. Many presentation skills also
draw on Aristotle’s theory of story telling which allow us to connect with your audience.
ONLINE VIDEO COMPOTENT COMMUNICATION 101
SKILL TIP
1. Like any good story, a Memorize an interesting opening
presentation needs a good and finish with a tip ‘And remember to..’
beginning, middle and an end.
2. Organize your speech with strong Make your message clear with supporting
research material that supports your conclusion
3. Get to the Point with sincerity and For the beginning, middle and ending support
conviction your story with with one strong message
4. Use language which excites and Select the right words often active use,
eliminate jargon and well used metaphors. This
delights also eases the editing process.
5. Stand up straight and strong Let your body speak, use wide open gestures
with your hands and don’t be afraid to use strong
gestures to reinforce a point keeps your video
Interesting.
6. Use vocal varieties to tell your story Starting your story personally, and quietly,
being strong during your middle and soft to
end is generally a good technique for video
7. Research makes for competent Use research and white papers to reinforce
Communication your story between sub stories.
8. Use visual aids Make your story interesting by placing an item
of interest or relevance to your topic in the video
9. Persuade with power Use the conclusion of your video or story to persuade the
audience to connect with you further or visit
your website. Appeal to their interests.
10. Inspire your audience Challenge your audience to reach a higher level
of benefit of achievement so they engage
in viewing more videos by educating through
entertainment
LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOX….
www.trueblue-production.com
gareth@trueblue-production.com
(M) 0416779163

3. Aristotle’s Theory of Story Telling for Web Video
Born before Jesus Christ, Aristotle is widely recognized as the king of the story castle. Living 350-300
BC his thought leadership has influence a 2500 years of the stories which drive our televisions,
cinema, newspapers and marketing strategies. This theory is also, and probably more so relevant to
the creation of outstanding world class videos for the web.
Aristotle 384-322 BCE, in his seminal treatise 'Poetics or Poetica' concluded there are seven
golden rules of successful story telling. These rules or principles in his days pertained to
ancient Greek theatre. Incredibly, today the same seven elements are essential to writing
successful film screenplays and I have adapted them for the use of online video. This
includes:
1. Plot: what message is your video communicating?
2. Character: this is you! Be yourself!
3. Idea or Theme: this is the topic and title which should be clear!
4. Speech: See above our 101 toastmaster tips for web video
5. Chorus: it can enhance your video by presenting to audiences.
6. Decor: This means location. I don’t always believe green screen
is best, natural personnel locations relaxes you and allows you to
deliver an authetic process which is brand You!
7. Spectacle: special effects such as editing, titles and other post
production techniques.
Plot
Much of the message of your existing video will come natural to you, being the subject of your pink
sheets. The objective is through the use of story to have your potential clients contact you to make a
green sheet presentation. I.e Bill Sayers for Sayers Art Design journey to transform a holiday home in
48 hours in ‘The Art of Colour’.
Character:
This is easy, be yourself. This thought leadership process has help form your own personnel brand so
stay in character be natural, open and relaxed. Online allows us to be in conversation with our
audience so keep this in mind when presenting to camera. I.e Cameron Richardson from ‘ToughSeal’
who ‘serves to protect’.
Idea or Theme:
The Idea or Theme should be funky and fresh. Use a catchy phrase, think slogans, branding and catch
phrases that relates it to your products without doing a direct pitch. Once the idea or theme is chosen
this will inform much of the rest of your presentation. I.e The Secrets of Storytelling for online video
LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOX….
www.trueblue-production.com
gareth@trueblue-production.com
(M) 0416779163

4. Speech:
We cover this earlier in the white paper. It is important to think of three stories to start telling your own
story. In the beginning, memorise an opening line, substantiate this with facts, move onto a more
substantial argument or message, substantiate with facts and move onto your final story finishing with
a tip that will make your personnel brand alive online. I.e YVolunteer TV involving youth across South
West Victoria telling their story about youth volunteer activites.
Chorus:
While not advisable for your first few videos, there will become a point in time where it is necessary to
show the ‘evolution’ of your personnel brand online. This is where filming in front of people,
employees, clients, or at one of your busk outs or keynotes can be great. This requires more set up
however for your big brands and books is worthwhile to capture the attention of your brand and show
you ‘connecting’ with customers I.e James Southwell performing live at Pony Records ‘Beast of
Burden.
Décor:
In my opinion, next to the story you are telling this is important. Many consultants believe that ‘grteen
screen is best’. Green screen can be useful, especially for advanced video makers, however from the
perspective of a film and documentary professional I believe it is unnatural. A more warm performance,
with interesting annectodal story telling objects used in the frame of your video is far more powerful in
telling your own story online. It make is personnel as we as more authentic, allowing you to connect
and ‘click’ with customers. I.e Recording of TEDxMelbourne Conference at Melbourne Exhibition
Centre to audience of 500+ people.
Spectacle:
This is an often under utilized use in online videos but I believe that it can facilitate remarkable
engagement, keeps you looking advance and in tune with an increasingly demanding audience of 1
billion video viewers online. I.e Dom Mckenna TeamMak Epipheo styled animation.
Learning to use imovie, film with your iphone and other techniques mean that you can do this yourself
and we can assist to show you. Editing with royalty free music also creates a more commanding video
and taking digital photographs that are spliced within the edit can also keep audiences engaged so
that your video is being seen by the millions of youtube users online, everyday.
In conclusion, Aristotles theory of story telling is still just as relevant to the online world and video. By
creating clever content we are engaging in greater thought leadership by allowing the world receive
our message, gain traction, and keep our ‘audience’ coming back for more.
This is reinforced by Chris Anderson who in a speech to TED supports that we should be using web
video to enhance online videos to further our own innovation:
www.chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html
By creating clever content with our web videos distributed through online platforms we are not only
reinforcing our own personnel brand but presenting world class presentations to an audiences of
thousands or possibly millions of people. True Blue.
Gareth Benson
Creative Director
LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOX….
www.trueblue-production.com
gareth@trueblue-production.com
(M) 0416779163

5. LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOX….
www.trueblue-production.com
gareth@trueblue-production.com
(M) 0416779163