2. Storytelling . 2.4 - Focus On One Angle
Every good storyteller looks at bigger topics from a narrow angle because it allows them to form interesting stories that make it a lot more engaging to watch. Even by hearing these video titles, you will most likely have a lot more curiosity about exploring that topic rather than hearing the words addictions, productivity, money or war.
These topics are simply too big for us to paint a clear picture of what is going to happen. A good story is not like a PowerPoint presentation where you give people an overview of everything there is, but it is a unique viewpoint on that topic which people didn't experience before.
A story angle is the specific point of view or perspective from which the story is being told. I think we all know what an angle looks like when it comes to geometry.
now we can divide that topic into different subtopics which are going to have a narrower angle.
So basically in each subtopic we are now only looking at specific information of the overall topic.
But within these subtopics there are even narrower angles that provide even more specific information of that full 360 degrees topic.
Instead of creating a video about addictions, I made a video about
a dopamine detox with the goal to take back control over my life.
Instead of creating a video about productivity, I created a video about my daily routine for maximum productivity and creativity.
As you might notice, phone addiction is already a subtopic of the bigger topic addictions. We have drug addiction, alcohol addiction, binge eating, phone addiction, game addiction and many more other addictions which build the different subtopics of the larger topic addictions.
After doing some more research, it turned out that the subtopics of phone addiction actually unfolded into many more subtopics. Why are we addicted to our phones? What are the consequences of phone addiction? Who is responsible for phone addiction and how can we lower our screen time? The list goes on.
WHY ARE WE ADDICTED?
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES?
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
HOW TO LOWER SCREEN TIME?
So I was already in the subtopic of a subtopic, but still it felt like it was too much information to cover for my story. And that's what gave me the wake-up call. You can't tell the full 360 degrees of a topic because it would just be too much. Even a 45 degree or 20 degree angle of a subtopic will very often be too much for a story to be clear and that's why we need to focus on one narrow and unique angle that we can then use as our guiding structure of our story.
So instead of compressing these 10 different angles on how to reduce your screen time into one single video, I turned this one interesting angle into a compelling story.
I had the problem that I spent too much time on my phone, I had the goal to lower my screen time and the journey to get from my problem to my goal was to replace my phone with an alarm clock.
HOW TO FIND YOUR ANGLE
As you can tell from my example of making a video about phone addiction, it is all about narrowing down a broad topic into its different subtopics and then narrowing down the subtopics into angles. The goal is to explore the depths of your topic until you get to a point where you find a unique angle that you can turn into a story.
Before narrowing down your angle, you first have to find the right circle. And with the right circle, I mean the overarching topic of your story. After the three strategies of the last lesson, you probably already have a good idea of your overall topic and maybe you even have a subtopic. But if not, I want you to think very broadly at that point. Examples for big picture topics
are travel,
health,
education,
sports,
self-development,
environmental pollution,
personal finance, and
the list goes on.
Your job of this first step is to identify which of these topics interests you the most as this sets the starting point for finding your angle.
Now that you have identified your topic and therefore your circle, it is time to brainstorm subtopics and divide that circle into more narrow angles.
If your topic is travel, then subtopics might be history, culture, landscapes, cost of living, food, people, transportation, attractions, or camping.
Don't overcomplicate this step as the main purpose is to give you a better overview of the bigger topic.
As you're going to realize, in those subtopics, you're going to find more subtopics and in those you're also going to find subtopics. Now your goal is to narrow down your angle as much as possible and always let your decisions be guided by what interests you the most. Your goal is to go deeper and deeper until you find an angle that really sparks your curiosity.
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So now in our big picture topic of travel, we have the different subtopics that I mentioned earlier.
say one thing that always interested you about Japan is the subtopic of food. So now you need to look for subtopics within Japanese food. Things that might come up could be the types of restaurants, the most famous chefs, traditional meals, most used ingredients, local agriculture, and so on.
Let's say that you go with traditional meals. So what can we find in here? Sushi, miso soup, ramen, udon, and probably 50 other meals that I can't pronounce.
Let's say we take sushi. Where does sushi come from? Why is sushi so popular? How is sushi made? How do you become a sushi chef?
it is your job to explore those different angles and pick the one that interests you the most. Let's say that you're curious about how someone can become a sushi chef
and then you find out
that it often takes more than five
years of rigorous training
in order to become a sushi chef.
And boom, there you have an interesting angle for your Japan documentary.
CONCEPT OF STORY ANGLE
The concept of a story angle can be compared to an angle in geometry.
360 degrees represents the entirety of a topic,
and the further this angle narrows down, the more specific the information within that topic is going to be.
Every topic has subtopics, and within these subtopics, you're going to find even more subtopics.
A good story is not like a PowerPoint presentation where you give people an overview of everything there is, but it is a unique viewpoint on that topic which people didn't experience before. Focusing on one angle
gives your story depth, clarity, intrigue, and uniqueness, and an angle can be a gateway to make people care about what you have to say about a bigger topic.
Focusing on an angle doesn't mean that you're not allowed to address any other aspects in your story. An angle is going to help you achieve a solid foundation for your story, but you can still address other subtopics as long as they somehow stand in relation to your angle. In order to find the right angle for your story, you need to follow four simple steps.
First, you have to identify a big picture topic. Second, you need to brainstorm subtopics within that topic. Third, you need to narrow down your angle as far as you can. And fourth, you have to explore those different angles and pick the one that interests you the most.
In this lesson, I'm going to start by explaining why you can't cover every detail of a topic in a single story and after that, I will break down what an angle is, why you need to focus on one angle of a broader topic and how to find the right angle for your own story.
after telling a lot of different stories over the last few years, I had to come to the realization that you simply can't do it all. You cannot cover the entirety of a topic in your story and here is why.
First of all, it is going to be extremely overwhelming for both you and the viewer to touch on every detail of that topic. Second, you're only going to be able to scratch the surface of these aspects instead of showing an in-depth perspective. And third, your story is going to lack clarity and has no red line
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