5 Tips for Creating Compelling Story Videos

By: Dave Hunter, FILO

Testimonial videos, story videos, mini documentaries...whatever you call it, many tech people and worship leaders are familiar with this type of video. You have probably made them before and will likely make them again. Producing these types of videos requires a wide range of skills, some of which you may possess, and some of which you may not, depending on your role and expertise. As a creative video content creator who makes my living producing videos, below are 5 simple tips when making a story video for a worship service.

TIP 1: Beginning, Middle, End

Regardless of your subject, every story has one thing in common. It has a beginning, a middle, and an ending. While this is a simple truth, I have found this helpful for creative decision-making. This structure allows you to creatively think, “How would I like to treat the beginning?” Isolate that part just for a minute, and you can start the video in many different ways, whether it be text on screen, a hook line of something compelling your subject said, a broad introduction to the subject the story tackles, stats, animation, etc. etc.

Next comes the middle, which is typically the bulk of the story journey, and finally is the ending.

The ending is usually something that was learned from the journey, what has changed in the person’s life, or what has happened as a result of this story. Similar to the beginning, if you isolate the ending and ask, “How would I like to treat the ending?”, you could potentially come up with some creative ways to end the video that are different than before.

It’s helpful to think of your beginning/middle/end before filming because it can inform what you would shoot and how you would shoot it. And even if you decide not to be creative with your beginning/middle/end, realize that it still exists in your story, and make sure that each section is flushed out appropriately so the viewer travels the journey you want them to travel.

TIP 2: Tell the Story Visually

I made my living in the theater world before crossing over to video full-time, and I had a rule of thumb when I would direct musicals or plays. The rule was this: I want my staging to tell the story in such a way that a deaf person could understand it. In other words, I want to tell the story visually, and not rely on audio to tell it.

Video is a visual medium, like photography, and like theater. We should take advantage of that. For interview videos I want to watch them talking as little as possible. Which means I need to figure out what visuals I can use to cover up their interview. B-roll footage, stock footage, animated text, photos, drawings...there are many visual options available to tell the story visually.

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