The Love Hormone

Oxytocin is the "Cuddle" or "Love" hormone, that functions as as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It’s thought to be a driving force behind attraction and caregiving, and even controls key aspects of the reproductive system. It is released when people hug or snuggle up, have sex or bond socially - and I even saw an article that describes this hormone released when petting a dog.

It is said that oxytocin, when released, makes people more compassionate, more charitable, more generous and more trustworthy. How does Hollywood use it? Well, it is a key aspect of storytelling in the movies and television - because it is THAT powerful!

I'm not saying that movies, television or online video clips will make your viewers jump up and do anything you say. It isn't some kind of hypnosis. But it sure can move them to experience something that might just adjust their behaviour, or move them to action. Think back about a movie event that really touched you.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

We're talking about engagement and connection to your audience. While you might be sharing information that's important to them, it is highly likely that they'd understand or accept this fact. But nothing could compare to someone FEELING that same knowledge. Something very special happens when someone connects to information and "feels" the knowledge; his or her understanding deepens.

Think about it; EMOTIONS can MOTIVATE us to get things done.

SYMPATHY vs EMPATHY

While I think most people understand or use sympathy often (described in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the feeling that you care about and are sorry about someone else’s trouble, grief, misfortune, etc.”), empathy involves a bit of transference. Empathy is defined as: “the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions” or “the ability to share someone else’s feelings”. It is a bit harder to understand, and certainly more complex to practice - let alone use in your storytelling.

So, while "Ag shame" sits on the surface of sympathy, a deeper connection comes from understanding someone's position and this meaning creates a stronger connection. I use the example of knowing that there's a vendor, who sells "Homeless" newsletters on my way to work on the mornings. Sometimes I remember to grab him a banana or a sandwich to drop off along the way, because I can only buy the paper from him once monthly. Yet, I sense his frustration with people just passing him by. And I am hoping that a banana or sandwich confirms to him, that "I see him there." Make sense?

TRANSPORTATION

Now, let's talk about that amazing thing that happens, when your audience connects both mentally AND emotionally to the piece you're putting down on video as a story. This double-whammy connection, cause a TRANSPORTATION to take place. IT IS THE MAGIC of storytelling. When you get that right, you hit it out of the ballpark.

I think of empathy as the three layers, like onion peels, that get you to deliver real connection with your story. The first layer is Cognitive, and the "knowing" or gaining "perspective" of what you want them to feel. The next, deeper layer is Emotional and it involves someone physically "feeling" what you're talking about. Compassionate empathy is this deepest layer, where you move the audience from understanding and feeling your knowledge - but also spontaneously moving them to participate or take action.

MY CHEATSHEET OF 3 REQUIREMENTS OF A GREAT STORY

This all takes practice and experimentation to get right, every single time. You have to have fun with your stories. Whilst developing a solid grasp of empathy might be hard, I thought to put three quick requirements together, that every story should aim to reach:

1. Your story needs to GRAB ATTENTION at the outset, and HOLD it.
2. Your audience member needs to EXPERIENCE the story; don't tell them what to FEEL, they need to figure it out for themselves, authentically.
3. The story must work to TRANSPORT your viewer into the world of the characters.

Once you have their FULL ATTENTION, and they're EMOTIONALLY engaged, you're in that magical space where your audience will spontaneously move to help, to join your cause. Go ahead, try it!

If you're a coach, speaker or presenter who needs help with your material, be sure to give me a shout. As a director and writer in Film & TV, I help people craft their visions and EXECUTE their VIDEO to perfection. Remember that I am only a DM away to helping your message gain deeper traction!

Please forward this idea if there's someone you can think of, who might find it useful.