Concise, conversational and easy-to-read.

Video script writing is the exact opposite from technical writing or academic writing. Those forms of writing use complex sentences, ten-dollar words and are usually very wordy. That is NOT what you want with a video script.

First, keep in mind that a video script is to be read aloud. Viewers will HEAR it rather than READ it. Therein lies the major difference. It's called writing for the ear instead of writing for the eye.

On a practical level, it is also writing for your narrator. No narrator, not even the really good ones, sound good stumbling through endless tongue twisters. Convoluted, run-on sentences are not only a nightmare to read; they are also hard for the audience to understand.

So forget everything you learned from those stodgy English teachers. (My best friend is an English teacher; that is not a criticism.) It's ok for video scripts to be full of sentence fragments because that is how people actually talk. If it makes sense when heard, then that is what you want.

The single best way to evaluate a video script is to read it aloud.  Have someone listen to you if possible and see how well they understand what you are saying.    Do not worry about using short, choppy sentences if that is what SOUNDS good. Inflection, tone of voice and pacing will have a lot to do with how well the script is understood and those things do not come through on paper.

Back when I taught TV production, I told my high school students to pretend they were speaking to a friend. If you wanted to tell a friend this story, what would you say? Write that down. Then, go back and modify it. Cut out the fat. Make sure the meat is prominent. Make sure the words you have chosen are descriptive, colorful, yet easily pronounced and understood.

Video script writing is a style unto itself. Remember too that whatever video you use also conveys meaning. Ideally, the video and the spoken narration work together in order to communicate. So if your narrator says, "Political leaders spoke to the public," and you show a hot air balloon deflating, then you have added considerable meaning without relying on words. That little trick is one of the things that makes video production so much fun!

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Lorraine Grula

Internet Video Gal

Technorati Tags: internet video, script writing, video production

It's not politics I find aggravating; it is the TV news coverage that drives me up the wall.

I worked for about twenty years in TV News and developed very strong opinions about what news should be, as opposed to what we actually see.

Observing this presidential campaign and the deep divisions affecting our country, I can not help but blame much of the animosity on the failure of TV News (and talk radio) to be true to the tenants of JOURNALISM.

Journalism is supposed to be fair, unbiased, and based upon facts.

Unfortunately, most TV news is the exact opposite. It is sensationalistic, biased, superficial and often based on rumor, or "spin."

The result is a poorly informed public. But worse than that, I think many people have been misled into believing falsehoods, myths and outright lies. Yet they THINK they are well-informed. There is probably nothing more dangerous than someone who is convinced that a lie is the truth.

I am disturbed greatly by the cumulative effects of poor TV News coverage and feel it can lead to irreparable harm to our country.

OK, if that sounds a bit extreme but think about it this way.

Take the current economic problems. There has been such a flood of misinformation on this very complex topic that it is impossible for the population at large to understand the root causes. So how can anyone make good judgments about how to fix the problem?

If everyone is convinced that X is the problem when really the problem is Y, rushing out to eradicate X lets Y continue to flourish. So instead of solving the problem, it only deepens.

The current economic situation is extremely complex. To understand it fully one has to have a good grasp of half a dozen variables, including not just economics, but history, politics, banking, investing and consumer trends/ habits. But such complexity and nuance don't play well on TV where the ten-second sound bite rules.

Getting back to the presidential election, I think one of the biggest reasons you see such emotionally driven divisions and arguments among people is because people rely on vastly different news sources for their information.

No one wants the economy to tank. No one wants freedoms to be eroded. No one wants the U.S. to lose respect in the world. We ALL can agree on those principles.

But due to the corrosive effects of bad TV news, no one has any agreement at all about how to get there from here. Sadly, it's not just that people disagree cordially, but rather I see people who are ready for a slug fest because they are convinced the other side is leading us all down the road of destruction. Again, they are driven by the emotionally laden TV news coverage they see. Tension makes for good dramatic TV, but it also makes for huge misunderstandings and divisions that will not easily heal.

Obama/Biden supporters think McCain/Palin policies will ruin the economy, erode freedoms and make the U.S. lose standing in the world.

McCain/Palin supporters are convinced it is the democratic ticket that will take us down that same dark road.

Obviously, both sides can not be right. There is an ultimate truth, but it has been obscured by misinformation.

I do not see these deep divisions as being caused merely by people having different philosophies, like liberal and conservative. Rather, I think it goes way beyond that and people have completely different realities. Where do these vastly different realities come from? The vastly different stories and themes you see repeated by the TV news.

People look to TV news for FACTS. They expect the TV news to give them an accurate picture of what is going on in this crazy world of ours. People then based their thoughts and opinions upon this "reality" presented to them by the TV News.

Guess what? When the "facts" turn out to be false, then the foundation of people's beliefs, (their reality) is also incorrect.

The two competing sides are both working hard to get out their version of the truth. People tend to listen to whatever validates their pre-existing beliefs.

Due to the fact that different news outlets present such vastly different "facts," the end result is a huge chasm between people who essentially want the same thing.

We all want peace and prosperity. But with the emotionally charged deep divisions separating us, that ideal goal might very well remain elusive.

I blame the fact that TV news sucks so badly.

IMHO The Internet Video Gal

to read Part 1 go here: Why TV News Sucks So Badly

Technorati Tags: banking, Internet Video Gal, McCain/Palin, Obama/Biden, TV News, United States, VOTE

Think about movies that you've seen and liked. Almost without fail, movies that deliver a good story are the ones that become blockbuster hits. Lots of fancy special effects aren't enough. Stuffing the line-up with big names stars isn't enough. Spectacular cinematography isn't enough. What draws people in is the story.

So when you produce your video, give some thought to your story.

Even if your video is nothing like a Hollywood movie, try to weave a story in somehow.

One of the best ways to do that is to find someone who exemplifies the point you are trying to make. Then, tell their story.

Let's say you're doing a video about the economy. Pretty dry subject, huh? Make it more exciting and personable by finding some people who have experienced good or bad times due to the economy. Feature them as your story. Hang the dry facts and information about the economy on the emotionalism of their story.

Like this.

Video shows Fred Smith and his girlfriend driving down the street in a red Ferrari. Music is blaring from the radio and they are both laughing.
Narrator reads:

"Cruising down the boulevard in his hot new sports car is Fred Smith's favorite pastime these days. He used to drive an old, beat up Volkswagen. What changed? His widget business took off when worldwide widget demand soared"

That example might seem a little bit corny, but I hope you get my point.

Stories are full of emotion. So any kind of emotion you can spark in your viewer counts as a story. Are you doing a video about how to knit a blanket? Now that's an exciting subject! Show a finished blanket wrapped around an adorable sleeping baby and I guarantee your viewers will be emotionally pulled into your "story."

A story does not have to be complicated. You do not have to have an intricate plot. All you really need is some emotion.

Viewers will react emotionally to cute or spectacular video, as in the blanket example. If you were watching a how-to-knit video, would you rather look at a cute baby or just a pile of yarn? Which one is going to make you say, "awwwwwww!"?

Music adds emotion. Movies would be terrible boring without the musical soundtrack but lots of viewers aren't even conscious of the music; they're concentrating on the story. So, take a tip from Hollywood and add music to your video.

Your story will also be enhanced with things such as fast paced editing or dramatic lighting. In fact, every single video production technique available to you can be thought of as a storytelling element. Any of them can be used to enhance the emotion and therefore tell a story.

This might seem a little odd to you because most of us just have experience telling stories with the written word. When you first began telling stories that way, you learned all about the different components of writing: sentences, paragraphs and (ugh!) grammar. With more advanced story-telling you studied plot, theme and characterization.

With visual storytelling on the other hand, the building blocks go beyond just words, sentences and paragraphs. Let me give you a list:

* Wide-shots- Wide shots are typically used to establish your setting. A wide shot usually isn't too personable but it can tell a viewer a lot about where they are. Writers like Hemmingway can go on for pages describing the setting. You can sum it all up in one wide shot.

* Medium-shots- This is your most commonly used shot and is what you want for general, run-of-the-mill action. It gives a nice, loose feeling.

* Close-ups- Close-ups reveal the most emotion to the audience and are considered the single most important type of shot. If you really want to show someone's pain, get a tight shot of their face contorted in agony. Although professional productions use lots of close-ups, novices tend to ignore them. Now you don't have to make that mistake!

* Still pictures- Moving video is always best, but still pictures can be used to great effect and sometimes they're your only option. Still pictures are extremely easy to import into any video editing program and they will also help you keep your budget down.

* Moving camera- If you deliberately move the camera, this helps create a sense of chaos or excitement. This is very common in music videos and crime shows. Is all hell breaking lose? Let the camera go wild!

* Steady camera- Quality video is usually rock-solid steady, which means it was shot off a tripod. Steady video helps your viewer forget they're watching TV and concentrate on your message, not your production style. A steady camera will impart a sense of calm in your audience.

* Camera angle- Whether the camera is placed at a low angle, high angle, or eye level will also have a powerful effect on your viewer. A low angle shot gives the viewer the feeling that the subject is important and powerful. The low angle makes them look large and ominous, maybe even a little bit scary. A high angle does the opposite, making the subject look tiny or overwhelmed. Like a puny bug beneath your feet, your subject will seem insignificant if shot from a high camera angle. Most video, especially interviews, should be shot at eye level, which gives a neutral feel.

* Music- Music is probably the single easiest way to add emotion to your video and enhance the ?story.? Music is an instant mood inducer. Lots of videos can get by as just video set to music.

One thing to keep in mind about music is that unless you're willing to pay huge licensing fees, you can't legally use a song unless it a genre called "royalty free." Royalty free music has a reputation for being sappy, "elevator" music but over the years, it's improved a lot. Many incredible musicians have gone into the business of producing royalty free music so you can find some really awesome stuff.

* Narration- Narration is one of the easiest ways to tell a story. It lets you do just that, tell a story. Good narration is conversational and concise. Video narration is not the time to impress people with your huge vocabulary, rather, you should just speak naturally. Narration is typically a documentary style technique but some popular movies have used narration to great effect. Consider Forest Gump and A Christmas Story.

* Dialogue- Dialogue, like narration, can be natural or scripted. You might think that all video scripts are written out beforehand. Many are, but using "natural dialogue," or just letting people just speak off the cuff, is the easiest way to make a video. An interview can also be used in this way. Just turn your subject loose and let them speak. This can eliminate the need to write a script altogether and save you tons of time.

* Sound effects- What would cartoons be without sound effects? Not very funny, that's what they'd be. There are tons of free or cheap sound effects available for download over the web.

* Pacing- Pacing mostly refers to editing and how often the shot changes. A fast pace gives the viewer the feeling of chaos or excitement. A slow pace is generally regarded as boring, think PBS documentaries. ZZZZZZZ. That's not to say that a slow pace is "bad." Slow pacing can also be used to convey a sense of calm or peacefulness.

* Lighting- Want your audience to feel tension? Give them some sharp, direct lighting coming from a weird angle. Whatever lighting you use will instantly impart a mood on your video. Dark and shadowy is equated with a scary mood. Brightly lit diffused light indicates a cheerful mood.

* Editing transitions- In a fully edited video, your shot will probably change frequently. Whatever effect you use to go from one shot to another is called an editing transition. The most common is the simple cut, where one shot abruptly changes to the next. A dissolves is where one shot slowly fades out while another one slowly appears. Dissolves are usually used to indicate the passage of time. Wipe is a term for the million and one other ways you can switch from shot to shot. Digital video editing has added tons of wipes to the video producer's bag of tricks. There are wipes to indicate a fantasy or dream sequence, an explosion, or even a sheep bleating. Although wipes can be fun, the general recommendation is to use them sparingly. Too many are considered cheesy and kind of low-rent. Of course, if that is the style you're going for, exploit your wipes!

* Characters- Movies obviously rely on characters, but increasingly, so do short videos, like thirty-second commercials. Next time you watch TV, notice how commercials use well-defined characters. I totally love the Apple computers ads with the nerdy PC character and the hip Mac character. Those two very clich's looking characters say volumes about the two products and it's all instantly understood. Don't be afraid to rely on stereotypes for your video characters. That's the quickest way to communicate, even if it isn't particularly politically correct!

That's a pretty long list of storytelling elements. I hope it has helped you to see that telling a story in your video is actually quite easy. It's also a lot of fun!

Technorati Tags: Close-ups, digital video, Fred Smith, Mac, Sound effects

Paparazzi are the jerks who shamelessly beg Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton to stop and pose.

The paparazzi killed Princess Di!

Man, those guys are disgusting! Right?

Well…I'd say yes, but whose fault is it?

The subject came to mind when I saw an interesting video on the web today where some guys at a Malibu beach got pissed at some paparazzi who were chasing after hunkster Matthew McConaughey. So they did what any self-respecting surfer would do to an intruder…they dunked the paparazzi in the surf and posted the video on the web.

Surfer Paparazzi

I am no fan of paparazzi. I hate celebrity gossip with a passion. Most celebrities do not deserve public adoration in my opinion. They're immature, irresponsible buffoons who provide horrible role models.

As a television news photographer, I NEVER chased celebrities like that. It wasn't my assignment. I covered healthcare. I chased doctors. : (It's a heck-of-a-lot easier to get an appointment with a doctor when you are going to put them on TV than if you're sick.)

However, I must point out something not so obvious to the beach gang who threw Mr. Photo-Sleaze in the surf. Look how popular his work is. Celebrity gossip sells. Big time. Do you think the paparazzi are out there for fun? No, they make huge money for their voyeuristic trash.

Celebrity gossip magazines sell better than any intellectual or newsy fare, that's for sure. Everybody is just dying to know the latest antics of the bimbo stars. (Makes the reader feel intelligent and competent in comparison.)

Celebrities know the game. Don't feel sorry for them. They ask for it most of the time. Celebrity gossip means money in their bank account.

I have a suggestion for the beach gang: Stop buying the gossip rags and the paparazzi would lose their jobs without you attempting to drown them.

Oh, and let me be a nit-picky video producer and critique your video…It took one minute and ten seconds to get to the meat of your story in a two minute twenty second video. That's bad storytelling. Terrible storytelling. Imagine watching a full-length movie and the good part doesn't come until half-way through. 45 minutes of BOREDOM.

Cut to the chase. No one wants to watch the beginning of this tape…hopefully they will be patient enough to endure until the good stuff comes because it's only a minute, not 45.

But as video producers, you shouldn't make them wait.

There, I've had my say now it's back to work.

The single best way to get quality information quickly for your blog or website is to interview an expert.

Experts provide you with a storehouse of knowledge so vast it takes a lifetime to learn. In fact, that’s why they’re “experts;” they’ve spent many years learning their trade and will probably be happy to share their expertise.

The phrase, “interviewing an expert,” might sound intimidating, so let’s change it. You’re going to meet a new friend.

I spent over twenty years in the TV production business interviewing everyone from top-level politicians to psychopathic killers. (OK, no jokes about how the two are scarily similar.

Sometimes I had time to prepare for interviews but often I didn’t.

Here are the top five things I learned were necessary to make any interview a success.

1. Help them feel comfortable.

Some people are naturals in front of the camera, but about 90% of us are Nervous Nellies. Someone who is scared or intimidated will not be capable of putting forth their best.

I always considered my #1 priority was helping people feel at ease with me, the camera, and the interview process.

I did this largely by assuring them they looked good and sounded great. Honestly, sometimes this was an out-and-out lie, but I said it anyway.

I’d joke about using the special “skinny filter” or say something like, “Now people at home don’t want to always be looking at those skinny models on TV, they’d rather see real people like you and me.”

There. That’s NOT a lie and it would help calm their racing heart. Plus, including myself makes me a sympathetic ally. I ain’t a beauty queen either!

In the world of journalism, you can only go so far comforting your subject, but in business, there are no limits. Assure them that you are on their side. Your job is to make them look good. If you can, let them know that they will have some, or even total control over the final product.

The reason people are scared usually boils down trust and control. They know that you have the power to make them look like an idiotic goon if you so choose, no matter what they actually say during the interview.

Face it, if YOU maintain total control of the production, they’d be foolish to not be nervous. Make them trust you and assure them that they are not your pawn. A calm person is willing to share what’s deep in their heart and mind.

2. A good interview is a conversation, not an interrogation.

Grilling someone police style will clam them up quicker than anything. Ask questions as if you were meeting this person at a party and were fascinated by their work.

Most people LOVE to talk about their interests. My job was to shut up and listen.

Just like when you meet someone at a social event, chances are, if you express a genuine interest in them they will be happy to take the conversation from there.

Especially if I went into an interview blind, my first question would be something extremely broad like, “So Dr. Smith, tell me about your work.” Then I’d listen very carefully and my second question would be whatever seemed logical once they stopped talking. Often, one broad question like that would prompt them to talk for five or ten minutes. Sometimes that was all I needed. Interview over!

Often, my questions were not even questions–they were statements. After listening to someone tell me their woes, I would say something like, “That must have been very difficult for you,” then they would proceed to fill me in on the details. Phrasing question like that helps you look empathetic.

Occasionally, I would share something personal about me. That part would always be cut out, but doing so helped them feel less weird.

Most interviewing advice starts with, “Make a list of questions beforehand.” OK, I agree there is benefit to doing that, especially if you are a beginner. However, nothing bores a listener more than an interviewer who sticks to a prepared list of questions instead of steering the conversation in a logical manner. If you stick to your prepared list, your questions often sound like they’re coming out of left field.

A list of prepared questions is best used as a reminder during the interview about what topics and angles you want to cover. Very rarely would your pre-worded questions sound appropriate stuck into the middle of a conversation. Re-word them on-the-fly for a better flow.

3. Interview the expert with your audience–not you–in mind.

As with all information publishing, interviewing an expert must be done with your audience in mind. Who are you really talking to? The answer to that question determines the language you use and depth of your questions.

Is your audience professional in the subject area? If so, then use the lingo and go deep. If on the other hand you have a laymen audience, avoid lingo and stay general. I’ve interviewed hundreds of doctors and I would often have to ask them to explain things in more simplistic terms. It didn’t matter that I personally understood that myocardial infarction meant a heart attack. I knew my audience probably didn’t.

4. When coming up with questions, always remember to ask who, what, when, where, why and how.

Those six little words are the tenets of journalism and often boil down to everything that can be known about a subject.

Who cares? Who is affected? Who isn’t?

What is it that’s affecting them? Define all aspects of it.

When is it relevant? Give time frames to add perspective.

“Where” can be asked multiple ways. The obvious is, “where did it happen?” The not so obvious is, “where can people go to learn more,” and “where can people go to avoid this?

“Why” is also a multiple facetted little goodie. Why does it happen? Why doesn’t it happen? Why is it important? Why does it happen like that? Why do you say that?

How is this possible? How do you know that? How can people help? How is it all going to affect us?

The more questions you ask of people the easier it becomes. “Really? Tell me more please.”

5. End the interview with, “Is there anything you’d like to add?”

Nine times out of ten, the best answer to the interview would come with that final question.

After someone has explained the big picture, they’ll have all the information swirling in their head and will be capable at that point of summing up the entire subject in a few words. That’s what TV loves, short, sweet and to the point.

As an interviewer, I was well known for continuing the interview for twenty minutes or more based on the answer to what was supposedly my final question. It would often bring up the most interesting aspects, usually ones I hadn’t even considered.

To be a good interviewer, I couldn’t allow my ego to think that I knew everything. THEY were the experts; I just carried around a camera and microphone. There’s no way on earth I can think of every single question and that’s OK. My experts were usually grateful that I allowed them the opportunity to open new avenues. Unless of course I’d worn them out, in which case they would say, “Nope, I think we’ve covered everything.”

Let’s pack up and go home. That was easier than I thought! More fun too.

In another article about visual story-telling, I gave a list of ten possible story lines. We picked out three and illustrated them as examples.

Here’s a rendition of story #2; hungry dog steals a bigger dog's bone.

In the first frame, the dog is obviously hungry because he’s staring at his empty food bowl, he has a pitiful expression on his face and he’s fantasizing about a tasty fish. You can also see his ribs, which makes him a chronically hungry dog. In the next frame, you see a beefy dog named Killer, sound asleep. Without the sound effect of the snoring, it might be difficult to tell killer is asleep. Oops, we’re cheating a little, but that’s okay!

Because Killer is asleep, it makes it possible for Fido to snatch the bone easily. This ensures the story won't get bogged down in a dog fight, nor does Fido have to do anything complicated. Both of those scenarios would make the story move beyond three to six pictures. In this case, only four shots were needed and one of the truisms of video production is shorter is always better. Be concise and tell your story as quickly as possible.

Do you think the story of our canines would be more visually interesting if the final frame were a close-up of happy Fido instead of a WS? Would the story be told as well if frame #3 were a close-up with Killer cropped out? These are all things for the visual story-teller to think about.

Here’s scenario #6, teenager aces test after studying all night. This one was almost too easy!

The close-up of the calendar sets up the story. The obviously freaked-out students fearing an F- speaks to most of us. But how do you convey to your viewer she spent all night studying without any dialogue? That's easy too. Just place her desk near a window where the viewer can see it change from night to dawn. The rooster is for humor and reinforces the idea of dawn. Taking the test is quite a harrowing experience for our girl but the A+ grade and her happy expression are simple to understand. As the video producer, you'd have to think of these details before you shoot so you can have all the needed props on hand.

To be critical, is it obvious what frame #5 is about or do you need to see the wide-shot of her in a classroom? Would frame #6 be better if it were broken into two shots, a CU of her grade and a CU of her face? Or does the A+ stand out well enough without the CU? Notice how the two MS of her studying work together because they are the same medium-shot scope.

Since #6 was so easy, let’s also do #7, which seems to me to be the most difficult. How do we know our hospital patient is terminal?

The machine next to his bed flat lining is instantly recognizable and it has to be done in a CU so the viewer concentrates on it and thinks “life and death” and not “gee, there’s a lot of expensive stuff in a hospital room.”

In the third shot, the angel pops in to provide the miracle and the machine goes from flat line to a heart beat. The expression on his face tells you he's recovered!

Was the CU of the angel in panel #4 necessary? Does the CU of the machine make sense? Was it wise to end on an ECU of our man or should it have been a WS with family and friends? As the producer, it’s your call. What’ll it be?

If you're serious about increasing your visual story-telling skills, practice this exercise as much as possible. It's fun, easy and really makes you think! Keeping it down to three to six pictures makes sure you get into the habit of ensuring that each shot really counts. Just like good writing is concise and every word is necessary, so it is with good visual story-telling. If the shot doesn't add information for the viewer, leave it out. Here is a blank, six panel template for your practicing pleasure.

Silent shots. No audio allowed.

The story had to have identifiable, differentiated characters and a real plot. Now that's packing a lot of information into each shot!

She struggled for days before coming up with a love story that relied heavily on exaggerated facial expressions, a close-up of a diary entry and cliché-ridden costumes.

You put a guy with slicked-back hair and tattoos in a leather jacket, have him pull up on a beat-up motorcycle, and that just screams, "No good wandering Romeo," don’t ya think?

Make one female a weepy blond wearing frilly pink and the other female a snarling, spike-haired brunet in leather and everyone immediately assumes which is innocent, no words necessary.

Now granted, great story-telling isn't so cliché ridden, but whoever said TV was great story-telling?

When you're trying to produce a simple, quick, down and dirty video, leaning on a few clichés can make your job easier. Take a gander at the soap opera divas. The vast majority of them stick to the blond = good girl, brunet = bad girl stereotypes.

INSTANTANEOUS COMMUNICATION

If you want the audience to grasp a concept instantly, don’t feel guilty about relying on clichés, especially if your video is short. Watch any :30 second TV commercial that relies on characterization. They’re all cliché with their characters, up to a point. Obviously businesses advertising on national TV are trying hard to walk the politically correct line and not offend anyone so some stereotypes are out.

FILM SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT

A simpler version of this film school admissions assignment is the first one most film students receive, once they do get in. I used to make my students do this almost daily.

Here's the assignment.

Without using any words, draw a three to six picture

sequence that tells a story any viewer will instantly understand.

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT AN INABILITY TO DRAW WELL. Stick figures are fine. Drawing skills and visual story telling are two different things.

Remember to use visual variety and lots of close-ups!

You can select any story line you want, here are some suggestions to get you going:

1. Poor man wins lottery.
2. Hungry dog steals a bigger dog's bone.
3. Woman misses her child, who is away at college.
4. Woman breaks off engagement because her fiancé is a cheat.
5. American spy discovers secret Nazi training camp.
6. Teenager aces test after studying all night.
7. Hospital patient thought to be incurable miraculously recovers.
8. Crooked business man cheats a customer.
9. Mother bird feeds her babies, including one that isn't hers.
10. Man robs bank and then gets caught.

Click here for illustrated examples of stories 2, 6, and 7.
When you're finished with your three to six drawing story, analyze it.

• How many drawings are wide-shots, medium shots or close-ups?
• Did you ever change camera angels?
• What combination of visuals best tells the story?
• Should you have done it differently?
• Does each and every visual contribute to the story?
• What happens to the story if you remove a visual? Does the story hold up? If a visual is expendable, get rid of it. Unless it contributes to your story, you don’t need it.
• Give your story to someone else and see if they can "read" it. Why or why not? What information did they need to understand that you didn't give them?