We know that video content can be really powerful, whether that’s creating for clients, to post on social media, or making feature-length films… and everything in between! In this article we’ll take a look at how you can nail one of the most important aspects of video making: storytelling methods!
What is Storytelling and What do you Mean by Creative Storytelling?
In video, storytelling means how you craft your narrative or get a message across through your imagery and sound. You need to think about your structure and how you can engage your audience and communicate effectively with them. Here are some quick examples of key terms and then we’ll go into more detail in our main list.
Plot: A beginning, middle and end! This is generally your structure when it comes to any kind of creative storytelling.
Characters: If your video includes people then they’re the heart of your story, but a character doesn’t have to be a person!
Conflict: Tension and drama can come in many forms and it could be internal struggles or obstacles your characters overcome.
Emotion: Tapping into emotions helps create connections between what’s going on in your film, and your audience.
Visuals: Everything from what you choose to shoot and how (your cinematography), to your editing choices and style will influence the narrative and set the tone.
Soundtrack: As above really, music, sound effects, and environmental sounds all contribute to your storytelling methods and help with mood.
Pacing: This is the rhythm of how your story develops or unfolds and generally requires a good balance of action and reflection.
10 Creative Storytelling Methods to Make Imaginative Videos
1. Character Development
Compelling characters (or people, if non-fiction) can be the make or break of your video. As an audience we like to see relatable interesting people and to understand their motivations, their good points and their flaws. In Disney’s ‘Up’ the old man character, Carl, is grumpy and bitter, brought on by his loneliness after losing his wife. Through the film we see him open up to people again and allow himself to be happy and loved.
If you think about documentaries (and this applies to other non-fiction), we’re introduced to people who we then follow the development of throughout the film. The Netflix docu-series Cheer, for example, did a great job of investing the audience in the people featured and grew a huge audience of people who had no real initial interest in the subject matter.
2. Story Arc
A story arc is basically describing the trajectory of the film from start to end. Each part of the narrative should move seamlessly to the next, but the problem is there’s no one way to create a story arc.
If you’re new to creative storytelling then it’s probably best to keep it simple: an introduction where you lay out your idea and introduce your characters, the middle is where your action happens and then the end should resolve anything brought up in the narrative. This is a ‘3 act structure’, but you can build up to more complicated plot structures like an 8-point story arc: stasis, trigger, quest, surprise, choice, climax, reversal, and resolution. Typical story-arcs follow patterns like rise, fall, rise or fall, rise, fall, and combinations of those – it’s a loose framework on which to hang your story.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is a fantastic film that demonstrates a classic dramatic story arc that you might have heard referred to as the ‘hero’s journey’ or ‘redemption arc.’
3. Shot Composition
The visuals in storytelling methods are important because they convey mood, set pacing, and give perspective. Try experimenting with framing, perspective, and camera movement to change how your narrative unfolds.
In Fargo (1996) by Roger Deakins, the cinematography is a huge part of the creativity in the storytelling, with framing and camera movement helping to create the tension and sense of foreboding that the film is known for – a fantastic contrast to the comedic (but dark) story.
4. Lighting
Lighting sets tone and atmosphere. It can influence emotions or guide the focus of your viewers. Experiment with natural and artificial light and shadows for different effects.
Blade Runner (1982), and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017), both use light in an incredibly effective way. The warm, soft orange glow – created by arc lights and amber gels – is prevalent through both films, but rarely stays the same, often being contrasted with neon city lights, and the overall feel is definitely a nod to the techniques used in film noir.
5. Colour
Colour is a great tool for creative storytelling. It can be symbolic, or make us feel a particular emotion. In popular French film, Amélie, colours and textures are used to emphasise the whimsical world of the main character and immerse the audience in it. There are entire articles dedicated to studying colour in Amélie, with the predominant ones being red, green, and yellow (though some say blue rather than yellow) and the director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet said he wanted each scene to look like a painting.
6. Sound
Experiment with music, sound effects, and silence to create tension, emotion, and rhythm. Lots of popular films and video have fantastic sound design, this includes the recent and rather quirky Birdman by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Birdman is edited to look like it’s one continuous take, and the sound helps reinforce this by creating a sense of immediacy and intimacy. It uses diegetic (can be heard by the characters in the story) and non-diegetic (can only be heard by the viewer) sound to blur the lines between reality and fantasy, again reflecting what’s happening in the film.
7. Creative Editing
Editing’s where the real magic of storytelling happens! Experiment with different editing techniques, like montage, juxtaposition of images, and visual effects.
Again, there are lots of great examples of creative editing and if a film is well liked then chances are it’s edited well, but an extreme example of that is Inception (2010) by Christopher Nolan, which uses a nonlinear style to disorientate and create the ambiguity that’s so important to the story. This sometimes can tip into confusion though, which we’ll touch on towards the end of the article.
8. Interactive Storytelling
Interactive storytelling in things like books or magazines, has been around for a long time – think choose-your-own-adventure books – but the advancement of technology has made this a possibility for film and video too.
In 2018, Netflix's, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch meant viewers could make choices that changed the outcome of the story. Letting someone actively participate in the narrative can make it more immersive and also let someone experience multiple perspectives or outcomes. With that of course, there’s the potential to have someone ‘play through’ the story more than once!
9. Collaborative Storytelling
Collaboration could mean working with other writers, directors, cinematographers, or editors to bring diverse voices and various different talents to your videos. Embracing different ideas, or looking outside of our own experience can be really useful and ultimately create richer narratives that appeal to different audiences. Collaborative storytelling techniques could even just mean letting your cast improvise a little, like Tarantino encouraged his actors to do in Pulp Fiction.
10. An Unreliable Narrator
This is a character who gives us, the audience, information that might be incomplete, misleading, or somehow distorted. It can help add ambiguity but use it carefully as sometimes it can leave viewers feeling ‘cheated’ if it’s not done well.
A great example of it being used to good effect is in Fight Club, which is all we’ll say about that in case you’ve not seen it!
Creativity in Storytelling: The Good, The Bad, and the Entirely Avoidable
We’ve looked at some solid starting points for boosting creativity in storytelling, but what about what not to do? While we’re all for ‘rules are made to be broken’ and that definitely is effective sometimes, it’s still wise to avoid the common pitfalls if you can. Here are some of them.
No Clear Message or Purpose
Leaving your viewers confused or disengaged it probably not your aim if you’re reading about creativity in storytelling. You need to know from the start what you want to say and make sure that every bit of the story helps with that, take out anything redundant.
Overcomplicating the Plot
Complex plots can sometimes be fun but more often they confuse people and detract from the overall creative storytelling experience. Keep your story simple and focused, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Weak Characters
Avoid one-dimensional characters, stereotypes, clichés and tropes, unless of course they’re serving a wider purpose in your story. Backstory is a great way to contextualise your characters, and remember that real people are complex, they aren’t all good or all bad!
Poor Pacing
Pacing can be a killer if you get it wrong. Too slow and watching the film is a boring slog, too fast and it all feels like it’s a bit much. Aim for a rhythm that moves the story forward but is balanced between tension and reflection.
Inconsistencies
Inconsistencies in style, editing techniques, or production can be really distracting and jerk someone out of the flow of your story. Make sure everything fits well together and supports the narrative.
Ignoring Sound
Sound design can be an overlooked storytelling method, so make sure you give some thought to sound. This includes the quality too, don’t settle for poorly recorded audio, inconsistent levels, overbearing music, or lack of ambient sound. This latter point can sap everything out of a scene, making it feel empty and artificial.
Lack of Originality
This can come if you rely too heavily on clichés or tired storytelling techniques. While it’s fine to learn from others and start in a simple way, try to still bring a fresh perspective in your storytelling methods in a way that’s uniquely you.
Ignoring Feedback
It can be hard to hear comments about our work but you should have some trusted, knowledgeable people you can share your film with to get their feedback on all aspects of it, including creative storytelling methods. Take their comments on board and make the changes you feel you can to improve things.
No Satisfying Conclusion
We’ve all watched a film that made us angry at the end because it feels like an anti-climax or like it dropped off a cliff. It’s hard to end a story well but every story should have a clear resolution that ties up loose ends. Don’t leave your audience feeling unsatisfied.
Envato Elements
If you’re a video editor or filmmaker, then why not check out Envato Elements, where you’ll discover thousands of video assets to download and use for one monthly subscription – so you never have to worry about budget! There’s tons to explore but they include video templates, overlays, backgrounds, music tracks, and much more.
And if you love freebies then check out the monthly free files Elements has to offer, where you’re bound to find something that’s perfect for your next film project!
Conclusion: Creativity in Storytelling
There are tons of techniques and approaches to creativity in storytelling. There's no right or wrong way, it's a bit of a roadmap and without sounding like too much a cliché, you pick the road. Okay, that was a huge cliché, but you get the idea. Start out with simple, tried-and-tested ideas that are manageable, look for inspiration in existing films and video, and try not to fall into any of the pitfalls we mentioned.
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About This Page
This page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a writer, author, and photographer. It was edited by Gonzalo Angulo. Gonzalo is an editor, writer and illustrator.
