Connect The Dots…

Probably the number one challenge we face in speaking with non-profits about growing and engaging their audience through the use of short videos, is convincing them that every story needs a real person to tell it in order to make it relatable.

You can’t make a short video about a pressing issue, say water pollution, and expect an otherwise disinterested audience to care — you need to connect the dots so the viewer may see how it relates to him or her.

Here’s a post by Michael Grosse outlining filmmaker June Cross' tips on what journalists need to keep in mind to make a better documentary. I think you’ll agree that the first tip expresses the issue succinctly:

Tip 1: Know the difference between a story and an issue

Good journalists don’t just write about “issues.” Issues are often too impersonal to engage audiences, especially if the issue is new to — or far removed from — the audience. Instead, journalists often focus on engaging audiences by telling the stories of people who are affected by these larger issues.