Minisite Maniac There’s always a certain amount of exposition that writers grapple with. As brand storytellers, what can we learn from screenwriters about incorporating exposition in a compelling way?
Alessandra: Talk around the idea. Force a listener to pay better attention by trying to determine what is being discussed.
In class, I have my students write a scene where they have to convey that two sisters have just left their mother’s funeral. But, the writers aren’t allowed to give the sisters dialogue that uses the words “funeral” “mother” or “death.”
Scalera: Related to this, I know that Hollywood writers are trying to find ways to extend the story across multiple media, including comics, webisodes, second-screen interactions. What kinds of interesting things do you see happening out there that extend the storytelling experience? If you have an example that impressed you, please share it.
Alessandra: Online stories allow a writer to pluck a character out of her big-screen story and focus on her private life. It allows a minor subplot in a TV show to play out as a series of its own. It encourages docu-style viral videos that make an audience actually think they’re experiencing an event before they see it fictionalized in a movie theater. In this way, the stories keep living and writers increase their opportunities.
Minisite Maniac Review been pleased to see several of my clients, who work so hard as writers, finally get their “big break” when they post online content. Producers want to see that writers can make an immediate connection with an audience. The web is terrific for showcasing those skills.
Scalera: Now, let’s really talk about visual storytelling. I am trying to get to some existential truths about telling a visual story. You spend most of your time talking about the page, which will be translated to the screen, but I know you are an avid viewer, too. What do we see in other humans that makes us keep watching the story?
Alessandra: We see windows into secrets. We’re such detectives when it comes to watching people — especially on-screen characters.
We think, “What did she mean by that?” “Why is he looking that way?” “What are they hiding?” These visual cues make us want to turn the page or keep watching.
Scalera: How much (and what kind) of storytelling is told through the body language and proximity to other characters?
Alessandra: Think about a “tell” in poker. We look for cues to a player’s cards in his body language or facial expressions.
On screen, we’re looking for the same thing. For writers, then, it’s always good to think about the “tell” of your scene. What visual cue are you providing that tells the audience what’s really going on?
Scalera: Brand marketers are hiring storytellers, including established screenwriters and producers, to tell brand stories. It’s becoming a hot thing to hire storytellers to craft content for YouTube. What should brand marketers know about screenwriters if they are going to bring them into a project? How can we best prepare to have a trained storyteller in the room?
Alessandra: Get a sense of the “big picture” the writer is going for. They may not be showcasing your brand front and center, but they’re conveying the themes and message that you want your brand to represent.
Scalera: How can we incorporate the core concepts of good storytelling into brand storytelling? And by this I mean, can we still tell a story without a three-act structure? Can we do it without conflict and tension? Or — going back to my early realization that I was telling a setup for a story and not an actual story — do we still need to tell a story?
Minisite Maniac Discount always best to remember that we tend to naturally tell stories with a beginning, middle and end. Conflict arises organically. There’s no need to impose a structure on it that feels false or untrue to your story.
Scalera: We’re nearing the finish line. Where can people find you?
