The Heather Parady Show

Better Videos with Better Stories (Michael Neelsen)

content creation creativity storytelling Apr 17, 2023

"The moment the obstacle is gone, that's when the story ends."

Today, we are exploring how to improve our videos through storytelling. Our guest is Michael Neelsen, the Co-founder and Director of Story First Media. Michael shares his insights on why starting with obstacles is crucial when developing a story, and we dive into the questions you should ask yourself when beginning a story idea.

Michael provides valuable tips on how to develop characters in your story and how to conclude a story that doesn't have an obvious solution. Lastly, Michael ends the conversation with words of encouragement for creatives, emphasizing that there is a huge market for storytellers, even in the midst of AI.

FROM TODAY'S EPISODE:

The science of storytelling and how the brain filters information based on story
Why we should start first with obstacles when developing a story
What questions should we ask ourself when beginning a story idea?
How to develop characters in your story (even if it's your brand)
How do you conclude a story that doesn’t have an obvious solution?
When is it time to stop developing a story and share it with the world?

TAKEAWAYS:

Start your story with the obstacles. Obstacles give you the specifics of the story and informs when the story should end (when its solved)
Characters need to be moving toward something- “There is no character but through action”
Developing a story takes time. Years sometimes. Be patient.

WHO IS MICHAEL NEELSEN?

Michael Neelsen has written and directed over 20 films and been involved in the production of over 40 others. His current project is "Beyond Human Nature," an oral history of the Tom Monfils murder investigation of 1992-1995. His last feature film, "Last Day at Lambeau", was a documentary about the relationship between sports icons and their fans and screened at various film festivals including the Austin Film Festival, Wisconsin Film Festival, Milwaukee Film Festival and Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. He is the co-founder and director of StoryFirst Media (www.storyfirstmedia.com), a boutique branded storytelling collective that specializes in digital content production & social community management.

CONNECT WITH MICHAEL NEELSEN: https://www.storyfirstmedia.com/, https://www.beyondhumannature.com/

QUOTES:

The moment the obstacle is gone, that's when the story ends - Michael Neelsen @HeatherParady CLICK TO TWEET

If you're a struggling artist that is making art based in storytelling, there's actually a huge market for that skill set. Even with ChatGPT and all that stuff coming out. - Michael Neelsen @HeatherParady CLICK TO TWEET