Emma Coates has a creative way of sharing lessons learned.
You may be familiar with the expression, "Actions speak louder than words."
Or perhaps you heard this one, "A picture is worth a thousand words."
Well, if both maxims are true, moving pictures, or at least picture stories should scream! And, if anyone knows how to make us scream and laugh, it is Pixar. This fabulous infographic on storytelling by Pixar's Emma Coates is as its title implies, phenomenal.
What is great about it is that you don't have to read it to get a message. The message I get is that storytelling can be fun, which is not how many writers struggling with plots and characters, blocks and editing think. It also looks easy, which is another attraction for the writer in search of a publisher.
In the days before written text, pictures on cave walls were the only means of non-verbal storytelling around. Today we have billboards, tablets and smartphones. And what do we put on them?
WORDS!
Bad idea? Pictures, whether static or moving, can do a better job, because they convey emotion. As Emma's infographic shows, you can even use words as pictures if there aren't enough pictures available.
It means we need to take a close look at the way we are marketing. With attention spans on the decline and content on the increase, getting our message out is only art of the problem. It needs to be heard. Video helps, but there too, the message needs to be visually pleasing or moving. We do a great deal of interview work on camera, and while most of what we capture is valuable content, it won't be heard or viewed if the viewer doesn't know how to quickly get information on those topics most relevant or interesting to him. We see that as a real problem and we're working on a solution. Stay tuned. Visual storytelling is going to get even more amazing.