WEBVTT

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Hey guys!

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In this lesson, I'm going to

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give you an overview of structure

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and tension.

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I'm first going to address the

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question of whether or not your

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story needs a structure, then I

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will explain in detail what tension

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is and why it always needs

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to be followed by resolution, and

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in the end, I'm going to

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guide you through my own story

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structure which I use for all

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of my videos.

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As you can see in the

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curriculum, there are two lessons about

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structure and tension.

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The overview and the analysis.

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In the lesson you're watching right

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now, I will provide you a

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good overview of the basics regarding

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structure and tension.

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And in the next lesson, I'm

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going to give you a detailed

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analysis of my marathon video, where

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I guide you through the different

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stages of my story structure, while

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explaining how I use tension to

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keep the viewer engaged.

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As those two lessons are closely

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related to each other, it makes

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sense to watch the next lesson

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right after finishing this one.

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Alright, with that out of the

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way, let's dive into the question

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of whether or not your story

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needs a structure.

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So, story structure is always a

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heated topic.

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Some people swear by following a

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specific structure in order to tell

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a story, while other people say

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every story has a unique structure,

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and that there's no chronological template

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that fits them all.

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And I gotta say, I am

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somewhere in between.

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I believe that there definitely is

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a structure that can be seen

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throughout almost every story, but I

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think it makes sense to keep

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it as abstract as possible in

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order to provide enough freedom for

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creativity.

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Different stories require different

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structures, and

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it is completely okay to establish

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your own one.

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As I mentioned earlier in this

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module, there is no right or

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wrong way in storytelling, and I

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don't want you to feel trapped

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in some stiff structure.

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Storytelling is not a square rectangle,

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but a moldable shape that can

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be warped to fit your idea.

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In my opinion, a story structure

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should never serve as a go-to

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template where you simply fill out

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the blanks, but instead, it should

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help people realize which chronological order

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of events can create the highest

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amount of clarity, understanding and tension

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throughout your story.

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And this is what my story

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structure is aiming at.

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Until only one year ago, I

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honestly didn't put much thought into

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the structure of my videos.

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I simply created these videos in

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whichever way felt right to me,

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and it worked.

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But after creating more and more

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story-based videos, I started to see

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a common pattern that applied to

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almost all of them.

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And that pattern is what I

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want to teach you today.

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For me, there is no one-size-fits-all

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structure across all types of films.

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The structure of a two-hour Hollywood

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movie will certainly be different from

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a ten-minute YouTube video or a

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thirty-seconds product commercial.

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The time duration is different, the

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distribution platform is different, and the

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expectations from the audience are different.

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The story structure I'm going to

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teach you is specifically made for

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long-form YouTube videos, but it can

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also be applied to standalone documentary

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films.

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But before we look at the

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structure, let's first talk about tension.

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I already mentioned tension a few

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times throughout the other lessons, but

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I want to provide you with

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a clear understanding of what tension

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actually is.

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Tension is the viewer's desire to

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know what happens next.

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Or in other words, tension is

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the reason why you keep watching.

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Tension is a feeling that is

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evoked in the viewer and we

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all know what it feels like.

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If you're watching a movie that

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doesn't have a lot of tension,

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then you have no problem with

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turning off the TV and going

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to bed.

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But when there's a lot of

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tension, you're certainly not going to

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go to bed.

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You keep watching because you cannot

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have a calm sleep without finding

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out what happens next.

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In a visual sense, tension can

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be compared to a tug of

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war, where there are two sides

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pulling against each other.

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The opposing forces are what puts

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the rope under literal tension and

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you as the viewer don't know

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which of both sides is going

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to win.

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This is what keeps you watching.

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And it is the same in

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storytelling.

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Tension is created if the viewer

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doesn't know the outcome and cares

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enough to find out what is

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going to happen next.

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Or in other words, tension is

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about raising questions in the viewer's

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mind and making them want to

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answer those questions.

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As you see, tension is incredibly

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important, because who of us wants

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our viewers to turn off the

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video and go to bed?

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I guess no one.

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Our goal is to make them

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glued to their screens in order

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to have them watch our story

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all the way through and make

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them listen to what we have

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to say.

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In my opinion, tension is built

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out of three main components.

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Anticipation, uncertainty and investment.

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The first component of tension is

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anticipation.

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For the viewer to keep watching,

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they must believe that there is

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something interesting around the corner.

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They have to see possibilities that

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could happen in the next seconds

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or minutes of the video.

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It doesn't matter whether the viewer

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is ultimately right, wrong or unsure

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about what they're going to find,

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the only failure is when the

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viewer assumes nothing special will happen.

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So as I said, anticipation arises

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when the viewer becomes aware of

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possibilities, or in other words, things

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that could potentially happen.

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For me, there are three main

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ways to create anticipation in your

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videos.

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First, external forces.

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By including external forces that impact

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your character's journey, you can directly

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create anticipation.

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Here's a quick example of how

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another fellow YouTuber called Jake Frew

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created anticipation in the first seconds

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of his video.

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Yeah, I gotta get out of

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here.

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Hearing the radio broadcast about a

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snowfall warning automatically creates

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possibilities and

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therefore anticipation.

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How bad is the snowfall going

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to be?

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How will it impact the character?

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Will he be able to leave

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the area before getting stuck?

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talk about it.

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One of the easiest ways to

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build anticipation is to talk about

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the possibilities that could happen.

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For example, if you create a

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video about how a character asked

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out their biggest crush on a

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date, you can share the thoughts

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of your character before doing it.

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How will she react?

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Is she going to reject me?

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Will she say yes?

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By actually saying these questions out

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loud, you're going to emphasize the

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possibility of these events.

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Here's an example of how I

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quickly built a lot of tension

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when my friend Gaston crashed his

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FPV drone into the river of

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a game reserve.

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Holy shit, it just crashed straight

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into the water.

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Fucking hell.

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As Matt quickly undressed himself in

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order to jump into the water,

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there were hundreds of questions running

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through my head.

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How deep is it?

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Are there any dangerous animals?

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Where the fuck is that hippo?

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Mentioning that there could be a

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hippo and then seeing my friend

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Matt jump into the water creates

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a hundred different possibilities in the

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viewer's mind about what is going

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to happen.

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Third, foreshadowing.

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The third way to build anticipation

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is to use foreshadowing as a

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non-linear storytelling tool.

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You give the viewer a hint

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of what is to come later

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in the story, and therefore you

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make them curious to find out

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how this piece of information ties

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in with the rest of the

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story.

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The second component of tension is

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uncertainty.

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Though the viewer anticipates something will

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happen, they must have a feeling

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of doubt or a lack of

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resolution.

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If they are certain that those

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things are going to happen, it

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doesn't make them glued to their

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screens.

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Your job is to make them

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find out by themselves if these

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possibilities in their minds are actually

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going to happen.

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Especially when it comes to real

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factual stories, it comes down to

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documenting your character's uncertainty.

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One good way I created a

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lot of uncertainty was in my

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video about how it took me

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seven years to meet my childhood

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idol.

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My plan was to run a

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marathon together with Sam Colder in

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order to connect with him, but

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as it turned out, he was

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not sure whether or not he

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will be able to participate because

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of physical issues.

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So I started to document our

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text conversation in order to create

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a lot of uncertainty on whether

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or not he will be able

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to join.

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Sam already told me that he's

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not sure if he can commit

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to a marathon because he doesn't

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want to injure his joints, which

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I can one hundred percent get,

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I was also worried about my

00:07:55.394 --> 00:07:57.195 align:center
joints as well, but still, it

00:07:57.215 --> 00:07:57.856 align:center
just sucks.

00:07:58.216 --> 00:08:00.279 align:center
It was such a huge factor

00:08:00.319 --> 00:08:01.700 align:center
of motivation for me to do

00:08:01.740 --> 00:08:02.661 align:center
this together with him.

00:08:02.821 --> 00:08:03.742 align:center
We're gonna see in the next

00:08:03.802 --> 00:08:05.444 align:center
weeks how that turns out.

00:08:05.864 --> 00:08:07.386 align:center
After hearing this, the viewer will

00:08:07.426 --> 00:08:08.728 align:center
be unsure whether or not I'm

00:08:08.808 --> 00:08:10.030 align:center
actually gonna be able to meet

00:08:10.090 --> 00:08:11.432 align:center
up with Sam, or in other

00:08:11.472 --> 00:08:12.854 align:center
words, if I'm going to reach

00:08:12.934 --> 00:08:14.316 align:center
the goal of my journey.

00:08:14.476 --> 00:08:15.618 align:center
And this is exactly what you

00:08:15.658 --> 00:08:16.739 align:center
need to do in order to

00:08:16.799 --> 00:08:19.122 align:center
create uncertainty, because it compels your

00:08:19.162 --> 00:08:21.305 align:center
viewer to continue watching in order

00:08:21.345 --> 00:08:22.107 align:center
to find out.

00:08:22.607 --> 00:08:24.348 align:center
The third component of tension is

00:08:24.408 --> 00:08:25.208 align:center
investment.

00:08:25.428 --> 00:08:28.190 align:center
A combination of anticipation and uncertainty

00:08:28.310 --> 00:08:30.491 align:center
may ignite your viewer's curiosity, but

00:08:30.531 --> 00:08:32.331 align:center
to create a strong tension, the

00:08:32.351 --> 00:08:33.932 align:center
viewer must also feel invested in

00:08:33.972 --> 00:08:34.612 align:center
the outcome.

00:08:34.833 --> 00:08:36.013 align:center
If they don't care about what's

00:08:36.033 --> 00:08:37.554 align:center
going to happen next, they're not

00:08:37.594 --> 00:08:39.195 align:center
going to be very motivated to

00:08:39.255 --> 00:08:39.995 align:center
keep watching.

00:08:40.215 --> 00:08:41.476 align:center
For me, there are two different

00:08:41.516 --> 00:08:42.597 align:center
types of investment.

00:08:42.777 --> 00:08:44.519 align:center
Intellectual and emotional.

00:08:44.759 --> 00:08:46.860 align:center
Intellectual investment means that the viewer

00:08:46.900 --> 00:08:48.382 align:center
sees the story as a typical

00:08:48.442 --> 00:08:50.603 align:center
puzzle mystery, where the character tries

00:08:50.623 --> 00:08:51.904 align:center
to discover the solution.

00:08:52.165 --> 00:08:53.706 align:center
One YouTuber who often uses this

00:08:53.766 --> 00:08:55.868 align:center
method of creating an intellectual investment,

00:08:56.008 --> 00:08:58.330 align:center
and therefore tension, is Johnny Harris.

00:09:02.163 --> 00:09:05.305 align:center
How on earth did a language

00:09:05.565 --> 00:09:07.966 align:center
with tens of thousands of characters

00:09:08.506 --> 00:09:09.466 align:center
fit onto this keyboard?

00:09:10.267 --> 00:09:12.388 align:center
Johnny often picks interesting topics and

00:09:12.428 --> 00:09:13.628 align:center
then tries to put together the

00:09:13.668 --> 00:09:15.549 align:center
different puzzle pieces in order to

00:09:15.609 --> 00:09:17.230 align:center
find out why things are the

00:09:17.270 --> 00:09:17.910 align:center
way they are.

00:09:18.131 --> 00:09:19.331 align:center
He then tries to solve that

00:09:19.371 --> 00:09:20.692 align:center
mystery step by step.

00:09:20.952 --> 00:09:22.993 align:center
Following this mysterious journey creates an

00:09:23.033 --> 00:09:25.334 align:center
intellectual investment in the viewer, because

00:09:25.354 --> 00:09:26.414 align:center
they want to find the next

00:09:26.475 --> 00:09:28.395 align:center
puzzle piece in order to understand

00:09:28.455 --> 00:09:29.316 align:center
the bigger picture.

00:09:29.696 --> 00:09:32.138 align:center
The second method is Emotional Investment.

00:09:32.338 --> 00:09:33.820 align:center
As the name says, this method

00:09:33.920 --> 00:09:35.081 align:center
aims at the emotions of the

00:09:35.141 --> 00:09:36.962 align:center
viewer, and therefore, it is even

00:09:37.022 --> 00:09:37.923 align:center
more impactful.

00:09:38.143 --> 00:09:39.985 align:center
The most well-known form of emotional

00:09:40.045 --> 00:09:42.828 align:center
investment is a positive identification with

00:09:42.848 --> 00:09:43.548 align:center
the character.

00:09:43.848 --> 00:09:45.270 align:center
As soon as your viewer strongly

00:09:45.330 --> 00:09:47.552 align:center
identifies with your character and relates

00:09:47.592 --> 00:09:49.073 align:center
to their struggles, it leads them

00:09:49.133 --> 00:09:50.514 align:center
to want a good outcome for

00:09:50.534 --> 00:09:51.175 align:center
your character.

00:09:51.435 --> 00:09:53.175 align:center
they are emotionally invested in your

00:09:53.195 --> 00:09:55.556 align:center
character's journey and therefore care about

00:09:55.596 --> 00:09:56.916 align:center
what's going to happen next.

00:09:57.276 --> 00:09:59.657 align:center
Emotional investment is a fundamental part

00:09:59.717 --> 00:10:00.817 align:center
of my own videos.

00:10:01.017 --> 00:10:02.418 align:center
When people watch my videos, they

00:10:02.458 --> 00:10:03.618 align:center
are able to relate to me

00:10:03.678 --> 00:10:05.479 align:center
as a person, and therefore, they

00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:06.819 align:center
want me to succeed in my

00:10:06.859 --> 00:10:07.259 align:center
goals.

00:10:07.739 --> 00:10:09.259 align:center
All those three components can be

00:10:09.359 --> 00:10:10.960 align:center
used to create tension by themselves,

00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:12.840 align:center
but in combination with each other,

00:10:13.160 --> 00:10:13.921 align:center
they are going to be a

00:10:14.061 --> 00:10:15.001 align:center
lot more powerful.

00:10:15.501 --> 00:10:16.642 align:center
Okay, so now we have a

00:10:16.682 --> 00:10:18.943 align:center
better understanding of what tension is.

00:10:19.283 --> 00:10:20.624 align:center
Next up, let's talk about the

00:10:20.664 --> 00:10:22.585 align:center
development of tension by looking at

00:10:22.625 --> 00:10:23.406 align:center
an animation.

00:10:23.666 --> 00:10:25.367 align:center
You probably already saw tension graphs

00:10:25.427 --> 00:10:25.887 align:center
before.

00:10:26.087 --> 00:10:28.048 align:center
Visualizing the development of tension makes

00:10:28.088 --> 00:10:29.789 align:center
it a lot easier to understand.

00:10:30.009 --> 00:10:31.390 align:center
When the graph is high, there

00:10:31.450 --> 00:10:32.771 align:center
is a lot of tension, and

00:10:32.791 --> 00:10:34.092 align:center
when the graph is low, there

00:10:34.192 --> 00:10:35.392 align:center
is almost no tension.

00:10:35.632 --> 00:10:37.073 align:center
If the graph builds up slowly,

00:10:37.173 --> 00:10:39.074 align:center
the tension is rising slowly, and

00:10:39.174 --> 00:10:40.395 align:center
if it builds up fast, the

00:10:40.455 --> 00:10:42.416 align:center
tension is also rising fast.

00:10:42.656 --> 00:10:43.377 align:center
You get what I mean.

00:10:46.063 --> 00:10:48.004 align:center
Tension always has to be followed

00:10:48.104 --> 00:10:49.084 align:center
by resolution.

00:10:49.344 --> 00:10:50.784 align:center
After making your viewer ask themselves

00:10:50.884 --> 00:10:52.665 align:center
hundreds of questions, you also need

00:10:52.685 --> 00:10:53.985 align:center
to answer a few of those

00:10:54.085 --> 00:10:55.766 align:center
questions in order to keep them

00:10:55.846 --> 00:10:56.386 align:center
engaged.

00:10:56.606 --> 00:10:58.086 align:center
It's simply not possible to build

00:10:58.146 --> 00:10:59.427 align:center
up tension all the way through

00:10:59.447 --> 00:11:01.647 align:center
your story without ever releasing that

00:11:01.727 --> 00:11:02.188 align:center
tension.

00:11:02.408 --> 00:11:04.328 align:center
Without answering any questions, it will

00:11:04.348 --> 00:11:06.329 align:center
be impossible to progress your story,

00:11:06.629 --> 00:11:07.609 align:center
and that's why there is a

00:11:07.689 --> 00:11:10.390 align:center
constant shift between tension and resolution.

00:11:10.690 --> 00:11:11.651 align:center
So what you want to do

00:11:11.831 --> 00:11:13.172 align:center
is to raise questions in your

00:11:13.192 --> 00:11:15.174 align:center
viewer's mind and then answer some

00:11:15.234 --> 00:11:15.534 align:center
of them.

00:11:15.794 --> 00:11:17.515 align:center
Then you raise new questions and

00:11:17.696 --> 00:11:18.456 align:center
answer some of them.

00:11:18.716 --> 00:11:20.158 align:center
Tension, resolution.

00:11:20.338 --> 00:11:21.759 align:center
Tension, resolution.

00:11:21.959 --> 00:11:23.760 align:center
Rising action, falling action.

00:11:23.920 --> 00:11:25.682 align:center
Rising action, falling action.

00:11:26.002 --> 00:11:27.082 align:center
This is how your story is

00:11:27.122 --> 00:11:28.062 align:center
moving forward.

00:11:28.223 --> 00:11:29.663 align:center
If you only build up tension,

00:11:29.763 --> 00:11:30.783 align:center
and then you leave the viewer

00:11:30.823 --> 00:11:32.203 align:center
in the dark by switching to

00:11:32.263 --> 00:11:33.884 align:center
another scene, it is called a

00:11:33.984 --> 00:11:34.724 align:center
cliffhanger.

00:11:34.944 --> 00:11:35.784 align:center
So in order to create a

00:11:35.844 --> 00:11:37.224 align:center
cliffhanger, you have to build up

00:11:37.304 --> 00:11:38.765 align:center
a lot of tension, and then

00:11:38.805 --> 00:11:40.145 align:center
you put a hard stop to

00:11:40.245 --> 00:11:40.385 align:center
it.

00:11:40.585 --> 00:11:41.985 align:center
This is what visually creates a

00:11:42.065 --> 00:11:43.626 align:center
cliff in your tension graph, and

00:11:43.686 --> 00:11:44.986 align:center
now all the viewer can do

00:11:45.146 --> 00:11:46.546 align:center
is to hang onto that cliff.

00:11:46.867 --> 00:11:48.307 align:center
Hence the name cliffhanger.

00:11:48.547 --> 00:11:50.347 align:center
Cliffhangers are often used in hooks,

00:11:50.527 --> 00:11:52.108 align:center
movie trailers, or by the end

00:11:52.148 --> 00:11:53.468 align:center
of episodes from series.

00:11:53.728 --> 00:11:54.849 align:center
because they give the viewer a

00:11:54.909 --> 00:11:56.390 align:center
strong reason to watch the full

00:11:56.430 --> 00:11:57.750 align:center
movie or to watch the next

00:11:57.830 --> 00:11:59.831 align:center
episode in order to find answers

00:11:59.871 --> 00:12:00.912 align:center
to those questions.

00:12:01.312 --> 00:12:02.673 align:center
So at a micro scale, there

00:12:02.713 --> 00:12:04.674 align:center
is a constant shift between tension

00:12:04.714 --> 00:12:06.735 align:center
and resolution, but if we zoom

00:12:06.875 --> 00:12:08.116 align:center
out and look at our full

00:12:08.156 --> 00:12:09.957 align:center
story on a macro scale, there

00:12:09.997 --> 00:12:11.638 align:center
is a specific tension curve you

00:12:11.698 --> 00:12:13.439 align:center
want to achieve across the whole

00:12:13.499 --> 00:12:14.720 align:center
duration of your video.

00:12:15.040 --> 00:12:16.041 align:center
In the first bit of your

00:12:16.061 --> 00:12:17.381 align:center
video, you want to raise the

00:12:17.461 --> 00:12:18.942 align:center
tension in order to spark the

00:12:18.982 --> 00:12:20.843 align:center
curiosity of your viewer and make

00:12:20.863 --> 00:12:22.424 align:center
them engaged in the whole video.

00:12:22.684 --> 00:12:24.525 align:center
After that, the tension is released

00:12:24.745 --> 00:12:26.186 align:center
and from that point on, you

00:12:26.226 --> 00:12:27.526 align:center
want to constantly build up the

00:12:27.586 --> 00:12:30.148 align:center
tension until it reaches its climax.

00:12:30.468 --> 00:12:32.269 align:center
The climax is basically the point

00:12:32.329 --> 00:12:33.750 align:center
at which the story reaches its

00:12:33.830 --> 00:12:36.191 align:center
highest point of tension and intensity.

00:12:36.471 --> 00:12:38.272 align:center
After the climax, there follows a

00:12:38.352 --> 00:12:40.753 align:center
long resolution until the tension goes

00:12:40.833 --> 00:12:42.174 align:center
all the way down to zero.

00:12:42.194 --> 00:12:43.955 align:center
And that's when your video ends.

00:12:44.375 --> 00:12:45.918 align:center
This tension curve can be found

00:12:45.978 --> 00:12:47.401 align:center
in many of my own videos,

00:12:47.661 --> 00:12:49.124 align:center
and the slow rise and the

00:12:49.164 --> 00:12:51.248 align:center
steep fall in tension are basically

00:12:51.308 --> 00:12:53.512 align:center
identical across all types of long-form

00:12:53.573 --> 00:12:53.933 align:center
films.

00:12:56.692 --> 00:12:58.873 align:center
Tension and structure really go hand

00:12:58.933 --> 00:13:00.793 align:center
in hand, and this tension curve

00:13:00.833 --> 00:13:02.994 align:center
builds the foundation of the structure

00:13:03.074 --> 00:13:04.054 align:center
I use in each of my

00:13:04.094 --> 00:13:05.174 align:center
story-based videos.

00:13:05.454 --> 00:13:06.335 align:center
So let's now have a look

00:13:06.375 --> 00:13:07.935 align:center
at the six different stages of

00:13:07.975 --> 00:13:08.995 align:center
my story structure.

00:13:09.295 --> 00:13:11.036 align:center
In general, every video has a

00:13:11.096 --> 00:13:12.916 align:center
beginning, a middle and an end.

00:13:13.197 --> 00:13:15.197 align:center
The beginning consists of three stages,

00:13:15.317 --> 00:13:17.198 align:center
which are the hook, the context

00:13:17.318 --> 00:13:17.958 align:center
and the setup.

00:13:18.138 --> 00:13:19.778 align:center
The middle consists of two stages,

00:13:19.898 --> 00:13:21.639 align:center
which are the progression and the

00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:22.199 align:center
finale.

00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:23.859 align:center
And the ending consists of only

00:13:23.959 --> 00:13:25.740 align:center
one stage, which is the reflection.

00:13:26.020 --> 00:13:27.701 align:center
Almost always, the middle part is

00:13:27.741 --> 00:13:29.181 align:center
going to be the longest, the

00:13:29.221 --> 00:13:31.002 align:center
beginning the second longest and the

00:13:31.102 --> 00:13:32.822 align:center
end the shortest when it comes

00:13:32.842 --> 00:13:33.822 align:center
to their duration.

00:13:34.102 --> 00:13:35.363 align:center
Now let's quickly talk about the

00:13:35.403 --> 00:13:37.043 align:center
different stages and how they stand

00:13:37.083 --> 00:13:39.084 align:center
in relation to the tension curve.

00:13:39.404 --> 00:13:41.085 align:center
Every story begins with the hook

00:13:41.165 --> 00:13:42.685 align:center
where you introduce the problem or

00:13:42.765 --> 00:13:44.466 align:center
goal of your character and build

00:13:44.526 --> 00:13:45.626 align:center
up some first tension.

00:13:45.886 --> 00:13:47.108 align:center
The core idea of the hook

00:13:47.348 --> 00:13:48.911 align:center
is, as the name says, to

00:13:49.011 --> 00:13:50.613 align:center
hook the viewer in order to

00:13:50.653 --> 00:13:52.256 align:center
make them excited about the video.

00:13:52.416 --> 00:13:54.319 align:center
This first spike of tension is

00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:56.562 align:center
especially important for platforms like

00:13:56.602 --> 00:13:57.123 align:center
YouTube,

00:13:57.324 --> 00:13:58.966 align:center
because as we all know, our

00:13:59.006 --> 00:14:00.929 align:center
attention spans are becoming shorter and

00:14:00.989 --> 00:14:01.390 align:center
shorter.

00:14:01.650 --> 00:14:03.451 align:center
Therefore, in this beginning stage, we

00:14:03.531 --> 00:14:04.891 align:center
need to give the viewer proof

00:14:05.192 --> 00:14:06.872 align:center
that our video is worth their

00:14:06.912 --> 00:14:07.272 align:center
time.

00:14:07.633 --> 00:14:09.674 align:center
After the hook follows the context.

00:14:09.934 --> 00:14:11.554 align:center
At this stage, your job is

00:14:11.594 --> 00:14:13.575 align:center
to provide the viewer context in

00:14:13.615 --> 00:14:14.856 align:center
order to help them understand the

00:14:14.936 --> 00:14:16.857 align:center
reason behind your character's goal.

00:14:17.017 --> 00:14:18.377 align:center
Why is this goal so important

00:14:18.417 --> 00:14:20.098 align:center
to your character, and how could

00:14:20.118 --> 00:14:21.719 align:center
this goal be important to the

00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:22.079 align:center
viewer?

00:14:22.359 --> 00:14:23.520 align:center
Here, it can often make sense

00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:24.760 align:center
to give an insight into the

00:14:24.800 --> 00:14:26.701 align:center
backstory of your character in order

00:14:26.741 --> 00:14:28.822 align:center
to reveal their true motivations for

00:14:28.882 --> 00:14:30.042 align:center
why they set out on this

00:14:30.122 --> 00:14:30.522 align:center
journey.

00:14:30.723 --> 00:14:32.423 align:center
This stage is all about giving

00:14:32.443 --> 00:14:33.884 align:center
your story a reason.

00:14:34.264 --> 00:14:36.265 align:center
After the context follows the setup.

00:14:36.525 --> 00:14:38.166 align:center
This stage is about your character

00:14:38.206 --> 00:14:39.786 align:center
coming up with a concrete plan

00:14:40.086 --> 00:14:41.367 align:center
in order to achieve their goal.

00:14:41.687 --> 00:14:43.068 align:center
At this stage, you should answer

00:14:43.088 --> 00:14:44.648 align:center
the question of how the character

00:14:44.728 --> 00:14:45.869 align:center
is going to get from point

00:14:46.049 --> 00:14:47.830 align:center
A to point B. The main

00:14:47.870 --> 00:14:49.371 align:center
intention of the setup is to

00:14:49.431 --> 00:14:51.592 align:center
provide clarity for what's to come.

00:14:51.832 --> 00:14:53.833 align:center
It literally sets up the journey

00:14:54.133 --> 00:14:55.293 align:center
and gives the story a clear

00:14:55.333 --> 00:14:55.934 align:center
direction.

00:14:56.234 --> 00:14:58.115 align:center
These three stages mark the beginning

00:14:58.175 --> 00:14:59.495 align:center
part of each story.

00:14:59.735 --> 00:15:01.176 align:center
Introduce the goal and make the

00:15:01.216 --> 00:15:03.397 align:center
viewer interested in it, explain why

00:15:03.437 --> 00:15:04.538 align:center
it is so important for the

00:15:04.578 --> 00:15:06.339 align:center
character to achieve that goal, and

00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:07.939 align:center
show the viewer how your character

00:15:08.019 --> 00:15:09.300 align:center
plans to achieve that goal.

00:15:09.700 --> 00:15:10.942 align:center
Next up, we move to the

00:15:11.002 --> 00:15:11.722 align:center
middle part.

00:15:11.943 --> 00:15:13.044 align:center
This is where we start with

00:15:13.064 --> 00:15:13.825 align:center
the progression.

00:15:14.045 --> 00:15:15.387 align:center
This part is most likely going

00:15:15.427 --> 00:15:16.468 align:center
to be the longest of your

00:15:16.508 --> 00:15:18.250 align:center
story, because this is the actual

00:15:18.310 --> 00:15:19.612 align:center
journey of your character.

00:15:19.892 --> 00:15:21.774 align:center
After the beginning, we defined point

00:15:21.954 --> 00:15:23.736 align:center
A and point B, and in

00:15:23.756 --> 00:15:25.278 align:center
the progression, we show how your

00:15:25.318 --> 00:15:27.200 align:center
character is making their way from

00:15:27.260 --> 00:15:28.282 align:center
point A to point B.

00:15:28.722 --> 00:15:30.103 align:center
As you see, after the hook,

00:15:30.123 --> 00:15:31.984 align:center
the tension curve dropped, and from

00:15:32.024 --> 00:15:33.745 align:center
that point on, your job is

00:15:33.785 --> 00:15:35.306 align:center
to slowly build up that tension

00:15:35.407 --> 00:15:36.467 align:center
all the way until the end,

00:15:36.787 --> 00:15:38.068 align:center
so your viewer becomes more and

00:15:38.108 --> 00:15:39.950 align:center
more excited to find out what

00:15:40.010 --> 00:15:41.270 align:center
is going to happen next.

00:15:41.711 --> 00:15:43.252 align:center
As I mentioned earlier, this part

00:15:43.292 --> 00:15:45.093 align:center
of the tension curve represents more

00:15:45.133 --> 00:15:46.234 align:center
of a macro view.

00:15:46.494 --> 00:15:47.315 align:center
If we would draw what the

00:15:47.355 --> 00:15:48.916 align:center
graph actually looks like, it would

00:15:48.956 --> 00:15:51.077 align:center
be multiple highs and lows constantly

00:15:51.117 --> 00:15:52.638 align:center
shifting between each other with an

00:15:52.758 --> 00:15:55.140 align:center
overall upwards trend towards the climax.

00:15:55.560 --> 00:15:57.021 align:center
As we said before, a story

00:15:57.061 --> 00:15:59.003 align:center
needs a constant shift between tension

00:15:59.103 --> 00:16:01.305 align:center
and resolution in order to progress,

00:16:01.505 --> 00:16:02.746 align:center
and that is exactly what's going

00:16:02.786 --> 00:16:04.607 align:center
to happen throughout the progression stage.

00:16:04.887 --> 00:16:06.429 align:center
There are different ways to increase

00:16:06.449 --> 00:16:08.050 align:center
that tension, and I will explain

00:16:08.090 --> 00:16:09.751 align:center
those methods in the analysis of

00:16:09.791 --> 00:16:10.552 align:center
the next lesson.

00:16:10.792 --> 00:16:12.072 align:center
but a general way to view

00:16:12.132 --> 00:16:13.453 align:center
it is that each low point

00:16:13.493 --> 00:16:15.373 align:center
of this curve represents a new

00:16:15.513 --> 00:16:17.274 align:center
obstacle to your character's goal.

00:16:17.574 --> 00:16:18.954 align:center
The character is presented with a

00:16:18.994 --> 00:16:21.055 align:center
new obstacle, so the tension starts

00:16:21.095 --> 00:16:22.355 align:center
to build, and as soon as

00:16:22.395 --> 00:16:24.456 align:center
the character overcomes that obstacle, the

00:16:24.516 --> 00:16:25.917 align:center
tension starts to release.

00:16:26.237 --> 00:16:27.817 align:center
The optimal way is that each

00:16:28.017 --> 00:16:30.038 align:center
obstacle becomes harder to tackle over

00:16:30.098 --> 00:16:31.318 align:center
time, as this is going to

00:16:31.378 --> 00:16:33.399 align:center
create that upwards trend towards the

00:16:33.439 --> 00:16:34.019 align:center
climax.

00:16:34.499 --> 00:16:36.160 align:center
After a long progression, the next

00:16:36.220 --> 00:16:37.360 align:center
stage is the finale.

00:16:37.640 --> 00:16:38.721 align:center
This is where your tension is

00:16:38.761 --> 00:16:40.423 align:center
going to rise to its maximum

00:16:40.563 --> 00:16:42.085 align:center
right before revealing whether or not

00:16:42.105 --> 00:16:43.887 align:center
your character achieved their goal or

00:16:43.967 --> 00:16:45.529 align:center
failed at their last obstacle.

00:16:45.829 --> 00:16:47.371 align:center
The finale is the most intense

00:16:47.411 --> 00:16:49.012 align:center
and important stage of your story,

00:16:49.092 --> 00:16:50.734 align:center
because this is where the viewer

00:16:50.774 --> 00:16:52.456 align:center
will find out whether or not

00:16:52.516 --> 00:16:54.098 align:center
the long journey of the progression

00:16:54.278 --> 00:16:55.840 align:center
actually paid off, or if it

00:16:55.900 --> 00:16:56.861 align:center
was all for nothing.

00:16:57.321 --> 00:16:59.163 align:center
After the finale and the climax

00:16:59.203 --> 00:17:00.685 align:center
of our tension curve, we enter

00:17:00.705 --> 00:17:01.966 align:center
the end part of our video,

00:17:02.047 --> 00:17:03.548 align:center
which brings us to the reflection

00:17:03.608 --> 00:17:04.029 align:center
stage.

00:17:04.369 --> 00:17:05.891 align:center
From this point on, the tension

00:17:05.951 --> 00:17:07.733 align:center
is going to release as all

00:17:07.793 --> 00:17:09.435 align:center
questions that the viewer could have

00:17:09.755 --> 00:17:10.776 align:center
are being answered.

00:17:11.077 --> 00:17:12.458 align:center
I call this stage the reflection,

00:17:12.538 --> 00:17:14.220 align:center
because it is usually the part

00:17:14.481 --> 00:17:15.922 align:center
where the character reflects on their

00:17:15.962 --> 00:17:17.544 align:center
journey and thinks about what they

00:17:17.584 --> 00:17:18.185 align:center
learned from it.

00:17:18.525 --> 00:17:19.685 align:center
This is where your character has

00:17:19.725 --> 00:17:22.206 align:center
their deepest realizations, and their internal

00:17:22.247 --> 00:17:24.728 align:center
transformation becomes visible to the viewer.

00:17:25.048 --> 00:17:26.488 align:center
This is also the part where

00:17:26.588 --> 00:17:28.509 align:center
you as the storyteller are able

00:17:28.549 --> 00:17:30.250 align:center
to share the message you truly

00:17:30.310 --> 00:17:31.230 align:center
want to share.

00:17:31.470 --> 00:17:32.691 align:center
At this point of the story,

00:17:32.751 --> 00:17:35.012 align:center
the viewer accompanied your character along

00:17:35.052 --> 00:17:36.372 align:center
their wild journey through all the

00:17:36.412 --> 00:17:38.193 align:center
different highs and lows, which makes

00:17:38.233 --> 00:17:39.994 align:center
the viewer strongly identify with the

00:17:40.034 --> 00:17:40.594 align:center
character.

00:17:40.834 --> 00:17:42.675 align:center
And this means that the viewer

00:17:42.715 --> 00:17:44.555 align:center
will be receptive to the character's

00:17:44.616 --> 00:17:46.696 align:center
reflection, and probably they will even

00:17:46.776 --> 00:17:48.057 align:center
implement this live lesson

00:17:48.397 --> 00:17:49.518 align:center
into their own lives.

00:17:49.878 --> 00:17:51.299 align:center
So this is the moment to

00:17:51.339 --> 00:17:53.320 align:center
share your truth and leave the

00:17:53.380 --> 00:17:55.141 align:center
viewer with food for thought.

00:17:55.561 --> 00:17:56.262 align:center
So that's it!

00:17:56.542 --> 00:17:58.123 align:center
These are the six different stages

00:17:58.163 --> 00:17:59.423 align:center
that make up the structure of

00:17:59.543 --> 00:18:00.504 align:center
each of my videos.

00:18:00.744 --> 00:18:01.925 align:center
As I mentioned in the beginning,

00:18:02.225 --> 00:18:04.706 align:center
this chronological order of events aims

00:18:04.746 --> 00:18:05.927 align:center
to create the highest amount of

00:18:05.987 --> 00:18:08.989 align:center
clarity, understanding and tension throughout

00:18:09.009 --> 00:18:09.169 align:center
your

00:18:09.209 --> 00:18:09.609 align:center
story.

00:18:09.769 --> 00:18:10.890 align:center
There is a reason why each

00:18:10.930 --> 00:18:12.551 align:center
stage follows the other one, and

00:18:12.591 --> 00:18:14.092 align:center
in the next lesson, you're going

00:18:14.112 --> 00:18:15.492 align:center
to see each of these stages

00:18:15.633 --> 00:18:16.193 align:center
in action.

00:18:16.574 --> 00:18:18.646 align:center
Alright, let's summarize the most important

00:18:18.686 --> 00:18:20.034 align:center
points of this lesson.

00:18:22.690 --> 00:18:24.411 align:center
Story structure should never serve as

00:18:24.471 --> 00:18:26.312 align:center
a go-to template, but instead it

00:18:26.352 --> 00:18:28.714 align:center
should help you build clarity, understanding

00:18:28.794 --> 00:18:30.315 align:center
and tension throughout your story.

00:18:30.455 --> 00:18:32.797 align:center
There is no one-size-fits-all structure across

00:18:32.877 --> 00:18:34.318 align:center
all types of films, but the

00:18:34.438 --> 00:18:35.879 align:center
one I showed you today is

00:18:35.899 --> 00:18:37.860 align:center
specifically catered to long-form YouTube

00:18:37.880 --> 00:18:38.300 align:center
videos

00:18:38.420 --> 00:18:39.401 align:center
and documentaries.

00:18:39.821 --> 00:18:41.802 align:center
Tension is the viewer's desire to

00:18:41.862 --> 00:18:43.744 align:center
know what happens next and the

00:18:43.804 --> 00:18:45.765 align:center
reason why the viewer keeps watching.

00:18:45.965 --> 00:18:47.166 align:center
Tension is built out of three

00:18:47.206 --> 00:18:49.627 align:center
main components, which are anticipation,

00:18:50.008 --> 00:18:50.788 align:center
uncertainty

00:18:50.948 --> 00:18:51.769 align:center
and investment.

00:18:52.089 --> 00:18:54.130 align:center
Anticipation helps the viewer become aware

00:18:54.170 --> 00:18:56.410 align:center
of potential possibilities and can be

00:18:56.470 --> 00:18:59.331 align:center
achieved by external forces, talking about

00:18:59.391 --> 00:19:01.852 align:center
possible outcomes or foreshadowing moments that

00:19:01.892 --> 00:19:03.252 align:center
happen later in the story.

00:19:03.592 --> 00:19:05.833 align:center
Uncertainty makes the viewer unsure of

00:19:05.893 --> 00:19:07.193 align:center
whether or not the character will

00:19:07.213 --> 00:19:08.694 align:center
be able to achieve their goal,

00:19:08.994 --> 00:19:10.254 align:center
and it can be achieved with

00:19:10.334 --> 00:19:12.455 align:center
conflict that hinders the character on

00:19:12.495 --> 00:19:13.055 align:center
their journey.

00:19:13.395 --> 00:19:15.456 align:center
Strong tension can only be created

00:19:15.536 --> 00:19:17.176 align:center
if the viewer is invested in

00:19:17.216 --> 00:19:18.837 align:center
the outcome, and it can be

00:19:18.877 --> 00:19:21.137 align:center
achieved by solving a mystery, which

00:19:21.197 --> 00:19:23.738 align:center
is intellectual investment, or by identifying

00:19:23.778 --> 00:19:25.779 align:center
with the character, which is emotional

00:19:25.819 --> 00:19:26.479 align:center
investment.

00:19:26.899 --> 00:19:28.680 align:center
After tension, there always has to

00:19:28.760 --> 00:19:29.960 align:center
follow resolution.

00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:32.261 align:center
Tension is equal to raising questions,

00:19:32.481 --> 00:19:34.581 align:center
and resolution is equal to answering

00:19:34.641 --> 00:19:35.301 align:center
questions.

00:19:35.602 --> 00:19:36.982 align:center
In order to progress a story,

00:19:37.042 --> 00:19:38.242 align:center
there has to be a constant

00:19:38.282 --> 00:19:40.463 align:center
shift between tension and resolution.

00:19:40.743 --> 00:19:41.804 align:center
Over the course of a whole

00:19:41.864 --> 00:19:44.006 align:center
story, the attention curve should look

00:19:44.046 --> 00:19:44.546 align:center
like this.

00:19:45.087 --> 00:19:46.588 align:center
One small spike in the beginning,

00:19:46.768 --> 00:19:48.610 align:center
a long rise towards the climax

00:19:48.750 --> 00:19:50.511 align:center
and a resolution at the end.

00:19:50.952 --> 00:19:52.773 align:center
My story structure consists of three

00:19:52.833 --> 00:19:54.695 align:center
parts and six different stages.

00:19:54.855 --> 00:19:56.356 align:center
We have a beginning, a middle

00:19:56.496 --> 00:19:57.157 align:center
and an end.

00:19:57.397 --> 00:19:58.418 align:center
In the beginning, we have the

00:19:58.458 --> 00:20:00.179 align:center
hook, the context and the setup.

00:20:00.300 --> 00:20:01.280 align:center
In the middle, we have the

00:20:01.320 --> 00:20:02.722 align:center
progression and the finale.

00:20:03.042 --> 00:20:04.423 align:center
And in the end, we have

00:20:04.523 --> 00:20:05.284 align:center
the reflection.

00:20:05.704 --> 00:20:07.465 align:center
Okay, this lesson should have given

00:20:07.505 --> 00:20:09.146 align:center
you a good overview of how

00:20:09.186 --> 00:20:11.368 align:center
tension works and which story structure

00:20:11.448 --> 00:20:12.349 align:center
I use for all of my

00:20:12.409 --> 00:20:12.909 align:center
videos.

00:20:13.169 --> 00:20:14.050 align:center
I know that it might be

00:20:14.090 --> 00:20:15.491 align:center
a bit hard to envision what

00:20:15.531 --> 00:20:17.632 align:center
these learnings and systems actually look

00:20:17.672 --> 00:20:18.933 align:center
like in a video, and that's

00:20:18.973 --> 00:20:20.074 align:center
why I urge you to watch

00:20:20.114 --> 00:20:21.655 align:center
the next lesson in which I

00:20:21.735 --> 00:20:23.216 align:center
analyze my marathon video.

00:20:23.456 --> 00:20:24.877 align:center
In this analysis, I show you

00:20:24.977 --> 00:20:26.618 align:center
exactly what each stage of my

00:20:26.658 --> 00:20:28.359 align:center
story structure looks like, and on

00:20:28.419 --> 00:20:29.720 align:center
top of that, I explain some

00:20:29.840 --> 00:20:32.022 align:center
actionable techniques that I used to

00:20:32.082 --> 00:20:33.563 align:center
build tension throughout that video.

00:20:33.903 --> 00:20:34.989 align:center
So I'm gonna see you in

00:20:35.009 --> 00:20:35.732 align:center
the next lesson.