We recently delivered a Profile to a woman who had laughed at the thought that she would want one, “Although I adore my dog, why would I ever want to talk about my pet on a video? I’m not that vain!” So of course we knew we had this woman just where we wanted her! Why?
Because media is changing so rapidly that people don’t yet fully understand the power to express their own lives through storytelling. Most people communicate in a fluid daily mix of media that they are generating and consuming often on the same device. But they don’t see what we, as Producers, see: that by simply stopping to deeply reflect on one’s own stories, you are generating new forms of media from which you directly benefit.
After we delivered the Profile about her dog, we received this note: “OMG I AM BLOWN AWAY!!!! Love it, yes I am converted this is great, i would give this as a gift to people I love !!! THANKS SO MUCH”
How could someone do such an about-face? It was easy. Telling the story out-loud opened a torrent of emotionality she didn’t know was there. Try these strategies and you will be shocked by the depth of your own storytelling:
The First-person is You
Daily texting, phone calls and video chats rely on rapid fire give-and-take. It happens quickly and economically. The opposite mental process occurs when you are answering questions during an interview. It’s very refreshing. You are talking solely from your perspective ABOUT YOURSELF. There is no requirement to volley the conversation back and forward. You quickly place yourself in your very best detailed memories. This immediately opens doors that reveal your most important transformations. Often they have dimmed over time. Our happy client realized there were very important moments of her life that her dog represented, once she began to speak about herself,
Take the 5 Year Test
Technology is about ‘now’ and that’s good. But exploring things that are deeply personal and resonant to you often requires a bit of digging. Whatever was important to you at least 5-10 years ago is something you should be reflecting on now. Your Profile will only become more valuable in the future if it includes very detailed remembrances that rise above the tug of our daily domesticities.
Follow the Passion
Where there is love, there was passion. When we conduct an interview we often seek to explore even the smallest passions people have. Often initial passion is replaced with a tempered, long-range expression of love. Talking about the roots of a new relationship always amplifies a sense of youthful joy.
The key to video is the exhilaration that comes from watching the yourself with a bit of perspective. It is a satisfaction that resonates years after your telling.
Comments welcome to Jan Dickler at producers@PersonalCastStudios.com