Explanatory video storytelling:

Using motion graphics to simplify complicated topics

With Teresa Mahoney, video journalist at The Oregonian/OregonLive

Think about trying to write out how to tie your shoes…Some things are better explained with visuals.

What is explanatory

video

● Tells the story of one idea (not usually a person) with beginning, middle, end

● It’s usually one idea with Uses graphics to illustrate things that are otherwise hard to see - Ex: “The rocks beneath the stream”

● Uses visuals and metaphor to ease cognitive load

● Usually there’s one question the question the video will answer:

○ “Why are the fish in 15 mile creek endangered?”

○ “Why do Oregonians hate umbrellas?”

Intro to explanatory video:

Challenges:

● 4-part series

● 1,000 of data on salmon migration patterns and their declining populations

Read full story here

Intro to explanatory video:

Via The Oregonian

Solutions:

● Choose one small set of representative data

● “Humanize” it with characters

Intro to explanatory video:

This video shows the journey of three steelhead trying to make it home to spawn and the human-created challenges they face along the way.

The video uses After Effects, fish data and photos to tell the story.

Via The Oregonian

Another, more simple example:

This video explains Portland’s crow problem.

It uses video footage, interviews, sourced footage with and After Effects to tell the story.

Via The Oregonian

Explanatory video in 12 steps

1. Idea >> Choose and narrow the topic

2. Reporting and research >> pull the most interesting facts

3. Pitch >> Ask others, does this work?

4. Outline >> Try to tell your story in ~10 bullet points

5. Style >> Choose a concept. Will you use motion graphics or stop motion to tell this story? What themes/metaphors will explain concepts?

6. Script >> Write it down

7. Storyboard >> Go line by line and decide on visuals

8. Radio cut >> Just an edit of the audio

9. Rough cut >> Audio + laying down all the basic visuals

10. Fine cut >> Add finesse, transitions, etc.

11. Final cut >> Done!

12. Publish and share >> All the social media

Script-writing tips● Write conversationally

>> writing that sounds “talked” not read● Keep sentences short ● Write to the visuals

○ >> see a cow, show a cow● Don’t use $5 words

○ >> Use simple sentences and language. Hold the viewer's hand.

● Round out numbers○ Don’t be afraid to break rules if appropriate >> Start

sentences with “And” “But” and “So”. ● Remember, you’re telling a story:

○ >>think beginning, middle, end

Storyboarding: The two-column script● Write your script using two

columns

● The right column should be the script that you narrate.

● The left column should be a written description of what we’ll see with each line.

● Each line should have its own row.

Visuals Narration

Here’s what we’ll see when the first line is narrated.

This is my first line.

Here’s what we’ll see when the first line is narrated.

This is my second line.

Etc. Etc.

Storyboarding: The two-column script

● Then you can make a second version with a rough sketch (hand-drawn or otherwise) in the left column

Visuals Narration

This is my first line.

This is my second line.

Etc.

You don’t NEED motion graphics

● Graphics are just one tool available to you. Everything depends on your vision and creativity.

● Anything can by anything.

● What is important is to establish the rules by which you are playing. Ex: a layered cake could be an underground aquifer. A beachball can represent planet earth.

● So get crafty!

Get crafty: Creative Approaches

This video explains how salmonella spreads using crafting feathers and construction paper.

Via The Oregonian

Get crafty: Creative Approaches

This video explains how ‘The Big One” works using hands and simple lines and text.

Via The Oregonian

Get crafty: Creative Approaches

This video explains fracking using pastries and a blow torch.

Via Inside Energy

Get crafty: Creative Approaches

Via The Guardian

This video shows World Cup highlights using Legos.

Get crafty: Creative Approaches

This video explains the delegate process using peeps.

Via Los Angeles Times

Get crafty: Creative Approaches

This video explains the world’s population using glasses of colored liquid to visualize births (water drips into the glass) and deaths (it escapes through the bottom).

Via Skunk Bear (NPR)

Get crafty: Creative Approaches

Via MinutePhysics

This video explains pi using beads and a ruler.

Get crafty: Creative Approaches

This video explains gun violence drawing on charts on a clipboard and archival footage.

Via Vox

Get crafty: Creative Approaches

This video explains ocean acidification using betta fish and claymation.

Via The Grist

Exercise: Create a 3-panel storyboard

Junk drawer exercise:

1. Pick an item from the “junk drawer.” 2. Figure out a way to explain your company

(or a specific part of it) using the item. 3. Create three-panel storyboard with a three

sentence narration. 4. Be ready to share with the group.

After Effect resources● Mt. Mograph

● EC Abrams

● School of Motion

Questions??