In every corner of the world, there are countless stories to be told. From poetry to podcasts, there are so many ways to share ideas and experiences. But what makes a story worthy of putting together a video?
Videos for short-form and long-form each have their criteria. To start, here are some general rules of thumb that apply to both.
Show Don’t Tell
As communicators, we are bombarded with content options each day. To determine which ones are video-worthy, start by trying to visualize them in your head.
Visual stories show, not tell. Think about the arts and watching people create, from dancers and musicians to painters and carpenters. They convey concepts and emotions through movement, energy, and expression. You become enveloped in a journey of discovery with them. 
For example, Colorado State University Master of Fine Arts Graphic Design artist Seojung Lee wanted to challenge stereotypes surrounding Asian American and Pacific Islander women. As shown in this video project with the Asian Pacific American Cultural Center at CSU, this message comes to life through the creation of art. 
Students work with Lee to print t-shirts with her graphic designs of empowering messages and imagery. There is an active journey from beginning to end, where we watch something unfold.
Plus, not many people have seen t-shirt printing before, which brings us to our next point: novelty.
Novelty
Research suggests that the average human attention span is about 8 seconds (yikes) and that the brain prioritizes novel stimuli. Novelty involves surprise, shock, bewilderment, and curiosity. Consider stories that have visual aspects that may be peculiar or novel.
If you can imagine your story having an attention-grabbing scene through novelty and unpredictability, it would likely make for a strong video.
Take a look at this Instagram video posted by @mixdazzle. Have you ever seen a stop-motion video of cooking using yarn and threads? Not many have, and it will surely stop people in their tracks.
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Every story has a climax
Whether it’s a fifteen-second video or a feature-length documentary, powerful visual stories have a climax or turning point. In long-form storytelling, from fiction to non-fiction films, there is always a buildup toward a tipping point. Characters embark on a transformational journey toward undiscovered nuggets of truth. The journey is sparked by tension or unease, brought on by an antagonist or problem presented in the beginning.
We are all familiar with seeing this in movies and shows. But what about short, social media videos? Think about the reveal component in vertical, social media videos. Even an Instagram Reel travel clip can reveal a stunning landscape on the horizon. A fashionista influencer can reveal how garbage can become a stunning outfit or design. No matter the length, establish anticipation with your audience.
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Compelling characters who are relatable
Humans intrinsically seek connections. Even with flawless cinematography, videos are hardly memorable without relatable people. In the social media world, it’s the influencers and personalities that hook people in.
Research highlights the power of character identification and empathy to influence persuasion and memory recall. Researchers say empathy with characters releases oxytocin, a “feel-good” hormone, that helps with memory recall. Good characters equate to memorable videos. Center your ideas on someone relatable or influential for your key audience.
That key moment
It is well-known that effective stories cultivate powerful emotions. Joy, anger, inspiration, surprise, amusement, and compassion are some examples of powerful emotions.
With video, capturing key moments that easily stimulate powerful emotions is essential. If you have that pivotal moment, you do not need an entire narrative to get people to engage and share.
Here are a few examples of highly engaged-with content from CSU’s Instagram with that key moment. From a touchdown catch to win a monumental game to a dog taking their first steps after physical therapy, sometimes the most successful videos are a few seconds of intimate emotions.
The visceral journey
From videos to books, every story has a narrative arc across all mediums. Although we did not unpack all the structural elements of a narrative, the components discussed thus far are integral pieces to a narrative.
These components make video storytelling unique. The video provides a visceral journey, where viewers feel they experienced everything themselves.
Remember, creativity cannot be put into a box. We hope these tips serve as starting points or guidelines. Tap into what you engage with and share the most. You will never know what undiscovered nuggets of truth you may find.