From the course: Storytelling for Business Video

Infotainment

From the course: Storytelling for Business Video

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Infotainment

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- We've talked about story, and we've talked about structure. Now it's time to talk about you. You and your story. Before we discover what your story is, it's smart to talk about what it isn't. First off, your story isn't fiction. True, we're using fiction tools to tell your story, but the substance of your story must be true. What's imagination and fiction in business, they call lying. Fiction relies on the appearance of reality to entertain the viewer by putting him in another world. That's called verisimilitude. Pronounce that one correctly and you'll impress everyone in the room, the half that knows what the word means and the half that pretends it does. In business however, we must be dealing in straight reality if we're ever to get our viewer to trust us over time. That's called authenticity. Most business videos do tell the truth, but the truth is they bore me to tears. And we already know that most movies and TV or online shows we watch have very little to do with the real world, even if they feel like they do. Your business video must truthfully inform and entertain. That's called infotainment. Why is infotainment so important to your business video? Half the answer, you already know. The most engaging way to communicate your message is via storytelling. Your viewer won't just be happier that your video is engaging, he'll be more likely to absorb your message. The other half of the infotainment equation is about the wisdom of the crowd. They say you can't fool all the people all the time, and in this case they're right. Today's audiences have watched thousands of hours of video from the internet to TV, to the big screen. They're pros at it and anything they're not sure of, their smartphones can verify. If you're inauthentic, your audience will see right through you. Worse than that, they'll tell their friends.

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