The power of a story well told. Five lessons from Infinity & Beyond.
I had lined up a range of clips to show the BBC TV journalists in my storytelling workshop last week. There were clips from BBC News, VICE, Channel 4 News and a couple of documentaries.
And I also showed them the “Toy Story” trailer.
Yes, I hear the cynicism around the term ‘storytelling’. I acknowledge it’s become over-used by some marketers. And I know a few people who roll their eyes at the mention of the ‘S word’. But let’s not forget the power of a good story well told. If we strip it back to basics, a good story moves the audience, it takes them on a journey across the threshold, it changes hearts and minds.
Whether you’re a journalist or a marketing director, I think Toy Story exemplifies the qualities of good storytelling.
It was released 21 years ago this month — the first feature-length computer animated film. As I’m sure you know, it’s a film about a child’s toys, but it’s told from a different perspective — the toys’.
Director John Lasseter wanted to show the audience things they were familiar with, but in ways they hadn’t seen before. When the child — Andy — leaves his bedroom, the toys come alive. The toys have meetings, there’s an organisational hierarchy. A whole new world has been created, one that immediately draws us in.
The Toy Story clip helped me highlight the importance of looking at a story from a different perspective. And it also gave me the opportunity to shine a light on the lessons the film holds for storytellers:
- Tell a story from a different angle. Told from the perspective of the toys is a reminder to all of us to try looking at things from a fresh angle.
- Introduce conflict or drama early on. There are two days a year that toys dread: Christmas and birthdays, because that’s when new toys appear. Woody’s world is rocked when Buzz Lightyear arrives on Andy’s birthday; he’s worried that Andy will be seduced by this new shiny, cool toy. We are hooked early on. What will happen to Woody? A story always needs to grab the audience’s attention… and keep it glued.
- Feature juxtaposed characters. Woody and Buzz are very different personalities— the drama comes from the juxtaposition between the old cowboy and the shiny new spaceman. There’s a twist though, because although they start out as rivals, they end up on the same side. Despite the juxtapositions, there are similarities between Woody and Buzz. A cowboy and a space ranger are both pioneers, exploring new territories, they have more in common than you might first think. Your story needs characters like Woody & Buzz, to introduce a challenge, to create tension. A tale of Old vs New or David vs Goliath.
- Give it some emotion. In Toy Story we care about Woody & Buzz’s quest to escape the evil Sid. They may be toys, but perhaps we recognise something of ourselves in the characters? We care about how the story ends. Your story needs to have that emotional hook too.
- Take your audience on a journey. Every story should be a journey of transformation. Toy Story is ultimately a tale of two characters and their journey from being rivals to becoming buddies, and of finding their way home. Stories need to take your audience on a journey too. Open your audience’s eyes to new possibilities, to have their world view challenged, from how they see things now to how things could be.
A good story is a good story. Whether it’s a news report, a kids’ book or the story of how your business started, are these building blocks present in your stories?
You might not expect a training day for TV journalists to feature a Pixar movie, but like any industry, often we need to get out of our bubble to take inspiration from new places. And sometimes we need to go “to infinity and beyond…”
Do you want to go to “infinity and beyond”?!
If you’d like to hire me to lead a storytelling workshop in your organisation or help your brand or business tell its story, get in touch.
Let’s talk: hello@iansanders.com
More about me: iansanders.com
