Complex Female Characters, Indonesian Youtube Stars, and 1970s Drive-ins

Hey all,

Just one quick thing before the links this week. This will be of interest to a lot of you newsletter readers. Friend of the newsletter Steve Bryant is looking for a Head of Marketing and Communications: “This is a great opportunity to lead a mission-driven organization that supports innovation and entrepreneurs and drives impact investing and environmental sustainability around the world, with a focus on regions like Asia, Africa, and Latin America.”

If you know someone that fits that description, get in touch with Steve. And if you have anything you think our readers will be interested in get in touch.

OK. Enjoy today’s stories.

Hugh

The Voice of a Generation: The Trope of the Complex Female Character (16 min read) 

At the Drive-in: 1970s Roadside Movies in Pictures (4 min read, pictures)

The Tiny Indonesian Village That Makes YouTube Stars (5 min read)

What Your Favourite WordArt Says About You (8 min read)

Struggling to Read (5 min read)

Why We All Need Subtitles Now (10 min video)

American Nepo Babies Have Nothing on the British (16 min read)

Scroll Stoppers: Part 5 - Unscrollable (9 min read)

How Much More Netflix Can the World Absorb? (40 min read)

Four Things Publishers Should Give Up In 2023 (5 min read)

How can we help you?

Storythings is a strategy and content company based in Brighton and London. We'd love to help you with some creative and bold ideas. Here's 3 reasons to get in touch. 

1. You want to talk to us about content production: podcasts, videos, animations, illustrations, editorial. 2. You want to talk to us about content strategy or format development.3. You want to create a brand or an identity that makes it easier to communicate your message.We do other things too. We're very friendly and always enjoy meeting people, so get in touch. 

The Voice of a Generation: The Trope of the Complex Female Character (16 min read)  Established through the necessary work of adding depth to two-dimensional women in fiction, the “complex female character” has now become a trope of its own. Here, the brilliant film journal Mubi Notebook takes a deep dive into this phenomenon through the likes of Gone Girl, Blonde and The Worst Person in the World.

At the Drive-in: 1970s Roadside Movies in Pictures (4 min read, pictures)These black-and-white images from photographer Steve Fitch capture a very particular side of the American West — the roadside theaters that have been vanishing from the landscape.

The Tiny Indonesian Village That Makes YouTube Stars (5 min read)In early 2017, in order to settle a debt, Subur Imam Hidayat taught himself how to become a successful YouTuber. Then, debt paid, Hidayat began to teach his neighbours the art of content creation. His hamlet has now become the unlikely heart of Indonesia’s growing YouTube community. 

What Your Favourite WordArt Says About You (8 min read)This fun piece answers a question that no one was asking. Lyla Maeve consults her tarot cards in order to decode your creative past, present and future from your noughties-era formatting choices.

Struggling to Read (5 min read)Here, Grant Faulkner describes our “reading brain” – or our ability for deep reflection – and argues that we can retrain our brains away from the type of skim-reading that we’ve learnt from screens and devices. “It turns out we are not only what we read. We are how we read.” 

Why We All Need Subtitles Now (10 min video)Switching on subtitles when watching a film or TV show is becoming more popular. This video from Vox explores why dialogue has become so hard to hear in recent years, coming up with a few reasons from an industry standpoint. Storythings has also recently explored the increase in the use of subtitles from an audience research perspective in part 3 of our Scroll Stoppers newsletter.

American Nepo Babies Have Nothing on the British (16 min read)In December, New York Magazine provided a detailed examination into the world of nepotism in Hollywood. Now Vice has come for the “nepo babies” in the UK. “Nepotism in the UK is different in the same way that Ricky Gervais’ The Office differs to Steve Carrell’s: It’s subtler, nastier, and arguably more effective in achieving its aims.”

Scroll Stoppers: Part 5 - Unscrollable (9 min read)This week we shared Part 5 of our research Scroll Stoppers: six ways hybrid work is changing our attention. This week’s chapter explores the value of unskippable media and includes a great reading list.

How Much More Netflix Can the World Absorb? (40 min read)This great, deep profile on Netflix's global head of tv programming, Bela Bajaria contains one of the best quotes we’ve seen on what makes a great commissioner/editor:“Many people who have worked with Bajaria described her uncommon decisiveness. Creative decision-making can be agonizing, especially when many millions of dollars are on the line. Bajaria does not overthink. A colleague in movies and miniseries, who asked not to be named, said, ‘The thing is, she’s not an intellectual. She’s smart. There’s a difference. She’s bold, and that’s what it takes. […] You need to be able to say yes and keep forging ahead.’”

Four Things Publishers Should Give Up In 2023 (5 min read)It might be a bit late for new year’s resolutions, but we loved this list of things you might not need to worry about if you’re publishing content in 2023. Cross these things permanently off your to-do list, then go out and enjoy your weekend!

We hope you've enjoyed this week's newsletter. I'm sure some of your friends would love to read it. Sharing it would be really appreciated. If you've received this from a friend you can subscribe here and get it direct to your inbox every Friday.

Thanks for reading. We’ll see you all next week.

Hugh, Matt, Anjali and the whole team at Storythings.