Fake Quotes, Strategy Frameworks and Authentic Media

Hey all,

We have some new work. Bellagio Perspectives is the second publication we’ve developed and produced for the Rockefeller Foundation (we also divided and produced the Bellagio Bulletin). Each Perspective is a collection of conversations that highlight the work of Bellagio Center residents and conveners who are driving progress on globally pressing issues such as Climate and Racial and Economic Justice. Our mission is to help all our clients become world-class storytellers so we’re very proud of the world-class stories of impact coming out of the Bellagio Center.

We’re hiring! We’re looking for a project manager to join our team. If you understand creative processes and have good experience in supporting creative teams deliver their best work, we’d love to hear from you.

Finally, if your content strategy isn’t cutting through or audience engagement has plateaued it might be time to try something new. Hit the button below to get a free 30-minute consultation.

Right, I’m taking a week off for my birthday. Have the best of weekends and enjoy the links.

Hugh

What Does a ‘Video Day’ Look Like For Consumers? (7 min read)

A Fearless New Orleans Activist and Comedian Faces His Mortality (16 min watch)

Brilliant Amateur Special Effect (3 min watch)

The Strategy Framework Bank (list of resources)

Formats Unpacked: Sample Breakdowns (7 min read)

The Uncanny Valley of Media (5 min read)

The Banned Wagon (1 min read)

A Gorgeous New V&A Website For Creatively Curious Kids (5 min read)

Great Quote. But Who Really Said It? (8 min read)

Why You Should Have the Courage to Speak in Grade School Language (1 min read)

How can we help you?

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

1. Audience Strategy – Do you struggle to understand constantly changing audience behaviours, and what strategies you need to reach them?2. Content Format Development – Do you want to develop and test content formats that give you a direct relationship with your audience? (e.g. videos, podcasts, newsletters, etc).3. Production – Do you need help creating and running an existing or new content format?We do other things too. We're very friendly and always enjoy meeting people, so get in touch. 

What Does a ‘Video Day’ Look Like For Consumers?We are obsessed with audience attention at Storythings. We have to be if we’re going to deliver content strategy and production that really connects our clients with their audience. So this research from Channel 4 caught our attention and is worth a read. In trying to define the typical video day, they wanted to understand why video has grown so much that it now absorbs people more than five hours a day, how do types of content make people feel, what are their emotional reactions, and what benefits do they get from watching.

A Fearless New Orleans Activist and Comedian Faces His MortalityWe’re big fans of Short Doc Club by . “I just started taking Ambien because I heard it makes you sleepwalk” jokes New Orleans artist and comedian who faces his mortality in this short doc. It’s beautifully told, intimate, thoughtful, and incredibly moving. Rob interviews filmmaker Hannah Engleson about her storytelling approach which perfectly fits this description: “In general, I like to be able to straddle a line between super funny, silly, and goofy, and serious, existential, and dark. I like those extremes, and so the films I make live in that space. Jonah lived in that space.”

Brilliant Amateur Special EffectMasquerade is a Japanese TV show that has been running since 1979. Amateur groups or solo artists perform short performances, which are rated by a panel of judges. It’s like Britain’s Got Talent for analog cinematic special effects. The groups and artists are so creative each short video is a joy to watch.

The Strategy Framework BankI like a good framework. And I like a good list of frameworks. I’m always on the lookout and save them on a special Slack channel making it a list of lists of frameworks. This list is a collection of business, brand, innovation, campaign, experience, and design models curated by Jess Bonhomme. It’s definitely one to bookmark.

Formats Unpacked: Sample BreakdownsThis is a wonderful piece of content marketing unpacked by James Caig. You don’t have to be a musical trainspotter to appreciate how awesome these musical explainers are. As appreciators of beautifully crafted and well-designed ‘show don’t tell’ storytelling, you will love the simplicity and the a-ha moments that come with these.

The Uncanny Valley of MediaA fantastic read from Brian Morrissey on how the media’s idea of what real conversations sound like can be jarring. Consumers and makers of media are spending a lot of time watching and listening to real people have real conversations on podcasts and YouTube. But what the media presents back as ‘authentic’ feels more like scripted reality TV. We talk a lot in Formats Unpacked about how difficult it is to make authentic conversations happen, and great formats know the tricks to use.

The Banned WagonI love this from Penguin Random House. Book bans are on the rise across America. So this month, Penguin Random House are hitting the road with the Freedom to Read Foundation, Pen America, and Little Free Library to hand out copies of banned books in some of the most affected communities. This site features lists of bands books and resources for parents, authors and creators.

A Gorgeous New V&A Website For Creatively Curious KidsIf you have kids and want to spark their curiosity or get them to exercise their creative muscles point them in the direction of Mused. It’s is packed with quizzes, challenges and articles about art & design, fashion, music, film & TV and gaming.

Great Quote. But Who Really Said It?Henry Ford, Maya Angelou, and Martin Luther King Jr. quotes are cited frequently by leaders. You know them…faster horses…how you make people feel…etc. But did they really say those words?

Why You Should Have the Courage to Speak in Grade School LanguageIf it’s good enough for these history makers…

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 below 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.