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When Story Met Impact: Using Impact Storytelling in your next Project Ep93
•Sue Collins •Season 2•Episode 93
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In the 93rd episode of the Moonshine Moonshot podcast, host Sue Collins discusses the fundamentals that make a story impactful in filmmaking, and how YOU can use impact storytelling to create films that inspire real-world change.
From the importance of a compelling narrative to the significance of a call to action - Sue explores how impactful storytelling can go above and beyond the “entertainment value” to engage and inspire audiences and highlights the use of storytelling to drive action and enhance awareness.
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Hello, and welcome to episode 93. And today I am talking about what makes a story impactful and how do you use impact storytelling in documentary or filmmaking. Having a great story does not mean it's definitely going to have an impact if it's not well told by someone the audience connects with or doesn't present a challenge that's overcome or have a point of view or a call to action, it's unlikely to make much of an impact. Without any of these elements, the film is for entertainment, which is great, but it's not an impact film. I think a really good example of this is actually I saw Dune 2 on the weekend and I absolutely loved it. It was definitely one of the best films I have seen in the cinema, and the everything about it is visually just quite incredible. But the film is for entertainment. It is a very, very entertaining story. It is uh what I would consider one of the most complicated stories you could try and tell on screen. But it is not going to get an audience to join a movement or take up a cause. So it's not an impact film. But if you think about it, when you watch films like, say, That Sugar Film or An Inconvenient Truth or even Conquering Cervical Cancer, which was a recent release that we produced, you'll have audiences out getting a screening for cervical cancer, or they'll take their children to get an HPV vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer after seeing the film, or you know, the example of that sugar film, they might change their dietary habits, or an inconvenient truth. They might have a much better understanding for the environment and actually be much more conscious of the way that they live. You can, you know, you can do all kinds of things with impact storytelling. I mean, as I said in the example of conquering cervical cancer, I mean, that story is about how we now have a vaccine that can prevent nine different cancers, including cervical cancer. And that's just an incredible invention that is potentially going to eliminate the first cancer in human history. So these are really powerful stories. Welcome to the Moonshine Moonshot Podcast. I'm your host, Sue Collins, and if you've landed here, it means you're wanting to find out more about how to make filmmaking a sustainable career. And you're also curious about how to make meaningful work that fills your cup. You're ready to learn how to make movies that matter, build a sustainable career, and have a positive impact on your audiences. So you are in the right place. Filmmaking has so many parts, and I'm sharing what I've learned over the past 15 years producing impact films that reach their intended audience and support real-world change. So let's get started. But let's talk a little bit more about what is actually meant by impactful storytelling. An impact story doesn't have to be around a serious issue, it doesn't even have to be a factual film. In fact, some of the best impact films are narrative films. Think of things like, you know, The Blind Side or one that absolutely terrified the pants off me called Contagion or The Green Book or Just Mercy. Now these are just examples, there are so many of them. But basically, once somebody has read or watched the story, they feel inspired or compelled to get involved, to learn more, or to take an action. It is not passive viewing, it is not just click away and you're on to the next thing. A great impact story can change people's minds on a topic. They might feel a strong emotion either while watching it or afterwards. The film has a purpose, whether it's to inform, engage, inspire, provoke, or connect. And the call to action is important. You need to give people a way to engage beyond the story. And that could be things like a QA session where they can ask questions. It could be by signing up to a newsletter to stay informed or potentially making a donation to the cause, or something like I mentioned before, where when people went and saw our film Conquering Cervical Cancer, they were able to take an action like getting a health screening or helping their friends or families to do so. So, you know, another really good film that I saw recently was Coda, and I think that is an impact film in many ways because it's really highlighting life for people who don't have hearing. And it was a really beautiful story, it's based on a true story, and the only downside I found to it was at the end there was no call to action. So you feel really moved by the film, but then there's not really anything you can do after you've watched it other than just really enjoy it and ask other people to see it. So if you're in the process of developing an impact story, then I think there are some practical things that you need to consider because creative choices, like will you use a presenter or a narrator or both are really going to have um a lot of, you know, a lot of that's really going to come out in the way you tell the story and how impactful it actually is. So let's let's cover off this first one. Who's telling the story? Is the lead character like your audience? Meaning, can your audience relate to them and their plight in some way? Will they share a common world view or a core concern? And will that allow the audience to emphasize strongly with them? Who will the sport who will the supporting characters be? Will they support the lead character? Is one of them an authoritative voice that gives your main character credibility? An expert or respected person? For example, if your lead character is an everyday person, could an expert support their mission and validate the information for the audience? Are there other people in the story that bring different perspectives? How will you tell a story to your audience in a way that really resonates and connects with them? Your lead character is a very important choice, and these are choices that you have to make as the filmmaker. So something else you've really got to consider is what is the challenge or obstacle that needs to be overcome? And this is true of any story. I mean, it doesn't have to be an impact film. This is just a critical point for any kind of storytelling. Now, with regards to impact storytelling and obstacles, a good example might be I was the presenter on conquering cervical cancer, and I was exploring how the world could rise up to eliminate cervical cancer. Because currently a woman dies every two minutes from this present preventable disease. I was not the lead character in this story, but my role was to help the audience navigate the journey. The lead characters were all women who had survived cervical cancer and their missions to help eliminate the disease. And they were supported by experts who were also on that mission, doctors, policymakers, global health experts, etc. So the challenge that needed to be overcome was education and access to health services. And what stood between the hero and success? Well, many things, cultural barriers, disparities of health, access to services, and so on. So the stakes are really high. And success means saving the lives of an estimated 62 million women worldwide. So it's a very important story and one that is well worth telling with plenty of obstacles and challenges in the way of success. Oh, I was just looking for a place where I could learn everything I need to know to make an amazing film that changes the world. It's such a shame that that place doesn't exist. Oh what? Hang on, it does. Oh, if you're looking for inspiration, ideas, tools, and ways to learn how to make movies that matter, head to Moonshine Communications Academy over at Instagram and all your problems will be solved.
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And this leads to my next point, which is point of view or purpose. Do you as a filmmaker have a point of view or a purpose and how will you weave that into your story? Are you seeking an outcome? In the example I've used, the outcome for conquering cervical cancer was to provide hope that success is possible because it is, and to inspire audiences to take an action. So showing hope, showing how life could be different if the plight is successful. And I had a really great conversation yesterday while researching for a completely new project we're producing called Conquering Breast Cancer. And yes, it doesn't sound completely new because it's part of a series and it's part of the Conquering Cancer series. So we've done conquering cervical cancer, we're working on conquering skin cancer, and we're in development on conquering breast cancer. So this conversation was with an academic who has written extensively on hope-based communications, and it was so good to hear that his approach is similar to ours. And we want to inspire audiences through our stories, and using hope is a really important tool in helping people or audiences to connect to a story and feel empowered that change is possible. And I've got to say, it's really one of the great joys of producing documentary films. You get to meet some truly inspiring people and learn in-depth about topics, and it's really immersive. And you know, it was really fun to be connected with this particular expert yesterday who's not just an academic but has actually produced some documentaries of his own that have been very successful. So we got to talk a lot about hope-based communications and documentary filmmaking. I'll speak more about impact filmmaking in the coming episodes. And the key takeaway that I'm hoping you've got from this episode is that there is a really big difference between making films for entertainment and making films for an impact. Impact films are very intentional in the outcomes that they are looking to create. So really think about your plight. What do you want your film to achieve? Beyond awards and accolades, what are you trying to make or inspire and how will you craft a story that can achieve that? Alright, well, that is a lot for you to ponder. So happy filmmaking, and I will be back next week. And I'm going to talk more next week about impact filmmaking and how to figure out who your audience is. Can you define your audience? And is getting focused on a niche actually going to help you reach a broader audience? So it's a big topic, and I am looking forward to sharing more with you on it next week. Speak to you soon. Thank you for joining me today and every week here on the Moonshine Moonshot Podcast. If you're wanting a deeper dive into the topics being discussed on the show, then I would encourage you to head over to Moonshine Communications Academy.com and sign up for the weekly drop of moonshine via your email. Being on our newsletter community means we can support your filmmaking journey in a more tailored way as well as keeping you up to date with the resources we share on how to make movies that matter, and so much more that we deliver inside your inbox every single week. So head over to Moonshine CommunicationsAcademy.com and at the bottom of the homepage you'll see a little box to add your email address, and as a thank you for signing up, we'll also send you a bonus ebook to support your messaging. So voila, you'll be on the way to receive all the best content weekly.
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