Crafting a Meaningful Story in Video Editing
It's not hard to pick up a camera and film. What takes a little more skill is being able to craft a meaningful story in the editing process—especially when it comes to interviews and structuring the video. I'll share with you some effective tips that I have learned over the last ten years of filming documentaries and commercial projects.
Narrative Inquiry
If you understand the basics of Narrative Inquiry and ask the right questions in the interview, the editing process becomes much easier.
The biggest mistake most videographers make is not asking the right questions. Narrative Inquiry aims to learn from the essence of people’s shared experiences and stories. It describes a situation—or more so, a changed situation or sequence of events—that viewers can relate to.
Some key components for a good narrative story are:
Abstract – Summary of the substance of the whole narrative.
Orientation – An overview of the time, place, situation, and participants.
Complication – The sequence of events: what happened, what worked, what didn’t work—especially what didn’t work.
Evaluation – The significance and meaning of the action and attitude of the storyteller.
Resolution – What finally happened, how any complications were resolved, and what the outcomes were.
Tail – Summary of the story, bringing perspective back to the present moment—for example, what is the status now?
Four Simple Questions to Ask:
How was the situation in the beginning?
What happened to you?
What happened then?
What was the impact? What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
What is your situation now? How are you feeling now?
Feeling – The Key to Human Connection
To create and capture a story with feeling—one that moves the audience—it must be structured to show progression: the initial situation, the challenges faced, and where the subject is now, including how they feel.
This is basic storytelling—creating contrast to highlight a journey. However, what I am most interested in is the last part: how they are feeling now.
By asking your interviewee at the end of the interview, “How are you feeling now?” something very interesting happens. Real human connection is created. This question invites the interviewee to share from a deeper place—not just from their brain, but from their heart, which is the centre of feeling.
This is not something strange—everyone has experienced their heart naturally, maybe at the birth of their child or even just watching a sunset—a moment when they are deeply touched. This is the heart. This is the key to authentic connection.
When someone speaks from their heart, it also invites the viewer to feel what they are sharing from their heart as well. This creates a deeper connection and a sense of warmth, resulting in a video that is authentic, moving, and leaves a lasting impression on the audience.
Editing
When it comes to editing the video, by following this simple structure, your videos will undoubtedly come across as more authentic and moving. Stay tuned for upcoming posts, which will dive into the technical side of structuring the edit in Premiere Pro.
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