How to Effectively Watch TV to Improve Your Storytelling Skills
If you have a YouTube channel, blog, podcast…
Then strategic TV watching will help you with your storytelling skills.
When you’re a content creator, you live to create compelling narratives that hook others.
We are no longer in the information age.
We are now in the storytelling age.
All the information in the world doesn’t matter.
It’s the narrative that hooks us and transforms us.
TV can be a waste of time if you have no clue how to use the medium.
Sort of like opening a book, and not paying attention to the lines.
But when you pay attention to the lines in a book, you level up your understanding of the world.
Likewise, when you pay attention to the images of the TV, you level up your storytelling skills.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Tip #1: Keep Your Phone in Another Room
If I have my phone near me, then I will be on my phone when I should be watching the TV.
There are plenty of nights where I have been productive the whole day and the last thing I want to do is be more productive.
But on the days that I want to use the TV to learn, I put my phone in another room.
A micro distraction is still a distraction.
When I am interrupted by my phone, I miss crucial details of the plot.
For example, directors will zoom in on a character’s face to show they are nervous.
In books, it’s clear to tell the emotional state of the character.
The author will write:
‘In a panicked voice, Walt said…’
Where with film, the consumer needs to be able to spot these emotions.
I can spot these emotions when my phone is not distracting me.
Tip #2: Rewatch Old Series
When you are first watching a TV series, you have no clue where it’s going.
Chances are you will miss a lot of crucial details because you are just trying to keep up with the plot.
In the future, when you rewatch the content, you’ll see things that you didn’t see before.
When I first watched Breaking Bad, I thought seasons 1 and 2 were boring.
How could anyone consider this to be the greatest show of all time?
A few years later, I rewatched the series.
When I rewatched the series, everything made sense.
Seasons 1 and 2 were meant to show how innocent Walt was.
How he was initially such a good guy.
Slowly, he transformed.
He gradually turned from a good guy into a monster.
Without season 1 and 2, I would not have been able to appreciate the depth of his transformation.
Bonus tip: Watch YouTube channels that analyze film. I thought I knew Breaking Bad until I watched these analysis channels who broke down film for a living. Their analysis helped me appreciate each character much more. Just type in a TV show you are watching + “analysis” in the search bar.
Tip #3: Avoid Focusing on the Micro Details Too Much
I saw this popular guy on Twitter who said that he watches TV with a notepad.
He writes down every little detail.
I thought that was overkill.
My philosophy is the exact opposite.
Don’t write down any notes.
Let your body tell you what is important.
Your only responsibility is to watch the TV show and see which part of the film your body gets drawn to.
When your body gets hooked onto something, it shows you how raw curiosity works.
The common man is not consuming a TV show with a notepad.
They are consuming a TV show after a long day of work.
What draws their attention despite feeling tired?
Those moments of a film will teach you about the fundamentals of storytelling.
Tip #4: Don’t Just Watch 1 Type of Content
You may think:
‘Documentaries are good to watch, while reality TV is bad to watch.’
Incorrect.
In my book, Art and Science Storytelling, I share how all content is good content for storytelling.
From gruesome documentaries, to empowering motivational talks, to silly reality shows.
Don’t put yourself in 1 box.
The more variety you have, the more you will build your visual literacy.
When you watch new content, be patient and give it a chance.
Don’t turn it off at the first second it cringes you out.
Cringe can be good with storytelling.
The introduction of Love Island was so cheesy that I was tempted to turn it off.
However, I stuck through it.
I made it to episode 2.
By episode 2, it wasn’t as cheesy.
It was more serious.
The director was strategically putting in the cheesiness to spark curiosity.
If the show started off super serious, then the audience would not have been tempted to watch.
Tip #5: Watch With a Crew
There are times you want to watch content by yourself.
Other times, you want to watch with a group.
When you watch content with someone, make side remarks.
Not so many side remarks where you are distracting the other person from the story.
But a remark here and there to let them know your thoughts.
They’ll contribute back too.
Y’all will introduce new perspectives to each other that y’all would not have had solo.
TV Series Are Efficient
Nowadays, I like TV series more than movies.
I’m pretty sure my opinion will favor movies in a few years.
Preferences come in waves.
TV shows are a great resource to learn storytelling because you are seeing the final product that a group has worked years to build.
It took a group of writers, actors, film directors, camera men, and much more to produce this piece of content.
Don’t just mindlessly consume it.
Consume it with your phone in a different room.
Focus with your body.
Learn the ins and outs of storytelling.
Then get those lessons, and apply them to your YouTube channel, blog and podcast!
For more insights into storytelling, check out the Art & Science of Storytelling book
✨Ebook
✨Paperback/Kindle
✨Audiobook
– ArmaniTalks 🎙️🔥
