5 things to write down to trick yourself into making better videos

Every so often, when you’re watching videos, make note of these 5 key things about it. That’s it. Once you start spotting these moments in other videos, you’ll accidentally be…

This is based on a similar tactic I learned when I studied storytelling.

It’s simple, and it works WONDERS for video creation.

Every so often, when you’re watching videos, make note of these 5 key things about it. That’s it. Once you start spotting these moments in other videos, you’ll accidentally be teaching yourself tiny tricks on how to make your videos better and keep your viewers engaged longer.

Here are the 5 things to jot down and a real example along with them.

1) What video you're watching, and how long it is

Creator, video name, video length, and URL (if possible). This helps you keep track of the videos you’re learning from. The video length is especially important since a lot of the other notes need it for reference.

Example: Johnny Harris, How the U.S. Ruined Bread, 16:00, 

2) The type of video [to entertain, educate, or act]

Previously we talked about how there are only three types of videos (yes, out of the billions of videos online, there are only three types). You can read about those three types here. If you don’t have time to read it, that’s cool. All you need to do here is write down the answer to this question: Is the primary purpose of this video to entertain viewers, to educate them, or drive them to action?

A video may do all three, but there’s always a core purpose. If a video is teaching viewers how to do a math trick, but it’s also entertaining, the video’s primary purpose is still to educate.

Example: to educate

3) The thing that made you click

Write down what specifically made you click. What caught your eye? Was it something in the thumbnail, if so, what was it? Was it the title? What drove your curiosity? Being specific here is key. The more you can understand what made you click, the more you can understand how to make other people click.

Example: I personally love bread, but hate store-bought bread. The thumbnail was really good and the pictures of the bread pulled me in and connected with me. Once I read the title, I immediately wanted to know the answer.

4) The moment you lost a bit of interest

Write down what caused it and what time it happened. Was there a moment when you lost a bit of interest or felt like you wanted to look away? Was it an explanation that went on too long, a title animation that kept going, or the creator kept talking about unrelated things?

at 2:35 he detours to buy a snack. it was only for a moment, but I felt myself wanting the video to move forward.

5) The moment you got what you came for

This one is crucial. Write down what time in the video you felt like you got what you came for and you didn’t need to keep watching – at what point the video fulfilled its purpose for you. For example, you saw the joke that the comedy video was setting up, or you understood the topic you went to learn.

at 11:40 I felt like I got the answer I needed. He started to talk about the difference bread has in cultures and started to reflect on points I already understood. I left the video at this point.

How to use this to help you create better videos

Critically thinking about other videos is one of the easiest ways to improve your own. Especially if you’re watching videos that are similar to the type of content you like to make.

Make note of what gets your attention and what ruins your attention.

You’ll automatically start to apply it to your own videos without you even noticing it.

Related Micro-Lessons