This video is an interview between Jon Youshaei and Cleo Abram, where Cleo discusses her successful approach to creating viral videos on YouTube. She breaks down her step-by-step process for idea generation, research, outlining, and scripting, emphasizing the importance of visual storytelling and a clear, optimistic message. Cleo also shares insights from her time at Vox, her transition to independent content creation, and her strategies for building an audience and brand.
Cleo Abram's 4-step video process is designed to break down complex ideas into digestible and engaging content. Here's a breakdown:
Pitch: This is the initial stage where the core concept of the video is established. It includes defining the title and thumbnail ideas, and most importantly, identifying the "key visual." The pitch also addresses the "TLDR" (Too Long; Didn't Read) or the main takeaway, and crucially, why the story is "Huge if True" – meaning why it's meaningful and potentially transformative for a large audience. A visual abstract, outlining the theoretical order of visuals, is also part of this step.
Info Doc: This step involves gathering all the necessary visual assets. It's essentially a collection of all potential visuals that can aid in explaining the story, organized by research section. Each visual is noted with its source, creating a library of assets to draw from.
Outline: This is the visual structuring phase. It involves arranging the collected visuals from the Info Doc in a logical sequence to begin building the narrative. Cleo uses tools like Google Slides to sketch out these visual sequences, ensuring a clear flow before moving to the script.
Script: While time-consuming, the script is made significantly easier by the preceding steps. Cleo uses a three-column format: the left column for spoken words (including music cues and sound effects), the middle column for visuals, and the right column for sources and notes. This structured script serves as the blueprint for the final video.
A "key visual" in Cleo Abram's process is something that is recurring throughout a video and is essential for the audience to understand the story. It's not just the first visual seen, but the one that guides comprehension.
Cleo explains it like this: imagine telling a story over coffee and needing to pull out a napkin to draw a diagram or show something on your phone to clarify a point. That diagram or visual you need to show is a key visual. It's the element that makes a video story compelling and necessary, as opposed to just an essay.
Essentially, if you need to see something to understand the explanation, that's a key visual. It can be a demonstration, a map, a comparison, an animation, or even a product, and it must actively contribute to the explanation rather than just being decorative.
The transcript highlights distinct approaches to scriptwriting between Cleo Abram and Jon Youshaei, though they share some underlying principles for effective communication.
Cleo Abram's Scripting Process:
Jon Youshaei's Scripting Approach (as inferred from the interview context):
Shared Principles:
In essence, Cleo's method is highly structured and visual-driven from the outset, with the script serving as a detailed map integrating spoken word and visuals. Jon's approach, while also visual-oriented, seems more focused on testing and refining the delivery and impact of the message, akin to a performer honing their act.
