As the convention center darkens, the annual meeting’s atmosphere shifts from adrenaline-pumping excitement. An LED screen in the center of the arena captures everyone’s attention and the crowd quiets. The audience can relax and reflect for a few moments, soaking in a series of documentary-style short films that highlight the lives of retail associates.
In under five minutes, thousands of fellow employees witnessed important elements of their peers’ lives and understood their motivations for contributing. Through the power of video storytelling, the retail associates’ sense of hope for their futures filled the convention center. Video production experts put storylines the audience can relate to on the screen, signaling the brand’s care for everyone in the room.
Why event video storytelling?
Video storytelling has a way of sparking intimacy that’s hard to achieve with any other medium. When incorporated into events, a screening instantly shifts the tone in the room. Slowing down the pace of a live event with cinematic content connects the audience to the core message on a more heartfelt and human level.
The science behind storytelling backs this up. Our brains produce oxytocin (a feel-good chemical) when hearing about connection and empathy. When we watch the happy ending in the videos, our brains release dopamine, which makes us more hopeful and optimistic. Those are exactly the emotions you want attendees to feel when they associate the stories and the event with your brand.
In the retail associate example, the video storytelling connected the audience with Maria, one of the featured team members, as she detailed what working for this company has meant to her.
The screen shows a white California bungalow, then cuts to an interior shot of a woman, Maria. She holds a black and white photograph of her grandmother. We hear Maria share how her ancestor’s resourcefulness influenced her own values. Like the strong women before her, Maria wanted to earn enough to take care of her family.
“[This company] is a big part of my history,” she says. “It is the reason why my dreams came true and the means that I have what I have.”
We see Maria serve customers in the store where she works, then share breakfast with her family. We hear from Maria’s colleagues on how she cares for them like she does her own children. We feel like we’re sitting across from her while Maria enjoys a break at her favorite café. We smile while watching her kids play in the yard of the home Maria was finally able to buy.
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How videos help create memorable event content
Video content should take the audience on a journey. Much more than building a plot, strategically creative choices evoke a meaningful response. Video producers search for people like Maria, who demonstrate the spirit of the brand and whose personal journey inspires a broader sense of belonging.
A filmmaker’s take on brand videos involves some of the same processes big-name production studios use to shoot globally distributed movies.
- Casting "stars” and supporting sources
- Scouting locations that puts the interviewee at ease
- Capturing a wide variety of footage, including interviews that approach subjects straight on, environmental shots and aerial views
- Selecting the musical score
Most importantly, video production teams build a sense of trust that helps them get personal with the subject. Handling conversations with care creates psychological safety, which draws emotions out.
Storytelling humanizes your event
Showing a series of short films that personify values lets attendees access a collective experience. When stories like Maria’s play, the silence is powerful—especially in a large convention center. People get choked up and teary-eyed. While you don’t want to force that, it naturally happens when you understand your audience and their passion for the brand. Using video storytelling in an event with thousands of attendees is a way to gather everyone around the proverbial campfire.
Related: Take a storytelling approach to general session production.
When people recognize peers in the video on stage, they often give standing ovations. The power of moments like this are hard to put into words. Maria’s employer, a large retailer, turned ITA Group’s video storytelling project into a tradition at the annual event. Brand leaders realized how authentically recognizing their people is an engaging tool to connect all managers and employees and celebrate culture.
Learning an employee’s story is the first step to understanding what motivates them. This knowledge is essential for creating an environment which makes attendees listen intently. Brands that focus on psychological safety benefit from the storytelling approach by encouraging people to bring their best selves to work, home and the community. Highlighting our shared humanity creates the lasting loyalty employers crave.
Read how our experts use storytelling elements to develop impactful experience design.