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STAGE TIME: Telling a Good Story is Like Hollywood Rain Drops
By Darren | April 2, 2010
Do you love the movies? I do. Have you ever gone on a tour of a Hollywood movie studio? Most tours give you great “behind the scenes” trivia. Recently, I went on a tour of Warner Bros. and sure enough, I loved it!
Have you ever noticed that in movies, you never see a light mist? It is either raining or it isn’t. It never dawned on me until I went on that tour. Things are different though the lens of a movie camera. I learned that, in Hollywood, when they make it rain, they really make it rain. In order for the movie viewers to see the rain drops, they actually make them four times bigger! If we can’t see the rain drops, the actors may be getting wet, but we still can’t see the rain falling.
What does this have to do with storytelling? Everything. Just like the lens of a camera, the audience sees things differently. Though we should always write from the truth, it’s our job to make sure the audience gets our point. Just like the rainmakers of Hollywood, we need to keep our stories interesting and clear.
Here’s an example… In one of my best stories, I talk about a meeting planner that intimidated me when I was first starting out as a speaker. The fact is, she intimidated me because I was so nervous. I can’t remember exactly what she looked like, but that doesn’t matter. The point is we want the audience to see her, and feel my emotion. I want the audience to feel my nerves, so that they can relate to my situation. My coach, Patricia Fripp, encouraged me to make the meeting planner a six foot, two inch, Amazon woman. It was brilliant!
My story is based on the truth. The emotions and feelings were real. The character was real. But the meeting planner was enhanced to make the story more impactful and more memorable. I made her a “bigger rain drop.”
How can you enhance one of your stories like a Hollywood Rainmaker? The next time you see rain in a movie, you’ll remember this article.
The next time someone hears one of your stories, will they remember?
Topics: Public Speaking Skills, Stage Time Comments |
April 2nd, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Darren -
What a great example of why it is necessary for the audience to see the scene in the story the way that you “saw and felt” it. I never knew that the rain drops in the movies have to be so much bigger than they are in real life. (no wonder the actors get so wet!) I better understand the need to enhance your story for the benefit of the audience but at the same time preserve the integrity of the story. I’ve heard you tell your story about the “Amazon” meeting planner. You use this principle brilliantly!
Thank you for sharing such a great example.
Linda
April 2nd, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Great advice. Great life lesson. Thank you for your insight!!! You make me a better speaker. Thanks for your emails.
April 3rd, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Darren, thank you for continually feeding us rich morsels to improve our speaking! Your generosity of sharing your expertise and wisdom enriches us all.
Liz
April 5th, 2010 at 3:31 am
Hello from Shanghai Darren!
Nice to see your blogging now. Look forward to learning more from the master!
Great tip to on expanding your story to bring it to life. Its a good tip that I learned from improv.
All the best,
Warwick