How to Transform Any Video as a storyteller

Do you direct commercials? Films? Music videos? It doesn't matter, because you're a storyteller. Any project you work on, you have to think about the audience, at the end of the day, you have to make sure you're connecting to them on an emotional level.

I refuse to believe that there are projects that don’t require you to need to make an emotional connection with the audience. Let’s take product videos for an example. How are you supposed to be a storyteller while selling a product?

For Parthenon Pictures, we can execute this in various ways- Our favorite is producing a commercial spot that is narrative driven that utilizes the product as a center piece to a problem they are facing. For our Tiny Traveler campaign, the product- an AI powered Baby Camera and Monitor, we developed narrative driven videos that showed how the product is a solution to our heroes problem, ie: their babies needs. Even if you don’t have a narrative video, and the product video is feature and benefit driven, how you shoot it and the visuals will allow you to tell a story. Is the product providing comfort to your end user? Than filming it in a way that visually tells that story connects the audience subconsciously.

Director Dimitri Lazaris providing feedback while on a film production set.

I was born into the film industry, my career started with narrative films and television, and I now brings this storytelling into Parthenon Pictures advertising sector. It is important to me to connect with the audience on an emotional level. Whether you are in a darken theater, or watching a pre-roll ad before your favorite YouTube video, my goal is to leave you with a stain of truth. Something that you take in your life, and resonate with.

Being a storyteller is the first step of being a great filmmaker. So what separates good directors from great directors? Well, good storytellers and great storytellers. Make sure you know what your story is.