Effortless Single-Frame Analysis in YouTube Videos [5 Ways]

How to Go Frame by Frame on YouTube Video? [5 Methods]

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s always a handy process to be able to move the frame one by one if you binge-watch YouTube videos. Be it as complex as time-lapse or as simple as makeup tutorial, viewing YouTube video frame-by-frame is never an underestimated process.

To be able to achieve this, you ought to master the methods to move frame-by-frame using a frame by a frame video editor or frame by the frame video player.

But this might make you wonder which one would be best for you?

Then here are some methods to move a video frame-by-frame that may come handy for you.

Option 1: Frame-By-Frame Editing and Watching Video Offline

If you are looking for how to edit frame by frame on YouTube or how to go frame by frame on YouTube then you may use a variety of offline applications.

Below are the 2 highlighting benefits of making use of offline video editors instead of online ones:

• You are not required to have a fast and smooth internet connection once the targeted video has been downloaded and will have full liberty to edit or video vide while staying offline.
• You are granted with the full editing facilities whilst staying offline. You can trim, cut or do any video alterations using offline video editors.

If you don’t know how to download a YouTube video easily and quickly, check this guide on How to Download YouTube Videos without Any Software .

Beneath are some of the efficient offline video editors you can work with for editing and viewing videos of YouTube frame by frame.

How to Go Frame by Frame in YouTube Video Using Filmora

Filmora is a great video editor designed for those who are interested in video editing but lack professional experience. It’s very easy to use. Filmora is free to download. You can choose version that is compatible with your operating system.

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

Step 1: Tap on “New Project”.

Step 2: In “project settings” select the desired ratio rate.

Step 3: You can import files by clicking the “import” tab or drag-drop the desired file to this tool.

Step 4: Drag the file to the timeline.

Step 5: You can separate frames from video by hovering the mouse over the first desired frame and complete it by hovering mouse all the way to the end of the frame.

Step 6: Perform editing operations.

Step 7: Save the file by clicking “export” by selecting the desired format under the “format” option and set parameters in “advanced settings” or directly upload the final product to YouTube.

How to Move Frame by Frame in YouTube Video Using Movie Maker

Compatibility: windows

This video editing tool gives you enough option to perform basic editing. With its timeline option, one can edit the videos frame-by-frame which can be performed as guided below:

Step 1: The first step is to download the desired YouTube video.

Step 2: Import that video to movie maker.

Step 3: You have the facility to skip the video frame-by-frame and can also edit it by selecting a specific portion from the timeline.

Step 4: Tap on “edit” beneath video tools after selecting the targeted portion.

Step 5: You will have numerous editing options like transition, add texts, split, music, etc. for each of the frames one by one.

You may also like: YouTube to WAV File: 4 Best Free Convert Solutions >>

How to Advance Frame by Frame in YouTube Video Using iMovie

Compatibility: Mac

This is a free editing tool with a bundle of editing features. The steps are given below:

Step 1: Click “file”, then “new project” followed by “create” option

Step 2: Click “Import” to import video

Step 3: Tap on “edit” followed by the “play head” option to segregate the desired portion of the video to edit.

Step 4: Now apply editing features on the portion of the video given in this tool

Step 5: Press “share” and “export” option once done with editing.

Option 2: Frame-By-Frame Advancement Using YouTube Player

Why even bother ourselves to get a third-party program for the purpose of moving a video frame-by-frame when the YouTube player provides you the same facility within itself. Following are the steps to guide you about how to skip frame by frame on YouTube by using YouTube frame by frame hotkey:

Step 1: Make the video pause.

Step 2: To answer the query regarding how to go frame by frame on YouTube editor, you can make use of 2 keys on the keyboard which are basically used as a shortcut process for the sake of forwarding video frame-by-frame.

You can press “<” in order to skip a frame backward or you could either use a comma as well for the same purpose. For moving the frame forwards, you need to press “>” key or a full stop key will serve you with the same operation.

This is how to move frame by frame on YouTube.

Option 3: Go Frame-By-Frame In YouTube Video Using Online Application

If your work requires intricate analysis of the video where you have to view the view very closely then you may make use of an online external application for this purpose.

The following are the steps to show you how to advance frame by frame on YouTube using this online tool.

Step 1: Into the URL bar of the browser, paste the link www.watchframebyframe.com there where you will be redirected to the online tool which has quite an easy interface with several controls provided built-in.

Step 2: Tap on “Enter Video URL” box and paste the copied URL of a targeted YouTube video

Step 3: The video will get loaded after hitting enter. At the bottom, buttons are given to control accordingly for skipping the frame forwards and backward respectively.

Step 4: You can also personalize the frame skipping setting with the option given beside the forwards and backward button where you can customize fps (frame per second) setting and also adjust the number of frames to be skipped upon clicking forwards and backward button.

An application granting such diverse options gives precise accuracy level which would help make the learning process easier and accurate.

Where Will Need to Go Frame by Frame on YouTube?

• Viewing time-lapse:

Capturing minor details in a video having time-lapse is such a complicated task. It often becomes harder even after slowing the video down. Therefore, a frame-by-frame view is the perfect yet only way out to this problem.

• Viewing how-to video:

The main purpose of a learning video is to get the sound and thorough details of the process and hence can be made not only possible but easier through frame-by-frame scrolling.

• Video sharing or editing:

Clean editing or cropping from a particular position is an intricate process and becomes easier to pause at the desired moment by frame-by-frame forwarding.

• Learning tutorial

Learning needs an in-depth and clear delivery of the content which is made easier by the feature of frame-by-frame skipping of the video.

YouTube studio is the basement for YouTubers to upload and track their videos. To some newbies, they might don’t know how to use the YouTube Manager. If you happen to be one of them, check this article to get: Everything You Need to Know about YouTube Video Manager >>

Conclusion

The precise control over separate frames as well as set of frames, diverse OS support, and liberty to use a variety of editing features make Wondershare Filmora stand out among all other tools. But depending upon the suitability with respect to one’s available resources, any of the above tool will help you watch and edit YouTube video frame by frame.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s always a handy process to be able to move the frame one by one if you binge-watch YouTube videos. Be it as complex as time-lapse or as simple as makeup tutorial, viewing YouTube video frame-by-frame is never an underestimated process.

To be able to achieve this, you ought to master the methods to move frame-by-frame using a frame by a frame video editor or frame by the frame video player.

But this might make you wonder which one would be best for you?

Then here are some methods to move a video frame-by-frame that may come handy for you.

Option 1: Frame-By-Frame Editing and Watching Video Offline

If you are looking for how to edit frame by frame on YouTube or how to go frame by frame on YouTube then you may use a variety of offline applications.

Below are the 2 highlighting benefits of making use of offline video editors instead of online ones:

• You are not required to have a fast and smooth internet connection once the targeted video has been downloaded and will have full liberty to edit or video vide while staying offline.
• You are granted with the full editing facilities whilst staying offline. You can trim, cut or do any video alterations using offline video editors.

If you don’t know how to download a YouTube video easily and quickly, check this guide on How to Download YouTube Videos without Any Software .

Beneath are some of the efficient offline video editors you can work with for editing and viewing videos of YouTube frame by frame.

How to Go Frame by Frame in YouTube Video Using Filmora

Filmora is a great video editor designed for those who are interested in video editing but lack professional experience. It’s very easy to use. Filmora is free to download. You can choose version that is compatible with your operating system.

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

Step 1: Tap on “New Project”.

Step 2: In “project settings” select the desired ratio rate.

Step 3: You can import files by clicking the “import” tab or drag-drop the desired file to this tool.

Step 4: Drag the file to the timeline.

Step 5: You can separate frames from video by hovering the mouse over the first desired frame and complete it by hovering mouse all the way to the end of the frame.

Step 6: Perform editing operations.

Step 7: Save the file by clicking “export” by selecting the desired format under the “format” option and set parameters in “advanced settings” or directly upload the final product to YouTube.

How to Move Frame by Frame in YouTube Video Using Movie Maker

Compatibility: windows

This video editing tool gives you enough option to perform basic editing. With its timeline option, one can edit the videos frame-by-frame which can be performed as guided below:

Step 1: The first step is to download the desired YouTube video.

Step 2: Import that video to movie maker.

Step 3: You have the facility to skip the video frame-by-frame and can also edit it by selecting a specific portion from the timeline.

Step 4: Tap on “edit” beneath video tools after selecting the targeted portion.

Step 5: You will have numerous editing options like transition, add texts, split, music, etc. for each of the frames one by one.

You may also like: YouTube to WAV File: 4 Best Free Convert Solutions >>

How to Advance Frame by Frame in YouTube Video Using iMovie

Compatibility: Mac

This is a free editing tool with a bundle of editing features. The steps are given below:

Step 1: Click “file”, then “new project” followed by “create” option

Step 2: Click “Import” to import video

Step 3: Tap on “edit” followed by the “play head” option to segregate the desired portion of the video to edit.

Step 4: Now apply editing features on the portion of the video given in this tool

Step 5: Press “share” and “export” option once done with editing.

Option 2: Frame-By-Frame Advancement Using YouTube Player

Why even bother ourselves to get a third-party program for the purpose of moving a video frame-by-frame when the YouTube player provides you the same facility within itself. Following are the steps to guide you about how to skip frame by frame on YouTube by using YouTube frame by frame hotkey:

Step 1: Make the video pause.

Step 2: To answer the query regarding how to go frame by frame on YouTube editor, you can make use of 2 keys on the keyboard which are basically used as a shortcut process for the sake of forwarding video frame-by-frame.

You can press “<” in order to skip a frame backward or you could either use a comma as well for the same purpose. For moving the frame forwards, you need to press “>” key or a full stop key will serve you with the same operation.

This is how to move frame by frame on YouTube.

Option 3: Go Frame-By-Frame In YouTube Video Using Online Application

If your work requires intricate analysis of the video where you have to view the view very closely then you may make use of an online external application for this purpose.

The following are the steps to show you how to advance frame by frame on YouTube using this online tool.

Step 1: Into the URL bar of the browser, paste the link www.watchframebyframe.com there where you will be redirected to the online tool which has quite an easy interface with several controls provided built-in.

Step 2: Tap on “Enter Video URL” box and paste the copied URL of a targeted YouTube video

Step 3: The video will get loaded after hitting enter. At the bottom, buttons are given to control accordingly for skipping the frame forwards and backward respectively.

Step 4: You can also personalize the frame skipping setting with the option given beside the forwards and backward button where you can customize fps (frame per second) setting and also adjust the number of frames to be skipped upon clicking forwards and backward button.

An application granting such diverse options gives precise accuracy level which would help make the learning process easier and accurate.

Where Will Need to Go Frame by Frame on YouTube?

• Viewing time-lapse:

Capturing minor details in a video having time-lapse is such a complicated task. It often becomes harder even after slowing the video down. Therefore, a frame-by-frame view is the perfect yet only way out to this problem.

• Viewing how-to video:

The main purpose of a learning video is to get the sound and thorough details of the process and hence can be made not only possible but easier through frame-by-frame scrolling.

• Video sharing or editing:

Clean editing or cropping from a particular position is an intricate process and becomes easier to pause at the desired moment by frame-by-frame forwarding.

• Learning tutorial

Learning needs an in-depth and clear delivery of the content which is made easier by the feature of frame-by-frame skipping of the video.

YouTube studio is the basement for YouTubers to upload and track their videos. To some newbies, they might don’t know how to use the YouTube Manager. If you happen to be one of them, check this article to get: Everything You Need to Know about YouTube Video Manager >>

Conclusion

The precise control over separate frames as well as set of frames, diverse OS support, and liberty to use a variety of editing features make Wondershare Filmora stand out among all other tools. But depending upon the suitability with respect to one’s available resources, any of the above tool will help you watch and edit YouTube video frame by frame.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s always a handy process to be able to move the frame one by one if you binge-watch YouTube videos. Be it as complex as time-lapse or as simple as makeup tutorial, viewing YouTube video frame-by-frame is never an underestimated process.

To be able to achieve this, you ought to master the methods to move frame-by-frame using a frame by a frame video editor or frame by the frame video player.

But this might make you wonder which one would be best for you?

Then here are some methods to move a video frame-by-frame that may come handy for you.

Option 1: Frame-By-Frame Editing and Watching Video Offline

If you are looking for how to edit frame by frame on YouTube or how to go frame by frame on YouTube then you may use a variety of offline applications.

Below are the 2 highlighting benefits of making use of offline video editors instead of online ones:

• You are not required to have a fast and smooth internet connection once the targeted video has been downloaded and will have full liberty to edit or video vide while staying offline.
• You are granted with the full editing facilities whilst staying offline. You can trim, cut or do any video alterations using offline video editors.

If you don’t know how to download a YouTube video easily and quickly, check this guide on How to Download YouTube Videos without Any Software .

Beneath are some of the efficient offline video editors you can work with for editing and viewing videos of YouTube frame by frame.

How to Go Frame by Frame in YouTube Video Using Filmora

Filmora is a great video editor designed for those who are interested in video editing but lack professional experience. It’s very easy to use. Filmora is free to download. You can choose version that is compatible with your operating system.

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

Step 1: Tap on “New Project”.

Step 2: In “project settings” select the desired ratio rate.

Step 3: You can import files by clicking the “import” tab or drag-drop the desired file to this tool.

Step 4: Drag the file to the timeline.

Step 5: You can separate frames from video by hovering the mouse over the first desired frame and complete it by hovering mouse all the way to the end of the frame.

Step 6: Perform editing operations.

Step 7: Save the file by clicking “export” by selecting the desired format under the “format” option and set parameters in “advanced settings” or directly upload the final product to YouTube.

How to Move Frame by Frame in YouTube Video Using Movie Maker

Compatibility: windows

This video editing tool gives you enough option to perform basic editing. With its timeline option, one can edit the videos frame-by-frame which can be performed as guided below:

Step 1: The first step is to download the desired YouTube video.

Step 2: Import that video to movie maker.

Step 3: You have the facility to skip the video frame-by-frame and can also edit it by selecting a specific portion from the timeline.

Step 4: Tap on “edit” beneath video tools after selecting the targeted portion.

Step 5: You will have numerous editing options like transition, add texts, split, music, etc. for each of the frames one by one.

You may also like: YouTube to WAV File: 4 Best Free Convert Solutions >>

How to Advance Frame by Frame in YouTube Video Using iMovie

Compatibility: Mac

This is a free editing tool with a bundle of editing features. The steps are given below:

Step 1: Click “file”, then “new project” followed by “create” option

Step 2: Click “Import” to import video

Step 3: Tap on “edit” followed by the “play head” option to segregate the desired portion of the video to edit.

Step 4: Now apply editing features on the portion of the video given in this tool

Step 5: Press “share” and “export” option once done with editing.

Option 2: Frame-By-Frame Advancement Using YouTube Player

Why even bother ourselves to get a third-party program for the purpose of moving a video frame-by-frame when the YouTube player provides you the same facility within itself. Following are the steps to guide you about how to skip frame by frame on YouTube by using YouTube frame by frame hotkey:

Step 1: Make the video pause.

Step 2: To answer the query regarding how to go frame by frame on YouTube editor, you can make use of 2 keys on the keyboard which are basically used as a shortcut process for the sake of forwarding video frame-by-frame.

You can press “<” in order to skip a frame backward or you could either use a comma as well for the same purpose. For moving the frame forwards, you need to press “>” key or a full stop key will serve you with the same operation.

This is how to move frame by frame on YouTube.

Option 3: Go Frame-By-Frame In YouTube Video Using Online Application

If your work requires intricate analysis of the video where you have to view the view very closely then you may make use of an online external application for this purpose.

The following are the steps to show you how to advance frame by frame on YouTube using this online tool.

Step 1: Into the URL bar of the browser, paste the link www.watchframebyframe.com there where you will be redirected to the online tool which has quite an easy interface with several controls provided built-in.

Step 2: Tap on “Enter Video URL” box and paste the copied URL of a targeted YouTube video

Step 3: The video will get loaded after hitting enter. At the bottom, buttons are given to control accordingly for skipping the frame forwards and backward respectively.

Step 4: You can also personalize the frame skipping setting with the option given beside the forwards and backward button where you can customize fps (frame per second) setting and also adjust the number of frames to be skipped upon clicking forwards and backward button.

An application granting such diverse options gives precise accuracy level which would help make the learning process easier and accurate.

Where Will Need to Go Frame by Frame on YouTube?

• Viewing time-lapse:

Capturing minor details in a video having time-lapse is such a complicated task. It often becomes harder even after slowing the video down. Therefore, a frame-by-frame view is the perfect yet only way out to this problem.

• Viewing how-to video:

The main purpose of a learning video is to get the sound and thorough details of the process and hence can be made not only possible but easier through frame-by-frame scrolling.

• Video sharing or editing:

Clean editing or cropping from a particular position is an intricate process and becomes easier to pause at the desired moment by frame-by-frame forwarding.

• Learning tutorial

Learning needs an in-depth and clear delivery of the content which is made easier by the feature of frame-by-frame skipping of the video.

YouTube studio is the basement for YouTubers to upload and track their videos. To some newbies, they might don’t know how to use the YouTube Manager. If you happen to be one of them, check this article to get: Everything You Need to Know about YouTube Video Manager >>

Conclusion

The precise control over separate frames as well as set of frames, diverse OS support, and liberty to use a variety of editing features make Wondershare Filmora stand out among all other tools. But depending upon the suitability with respect to one’s available resources, any of the above tool will help you watch and edit YouTube video frame by frame.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s always a handy process to be able to move the frame one by one if you binge-watch YouTube videos. Be it as complex as time-lapse or as simple as makeup tutorial, viewing YouTube video frame-by-frame is never an underestimated process.

To be able to achieve this, you ought to master the methods to move frame-by-frame using a frame by a frame video editor or frame by the frame video player.

But this might make you wonder which one would be best for you?

Then here are some methods to move a video frame-by-frame that may come handy for you.

Option 1: Frame-By-Frame Editing and Watching Video Offline

If you are looking for how to edit frame by frame on YouTube or how to go frame by frame on YouTube then you may use a variety of offline applications.

Below are the 2 highlighting benefits of making use of offline video editors instead of online ones:

• You are not required to have a fast and smooth internet connection once the targeted video has been downloaded and will have full liberty to edit or video vide while staying offline.
• You are granted with the full editing facilities whilst staying offline. You can trim, cut or do any video alterations using offline video editors.

If you don’t know how to download a YouTube video easily and quickly, check this guide on How to Download YouTube Videos without Any Software .

Beneath are some of the efficient offline video editors you can work with for editing and viewing videos of YouTube frame by frame.

How to Go Frame by Frame in YouTube Video Using Filmora

Filmora is a great video editor designed for those who are interested in video editing but lack professional experience. It’s very easy to use. Filmora is free to download. You can choose version that is compatible with your operating system.

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

Step 1: Tap on “New Project”.

Step 2: In “project settings” select the desired ratio rate.

Step 3: You can import files by clicking the “import” tab or drag-drop the desired file to this tool.

Step 4: Drag the file to the timeline.

Step 5: You can separate frames from video by hovering the mouse over the first desired frame and complete it by hovering mouse all the way to the end of the frame.

Step 6: Perform editing operations.

Step 7: Save the file by clicking “export” by selecting the desired format under the “format” option and set parameters in “advanced settings” or directly upload the final product to YouTube.

How to Move Frame by Frame in YouTube Video Using Movie Maker

Compatibility: windows

This video editing tool gives you enough option to perform basic editing. With its timeline option, one can edit the videos frame-by-frame which can be performed as guided below:

Step 1: The first step is to download the desired YouTube video.

Step 2: Import that video to movie maker.

Step 3: You have the facility to skip the video frame-by-frame and can also edit it by selecting a specific portion from the timeline.

Step 4: Tap on “edit” beneath video tools after selecting the targeted portion.

Step 5: You will have numerous editing options like transition, add texts, split, music, etc. for each of the frames one by one.

You may also like: YouTube to WAV File: 4 Best Free Convert Solutions >>

How to Advance Frame by Frame in YouTube Video Using iMovie

Compatibility: Mac

This is a free editing tool with a bundle of editing features. The steps are given below:

Step 1: Click “file”, then “new project” followed by “create” option

Step 2: Click “Import” to import video

Step 3: Tap on “edit” followed by the “play head” option to segregate the desired portion of the video to edit.

Step 4: Now apply editing features on the portion of the video given in this tool

Step 5: Press “share” and “export” option once done with editing.

Option 2: Frame-By-Frame Advancement Using YouTube Player

Why even bother ourselves to get a third-party program for the purpose of moving a video frame-by-frame when the YouTube player provides you the same facility within itself. Following are the steps to guide you about how to skip frame by frame on YouTube by using YouTube frame by frame hotkey:

Step 1: Make the video pause.

Step 2: To answer the query regarding how to go frame by frame on YouTube editor, you can make use of 2 keys on the keyboard which are basically used as a shortcut process for the sake of forwarding video frame-by-frame.

You can press “<” in order to skip a frame backward or you could either use a comma as well for the same purpose. For moving the frame forwards, you need to press “>” key or a full stop key will serve you with the same operation.

This is how to move frame by frame on YouTube.

Option 3: Go Frame-By-Frame In YouTube Video Using Online Application

If your work requires intricate analysis of the video where you have to view the view very closely then you may make use of an online external application for this purpose.

The following are the steps to show you how to advance frame by frame on YouTube using this online tool.

Step 1: Into the URL bar of the browser, paste the link www.watchframebyframe.com there where you will be redirected to the online tool which has quite an easy interface with several controls provided built-in.

Step 2: Tap on “Enter Video URL” box and paste the copied URL of a targeted YouTube video

Step 3: The video will get loaded after hitting enter. At the bottom, buttons are given to control accordingly for skipping the frame forwards and backward respectively.

Step 4: You can also personalize the frame skipping setting with the option given beside the forwards and backward button where you can customize fps (frame per second) setting and also adjust the number of frames to be skipped upon clicking forwards and backward button.

An application granting such diverse options gives precise accuracy level which would help make the learning process easier and accurate.

Where Will Need to Go Frame by Frame on YouTube?

• Viewing time-lapse:

Capturing minor details in a video having time-lapse is such a complicated task. It often becomes harder even after slowing the video down. Therefore, a frame-by-frame view is the perfect yet only way out to this problem.

• Viewing how-to video:

The main purpose of a learning video is to get the sound and thorough details of the process and hence can be made not only possible but easier through frame-by-frame scrolling.

• Video sharing or editing:

Clean editing or cropping from a particular position is an intricate process and becomes easier to pause at the desired moment by frame-by-frame forwarding.

• Learning tutorial

Learning needs an in-depth and clear delivery of the content which is made easier by the feature of frame-by-frame skipping of the video.

YouTube studio is the basement for YouTubers to upload and track their videos. To some newbies, they might don’t know how to use the YouTube Manager. If you happen to be one of them, check this article to get: Everything You Need to Know about YouTube Video Manager >>

Conclusion

The precise control over separate frames as well as set of frames, diverse OS support, and liberty to use a variety of editing features make Wondershare Filmora stand out among all other tools. But depending upon the suitability with respect to one’s available resources, any of the above tool will help you watch and edit YouTube video frame by frame.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Top Narrative Strategies, Top Channels: Dual Success Formula

The Best Storytelling Techniques to Grow Your YouTube Channel

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

In the distracting world, we live in, you need to be a good storyteller to grow your YouTube channel. Your audience is not going to stick around to watch your whole video if your content isn’t enticing or relatable. If you want to get people to watch all your videos, you need to get them emotionally invested with your stories.

Here are 3 methods for creating an awesome story:

• Method 1: CREATE SUSPENSE
• Method 2: USE EMPATHY
• Method 3: TAKE THE AUDIENCE ON A MEANINGFUL JOURNEY

1. Create Suspense

The hero has an objective, but the plan might fail.

The likelihood of something going wrong is what makes a story suspenseful. When you tell a suspenseful story, your audience will have a heightened focus and a strong motivation to continue listening. They want to know if the hero succeeds. Keep the audience waiting and expecting. Don’t give away the ending right away.

What Does a Suspenseful Story Sound Like?

When we talk about a story that is dragging on, it is because there is no suspense. There is nothing at stake, there are no obstacles, there is no problem and, with no problem, there is no promise of resolution.

Here are a few examples you can use to pump more suspense into your story:

- Address a fear (example: being alone for the prom)

- An objective (example: asking the crush out to the dance)

- Consequences of failing (example: being embarrassed in front of the whole school)

- Limited time (example: prom is next week)

- Obstacles (example: the crush has an aggressive ex.)

You can feel your heart rate speeding up simply thinking about the character’s story in the example. Does it have a happy ending or not? We want to know!

Raise Questions After Questions

A good storyteller knows that as soon as they answer a question for their audience, they need to present another one. The audience will always need to have a puzzle in their mind, one that needs to be solved. That is what will keep their interest.

For example: If the hero ends up going to the prom with his crush, the next big question can be: Will they kiss at the last dance?

This continues building on the tension and increasing the stakes evermore.

Check out the suspenseful story from YouTuber, MissRemiAshten . The way she tells the story, we discover more and about her psycho neighbor and the incident gradually. A little bit of information about the neighbor is revealed at a time… not all at once.

Include a Cliffhanger

We’ve all had those moments at the end of an intense television show where we are shouting at the screen because it suddenly cut to black as the main characters were left in a precarious position. That emotional outburst is brought to us by a good cliffhanger, and a good cliffhanger can assure us that the audience will return for more.

But there needs to be more! A cliffhanger is a promise to the viewer that eventually they will be rewarded for their patience and it will be satisfying.

In this cliffhanger from Casey Neistat, he simply asks us a question, “Was that good?” This calls upon us to recall all the awesome YouTube videos we have seen created by filmmakers that aren’t considered “prestigious.” A cliffhanger does not have to end with an epic reveal; it can wrap up with loose ends and allow the audience to tie it up themselves.

How to Deliver a Good Cliffhanger

Applying good cliffhangers to your YouTube videos is a balancing act. You want to draw your audience in, but you also need to have a payoff that is worth the wait.

Done well, a cliffhanger will leave your audience wanting more. Done poorly, a cliffhanger will leave your audience feeling to mislead and a little ripped off, hesitant to listen to more stories from you.

A good cliffhanger does not have to be life or death, but it does have to be the moment the story has been leading up to.

Before you start telling your story, consider the key details that are most impactful.

Once you have the points you want to hit, plan out the reveal. Weave the story together, but withhold the pivotal details until the cliffhanger. Thendeliver it on camera confidently .

Here are two ways you can present your cliffhanger for amplified effect:

1. Slow Down and Have Pauses

As your story intensifies, bring the pace down — or stop completely. The silence becomes the cliffhanger. It can last a second or more, depending on how confident you are in the tension you have built.

Your next words or shots can be the reveal. If you are skilled enough, you can lead into another story one that connects to the previous. If you are trying this, make sure that in the end, the payoff has double the impact. The reveal needs to be twice as powerful if you are going to take the audience on another journey before wrapping up and answering the long-awaited questions.

2. Use Repetition

Whether you want to misdirect your audience or hammer home a point, using repetition throughout your story will help you build the tension you need to establish the cliffhanger.

In this example, we see YouTuber, A little bit of Monika uses both pace and repetition in her storytelling method.

The video starts off at a speedy pace, all the way until the last scene where the confrontation occurs. That’s her slowing down the story so that we are all anticipating the reveal. Is she or is she not actor, Saoirse Ronan?

Through this short video, the repetition of the name is used to show her confidence that her roommate is not who she said it is. The more affirming she becomes, the more likely we as the viewers are going to side with her. This is a simple example of misdirection.

The more you say something or show something, the more important it becomes for the audience — at least, you want it to appear important.

2. Use Empathy

A storyteller must be empathetic.

If your audience cannot empathize with what you are communicating, it would not have the intended effect. Storytelling is all about taking people out of their bodies and putting them in someone else’s.

If you are telling a story about the time your car broke down, you want people to empathize and feel the helplessness of being stuck on a highway, waving cars down to help.

Empathy makes people feel more human. Telling a story people can relate to, even if it didn’t happen to them, is a sign of a quality storyteller.

Don’t Use Too Many Facts and Figures

If you began your story by saying that 1/1,000 cars on the highway break down, that doesn’t evoke any major emotion. There is nothing human about it.

It’s an interesting stat, sure, but the audience is unsure how they should respond. Is that a lot? Is that because of the highway? Is it because of the drivers? Nobody knows… it’s numbered with no context.

However, if you told the story about that time you had to abandon your vehicle and walk down the highway in order to make your important appointment. Suddenly, the audience can empathize with the tribulations you have gone through.

Facts and figures are useful in reports, but not as much in compelling stories.

Evoke the Senses

If I talk about hot melting chocolate, standing in the rain, or the smell of your grandmother’s bedroom, your senses are activated. From all your life experiences, your brain is able to form familiar sensations without any physical changes to your surrounding. That’s the power of storytelling.

Good storytellers use these sensory details and descriptive imagery to spice up a story. This draws the audience in and gives them a more immersive experience when listening to your stories.

Ask yourself these questions:

- What does it smell like?

- What can you hear?

- What do you see?

- What can you physically feel?

This example from YouTuber, Kiril Dobrev perfectly exemplifies what sensory igniting storytelling can do. He illustrates the sensation of being in Hong Kong, not simply through visuals but physical motions and audio effects.

Use Metaphors

As a YouTube storyteller, sometimes you will have to communicate complex ideas. When that happens, use a metaphor to increase the impact.

If you are telling a story about how much you dislike your teacher, you can list off all the ways she is unlikable or you can sum it up with a line like this: “My teacher makes the school a prison.”

That is a metaphor comparing school to prison. Most people haven’t been to prison, but understand what the metaphor is insinuating. School is not a fun place to be because of that teacher.

By connecting two different things, you allow the audience to paint the image in their mind quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of words to create a memorable metaphor. I encourage you to use metaphors anytime you need to address something complicated.

3. Take the Audience on a Meaningful Journey

Perhaps the most important element of a good story is that the journey is meaningful.

- Is it educational?

- Is it entertaining?

- Is it motivational or inspiring?

Knowing how you want to leave your audience feeling is foresight that will improve your YouTube storytelling abilities. Before you start telling your tale, ask: How do I want to change my audience?

YouTuber, Jamie Windsor tells a few stories connected to creativity and plagiarism. Anyone who has ever created anything can relate to his story and thus his audience can empathize.

It is also clear as a viewer that at the end of this 15-minute long video, his audience will have gone on a meaningful journey with him.

His story is a cautionary tale. He wants to educate us so that we can avoid making the same mistakes he did. He used his real-life experience to teach us and that makes it a meaningful video to watch. That was a good story.

Are there any YouTubers that you consider to be fantastic storytellers? Please share it in the comments box below.

Select a Versatile Video Editing Software to Stand Up from Numerous YouTubers

Users worldwide highly recommend Filmora because it comes loaded with various features, which helps to discover the editing skills, add an image to the imagination, and empower creativity.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

In the distracting world, we live in, you need to be a good storyteller to grow your YouTube channel. Your audience is not going to stick around to watch your whole video if your content isn’t enticing or relatable. If you want to get people to watch all your videos, you need to get them emotionally invested with your stories.

Here are 3 methods for creating an awesome story:

• Method 1: CREATE SUSPENSE
• Method 2: USE EMPATHY
• Method 3: TAKE THE AUDIENCE ON A MEANINGFUL JOURNEY

1. Create Suspense

The hero has an objective, but the plan might fail.

The likelihood of something going wrong is what makes a story suspenseful. When you tell a suspenseful story, your audience will have a heightened focus and a strong motivation to continue listening. They want to know if the hero succeeds. Keep the audience waiting and expecting. Don’t give away the ending right away.

What Does a Suspenseful Story Sound Like?

When we talk about a story that is dragging on, it is because there is no suspense. There is nothing at stake, there are no obstacles, there is no problem and, with no problem, there is no promise of resolution.

Here are a few examples you can use to pump more suspense into your story:

- Address a fear (example: being alone for the prom)

- An objective (example: asking the crush out to the dance)

- Consequences of failing (example: being embarrassed in front of the whole school)

- Limited time (example: prom is next week)

- Obstacles (example: the crush has an aggressive ex.)

You can feel your heart rate speeding up simply thinking about the character’s story in the example. Does it have a happy ending or not? We want to know!

Raise Questions After Questions

A good storyteller knows that as soon as they answer a question for their audience, they need to present another one. The audience will always need to have a puzzle in their mind, one that needs to be solved. That is what will keep their interest.

For example: If the hero ends up going to the prom with his crush, the next big question can be: Will they kiss at the last dance?

This continues building on the tension and increasing the stakes evermore.

Check out the suspenseful story from YouTuber, MissRemiAshten . The way she tells the story, we discover more and about her psycho neighbor and the incident gradually. A little bit of information about the neighbor is revealed at a time… not all at once.

Include a Cliffhanger

We’ve all had those moments at the end of an intense television show where we are shouting at the screen because it suddenly cut to black as the main characters were left in a precarious position. That emotional outburst is brought to us by a good cliffhanger, and a good cliffhanger can assure us that the audience will return for more.

But there needs to be more! A cliffhanger is a promise to the viewer that eventually they will be rewarded for their patience and it will be satisfying.

In this cliffhanger from Casey Neistat, he simply asks us a question, “Was that good?” This calls upon us to recall all the awesome YouTube videos we have seen created by filmmakers that aren’t considered “prestigious.” A cliffhanger does not have to end with an epic reveal; it can wrap up with loose ends and allow the audience to tie it up themselves.

How to Deliver a Good Cliffhanger

Applying good cliffhangers to your YouTube videos is a balancing act. You want to draw your audience in, but you also need to have a payoff that is worth the wait.

Done well, a cliffhanger will leave your audience wanting more. Done poorly, a cliffhanger will leave your audience feeling to mislead and a little ripped off, hesitant to listen to more stories from you.

A good cliffhanger does not have to be life or death, but it does have to be the moment the story has been leading up to.

Before you start telling your story, consider the key details that are most impactful.

Once you have the points you want to hit, plan out the reveal. Weave the story together, but withhold the pivotal details until the cliffhanger. Thendeliver it on camera confidently .

Here are two ways you can present your cliffhanger for amplified effect:

1. Slow Down and Have Pauses

As your story intensifies, bring the pace down — or stop completely. The silence becomes the cliffhanger. It can last a second or more, depending on how confident you are in the tension you have built.

Your next words or shots can be the reveal. If you are skilled enough, you can lead into another story one that connects to the previous. If you are trying this, make sure that in the end, the payoff has double the impact. The reveal needs to be twice as powerful if you are going to take the audience on another journey before wrapping up and answering the long-awaited questions.

2. Use Repetition

Whether you want to misdirect your audience or hammer home a point, using repetition throughout your story will help you build the tension you need to establish the cliffhanger.

In this example, we see YouTuber, A little bit of Monika uses both pace and repetition in her storytelling method.

The video starts off at a speedy pace, all the way until the last scene where the confrontation occurs. That’s her slowing down the story so that we are all anticipating the reveal. Is she or is she not actor, Saoirse Ronan?

Through this short video, the repetition of the name is used to show her confidence that her roommate is not who she said it is. The more affirming she becomes, the more likely we as the viewers are going to side with her. This is a simple example of misdirection.

The more you say something or show something, the more important it becomes for the audience — at least, you want it to appear important.

2. Use Empathy

A storyteller must be empathetic.

If your audience cannot empathize with what you are communicating, it would not have the intended effect. Storytelling is all about taking people out of their bodies and putting them in someone else’s.

If you are telling a story about the time your car broke down, you want people to empathize and feel the helplessness of being stuck on a highway, waving cars down to help.

Empathy makes people feel more human. Telling a story people can relate to, even if it didn’t happen to them, is a sign of a quality storyteller.

Don’t Use Too Many Facts and Figures

If you began your story by saying that 1/1,000 cars on the highway break down, that doesn’t evoke any major emotion. There is nothing human about it.

It’s an interesting stat, sure, but the audience is unsure how they should respond. Is that a lot? Is that because of the highway? Is it because of the drivers? Nobody knows… it’s numbered with no context.

However, if you told the story about that time you had to abandon your vehicle and walk down the highway in order to make your important appointment. Suddenly, the audience can empathize with the tribulations you have gone through.

Facts and figures are useful in reports, but not as much in compelling stories.

Evoke the Senses

If I talk about hot melting chocolate, standing in the rain, or the smell of your grandmother’s bedroom, your senses are activated. From all your life experiences, your brain is able to form familiar sensations without any physical changes to your surrounding. That’s the power of storytelling.

Good storytellers use these sensory details and descriptive imagery to spice up a story. This draws the audience in and gives them a more immersive experience when listening to your stories.

Ask yourself these questions:

- What does it smell like?

- What can you hear?

- What do you see?

- What can you physically feel?

This example from YouTuber, Kiril Dobrev perfectly exemplifies what sensory igniting storytelling can do. He illustrates the sensation of being in Hong Kong, not simply through visuals but physical motions and audio effects.

Use Metaphors

As a YouTube storyteller, sometimes you will have to communicate complex ideas. When that happens, use a metaphor to increase the impact.

If you are telling a story about how much you dislike your teacher, you can list off all the ways she is unlikable or you can sum it up with a line like this: “My teacher makes the school a prison.”

That is a metaphor comparing school to prison. Most people haven’t been to prison, but understand what the metaphor is insinuating. School is not a fun place to be because of that teacher.

By connecting two different things, you allow the audience to paint the image in their mind quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of words to create a memorable metaphor. I encourage you to use metaphors anytime you need to address something complicated.

3. Take the Audience on a Meaningful Journey

Perhaps the most important element of a good story is that the journey is meaningful.

- Is it educational?

- Is it entertaining?

- Is it motivational or inspiring?

Knowing how you want to leave your audience feeling is foresight that will improve your YouTube storytelling abilities. Before you start telling your tale, ask: How do I want to change my audience?

YouTuber, Jamie Windsor tells a few stories connected to creativity and plagiarism. Anyone who has ever created anything can relate to his story and thus his audience can empathize.

It is also clear as a viewer that at the end of this 15-minute long video, his audience will have gone on a meaningful journey with him.

His story is a cautionary tale. He wants to educate us so that we can avoid making the same mistakes he did. He used his real-life experience to teach us and that makes it a meaningful video to watch. That was a good story.

Are there any YouTubers that you consider to be fantastic storytellers? Please share it in the comments box below.

Select a Versatile Video Editing Software to Stand Up from Numerous YouTubers

Users worldwide highly recommend Filmora because it comes loaded with various features, which helps to discover the editing skills, add an image to the imagination, and empower creativity.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

In the distracting world, we live in, you need to be a good storyteller to grow your YouTube channel. Your audience is not going to stick around to watch your whole video if your content isn’t enticing or relatable. If you want to get people to watch all your videos, you need to get them emotionally invested with your stories.

Here are 3 methods for creating an awesome story:

• Method 1: CREATE SUSPENSE
• Method 2: USE EMPATHY
• Method 3: TAKE THE AUDIENCE ON A MEANINGFUL JOURNEY

1. Create Suspense

The hero has an objective, but the plan might fail.

The likelihood of something going wrong is what makes a story suspenseful. When you tell a suspenseful story, your audience will have a heightened focus and a strong motivation to continue listening. They want to know if the hero succeeds. Keep the audience waiting and expecting. Don’t give away the ending right away.

What Does a Suspenseful Story Sound Like?

When we talk about a story that is dragging on, it is because there is no suspense. There is nothing at stake, there are no obstacles, there is no problem and, with no problem, there is no promise of resolution.

Here are a few examples you can use to pump more suspense into your story:

- Address a fear (example: being alone for the prom)

- An objective (example: asking the crush out to the dance)

- Consequences of failing (example: being embarrassed in front of the whole school)

- Limited time (example: prom is next week)

- Obstacles (example: the crush has an aggressive ex.)

You can feel your heart rate speeding up simply thinking about the character’s story in the example. Does it have a happy ending or not? We want to know!

Raise Questions After Questions

A good storyteller knows that as soon as they answer a question for their audience, they need to present another one. The audience will always need to have a puzzle in their mind, one that needs to be solved. That is what will keep their interest.

For example: If the hero ends up going to the prom with his crush, the next big question can be: Will they kiss at the last dance?

This continues building on the tension and increasing the stakes evermore.

Check out the suspenseful story from YouTuber, MissRemiAshten . The way she tells the story, we discover more and about her psycho neighbor and the incident gradually. A little bit of information about the neighbor is revealed at a time… not all at once.

Include a Cliffhanger

We’ve all had those moments at the end of an intense television show where we are shouting at the screen because it suddenly cut to black as the main characters were left in a precarious position. That emotional outburst is brought to us by a good cliffhanger, and a good cliffhanger can assure us that the audience will return for more.

But there needs to be more! A cliffhanger is a promise to the viewer that eventually they will be rewarded for their patience and it will be satisfying.

In this cliffhanger from Casey Neistat, he simply asks us a question, “Was that good?” This calls upon us to recall all the awesome YouTube videos we have seen created by filmmakers that aren’t considered “prestigious.” A cliffhanger does not have to end with an epic reveal; it can wrap up with loose ends and allow the audience to tie it up themselves.

How to Deliver a Good Cliffhanger

Applying good cliffhangers to your YouTube videos is a balancing act. You want to draw your audience in, but you also need to have a payoff that is worth the wait.

Done well, a cliffhanger will leave your audience wanting more. Done poorly, a cliffhanger will leave your audience feeling to mislead and a little ripped off, hesitant to listen to more stories from you.

A good cliffhanger does not have to be life or death, but it does have to be the moment the story has been leading up to.

Before you start telling your story, consider the key details that are most impactful.

Once you have the points you want to hit, plan out the reveal. Weave the story together, but withhold the pivotal details until the cliffhanger. Thendeliver it on camera confidently .

Here are two ways you can present your cliffhanger for amplified effect:

1. Slow Down and Have Pauses

As your story intensifies, bring the pace down — or stop completely. The silence becomes the cliffhanger. It can last a second or more, depending on how confident you are in the tension you have built.

Your next words or shots can be the reveal. If you are skilled enough, you can lead into another story one that connects to the previous. If you are trying this, make sure that in the end, the payoff has double the impact. The reveal needs to be twice as powerful if you are going to take the audience on another journey before wrapping up and answering the long-awaited questions.

2. Use Repetition

Whether you want to misdirect your audience or hammer home a point, using repetition throughout your story will help you build the tension you need to establish the cliffhanger.

In this example, we see YouTuber, A little bit of Monika uses both pace and repetition in her storytelling method.

The video starts off at a speedy pace, all the way until the last scene where the confrontation occurs. That’s her slowing down the story so that we are all anticipating the reveal. Is she or is she not actor, Saoirse Ronan?

Through this short video, the repetition of the name is used to show her confidence that her roommate is not who she said it is. The more affirming she becomes, the more likely we as the viewers are going to side with her. This is a simple example of misdirection.

The more you say something or show something, the more important it becomes for the audience — at least, you want it to appear important.

2. Use Empathy

A storyteller must be empathetic.

If your audience cannot empathize with what you are communicating, it would not have the intended effect. Storytelling is all about taking people out of their bodies and putting them in someone else’s.

If you are telling a story about the time your car broke down, you want people to empathize and feel the helplessness of being stuck on a highway, waving cars down to help.

Empathy makes people feel more human. Telling a story people can relate to, even if it didn’t happen to them, is a sign of a quality storyteller.

Don’t Use Too Many Facts and Figures

If you began your story by saying that 1/1,000 cars on the highway break down, that doesn’t evoke any major emotion. There is nothing human about it.

It’s an interesting stat, sure, but the audience is unsure how they should respond. Is that a lot? Is that because of the highway? Is it because of the drivers? Nobody knows… it’s numbered with no context.

However, if you told the story about that time you had to abandon your vehicle and walk down the highway in order to make your important appointment. Suddenly, the audience can empathize with the tribulations you have gone through.

Facts and figures are useful in reports, but not as much in compelling stories.

Evoke the Senses

If I talk about hot melting chocolate, standing in the rain, or the smell of your grandmother’s bedroom, your senses are activated. From all your life experiences, your brain is able to form familiar sensations without any physical changes to your surrounding. That’s the power of storytelling.

Good storytellers use these sensory details and descriptive imagery to spice up a story. This draws the audience in and gives them a more immersive experience when listening to your stories.

Ask yourself these questions:

- What does it smell like?

- What can you hear?

- What do you see?

- What can you physically feel?

This example from YouTuber, Kiril Dobrev perfectly exemplifies what sensory igniting storytelling can do. He illustrates the sensation of being in Hong Kong, not simply through visuals but physical motions and audio effects.

Use Metaphors

As a YouTube storyteller, sometimes you will have to communicate complex ideas. When that happens, use a metaphor to increase the impact.

If you are telling a story about how much you dislike your teacher, you can list off all the ways she is unlikable or you can sum it up with a line like this: “My teacher makes the school a prison.”

That is a metaphor comparing school to prison. Most people haven’t been to prison, but understand what the metaphor is insinuating. School is not a fun place to be because of that teacher.

By connecting two different things, you allow the audience to paint the image in their mind quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of words to create a memorable metaphor. I encourage you to use metaphors anytime you need to address something complicated.

3. Take the Audience on a Meaningful Journey

Perhaps the most important element of a good story is that the journey is meaningful.

- Is it educational?

- Is it entertaining?

- Is it motivational or inspiring?

Knowing how you want to leave your audience feeling is foresight that will improve your YouTube storytelling abilities. Before you start telling your tale, ask: How do I want to change my audience?

YouTuber, Jamie Windsor tells a few stories connected to creativity and plagiarism. Anyone who has ever created anything can relate to his story and thus his audience can empathize.

It is also clear as a viewer that at the end of this 15-minute long video, his audience will have gone on a meaningful journey with him.

His story is a cautionary tale. He wants to educate us so that we can avoid making the same mistakes he did. He used his real-life experience to teach us and that makes it a meaningful video to watch. That was a good story.

Are there any YouTubers that you consider to be fantastic storytellers? Please share it in the comments box below.

Select a Versatile Video Editing Software to Stand Up from Numerous YouTubers

Users worldwide highly recommend Filmora because it comes loaded with various features, which helps to discover the editing skills, add an image to the imagination, and empower creativity.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

In the distracting world, we live in, you need to be a good storyteller to grow your YouTube channel. Your audience is not going to stick around to watch your whole video if your content isn’t enticing or relatable. If you want to get people to watch all your videos, you need to get them emotionally invested with your stories.

Here are 3 methods for creating an awesome story:

• Method 1: CREATE SUSPENSE
• Method 2: USE EMPATHY
• Method 3: TAKE THE AUDIENCE ON A MEANINGFUL JOURNEY

1. Create Suspense

The hero has an objective, but the plan might fail.

The likelihood of something going wrong is what makes a story suspenseful. When you tell a suspenseful story, your audience will have a heightened focus and a strong motivation to continue listening. They want to know if the hero succeeds. Keep the audience waiting and expecting. Don’t give away the ending right away.

What Does a Suspenseful Story Sound Like?

When we talk about a story that is dragging on, it is because there is no suspense. There is nothing at stake, there are no obstacles, there is no problem and, with no problem, there is no promise of resolution.

Here are a few examples you can use to pump more suspense into your story:

- Address a fear (example: being alone for the prom)

- An objective (example: asking the crush out to the dance)

- Consequences of failing (example: being embarrassed in front of the whole school)

- Limited time (example: prom is next week)

- Obstacles (example: the crush has an aggressive ex.)

You can feel your heart rate speeding up simply thinking about the character’s story in the example. Does it have a happy ending or not? We want to know!

Raise Questions After Questions

A good storyteller knows that as soon as they answer a question for their audience, they need to present another one. The audience will always need to have a puzzle in their mind, one that needs to be solved. That is what will keep their interest.

For example: If the hero ends up going to the prom with his crush, the next big question can be: Will they kiss at the last dance?

This continues building on the tension and increasing the stakes evermore.

Check out the suspenseful story from YouTuber, MissRemiAshten . The way she tells the story, we discover more and about her psycho neighbor and the incident gradually. A little bit of information about the neighbor is revealed at a time… not all at once.

Include a Cliffhanger

We’ve all had those moments at the end of an intense television show where we are shouting at the screen because it suddenly cut to black as the main characters were left in a precarious position. That emotional outburst is brought to us by a good cliffhanger, and a good cliffhanger can assure us that the audience will return for more.

But there needs to be more! A cliffhanger is a promise to the viewer that eventually they will be rewarded for their patience and it will be satisfying.

In this cliffhanger from Casey Neistat, he simply asks us a question, “Was that good?” This calls upon us to recall all the awesome YouTube videos we have seen created by filmmakers that aren’t considered “prestigious.” A cliffhanger does not have to end with an epic reveal; it can wrap up with loose ends and allow the audience to tie it up themselves.

How to Deliver a Good Cliffhanger

Applying good cliffhangers to your YouTube videos is a balancing act. You want to draw your audience in, but you also need to have a payoff that is worth the wait.

Done well, a cliffhanger will leave your audience wanting more. Done poorly, a cliffhanger will leave your audience feeling to mislead and a little ripped off, hesitant to listen to more stories from you.

A good cliffhanger does not have to be life or death, but it does have to be the moment the story has been leading up to.

Before you start telling your story, consider the key details that are most impactful.

Once you have the points you want to hit, plan out the reveal. Weave the story together, but withhold the pivotal details until the cliffhanger. Thendeliver it on camera confidently .

Here are two ways you can present your cliffhanger for amplified effect:

1. Slow Down and Have Pauses

As your story intensifies, bring the pace down — or stop completely. The silence becomes the cliffhanger. It can last a second or more, depending on how confident you are in the tension you have built.

Your next words or shots can be the reveal. If you are skilled enough, you can lead into another story one that connects to the previous. If you are trying this, make sure that in the end, the payoff has double the impact. The reveal needs to be twice as powerful if you are going to take the audience on another journey before wrapping up and answering the long-awaited questions.

2. Use Repetition

Whether you want to misdirect your audience or hammer home a point, using repetition throughout your story will help you build the tension you need to establish the cliffhanger.

In this example, we see YouTuber, A little bit of Monika uses both pace and repetition in her storytelling method.

The video starts off at a speedy pace, all the way until the last scene where the confrontation occurs. That’s her slowing down the story so that we are all anticipating the reveal. Is she or is she not actor, Saoirse Ronan?

Through this short video, the repetition of the name is used to show her confidence that her roommate is not who she said it is. The more affirming she becomes, the more likely we as the viewers are going to side with her. This is a simple example of misdirection.

The more you say something or show something, the more important it becomes for the audience — at least, you want it to appear important.

2. Use Empathy

A storyteller must be empathetic.

If your audience cannot empathize with what you are communicating, it would not have the intended effect. Storytelling is all about taking people out of their bodies and putting them in someone else’s.

If you are telling a story about the time your car broke down, you want people to empathize and feel the helplessness of being stuck on a highway, waving cars down to help.

Empathy makes people feel more human. Telling a story people can relate to, even if it didn’t happen to them, is a sign of a quality storyteller.

Don’t Use Too Many Facts and Figures

If you began your story by saying that 1/1,000 cars on the highway break down, that doesn’t evoke any major emotion. There is nothing human about it.

It’s an interesting stat, sure, but the audience is unsure how they should respond. Is that a lot? Is that because of the highway? Is it because of the drivers? Nobody knows… it’s numbered with no context.

However, if you told the story about that time you had to abandon your vehicle and walk down the highway in order to make your important appointment. Suddenly, the audience can empathize with the tribulations you have gone through.

Facts and figures are useful in reports, but not as much in compelling stories.

Evoke the Senses

If I talk about hot melting chocolate, standing in the rain, or the smell of your grandmother’s bedroom, your senses are activated. From all your life experiences, your brain is able to form familiar sensations without any physical changes to your surrounding. That’s the power of storytelling.

Good storytellers use these sensory details and descriptive imagery to spice up a story. This draws the audience in and gives them a more immersive experience when listening to your stories.

Ask yourself these questions:

- What does it smell like?

- What can you hear?

- What do you see?

- What can you physically feel?

This example from YouTuber, Kiril Dobrev perfectly exemplifies what sensory igniting storytelling can do. He illustrates the sensation of being in Hong Kong, not simply through visuals but physical motions and audio effects.

Use Metaphors

As a YouTube storyteller, sometimes you will have to communicate complex ideas. When that happens, use a metaphor to increase the impact.

If you are telling a story about how much you dislike your teacher, you can list off all the ways she is unlikable or you can sum it up with a line like this: “My teacher makes the school a prison.”

That is a metaphor comparing school to prison. Most people haven’t been to prison, but understand what the metaphor is insinuating. School is not a fun place to be because of that teacher.

By connecting two different things, you allow the audience to paint the image in their mind quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of words to create a memorable metaphor. I encourage you to use metaphors anytime you need to address something complicated.

3. Take the Audience on a Meaningful Journey

Perhaps the most important element of a good story is that the journey is meaningful.

- Is it educational?

- Is it entertaining?

- Is it motivational or inspiring?

Knowing how you want to leave your audience feeling is foresight that will improve your YouTube storytelling abilities. Before you start telling your tale, ask: How do I want to change my audience?

YouTuber, Jamie Windsor tells a few stories connected to creativity and plagiarism. Anyone who has ever created anything can relate to his story and thus his audience can empathize.

It is also clear as a viewer that at the end of this 15-minute long video, his audience will have gone on a meaningful journey with him.

His story is a cautionary tale. He wants to educate us so that we can avoid making the same mistakes he did. He used his real-life experience to teach us and that makes it a meaningful video to watch. That was a good story.

Are there any YouTubers that you consider to be fantastic storytellers? Please share it in the comments box below.

Select a Versatile Video Editing Software to Stand Up from Numerous YouTubers

Users worldwide highly recommend Filmora because it comes loaded with various features, which helps to discover the editing skills, add an image to the imagination, and empower creativity.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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