YouTube Storytelling Masterclass from VidSummit Day 1

Today at VidSummit, I attended a masterclass from Sticks, a YouTube creator team with a traditional film background. They’re on a mission to bring a cinematic approach to YouTube, creating mini-movies for creators like Ryan Trahan and Mark Rober. Their journey to 500,000+ subscribers in a year is impressive, and I took away three key lessons that I think every content creator can benefit from:

1. Show, Don’t Tell

Sticks emphasized making your audience feel something rather than just understand it. This is achieved through the use of tools like:

• Composition

• Shot size

• Camera movement

• Color

• Body language

• Sound effects

• Music

• Pacing

One great tip they shared: try editing your footage before adding any voiceover—let the cuts and music drive the story first.

2. Intention & Obstacle

A compelling story always has a character with a goal, and obstacles that stand in the way. Sticks highlighted that before you even start filming, you should ask yourself:

• Is my intention compelling enough?

• Will real obstacles arise on this journey?

The harder it is to reach the goal, the more engaging the story becomes. They recommended introducing small, incremental obstacles that lead to the final objective.

3. Cause & Effect

Every beat in your story should cause the next one. The best stories make the audience feel like they can’t miss a moment because each scene drives the next. Even if you’ve vlogged hours of footage, you can find your story by following the formula:

• Because this happened, then this happened.

Sticks suggested storyboarding out your narrative to identify the moments you want to highlight during editing.

In short, the session was a fantastic reminder that, while YouTube and Hollywood are different, Hollywood has already mastered the art of capturing attention and telling emotional, gripping stories. If we can bring that same energy to our YouTube content, there’s no reason we can’t engage viewers just as effectively.

Would love to know your thoughts—how are you telling your stories?

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