This month, for MediaCat Magazine, we’re launching a new Storyteller Series — one where we interview storytellers from all walks of life, asking them how stories and audiences are changing, and how technology plays a part in this change.
First up: Ben, a film and content creator at award-winning agency, Sledge.
Hi Ben. So what kinds of stories resonate with today’s audiences, do you think?
I find it’s those that are human, those which strike a chord with the consumer or target audience. Everybody wants to relate to what you’re telling or sharing, and for it to be able to connect with the audience in a meaningful way, it’s something incredibly important today — more than ever I would say.
How has the market (supply and demand) changed over the years?
The attention span of the modern audience has reduced dramatically. This means the messaging needs to be snappy and focused in order to capture attention, and resonate with the viewer. The market is saturated with content on every site and device we use at the moment, however I’ve found that the demand for meaningful content is very high.
How do emerging media formats and platforms factor into this?
The rise of the 9:16 format media is quite a key thing. Previously, everything was 16:9, but now formats must maximise the total real estate of the screen, and use the pixels to the best of their ability to really engage the viewer.