Story Outlines

Getting to know you

A simple way of finding out more about an individual, organization or campaign. Scripts consist of simple questions (see list of sample questions in Appendix A: Story Outlines) that are answered by the person(s) on camera. Questions are often displayed as titles in the video (see Titling under Video Editing section)

If you could meet anyone in Canada, who would it be?
If you could go anywhere in Canada, where would you go?
What about Canada made you laugh the most?
What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play?
What are your hobbies?
List two pet peeves.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
What do you hope to accomplish in the next five years?
What’s your favorite holiday?
What’s your favorite fast food chain?
What’s your favorite family recipe?
What’s your favorite family tradition?
What was your first job?
If you could have any job, what would it be?
How many languages do you speak?
What did you think about your first Canadian winter?
What surprised you the most about Canada?
What do find is similar about Canada and the country you came from?
Is there anything Canadians do that you find strange?
What message would you like to send to Canadians?

Common denominator, plots in common, binding issues, building a case

What was the first thing you noticed about a friend that was different from you?
How did you develop a friendship with that person?
Do you think you have more in common than not with this friend?
What are some things that you think bring everyone together?
Are differences important to recognize?
Should differences be ignored?
What is the biggest thing you have in common with a friend?
What similarities to your home country did you notice about Canada?
Do you feel more comfortable when something is familiar to you?
Are similarities always a good thing?

Overcoming obstacles

What obstacles have you faced?
What is the best way to approach an obstacle?
Is it possible to avoid obstacles?
What tools do you use to overcome an obstacle?
How many of those obstacles were faced alongside other people?
How is it different to face an obstacle as a team?
What was the most valuable thing you’ve learned overcoming an obstacle?
Are there some obstacles that cannot be overcome?

Traditional Narrative Arc

Time lapse or Whatever happened to?

A quick way of talking about the history of a place, person or idea. Script can consist of simple questions (see list of sample questions in Appendix A: Story Outlines) that can be answered by individuals on camera or a narrator. Questions are either displayed as titles or asked by a narrator.

Where was this thing created?
When was the thing created?
Who was there when it started?
How many people where there for the opening?
What were the first actions?
What were the initial goals?
How did the people/individual proceed?
How quickly did the goal progress?
Did this thing expand/grow later on?
What efforts were made to get the name out there?
How did people hear about this place?
Have the goals changed drastically from when it started?
How many people are at this thing now?

Unpacking an issue

What issue are you dealing with?
Is there a solution for this issue?
Is this a common issue that everyone faces?
Are there solutions for every issue out there?
What is the best thing to do when faced with an issue?
Is it better to face issues alone or with others?
How have you grown through this experience?
How can you prevent an issue from becoming bigger?

Making an Ask

An ask can be many things. An ask can raise money, bring in volunteers for your organization or project, or you might even be looking for technical help. It is critical that your ask should be well defined. If you can’t give specifics about what, why, how, where and when, the odds of your ask being successful decrease dramatically. Here is a list of questions you should try to answer in your script:

Why should we care?
Who are we helping?
How are we helping?
What is needed?
How much is needed?
Where is it needed?
When is it needed?
If the ask is successful, how will that change you, your organization or your client’s life?
How will you let us know if you have been successful?