There was a time when making a comic book movie seemed impossible. The special effects, cast of characters and stretch of imagination outgrew every price tag. Today is different. Not a year goes by where a new comic book movies isn’t released. These films draw in large audiences and make a ton of money. These films go against traditional storytelling, opting for comic book storytelling.
Comic book storytelling follows a unique set of guidelines that is appearing in more and more movies and television shows. Each detail is explained in the video by Patrick H. Willems below. These ideas might inspire your next presentation. This article will introduce the concepts of comic book storytelling and how to use them in a presentation.
Long Form Storytelling
Comic books and their movies are built around long form storytelling. Every movie is set up of a sequel. Each sequel eventually leads to a crossover movie where numerous character all come together. Comic book storytelling does not stick to the parameters of a traditional movie. Instead of staying within a 2-hour time frame, these movies stretch out over a series of stand alone’s and sequels. This keeps audiences coming back for more.
What if your presentations built on top of each other? By uploading and sharing previous presentation online, you can call on audience to watch your previous work. Then in your new presentation, you can use nods to your previous ones to move the story forward. This concept will grow your online following. You can tease your audience on the new discovery you have for them to create excitement. This way of building your story could be an effective one.
Continuity
One key concept for comic book storytelling is continuity. Films in the Marvel and DC universes all relate to each other. This means the audience will have to see every film in a series to get every joke or plot point. It also adds a unique creative element that films haven’t been able to use previously. This concept has audiences rushing to every premiere and re-watching older films in the series.
Continuity can be used in your presentation. You can create a series of talks that focus on one theme. These talks can all relate back to each other while expanding to more topics. Try creating a trilogy series of presentations that all link back together. See if you can get your audience to grow through sharing the first half of the trilogy online and giving a sneak peak of the last half.
Amp Up the Event
Original superhero films focused on the character. The rest of their world was not nearly as developed as the comic book it is based on. Today’s superhero films immerse our entire world in the comic book’s universe. It’s not just about the hero, it’s about the event. Comic book storytelling is about an event that the heroes must face. For example, the upcoming Marvel Studios’ Avengers Infinity War movie is about global takeover which gets every Marvel hero involved.
Your presentation could amp up the event itself. Pitch decks and other presentation describe products or companies. Instead of spending so much time going over data and stories, focus on the actual point of the presentation. You can do a demonstration of your product throughout the entire presentation instead of tacking it on the end. Use Virtual Reality technology to showcase your service instead of relying to slides. Don’t let the use of your product fall on the back burner. Make it the main event.
Comic book storytelling offers a unique approach for structuring your presentation. The concepts are an exciting way to breathe new life into your deck. It could lead to a larger following and a better sell of your product.
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