In this episode, I sit down with YouTube storytelling master Johnny Harris to discover how he creates his videos. Johnny Harris has proven he can make pretty much anything go viral, from breakfast and lottery tickets to bread-making and extra virgin olive oil. We look at his entire creative process, breaking down exactly what makes his storytelling so addicting to watch. We cover the complete workflow: writing, drafting, editing, visual composition, and sound design. By the end of this video, you'll walk away with practical tools to become a better visual storyteller yourself. Enjoy!

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00:00:00 Intro

00:00:35 The Video Process

00:09:18 How to Research for a Documentary

00:10:10 The Marketing for a Video

00:13:15 Scripted vs Unscripted Content

00:15:18 The only app I use to read articles [Readwise Reader]

00:16:44 Full Breakdown of Johnny Harris' 4M View Mormon Video

00:45:34 Balancing Personal Passion vs Views

00:50:27 Every Story is a Promise

00:51:47 Highlighting Paradoxes in Human Stories

00:58:56 The "There's More Going On" Approach

01:03:20 Vox vs Independent YouTube

01:04:26 Pillars of YouTube Writing

01:05:27 Dealing with the Details in Complex Stories

01:07:19 The Art of Surprising Viewers

01:11:33 Learning from The Economist

01:18:11 Human Stories

01:21:05 Craftsmanship in the AI Age

01:24:02 How Would Johnny Harris Teach a University Class

Johnny Harris

https://www.youtube.com/@johnnyharris

https://www.patreon.com/johnnyharris

https://www.instagram.com/johnny.harris/

I also made a website that helps you learn from the best writing of all-time: https://writingexamples.com/

Hey! I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible.

Follow me

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv

X: https://x.com/david_perell

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