The Diary of a CEO’s Director of Trailers, Anthony Smith, on capturing attention in the first few seconds, building cliffhangers and emotional momentum that keep audiences watching (or reading), and testing hooks and packaging without losing trust or story.
You'll learn:
- Why you only have 3–5 seconds to earn attention, and what that changes about your opening lines and first scenes.
- How to take the guesswork out of hooks by testing titles and thumbnails to see what audiences actually care about.
- Ways to pull a more compelling later moment forward and work in reverse when the early material is setup.
- What makes a cliffhanger work across books and videos, and how to raise the stakes so people feel “gutted” not knowing the answer.
- How to build an “emotional rollercoaster” so the narrative never flatlines.
- Why sound and silence can help storytelling work, creating intensity and then giving the audience space to breathe.
- How to balance intrigue with respect for your audience by offering a “moment of value” instead of holding everything back.
- Why giving away too much can kill curiosity, and how to protect the reason someone keeps reading or watching.
Resources and Links:
About Anthony Smith
Anthony Smith is Director of Trailers at The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, where he leads storytelling through video for one of the world’s most-watched podcasts, and his work spans Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Sky, and Netflix. Through talks and consulting, he helps creators and brands combine narrative craft with human psychology to make emotionally engaging, purposeful content.
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