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David Attenborough has convinced 200 million people to care about the mating habits of birds of paradise.
Think about that for a second.
Most scientists can't get their own colleagues to read their papers (sorry!)
Attenborough can get the whole family around the TV excitedly watching for 50 minutes!
The “trick” is not to induce a velvety British grandpa accent (although that would help!), or to travel to the Galapagos.
But a very simple paradigm from the storytelling world 🌍
We are starting the Science Storytelling Challenge starting February 2nd.
It's a 28-day program with 5 video lessons, 15+ storytelling templates, and the exact system to communicate your science without sounding like a marketer. We're keeping this cohort small with scholarship spots for early-stage researchers and PhDs!
use code SCIENCEISCOOL for 25% off. Secure your spot here!
Let’s see how it looks…
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(1) What do you notice over here?
Let’s enter the magical world of a David Attenborough opening sequence…
The opening scene to Our Planet - Frozen Worlds in Netflix
don’t look at the words for a moment, focus on the screen.
one more time for good measure…
These sequences are the most important thing about science communication, and I don’t know Mr. Attenborough personally, or the amazing producers at Netflix, but I promise you terrahours of cognitive power have gone into those 4-5 first shots before a single recording was filmed.
They use the oldest rule in the cinematography book:
Establishing shot
Mid-shot
Detail
but this is not where the magic happens…
take a look at what’s happening with the words spoken.
it’s not a description of “what” is happening but why it matterns
This zooming out and zooming in effect is replicated onto the language!
This is why most science communication fails, because it stays at one altitude the entire time.
You're either stuck in the weeds (molecular mechanisms, technical specs, implementation details) or you're stuck in the clouds (big vision, abstract benefits, grand world mission).
Attenborough never does this.
He constantly moves you up and down!
and sometimes it can be a little more abrupt …
Our Planet / Jungles - the velvet worm
one moment we are flying on the clouds and the next, we are underneath a small leaf observing a tiny little velvet worm… wow!
This rhythm does two critical things:
First, it gives your brain processing time.
When you zoom out after detail-heavy information, you're creating digestion time.
The wide shot isn't wasted time.
Second, it shows why details matter.
The molecular mechanism means nothing until you zoom back out and show the impact on the organism, the ecosystem, the planet.
Okay but how does this work without the million dollar production budget?
Try this:
Wide: The industry problem everyone faces / the mission / the BIG machine
Mid-shot: Your specific technical breakthrough / what detail actually matters / what is the challenge?
Narrower: How the technology actually works / the MOA / the technical details
Wide: Why does it matter? / How is it different?
Every zoom level serves a purpose:
Wide = Context and stakes
Narrow = Emotional connection
Narrower = Understanding and detail
Wide = Meaning and significance
When it comes to science communication, you don’t need to copy LinkedIn gurus or social media experts.
Science communication has survived (and thrived) many decades, in many formats, for all kinds of quirky science and technology!
Just look at the masters when in doubt.
Always learning,
Giota
P.S Thanks so much for reading all the way through, and if you want to learn more about how we produce science and technology stories make sure to check out all the details on the science storytelling challenge