An explanation isn’t something that unfolds. It’s something you tell.
Table of contents
Why Storytelling Conveys Knowledge
Information presented in its raw form slips away. We hear it, and we forget it before noon. Information that’s told to us sticks: we follow a thread, we see an idea take shape, and we remember it because we’ve experienced something.
It’s not about aesthetics; it’s about memory. Our brains don’t store lists of points; they store scenes, tensions, and images. Throughout history, the knowledge that has endured is the knowledge we’ve woven into stories. Your welcoming process, your method, and your knack are no exception: when told, they remain; when simply performed, they fade away.
The Six Story Markers, Applied to an Explanation
A good story hinges on a few key elements. None of them are exclusive to fiction; all of them apply to whatever you’re communicating.
- The setting. A story begins with a world. The first few seconds set the scene, even before the first words are spoken.
- The plot. A question, a challenge, a sense of suspense that makes you want to know what happens next. “What do you do when...?”
- The hero and his guide. Someone is living the story. In a training session, the hero isn't you—it's the learner. You are the guide, there when needed, and unobtrusive the rest of the time.
- The arc. A progression, not a list. A beginning, a middle, and an end—that’s what moves the story forward.
- The turning point. The pivotal moment—the one where everything clicks. The climax of your explanation.
- The resolution. What the hero takes away: a skill, a certainty, a new reflex.
Six markers. Now we just need to put them to use. That’s exactly where Stoodeo comes in.
In practice: the same explanation, twice
Let’s take an example that everyone is familiar with: explaining to a new hire how the team she’s joining works.
Expanded version. Vous vous filmez et vous énumérez. Voici l’organigramme. Voici les outils. Voici les horaires, les procédures, les bonnes personnes à qui parler. Tout est exact, tout est utile. Et tout est oublié avant la fin de la première journée. Ce n’est pas une histoire, c’est un sommaire lu à voix haute.
Narrated version. The content is the same, but you select the markers one by one.
It opens with a scene: not your face in front of a wall, but a stylized shot of the team and its world, which sets the stage in a second. You lay out the premise right away—the real question running through the new hire’s mind: “What does a successful first week look like here, and how do you become self-sufficient, quickly?” ” You identify the hero, and it’s not you: “This journey is yours.” You step onto the scene as a guide, taking center stage to set the tone, then stepping back to let the viewer see the big picture while you provide commentary.
Then you unfold a narrative arc, not a checklist: Day one, you get your bearings; Day two, you get the hang of the tools; by the end of the week, you’re flying on your own. At the heart of the story lies the turning point: you circle on screen, in real time, the one thing that unlocks everything else. “If there’s one thing you need to remember, it’s this.” The image takes shape as you say it; the eye is drawn to it; the memory holds onto it. And you close on the resolution: the recruit, self-reliant, in their place, ready.
The same knowledge. But one is a document you skim through, the other is a story you keep. And for you, the time difference between the two is measured in minutes.
Stoodeo gives you markers, not features
That’s where the app really comes into its own. Stoodeo doesn’t present you with a list of technical options to figure out. Instead, it guides you through the story’s key moments, one by one.
The setting consists of the templates you slip into: a map, a diagram, a plan—a world that sets the tone from the very first image. The hero and his guide are the overlay and the framing: you bring them to the forefront to convey the message, or pull them back to reveal what’s beside what you’re showing, depending on the moment. The turning point is the live annotation with a stylus: you write, underline, and circle as you speak, and your train of thought takes shape before the viewer’s eyes. The narrative arc is the chaptering: your explanation becomes a journey we follow, not a block of information we’re forced to sit through.
The plot and the resolution, however, remain your responsibility as the author—something no one else can do for you. Stoodeo takes care of the staging. You provide the meaning.
The result can be summed up in one sentence: you’re not recording a message—you’re staging a broadcast. And all of this without any production or editing, in just a few minutes.
Your story applies to all professions
Onboarding, a technical step, a method, a concept, a procedure: all are better told than recited. The key points remain the same; only the content changes.
- Every technical move has its hero (the one who will learn the move) and its turning point: the detail that changes everything, highlighted live at the exact moment you name it.
- The method has its own storyline (the problem it solves) and its own arc: the steps leading up to the “aha” moment, broken down into chapters so you don't get lost.
- The concept has its setting (the image that makes it crystal clear) and its resolution: that famous “now you see” moment we’re trying to create.
Knowledge belongs to you. The story is simply what conveys it and keeps it alive.
Share your story now
Choose a story you could tell with your eyes closed. Identify the main character, the plot, and the turning point. Open Stoodeo, bring it to life, and post it.
You’re going to see the difference between what you’ve always explained and how it comes across when it’s retold.
Stoodeo is free for your first video.