Lessons from a masterpiece
How watching Dune: Part Two can inspire your data storytelling practice
Dune: Part 2 is a cinematic masterpiece.
I went to see the film last Friday and have been thinking about it ever since. It truly left a lasting impression. This is an impressive feat for a motion picture based on a book—those are often the most disappointing. Not Dune though. The rhythm, the pictures, and the music make it worth your while.
There are many reasons why the film is so powerful, two of which could inspire your next data story.
Repetition
The score of the film is pretty much the same throughout. Now, I’m no expert in music, so if you are, forgive me for simplifying. What I mean is that there isn’t a long list of songs like in many other films. It’s mainly just one sound group—beautiful and poignant—that plays whenever something dramatic happens.
So what does that have to do with data storytelling? Good question. It shows that you don’t need to employ a ton of different tricks—transitions, jokes, quotes—when presenting data. Repeating elements can be more powerful than having a variety of them. You could turn your message or joke into a catchphrase and repeat it multiple times. This would work both when presenting orally and sharing a written story.
*Side note: the impact of repetition has been researched. Check out this edition of the Effect & Affect newsletter on the topic.
Change of scale
Dune: Part 2 has some of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen. But what’s interesting about them is that they keep changing in scale. Sometimes, you’ll see the entire desert in front of you—nothing but kilometers of sand ahead. Then, other times, you’ll get a zoom-in of the tiniest objects for dramatic effect.
See where I’m getting with this? In your data stories, you can do the same. Perhaps you begin with some context and an overview of the data. Then, you continue with a zoomed-in view: only one variable, one location, or one category from the data. And then zoom back out. A few changes of scale can not only help keep the audience’s attention but also provide an in-depth data analysis.
*Check out this talk by the brilliant Gurman Bhatia for more inspiration on this.
If you’re thinking these comparisons are a bit of a stretch, perhaps you’re right. Or perhaps it’s closer to our data reality than you think. So many of the storytelling principles we use have parallels in screenwriting or are even borrowed from it. So why not let the best cinematographic pieces inspire us?
One last note—I broke the rule of threes with this newsletter. Did it feel awkward to have two sections instead of three? Yes. But I didn’t want to add a third point just to fit into that structure. Content over form.
Thanks for reading 🎥
See you next week,
—Evelina
Upcoming training 📆
Want to learn data storytelling with me? Join my three-week online data storytelling bootcamp starting in early June. This will be an updated and improved version of my usual course. As always, you can use the code THEPLOT10 for 10% off.
🗽P.S. I’ll be in NYC April 4-12! Send me a note if you’d like to grab coffee.