a YouTube short that can read your mind 🔮🧠
this is how you tickle your audience's brain
YT short of the week #003
👋 Hello friend,
I like this Adam McKay quote:
If you treat your audience like poets and geniuses,
they become poets and geniuses.
McKay plays characters at the top of their intelligence.
and Bad Ink Studios is not afraid of doing the same
This short is a glorious example of treating your audience respectfully.
You've been told that short form is dumb?
co-co-co-co-combo breaker!
No over-explaining, no fancy edits.
Just good writing, showing that Bad Ink Studios gets it.
Watch and I'll meet you after 🙂
3.4M views / 273K likes / 2.6K comments
🍱 Now, let's break it down:
Story Beat 1: The Catch
"this panel is a Rorschach test."
Why it works:
It’s a thumb-stopping statement.
You show something familiar -graphic novel art-
in an unfamiliar way -as a Rorschach test-inevitably, I, the viewer, wonder:
“how can you do that?”
Story Beat 2: introducing the listicle
"it's one simple drawing
but it will mean something different
to everyone who sees this video."
Why it works:
The promise is that the panel will have a multiple meanings.
That means multiple curiosity loops.
This is a reinvented listicle without saying
“and number 10 will nuke your brains out 🤯”.
Classy stuff.
Story Beat 3: listicle, for the core audience
Note: From here, instead of showing you the same frame repeatedly, I’ll reference the artists he mentions.
Why?
Because you goddamn deserve it.
That's why ❤️
"classic comic fans will notice a similarity to Steve Ditko and the expressiveness of James Terranko"
Why it works:
What better way to connect and make a comic-head feel seen?
“Hey, Steve Ditko connoisseur, this one is for you”.
Story Beat 4: listicle, for the nerds
"manga fans might notice the Uzumaki-like influence of Junji Ito"
Why it works:
Even though I have zero intentions of watching “Uzumaki” because it looks terrifying. I’m glad I looked it up.
The cultural references gets more obscure, more niche.
Now, there's an open loop asking:
“will I know the next reference?”(also, Uzumaki is coming out as a remake this year, clever way to hop on a future trend)
Story Beat 5: listicle, for the pros
"Fine artists might notice the incredible 10,000-hour control"
Why it works: Surprise, MOFOS!
You thought he was coming up with some ukiyo-e artist from a billion years ago?
Not Bad Ink Studios.
Here is a good ‘ol palate refresher.
This one is for the fine artists, and the appreciation for technical proficiency.
Story Beat 6: listicle, beginners
"and aspiring comic artists might suddenly pause and scrub backward to make sure they heard the words bristol board correctly"
Why it works:
Contrast.
He moves from pros to beginners while breaking the 4th wall.
The viewer turns into a character he can “see” and anticipate.
In this case, knowing that beginners fixate on tools when their skills are still meh.
(I know I do)
Story Beat 7: for the oddballs
"some will notice how ink-incrusted the pen is"
Why it works:
Maybe you thought about it, maybe you didn't.
But we all noticed after he said it, and it is pretty damn satisfying.
Story Beat 8: for that one guy at the party
"someone pedantic will notice some lines that aren't evenly spaced"
Why it works:
Even the party poopers get some love.
The kind of people who start their sentences with:
“actually”
at parties.
Story Beat 9: for the unexpected
"and of course content creators will be amazed
that we took one simple inking video
and managed to hold your attention for a full minute"
Why it works:
The final beat reflects on the video-making process itself.
He blew my mind. I felt observed.
Story beat summary:
1: the catch. familiar thing (comic) + unfamiliar approach (Rorschach test)
2: intro a listicle of reasons. “Why this is that”
3: one for the core audience
4: one for the nerds
5: one for the pros
6: one for the beginners
7: one for the oddballs
8: one for the pedantic
9: the closer: one for the unexpected.
The beauty of this short is that Bad Ink Studios makes the viewer a character.
The references are hyper-specific, but we keep watching because it's a mind-stimulating listicle.
Apply your structure to your niche.
Cinematography
Baking
Climbing
Makeup
Anything can be turned into a personality test if you know what you're talking about.
Bad Ink Studios proves that short form is for everyone.
Nerds like you and me included.
Oh, you're not a nerd?
But you are.
Just kidding, you're super cool 💜
And I'm glad you're here.
Consider sharing with a friend if you get any value from this breakdown.
See you next week
PS: I have a YouTube channel; have a look :)
Matias Ruiz-Tagle
Founder of Atomic Stories