About You Gotta Hear This! A Podcast for Video Creators & Storytellers
You Gotta Hear This! is the go-to podcast for video creators who want to master the art of storytelling. Hosted by writer, director, and creative coach Paul Steven Forrest, each episode dives into practical techniques, insider tips, and real-world strategies to help you shape raw footage into powerful, engaging stories. If you’re ready to level up your storytelling skills, this podcast is for you!
Sometimes the best thing you can add to a story… is nothing. When we’re creating, it’s tempting to keep adding. Another shot. Another line. Another graphic. Another music cue. We want to make sure the audience gets it. But great storytelling isn’t just knowing what to put in.
It’s knowing what to leave out. In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, I talk about one of the lessons I’ve learned after years in an edit room: every element has to pay its way. Pictures and words are two of our most powerful storytelling tools.
But if the picture has already told me something, I don’t necessarily need the words to tell me again. It’s on the screen. That’s why my creative process usually involves several passes: Assemble. Build. Elevate. Polish.
And during every pass, something gets adjusted. Something gets tightened. And sometimes something I really like has to go. Because the goal isn’t to see how much we can squeeze into the story. The goal is to give the right moments enough room to land.
Condensing isn’t cramming. It’s choosing. So whether you’re editing a video, writing a script, building a presentation, producing a podcast—or just trying to communicate an idea—ask yourself: Does everything really need to be there?
Sometimes your story gets stronger when you stop adding… …and let it breathe.
Connect with Paul at: paulstevenforrest.com
8 Sept 2026
Ep 77 - Secret Sauce: Run It Back
If you spend your life helping other people tell their stories, here’s an interesting question: What happens when you turn that same curiosity on yourself? Where did your story begin? Who gave you a break?
What experiences changed your direction? What looked insignificant at the time—but turned out to be a pretty important dot on the map?
In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, Paul Steven Forrest challenges you to run it back and take a fresh look at the people, opportunities, successes, mistakes and unexpected turns that helped get you where you are today.
You’ll also learn how to create a simple Journey Map—a practical exercise designed to help you connect the dots, rediscover things you may have forgotten, and uncover clues about what might be next.
Whether you’re just beginning your creative journey or wondering how to reinvent yourself for the next chapter, sometimes looking backward can help you see forward.
IN THIS EPISODE: Why your earliest interests may contain clues about who you’re becoming How people, opportunities—and even mistakes—shape your journey A simple way to create your own Journey Map Why someone who knows you well may see dots you’ve forgotten How looking at your past can uncover possibilities for your future
THE TAKEAWAY: You’re not looking backward because you want to go back. You’re looking backward so you can understand what’s been moving you forward. Grab a pencil. Make your Journey Map. And run it back.
For more ideas about becoming a better visual storyteller, visit PaulStevenForrest.com. And check out Paul’s book, You REALLY Gotta See This!—stories and lessons about using pictures, words and music to tell stories that engage and connect.
1 Sept 2026
Ep 76 - Secret Sauce: Where Great Stories Begin
Great stories don’t begin when you press RECORD. They begin earlier. Before the cameras. Before the lighting. Before the edit. They begin with curiosity.
In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, I share how I start looking for the heart of a story long before shoot day—by doing a little research, talking to the people involved, listening closely, and asking one more question.
Sometimes that question changes everything.
I’ll tell you about a story I was preparing to shoot at a museum filled with more than 40,000 bunnies. At first, that sounded like the story. It wasn’t. A phone call the day before the shoot revealed something completely different: It was a love story.
We’ll also look at what CBS correspondent Steve Hartman demonstrated with Everybody Has A Story - that great stories are everywhere if you’re curious enough to find them.
And there’s one more question every storyteller needs to ask: Who am I telling this story to?Because curiosity helps you discover the story. Understanding your viewer helps you decide how to tell it.
Key insights include: Get curious about the person before the shoot. Find the other voices that can help tell the story. Get a feel for the location and see what you discover. Look at the story through the eyes of your viewer. And never underestimate the power of one more question
Great stories don’t begin when you press RECORD. They begin with curiosity, listening, and understanding who you’re telling the story to.
Sometimes a great story begins with a big idea. And sometimes it begins with a phone call the day before the shoot—and one curious question. Curiosity is where great stories begin.
Connect with me at: paulstevenforrest.com
Reach and audience
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Podcast Authority Score: 29 / 100
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Contact You Gotta Hear This! A Podcast for Video Creators & Storytellers
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Questions about You Gotta Hear This! A Podcast for Video Creators & Storytellers
Who hosts You Gotta Hear This! A Podcast for Video Creators & Storytellers?
Paul Steven Forrest host the show. Published by Paul Steven Forrest.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
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