The "I Love Lucy" Video Storytelling Lessons

Ron Watermon • April 15, 2022

Important Lessons for Aspiring Podcasters, YouTubers & Content Creators

St. Louis, April 15, 2022 – I loved watching “I love Lucy” when I was growing up. I think I watched every episode several times. I could say the same thing about Gilligan’s Island, the Brady Bunch, M*A*S*H and half a dozen other shows from my childhood.

Before cable tv came to my neighborhood, we watched whatever reruns ran on the independent stations that were not running network programming. I Love Lucy was always one my favorites. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez were brilliant pioneers in on screen production who continue to influence the industry and StorySMART today.

Today, I want to talk about the “I Love Lucy” production lesson that any aspiring content creator should heed before committing to that next podcast or YouTube show.

Ironically, if you don’t heed this production lesson, you might find yourself in a hilarious pickle like Lucy routinely did as part of typical plot within the popular show. If it really goes awry is it might turn out like Lucy’s Italian Movie.

So before you go barefoot smashing grapes in the vat in Italy, let’s talk production models.

When I say production model, I am not talking about that statuesque cover model that walks the runway in Milan not far from that vat of grapes in the vineyard. No, when I say “production model” I am talking about how you go about consistently producing content your audience will want to consume.

You want a sustainable model that sets you up to be successful over the long haul. Producing a show is marathon not a sprint. You want to set a pace you can sustain throughout the race.

Here are some questions to consider before you bit into that big VitaMeataVegamin sandwich.

What is your show?
Who will tune in?
What audience are you targeting?
What are they tuning in to get?
What is your unique offer to them?
What other shows are out there now?
What do they do well?
In what ways will your show be different or better than theirs?
How will you pick your topics?
How will you produce it?
When will you do it? How often? Weekly, monthly?
Where will you do?
How much time and money are involved?
Who will be responsible for handing the production duties like shooting, editing, writing and posting?

And, the most important question of all ...

What is the easiest and most efficient way to do it?

What I’ve come to learn about the “I Love Lucy” production model is inspiring. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were business pioneers and barrier breakers. They created the most popular show of that era. Not only that, they helped define how TV comedies would be produced for generations. Live in front of a studio audience.

The production model played to both Lucy & Desi’s strengths. Performing in front of a live audience. They also were early pioneers in the classic three-camera sitcom.

It was shot live to film in front of a live studio audience. While Desi’s production company didn’t invent the 3 camera set up, they certainly popularized it. They also experimented with recycling content – shooting the show in such a high-quality medium of 35mm film, they made re-runs possible. And syndication provides them a lifetime of income, making the investment in quality up front even more worthwhile.

I watched I love Lucy in syndication in the 1970s, more than twenty years after it was produced.

Think about that. Two decades later – and even now nearly seventy years later it is still relevant and funny.

And the most StorySMART aspect of their approach – Ball and Arnaz negotiated to retain all rights to the series, making Desilu Studios the first independent studio to profit from off-network syndication. That is the power of owning your own content and the number one message I try to drive home to our clients.

Invest in quality storytelling. Make sure you own it.

You can own it Forever, unless you want to license or sell it to others. Your story is an asset that you should invest in and preserve.

The lessons and insights from “I Love Lucy” are still applicable today.

If you want to be a podcaster, don’t limit yourself to just audio. If you do, you will miss a great opportunity to reach an even larger audience and recycle your content. Make your podcast a video podcast.

Be efficient with your production model. Set yourself up to be successful. Here are some key questions to consider

Will you record your show once a week or will you batch your production?
If you do a three camera set up, will you go live to tape using a switcher or will you have someone spend hours after the show editing it?
Who will do that for you? You?
If you pay someone to do it, how much will that cost?

I can tell you the live to tape model of production is preferable to me so you are not spending hours after the shoot editing it together. When you walk out of the studio, your show is done. You might spend more up front, but less in the long run.

That is why we have developed a premium model that would have our clients shooting in a 4K high-quality television studio. It may cost more up front, but it will empower you to put your podcast or youtube show on TV and sell advertising to underwrite your costs. It is of such high quality, that it will stand the test of time. More than that, you can cut it up to share via social, your website and on other projects. You name it.

But most importantly, when you walk out of that studio your work is done. You spent the money up front to ensure it is switched with lower thirds, graphics and b-roll so it doesn't need to be edited following the shoot.

When we designed our production approach we built it on the “I Love Lucy” live to tape production model. We are committed to only the highest quality service for our clients. We want what you do to stand the test of time and reflect well on your brand for many years to come.

While there may be cheaper routes, they involve a lot more work in the long run. For us, it is about developing a sustainable model that works for the long haul. We won’t steer our clients into an unsustainable model or one that reflect poorly on their brand.

We want them to be StorySMART everything they do.

Our premium television product service enables clients to grow their brand and reach audiences in multiple places from television broadcast, streaming over the top, to YouTube, Social Media and various podcast platforms.

From our vantage point, we are adhering to the “I Love Lucy” lesson of being StorySMART with a sustainable successful production model. We encourage you to do the same as you enjoy some Vitameatavegamin for your health.

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