In the movie, Super 8, JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg do a great job in showing us, not simply telling us. The opening scene is a mill worker removing the numbers 784 from a sign which reads “784 days since our last accident” and replacing it with the number “1.” The audience knows an accident has occurred, likely a tragic one (since it is hard to believe that no one has suffered any scrapes or bruises or pulled muscles throughout the entire plant for over 2 years). ”Something happened,” you’re thinking to yourself, “and it was bad.” The movie then cuts to a scene in a boy dressed in his Sunday’s best, sitting in the swing in his yard, ankle-deep in snow. And then you’re like, “poor kid. He lost someone.” The makers of the film could have started with a narrative – “hey audience, there’s been a bad accident at the mill and it affects this boy.” Yawn. Instead, they show us, they don’t tell us. And by showing us, their message is so much more effective.
When trying to persuade others, whether in a motion, at a hearing or at trial, try to paint pictures with your words. Create images to show your audience your point. Don’t be satisfied by simply telling them. Show them. You could tell the jury that a witness was not at a good vantage point to see the accident. Or you can create an image of how little he could see what was going on, showing the jury that he couldn’t have possibly seen what happened. Think about how and when you can show more, versus simply telling, to make your advocacy more compelling, more dynamic and make yourself more of a storyteller.
