You Gotta Hear This! A Podcast for Video Creators & Storytellers

Paul Steven Forrest
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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!

  1. Sep 15

    Ep 78 - Secret Sauce: Let It Breathe

    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

    Ep 78 - Secret Sauce: Let It Breathe

  2. Sep 8

    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.

    Ep 77 - Secret Sauce: Run It Back

  3. Sep 1

    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

    Ep 76 - Secret Sauce: Where Great Stories Begin

  4. Aug 25

    Ep 75 - Secret Sauce: Beating The Algorithm

    Everybody’s trying to beat the algorithm. More views. More likes. More followers. More reach. But if you’re a working creative, there’s another algorithm that may matter a whole lot more. People. Because when a producer needs a great camera operator, editor, audio person, director, designer, or crew member, they usually don’t start by asking who has the most followers. They ask somebody they trust: “Know a great ______?” It’s not much different than needing work done around your house. Know a great plumber? Know a great electrician? Know a great painter? That’s the human algorithm. In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, Paul shares why your reputation may be more valuable than your reach—and how the way you work, the way you treat people, and the experience you create can keep your name moving from one conversation to another. Because your brand isn’t what you think about you. It’s what other people think about you. Key Insights: Why likes and views don’t tell the whole story. The difference between visibility and reputation. Why referrals still drive the production business. What it means when your reputation precedes you. Why how you make people feel matters. How to become the person people recommend when someone asks, “Know somebody great?” Social media can help people discover you. But people help people trust you. And sometimes the best algorithm you can build isn’t online at all. It’s the network of people who are willing to say your name when you’re not in the room. That’s the Secret Sauce. Connect with Paul at: paulstevenforrest.com

    Ep 75 - Secret Sauce: Beating The Algorithm

  5. Aug 18

    Ep 74 - Secret Sauce: Get Ready For Your Moment

    Sometimes opportunity gives you plenty of warning. And sometimes the phone rings and someone says: “Need you to sub-in tomorrow?” Suddenly you’re confirming the call time, showing up at a location you’ve never seen before, meeting a crew you may not know — and being expected to deliver. That’s the thing about your moment. You usually don’t get to decide when it arrives. In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, I talk about why all those smaller jobs, unexpected assignments, long days, mistakes, and lessons along the way are preparing you for opportunities you can’t see coming. Don’t pass up the small jobs. They may not feel important at the time. But every one of them gives you another experience to draw from when somebody finally hands you a bigger opportunity. And remember that podcast where we talked about Just Say YES? This is where that comes back around. When your moment arrives, you may not feel completely ready. You may even be scared. That’s okay. Be ready to say yes... no matter how scared you are. Because you’ve been getting ready for that moment longer than you realize. Key Insights: Why opportunity rarely arrives on your schedule How small jobs prepare you for bigger ones Why experience builds confidence you can’t fake What to do when you're asked to step into something before you feel ready Why sometimes you just have to say YES! Connect with Paul at: paulstevenforrest.com

    Ep 74 - Secret Sauce: Get Ready For Your Moment

  6. Aug 11

    Ep 73 - Secret Sauce: Staying In Sync

    Great creative teams develop a rhythm. They learn how each other thinks. They anticipate what’s coming next. And eventually, they can communicate in shorthand. “Let’s do what we did on the Santa Monica shoot.” That may be all it takes. Because when you’ve worked together long enough, you don’t have to explain every detail. Everybody knows what that means. Everybody starts rowing in the same direction. That’s what happens when a creative team gets in sync. In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, Paul talks about why staying in sync matters — not only between the people on your team, but between the pictures, words, music, sound, and emotion of the story you’re creating. We’ve all experienced what happens when something is out of sync. The picture says one thing while the sound says something else, and almost immediately your brain knows something isn’t right. Creative teams can feel the same way. When the producer, director, camera crew, editor, client, and everyone else involved in the project are working from different ideas of what they’re trying to create, the audience can feel it. But when everyone understands the story, the goal, and each other, something changes. The work gets better. Communication gets easier. And the team begins moving together. Key Insights: Why great creative teams develop their own shorthand. What happens when a team—or a story—gets out of sync. Why shared experience builds trust • How communication becomes easier when everyone understands the goal. Why being in sync doesn't mean everyone thinks exactly alike. How collaboration can become part of your secret sauce Because your Secret Sauce isn't only about what you bring to the project. Sometimes it's about how well you help everyone else bring their best to it. The best creative teams don't just work together. They learn to move together. And when everybody is rowing in the same direction, you can feel the difference in the work.  Connect with Paul at: paulstevenforrest.com

    Ep 73 - Secret Sauce: Staying In Sync

  7. Aug 4

    Ep 72 - Secret Sauce: I Never Went To Film School

    What if your greatest education never happened in a classroom? In this episode, I share why I'm actually grateful I never went to film school. As a music major in college, I found myself producing two full-scale musicals—experiences that unexpectedly became my bridge into television production. From there, every assignment, every edit session, every production meeting, and every conversation with talented professionals became another lesson. The editors I worked alongside became my professors. The producers I worked with became my mentors. The projects themselves became my classroom. Looking back over more than four decades in television and media, I've realized that curiosity has always been one of the most valuable skills I've ever developed. Instead of pretending to know everything, I kept asking questions, watching how experienced people solved problems, and learning something new on every project. If you're waiting until you feel "qualified" before pursuing your next creative opportunity, this episode is for you. In this episode you'll discover: Why curiosity can be more valuable than credentials. How real-world experience accelerates creative growth. Why asking questions is a strength, not a weakness. The importance of learning from everyone around you. And how every project can become another step in your creative education. Whether you're just getting started or you've been creating for years, your next lesson may be waiting on your very next assignment. You don't have to attend film school to become a better storyteller. Stay curious. Keep asking questions. Keep learning. Because your greatest education may happen while you're doing the work. And that's where your secret sauce begins. Let's continue the conversation at: paulstevenforrest.com

    Ep 72 - Secret Sauce: I Never Went To Film School

  8. Jul 28

    Ep 71 - Secret Sauce: Soak It All In

    Have you ever had one conversation change the way you looked at your work forever? For me, it happened during a visit to Capitol Records in Hollywood. A record producer friend invited me to sit in on a recording session, and before the musicians arrived, I found myself talking with the recording engineer about the microphones he was setting up. I asked what I thought was a simple question, and his answer has stayed with me for decades. It wasn't really about microphones. It was about paying attention. It was about curiosity. And it reminded me that some of the most valuable lessons in a creative career don't come from a classroom—they come from asking one more question. Looking back, I've realized that's how I've tried to approach my entire career. Whether I was working in a television station, sitting in an edit suite, directing a live broadcast, or producing a documentary, I wanted to learn from the people around me. I watched how they solved problems. I listened to the questions they asked. I paid attention to the little decisions that made a story stronger. One habit that shaped me was staying through the credits at the end of every movie. While everyone else was leaving the theater, I was studying the names. I wanted to know who edited the film, who composed the music, who designed the sound, and why the same names kept appearing on projects I admired. That's when I discovered a simple truth: excellence leaves fingerprints. If you pay attention, great work will teach you how it was created. In this episode, I want to challenge you to become a creative sponge. Whether you're a filmmaker, communicator, leader, musician, or storyteller, every conversation, every project, every success, and even every failure has something to teach you. The people who continue to grow aren't necessarily the most talented—they're the ones who never stop learning. They stay curious. They ask one more question. And they keep soaking it all in.   Our conversation doesn't have to stop here. Visit PaulStevenForrest.com for more resources to help you tell stories that engage & connect.

    Ep 71 - Secret Sauce: Soak It All In
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About

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!

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