I spent four years as executive producer of The Bachelor across Europe. From jetting around the globe on a moment’s notice to editing episodes for three days straight, it was a thrilling experience that profoundly shaped how I approach storytelling.

I was incredibly lucky to learn from the best and brightest in television about how to create amazing stories that kept people coming back for more. Today, Feel Good Video uses the same lessons to help companies create emotional connections—and help our clients achieve amazing things.

Casting is everything

Without compelling characters, it’s hard for viewers to care. On The Bachelor, thousands of real women—not actresses—applied for the show. As you might imagine, many of them were gorgeous, talented and brilliant.

But to have an interesting show, we had to go beyond the obvious and be more thoughtful about the type of people we brought on.

Was this person truly marriage material? Were they natural troublemakers—and sure to make things interesting? Did they play well with others? Were they competitive or docile? Did they represent the audience? Most importantly, was our Bachelor relentlessly interesting and handsome, precisely the type of well-rounded hunk viewers at home could envision giving everything up for?

At Feel Good Video, we take the same level of care into casting for our videos. We review hundreds of possible actors and see dozens in auditions before picking the perfect actors for your audiences to cheer for, care about, laugh with and occasionally root against. Some companies gloss over casting or opt for featuring low-cost actors or even employees. While some of us may have a latent Meryl Streep living inside, most of us have other strengths. Casting matters and is worth the hassle.

Honor traditions

We recruited a bachelor who hailed from the Romanov dynasty. That’s the equivalent of a British royal in the UK—and that connection to hundreds of years of history instantly appealed to large audience. Keep in mind the show itself is based on the classic Cinderella story—another instant connection with audiences.

The most successful stories are based on archetypes that we carry in our minds since childhood. We always keep this heritage in mind when creating new stories. Every symbol, every character we incorporate can reference a tradition—and make the video’s impact even more powerful.

Likewise, corporate videos that pay homage to the past instantly strike a chord with many more people. We recently produced a corporate video that honors today’s tradition of carpool karaoke with the “ancient” tradition of singing Bohemian Rhapsody in a crowded car (paging all Wayne’s World fans!). It was a double dip on tradition—and helped rake in 2M+ views in just a few weeks.

Take us on a rollercoaster

On The Bachelor, people went through the ultimate relationship rollercoaster. They met new people, visited new places, overcame fears, faced backstabbing, endured rejection and—if they were lucky—fell in love.

In a single episode, a participant could experience shame, stress, relief and joy while doing everything from enjoying a candlelit dinner to jumping out of an airplane.

Also: nonstop action with lots of twists and turns is inherently fun to watch.

When I think of the ultimate rollercoaster rides, I think of health technology videos—FGV’s fastest-growing market segment. Nearly every health technology product was invented to address seriously bad news. That means our videos kick off by putting viewer on a rollercoaster of sadness, fear and pain. The product’s healing and comforting qualities help help straighten out that roller coaster to reach a safe place of comfort and joy—but it’s important to keep at least one more loop-de-loop in there to keep the viewer engaged.

Wear your heart on your sleeve

When we see an emotion expressed by someone we care about, we usually internalize the feeling. This carries to stories on the screen too; sad movies bring us down, comedies pick us up. When we showed what The Bachelor participants were feeling—disappointment at not getting picked, joy after a romantic date—the audience responded in kind.

Power your audience with emotion. The more real and pure the on-screen emotion, the more powerful feedback you will get. Show the flood of tears, the barreling laughter, the confused eyebrow-knitted face-scrunch, the ugly face of agony, the broad, confident steps of someone in love.

Here I think of the multigenerational dance party we captured created for the VAVA Voom video—a smorgasbord of joyous, semi-competitive rug-cutting. The video was charged with fun and energy—and the viewers felt it.

When you leave all your feelings on the dance floor, the audience comes to dance.

Have a feel good moment!

Spending several weeks competing for one man, away from friends, family and your own bed—well, that’s really tough. And the viewers felt it too.

That’s why at the end of each episode of The Bachelor, we presented a “feel good moment” that kept viewers coming back.

A kiss after a series of dates and agonizing anticipation. A new exotic adventure after a mentally exhausting rose ceremony. The positive energy is inescapable. The crew can’t help but smile, and the viewer breathes out—and smiles as well.

Needless to say, this was my favorite part of the show—and it’s why we named Feel Good Video what we did. We seek to include a pick-me-up in every video we do here, be it a guy in a bear suit or a fun virtual reality sparring match.

Life’s hard enough—and leaving things on an up note goes a long way.

Follow the rules for a ratings bonanza

At The Bachelor, I’m delighted that our hard work following the directions above paid off. The season finale for our first season in Ukraine achieved a national rating of 48%. That means that 48% off all the televisions in the entire country were tuned in to see the Proposal. Incredible!

And at Feel Good Video, we’ve applied the same rules to create dozens of videos that have earned millions of views and helped advance their business. Now THAT makes us feel good!

Shooting a Kickstarter video series in Los Angeles for our friends at VAVA. Stay tuned for some awesome videos – they are coming in a few weeks!

The most fun shoot ever 🙂 with @filipvandewal #videoproduction #startupvideo #filmmaking #videographer #videoshoot #bear #onset #losangeles #productionlife

A photo posted by Feel Good Video Production (@feelgood_video) on Nov 22, 2016 at 6:13am PST

Check out the complete behind-the-scenes session on our Facebook page.

Vava Dash Cam is your on-the-road companion:
– 360-Degree View
– Auto-record + remote capture functionality
– Captures footage even when car is off

Place the VAVA Dash anywhere on your dashboard to capture the views you’re most interested in. The VAVA Dash Cam works at any angle to make sure you’re always capturing what matters most to you.

Sometimes you get a dancing bear #OnSet while shooting a #commercial video 😉 ? pic.twitter.com/alBMMa1Vq6

— feelgoodvideo (@feelgoodvideo) November 23, 2016