Identifying subject and theme for video

[happiness]

I’ve had an itch to make content pertinent to me. Perhaps no one will care, but I’m still going to do it.

I want to start by making a video about my unique form of exercise. In my own opinion, I have a high level of knowledge on this subject that is quite superior to what 99% of successful fitness influencers preach, although it’s difficult to convince anyone of this. The exercise philosophy I subscribe to is like Objectivism in that it is a heterodoxical truth (there is a nexus of leading trainers/influencers in this genre who are in fact Objectivists).

Although none are very popular, Influencers in this genre of exercise have already made videos, and each excels at certain things. One is a master of the biology of exercise, one specializes in crunching studies in exercise physiology, another excels at practical exercise instruction. I’m trying to identify aspects of exercise that I excel at, that will be original. 

The only thing that I can do right now that I’m sure is reasonably original is explain my own intellectual journey and my own use of this form of exercise. In particular, I use this method to overcome a serious physical problem that would cut me off from strength training done any other way, hence allowing me to avoid the ravages of sarcopenia. This would be relevant to many people in a similar boat who have joint and spine problems, although I still assert that this is the best method of training even for healthy people.

So I made a video that is kind of a subconscious brain dump of things I have to say on the subject. This is a very rough draft and it sucks, but it was my first attempt.

To be sure, I rehearsed this—I don’t have the ability to talk for six minutes straight off the top of my head. 

in this video, I explained my background with exercise, my condition, and how this method of training allows me to continue training when I wouldn’t otherwise be able to. I briefly explain the overarching philosophy of exercise, then the particulars of this specific technique. Then I explain my routine and demonstrate how I apply it to myself in the context of my debilities and limitations. In closing, I anticipate objections from “haters,” flip off the camera, and declare myself  one of the world’s leading intellectuals in the field of exercise.

I can easily see that a lot of stylistic improvements (tonality, emotive speech, body language) are needed, and I will remove the tacky cursing and flipping off the audience at the end. These are easy fixes.

The harder part is deciding a final script or outline. I consulted “The Art of Nonfiction” for guidance, and it occurred to me that I don’t know how to identify my subject and theme These could be:

• Me—I’m primarily making a video about myself.
• Exercise in general
• This particular form of exercise
• How I use this particular form of exercise to train through a serious physical problem.

According to TAONF, the subject is what your article is about, and your theme is what you want to say about it. Rand recommends explicating exactly why you are writing to help clarify these issues. 

I never explicated why I made this, so I’m trying to do so now. 

I have a constellation of health-related interests, of which exercise is a crucial component. I have some original insights on these subjects, and I want to put them into the form of tangible content before someone else does. 

This video is only original in the sense that it shows how a person with a serious joint disease applies resistance training to good effect. I talk to people in online groups for people with joint and back pain who want to know how to exercise with their condition, and a nicely revised version of this video could be of value to them.

But I think on a subconscious level, I intended for this video to be an introduction that could serve several useful purposes as part of an overall platform. It seems I’m trying to showcase myself and my knowledge, even realizing that few people will care. I’m doing so in this video by explaining the basics of why and how I train this way.

At the time I made this video, on a subconscious level, I envisioned myself posting other videos that I’ve had ideas for, where I attack the ideas of other fitness influencers whom I see as frauds. Then people click on my channel and see this: a guy who is disabled and has an unremarkable physique and all of 22 followers is claiming to know a lot more than fitness influencers and professional athletes with millions of followers. Most people laugh or block me, but one person in 100 sees the logic of it and follows me.

So is my subject really exercise, or is it actually ME? And if it’s me, is this aim legitimate, or am I in danger of becoming a pretentious second-hander whose aim is clicks, likes, and follows rather than originality and legitimacy? 

Thanks for any insights!
 

 

Edited February 3 by happiness

[happiness]

It seems the link I meant to post didn't come through. Just as well. The outline provided above is enough. 

[tadmjones]

It can be both, just feed the wolf that pertains to the latter.

The idea of producing the video because you wanted to is a selfish act ,good for you.

Do you study kinesiology?

[happiness]

1 minute ago, tadmjones said:

It can be both, just feed the wolf that pertains to the latter.

The idea of producing the video because you wanted to is a selfish act ,good for you.

Do you study kinesiology?

My study of kinesiology is 20 years behind me, but I remember a lot! these days I’m still exposed to a lot of musculoskeletal anatomy and physiology, but in a medical rather than exercise context (there is a lot of overlap which is why my exercise background allows me to understand medical stuff better than most laypeople).

 

[happiness]

I’ve set out to make content about about my regenerative medicine “journey” (I dislike this term as it’s cliche, but it's applicable here).  The project I’m working on is both a video and written blog post, and is a panorama of my experience as of 2024, encompassing the past, present, and future of my now almost decade-long quest to ameliorate my condition with regenerative medicine.

It includes a handful of key themes:

• Relentless pursuit of health against overwhelming odds
• Complexity of treating whole-body osteoarthritis with regenerative medicine
• Variability and unpredictability of treatment results, significantly influenced by post-procedure care and activities.
• Navigating the diverse and evolving regenerative medicine landscape.
• Complex decision-making in treatment choices and timing.
• The question of whether it’s been worth it
• Personal responsibility
• Balancing hope and realism
• Living with chronic pain

This is a very broad theme structure, leading to a conflict between detail and clarity and length. I have a script that’s likely to take 23-25 minutes to deliver, which I sense is too long for an audience that doesn’t give a crap about me personally. I’m running into hard decisions such as whether I should:

• Split this entry into two parts (past and future)
• Cut back on detail and clarity for the sake of reducing the length by all of 10-20%.
• Abandon this project after all this work and make different videos for each theme.

My intended audience is primarily “people interested in regenerative medicine.” I’m thinking that perhaps defining my audience more carefully is the key to resolving the issues I'm having—I may have subconsciously crammed too many themes in here in the hope of pandering to everybody, or made the video with myself as the intended audience. 

According to TAONF, your theme is the standard by which you decide what details to include, but when it comes to this multi-theme project, I am not sure what single whole all of these themes weave together to cumulatively form other than "my regenerative medicine journey" (ugh), so I don't have an ultimate standard by which to decide which themes to include. How do I resolve this?

Edited August 23 by happiness

[Boydstun]

@happiness

If you want to catch and grip the attention of people whose pain is as yours, I think you need to go into a lot of detail in sharing what you have to endure. Presented in a personal, sensitive self-awareness way. Then they will recognize that you are kin in a certain special suffering and situation. Explain in detail what is regenerative medicine and why you think it superior to more usual therapies on offer. Testify as to what benefits you have received from regenerative medicine. Use a headline not referring to your journey (even though your story is told within the discourse); let the headline be about people experiencing what sort of pain and situation you have. 

I hope you can get free of this pain, happiness. 

My younger sister ended her life (.45 to the heart I gather) at age 66. Apparently over becoming trapped in obesity and chronic pain for which she could find no help. Happiness is serious business. 

Edited August 24 by Boydstun