The PIXAR Way of Telling Stories

Hey, Beyonder! 👋

You are receiving this mail because in the survey form you mentioned you want to learn about Storytelling. And I am glad that you made that choice!

If you observe closely, stories are everywhere. From a politician’s speech to any religious beliefs, stories help us shape our thoughts. Stories are the primary factor that makes someone interesting or… blah!

In this version of Beyond The Story, which you would receive every Friday, we would learn about Storytelling, and anything that revolves around becoming a good storyteller. This is a special series created for people who are interested in learning about the art of storytelling.

In this edition, we will understand about a storytelling framework that PIXAR uses, and I would show you how it can be implemented in regular Instagram content. I would also show you how one of my content follows the PIXAR framework to some degree.

The PIXAR Framework of Storytelling

Something interesting happened a few months back. I was analyzing why PIXAR movies are so fun and gripping to watch, and I came across this crazy technique - they all follow what's known as the PIXAR Storytelling Framework.

Let’s try to analyze a PIXAR movie in this structure. I would like to take the movie Elemental as an example:

Once upon a time, there was a girl made of fire named Ember who helped her mom and dad sell things in their store.

Every day, Ember got angry easily while preparing to take over the family business as her father Bernie wished.

Until one day, she got so mad she broke a water pipe, bringing a water element inspector named Wade Ripple into her life.

Because of that, Ember had to help Wade find a big water leak that could close her dad's store forever.

Because of that, Ember and Wade became very good friends, even though fire and water aren't supposed to mix, and she started thinking maybe she didn't want to run the store after all.

Until finally, after a big flood almost took Wade away forever, Ember decided to make glass art instead of running the store, and she and Wade fell in love, showing everyone that fire and water could be friends after all.

You see how that works? Using this framework you can create the skeleton of the story. After that you can insert different scenes and scenarios, in between the lines to connect the story and make it interesting.

How to use PIXAR framework to create Instagram Reel?

Here’s one of my content pieces that have done well, where you can observe the PIXAR storytelling framework to some degree.

Let me break down how I structured one of my most meaningful stories - a journey that took me from savings to building a team. I'll show you exactly how I crafted this narrative using my 90-second PIXAR framework.

explorewithepaphra

View more on Instagram

First 15 Seconds: Setting the Scene

I started with vulnerability - showing how I used my savings to quit my job. This hook works because it taps into a universal dream: taking that leap of faith. When I wrote this opening, I wanted viewers to feel that mix of excitement and fear I felt.

The Turning Point (Next 15 Seconds)

Here's where I introduced multiple changes: moving to Bangalore, joining a startup, meeting new people.

What made this section work? When I placed my startup journey right after using up my savings, it created this perfect tension - here I was, starting fresh in a new city with new people, and instead of things going according to plan, life had its own script! The Hindi-Tamil part actually became a symbol of how our plans often unfold in unexpected ways.

The Journey (Next 30 Seconds)

This is where I showed how success and struggle often dance together. Each win came with its own challenge:

• I built an agency but had to shut it down

• Grew to 400K followers but felt more alone than ever

• Made good money but questioned if I was on the right path

It's like life kept teaching me that every peak has its valley, and that's what makes the journey real.

The Resolution (Final 30 Seconds)

The ending brings everything full circle: returning to Tirunelveli, connecting with entrepreneurs, and ultimately building TownScholar.

What makes this resolution powerful? It shows how every 'failure' actually led to something better.

Why This Structure Worked

Let me share why I think this story resonated with my audience:

Authenticity: I shared real struggles (feeling lonely in Bangalore) alongside successes (growing social media numbers)

Contrast: The journey from having no work to hiring 5 team members shows a complete transformation - it's the kind of full-circle moment that reminds us how our biggest setbacks often lead to our greatest comebacks

Relatable Emotions: The mix of uncertainty, ambition, and eventual growth reflects experiences many creators face

What I Learned From This

Reflection while creating this content taught me something valuable: our most powerful stories often come from our moments of doubt. When I mentioned feeling like I was deceiving myself ("ena naane emathrenanu thonuchu"), it must have created a genuine connection with viewers who've felt the same way.

Now It’s Your Turn to Create

Create a skeleton of your story that you want to tell others with the PIXAR framework. Once you have the skeleton ready, you can always polish it and make it better.

When you're structuring your 90-second story, remember: 

Your 'normal' is someone else's dream
Your struggles are part of the story, not separate from it
Every "but" in your journey is an opportunity for connection

I'd love to know: What part of your journey could you share using this structure?

Keep telling stories!
Epaphra

P.S. Remember, I started this video feeling unsure about sharing such a personal journey. But that vulnerability? That's exactly what made it work.