The Storyteller’s Hierarchy: Mastering Presentation Structure, From the Classic Rule to the Pixar Pitch

Let's talk about the rule everyone knows.

"Tell 'em what you’re gonna tell 'em, tell 'em, then tell 'em what you told 'em."

It’s the first piece of presentation advice you ever received. It’s comforting and it’s clear. While the classic Three-Part Rule guarantees clarity it completely ignores the one thing that drives engagement: tension.

To create presentations that actually connect and convert, you need a system that builds on clarity while fueling urgency. You need the Storyteller's Hierarchy. This system shows you how to choose the right structural tool, from the foundational principle to the full script.

Level 1: The Foundation (The Classic Rule)

Concept: The Three-Part Rule (Preview, View, Review)

This is the standard corporate container. It’s safe, easy to outline, and ensures your audience knows the agenda. You should know it, respect it, and then immediately decide how to upgrade it.

• Its Role: Provides the baseline for clarity and recall. It ensures the audience knows the map.

• The Problem: It is structurally sound but emotionally empty. It provides no intrinsic tension, making the "View" section a monotone data dump.

  
  

Level 2: The Principle (The Engine)

Concept: Contrast is Connection

This is the fundamental engine that must power every presentation you ever give, regardless of your structure. It is the necessary antidote to the blandness of the Three-Part Rule.

• The Rule: Your entire talk must define the gap between the familiar pain (the Before) and the achievable gain (the After).

• Its Role: This is the Why. It creates the tension and urgency that forces people to lean in. Every single chart, metric, or bullet point you use must be filtered through this principle.

Level 3: The Framework (The Modern Upgrade)

Concept: The Why, What If, Now What

This structure is simply the Three-Part Rule, but upgraded with narrative logic to maximize tension and connection. It's the structure for high-speed, high-stakes communication where you need to be compelling and brief.

• Classic Preview becomes The Why (The Conflict/Tension). You start with the problem.

• Classic View becomes The What If (The Solution/Evidence). You present the vision of the future.

• Classic Review becomes The Now What (The Action/Resolution). You tell them the exact next step.

Use Case: Use this for executive summaries, quick pitches, or any communication where 5 to 10 minutes is all you have.

Level 4: The Blueprint (The Full Script)

Concept: The Pixar Pitch for Presentations

When you have a major pitch, a keynote, or a strategy that needs a comprehensive, emotionally resonant rollout, you need more than three acts. You need a script.

The Pixar Pitch (a six-step narrative arc) takes the "What If" (or "View") section of your talk and breaks it into a detailed roadmap, ensuring you hit every emotional and logical beat required for a large, complex story.

• Its Role: To build a fully scripted, emotionally resonant presentation. It ensures the body of your presentation is structured for engagement, not just information dispersal.

• Use Case: Use this for any presentation over 15 minutes where you need to sustain deep emotional investment and lead a team through a significant transformation.

  
  

Conclusion: Choose Your Tool, Power the Engine

The Three-Part Rule is clarity. Your structural hierarchy is action.

A masterful storyteller doesn't throw data at the wall; they choose the right structural tool for the job, but every single tool must be powered by the principle of Contrast.

Start by establishing the tension, then choose the framework—3-step for speed, 6-step for depth. Stop informing and start transforming.

-BZ