Story Lens, Research and Drafting

This is where the real work begins!
Research is what gives the video its substance, and for channels focused on analytical content, it needs to be as thorough and extensive as possible.
If the research is done thoroughly, it significantly lightens the load during the scripting stage, as you'll already have a clear understanding of what to discuss in the video.

So, once the idea is finalized, preliminary research gets started.
Every talking point related directly or indirectly to the subject is gathered, along with reference links.
Research sources include similar videos, references from those videos, news articles, essays, community discussions, Twitter threads, interviews, podcasts, research papers, books, and documentaries.
It's always best to start with existing documentaries and books on the subject, as they often provide linked sources that are highly relevant. For Instance - Lot of examples, talking points, references for this video https://youtu.be/Y7r3gePPysk?si=oMnRnwotAXAvwV78 was taken from this documentary https://www.primevideo.com/detail/First-Act/0LMB420PVQ5RIW5EZA4B1YB55O

Once the talking points are all gathered, the perspective to move ahead with the video is discussed.
This is the story lens of the video.
Since the data and examples are available to everyone, the story lens is what makes the video authentic and allows it to stand out from the rest.
I have discussed about story lens in detail over here
Navigating the Story Lens
Once a story lens is decided, a rough idea of packaging i.e. Title, Thumbnail and Intro can be ideated.

From this point on, only the relevant talking points need to be researched in depth.
There are two methods for this: Horizontal researching and Vertical researching.
Horizontal researching helps explore the major factors that contribute to the story lens. These factors might not be directly related to each other, but when combined, they all play a part in shaping the overall story.
These factors often become the chapter headings throughout the video.