Formats Unpacked: Meet Cutes LDN

Hey,

Five years ago, I wrote about light formats/heavy formats in an introduction for Ian Sanders’ excellent unpacking of Where Are You Going (which contains one of my favourite metaphors for what a great question does). In five years, light formats have gone from being relatively uncommon to becoming a staple of Instagram Reels and TikTok. Previously, a lot of short-form video content lacked a format. Creators were obsessed with aiming for one-off viral hits that attract large audiences. The problem is that variability is incredibly hard and without a format, the audiences are usually drive-by. Now we’re seeing well-structured ideas that are still short-form, but thanks to the format, they build loyal audiences over time. This week, we have an excellent example of that for you.

This week, doing the unpacking is the returning Adam Gee. Adam is Head of Content at TV indie Doc Hearts (London) and Head of Documentary Campus Masterschool (Berlin). A long-time Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 and the first Com Ed of Originals at Little Dot Studios.

Over to Adam…

What's it called? 

Meet Cutes LDN (ultra-short-form video format). Here’s the Meet Cutes NYC account. Give them both a follow. They are also on TikTok.

What's the format?

Where the term 'Meet Cutes' originates from, I'm not 100% sure, but I believe it's a contemporary way of describing a long-standing characteristic of romantic fiction and romcom movies - the initial meeting between the two key characters. This format applies it to real life by documenting how couples met in ultra-short videos. They are essentially vox pops, couples stopped on the street and asked three questions (the interviewer remains out of shot and never becomes an identifiable or developed character in the format - different interviewers are used, male and female):

• “Are you two a couple?” - which has become a recognised catchphrase

• “Would you mind telling us the story of how you first met?”

• “X years in, what's your favourite thing about her/him?” or

  variations like "What's the secret of X years together?" - the

  interviewer always establishes the length of the relationship

• "What are your names?" marks the end of the video

I love the format because I really believe in 'the spark' you can experience on first meeting your other half. I'm an old-school romantic (I experienced it on Trafalgar Street, Brighton, one sunny summer evening).

In essence, the first question is the inciting incident and provides immediate jeopardy as we wait to see their reaction to a relatively intimate question from a stranger. Some are a bit suspicious, some dive straight in, and some even recognise the format. The second prompts an uplifting collection of real-life stories of couples meeting and falling in love. The third is what is called in Features TV 'the takeaway' - the knowledge/understanding viewers can derive from the content. And they really are useful insights.

The lovers/partners often point to similar characteristics as the secret to the success of their relationship - their kindness, their humour, not wanting to change one another, their patience/tolerance, grounding nature, inspiration to live life fully, etc.

Meet Cutes was started in 2023 on the not-so-mean streets of New York by three friends - Jeremy Bernstein, Aaron Feinberg & Victor Lee. In just two years the love has spread across the world - after all, what is more universal? The signs of a multiplatform brand are already there, with a book of stories and photos to be launched soon by Hachette.

The original meeting places are as varied as you'd expect - on buses, in shops, at parties, at work, in friends’ homes, in places of worship, in lecture halls, and, of course, on the street. And the contributors are as varied as you’d hope - across ages, genders, nationalities, ethnicities and backgrounds. Some couples have been together for decades, others just months. It’s a rich mix ofreal-life love, an antidote to the cynicism, fakery, spin and BS overshadowing our culture and media right now.

What’s the magic that makes it special?

The charm of Meet Cutes is its simplicity and (dare I use the A word?) authenticity. Pretty much all the contributors answer the questions straight, seem to enjoy the remembering and reflection, and do their best to give honest, considered and not pat answers.

Its simplicity, as well as being a great asset, is also a vulnerability - the format is extremely easy to copy, a very low barrier to entry. Yet I’ve seen shameless knock-offs from elsewhere in the USA and what’s interesting is that they really lack the charm. It’s difficult to say exactly why other than the perpetrators must be conscious of their total lack of originality, which in turn undermines their authenticity.

The simplicity is reflected in the production approach – I don’t know what they shoot on but an iPhone with a modest mic and gimbal is more than up to the job. This format is the gold standard for a sustainable series that you can start to make with your own resources and build up over time to attract Other People’s Money in the form of sponsorship, multiplatform brand extension/merchandising, spin-off programmes, etc.

I see this format as a contemporary form of Documentary (which is my heartland) and just as effective at documenting our times as any of the more traditional doc formats. This is especially true when taken as a whole (rather than individual films), it’s a kaleidoscope of love, connection and human interaction today.

Favourite episode

The general quality is very high so it’s hard to go wrong. Pretty much every episode has something of value or charm in it. I like, for example, Tony & Julie who met in a psychiatric unit. She quickly points out they were both working there! It’s also a good example of a second chance story – they were both married when they first met, but had a second bite at the cherry when they both became single again a decade later. You get a real sense of how they complement one another, making their life together far better than their lives would have been individually. Tony says that what he loves about her is that “She’s got a get up and go attitude and she makes me do things I wouldn’t have done otherwise.” That’s cute ...and inspirational.

Similar formats

I haven’t come across any apart from poor attempted knock-offs. But every major city is ripe for Meet Cute videos, especially English, Mandarin, Hindi and Spanish-speaking cities.

Thanks Adam!

From a brand perspective, light formats are great for helping you build a content pipeline. They also create a manageable workflow, which is especially important for small content teams who struggle to manage all the demands of a regular publishing rhythm.

If you’d like help developing format ideas, just hit the button above. We can start by running a Formats Unpacked Workshop to identify potential formats, then help you test your format by producing a pilot episode. Our tried and tested process is a quick and cost-effective way to help your team develop and implement a manageable content strategy.

Get in touch if you have a favourite format you’d like to unpack. We’re always looking for guest contributors.

See you all next time,
Hugh

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