- HOMEGROWN WORLD
- #HGCREATORS
- #HGEXPLORE
- #HGVOICES
- #HGSHOP
- CAREERS
- ABOUT US
- CONTACT US
Storytelling is undergoing a major shift, shaped by shrinking attention spans and the rise of social media platforms. As audiences consume content in faster, more fragmented ways, creators are adapting by crafting compelling narratives within short formats like Instagram reels and episodic posts. What was once considered “bite-sized” is now a legitimate and powerful storytelling form. This evolution has given rise to a new generation of artists who are redefining how stories are told. Satvik Soni captures quiet, introspective moments through simple yet poignant narratives. Qudrat blends vulnerability with surreal, melancholic visuals to create deeply personal stories. Neel Soni, on the other hand, experiments with form and movement, crafting dreamlike, dystopian visuals that linger.
Over the past couple of years, storytelling, and what it means to tell a story, has transformed. Storytellers no longer compete only with other artists, but also with audiences’ shrinking attention spans. As the ways we consume content continues to evolve, stories are reaching us in entirely new forms.
In a world where many of us are chronically online, endlessly scrolling through reels, it’s no surprise that these very platforms have become a breeding ground for new modes of storytelling. From short concept-driven videos to episodic series on Instagram with detailed plots and recurring characters, a new wave of narratives is taking shape. What was once dismissed as 'bite-sized' content is now emerging as a legitimate storytelling form in its own right.
The platforms that once seemed to threaten storytelling are now expanding its possibilities. At the same time, creators are learning to work with, rather than against, the constraints of the medium. The first few seconds must hook, the pacing must be tight, and the emotional payoff must be quick yet memorable. This has led to a hybrid storytelling style that blends visual cues, cultural shorthand, and emotion to create impact within seconds, without necessarily sacrificing depth.
But humans will always crave stories. We have built entire civilisations on them, started wars because of them, and made peace through them. Stories are and have always been essential to our survival; without them we may never evolved into the civilization we know today. The way stories are told may change, but their value, and the value of the artists who create them, will always endure.
So, with that in mind, here are three artists redefining storytelling on social media:
Going through Satvik Soni’s page is like going through a book of short stories. Each vignette tells a poignant and simple story from beginning to end. Shots aren’t complicated and thoughts aren’t cluttered and his stories reflect the kind of introspective thoughts we all have but don’t always say out loud, which is possibly why they resonate more. Whether it's wondering who your previous tenants were by putting together the contextual clues they left behind in your apartment, the conversations you have with random posters of god and even wondering if you find everyone you love again in every version of yourself, Satvik’s artistry lies in his scripts and his ability to put across a seemingly complex thought in a refreshingly very matter-of-fact manner.
Follow him on Instagram here.
Qudrat's art, like his name suggests, feels natural and without any pretense. His work is simple and honest; talking about the intimate and vulnerable experiences he had to deal with growing up, such as being made to feel insecure about his voice. His videos feel sombre, blending the absurd and surreal together into short pieces that speak volume. He also composes some of the background music to his videos, combining his narratives with a melancholic soundtrack that further extends the crux of the story even deeper. There is something distinctly recognisable about his work, which makes it immediately recognizable as his as soon as it lands on your feed; giving him an almost auteur-like quality.
Follow him on Instagram here.
Neel Soni’s work feels otherworldly. It makes you wonder how someone could think of something that's so dreamy, yet so dystopian at the same time. His short dance film, ‘Machine Movements’, that reinterprets the rhythms and movements of a factory after it shuts for the day, captures the mind-numbing mundaneness of capitalism but also how that repetitiveness can, over time, become hypnotic. His palette is muted and subtle, with his vision creeping up on the viewer through sharp cuts and staccato music that builds a sense of urgency even within the videos’ short runtime. Even in the ad films he creates, his distinct aesthetic and voice always comes through, whether it's in the Royal Enfield and Mayo College short film or the Kartik Research short made for the LVMH prize.
Follow him on Instagram here.
