Albert Einstein famously said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Although Einstein was talking about science, his insight applies powerfully to filmmaking. And we’re not talking only about sci fi flicks, thrillers, and romances. A dose of imagination can enliven and enrich every genre. For proof, take a look at Casey Neistat’s review of a $35 Universal 18x zoom lens designed for smartphones. While the information in the 9-minute piece could have been delivered in 30 seconds, Neistat’s zany vlog makes the message a lot more memorable.

Creative Elements in Neistat’s Product Review Video

In Hollywood, the most common piece of advice is “Don’t be boring.” Neistat must have heard that bit of wisdom and taken it to heart. Like the Three Stooges, he’ll do almost anything to avoid boring his fans. In “$35 vs. $7,000 SUPERZOOOOM,” he does the expected: shows how to attach the cheap zoom lens that he’s going to review, provide sample images, and compare it to a more expensive lens. But with controlled mania, he also tilts the camera, surprises passers-by, skateboards, goes on an excursion with his child, changes speed, borrows clips from other videos, promotes his channel, uses a special effect to create an eye twinkle, takes selfies, plays grating music, makes fun of a colleague, and—endearingly—makes fun of himself.

Neistat’s enthusiasm, intensity, and screwball comedy may not be for everyone. But he does have 9.2 million subscribers,  and in just a few days, his review of the lowly zoom lens got more than a million views on YouTube.

You don’t have to imitate Neistat’s antics. But you could do worse than study the way he uses his imagination to give viewers a unique experience. Even if you’re not as far out there as this YouTube superstar, you might draw upon some of his methods to enliven your own nonfiction videos, such as travelogues, instructional videos, and opinion vlogs.

Spoiler alert concerning the zoom lens: Neistat says that it’s not as bad as he thought it would be (he uses more profane language than that). He suggests that the lens might even prove useful at times when coming in close is more important than maintaining  top quality video imagery. In other words, for a quick clip, this cheap zoom lens might be better than no zoom lens. On Amazon, the reviews are mixed.