Title
How They Prevented The Citicorp Disaster
👁
2.0M
VIEWS
👍
57.5K
LIKES
💬
1.0K
COMMENTS
⏱
1:29
RUNTIME
OVERVIEW
VERITASIUM • YOUTUBE • STRATEGY • 2026 • BREAKDOWN
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Title Decode
High Impact
The Expert-Level Triggers
The title uses a classic 'How They [Solved] [Disaster]' structure. It combines a high-stakes event ('Disaster') with a process-oriented promise ('How They Prevented'), appealing to both thrill-seekers...
View Title Analysis →
🖼️
Thumbnail X-Ray
Information-complementary
Creator holding a physical signup/diagram + Face
The visual strategy relies on 'X-ray' style 3D rendering to promise a look inside a hidden mechanical problem, appealing to engineering curiosity....
View Thumbnail Analysis →
🗺️
Hero's Journey
The '3-Level' Blueprint Narrative Structure
🏗️The Hook
🤫The Fix
🌪️The Ticking Clock
📉The Stakes
👀The Resolution
Millionaire Hook + Empathy
Key Beat @ 00:00 - 00:43
View Narrative Breakdown →
🎭
Emotion Rollercoaster
This video masterfully transitions the viewer from the anxiety of starting (Level 0) to the confidence of building (Level 3), and finally layering on complex strategy (Level 5), only when the viewer is ready.
🤔
🤫
😨
"Intimidation & Overwhelm" → "Clarity & Motivation"
Peak memory @ 00:00 - 00:15
View Emotion Decoder →
💰
Money Shots
$13,274
Education • $12 CPM
Projected Ad Revenue: $13,274
Tech/AI
2.0M views
$12 CPM
3 placements potential integrations
View Revenue Blueprint →
✨
Content Highlights
Takeaways + Quotes
"The 'Get Going' Phase (Level 1)"
Total 7 highlights
View Highlights →
📄
Full Article
Introduction to the Framework
If you can get these three things right, then you are completely off to the races, and your channel will explode, and you will become a millionaire.
13 sections • 184 paragraphs
HERO'S JOURNEY
Narrative Structure: The Secret Fix Thriller
How They Prevented The Citicorp Disaster • 1:29 • 2.0M views
01
🏗️
The Hook
TMD becomes a crutch
00:00 - 00:10
🏗️
The Hidden Flaw
•Object Pivot: Comfort -> Survival
•Visual Context: 3D Model
•Immediate Stakes
•Curiosity Gap
Establishes the critical flaw using a known object (TMD).
02
🤫
The Fix
Secret night welding
00:11 - 00:31
🤫
Covert Operations
•Atmosphere: Secret Night Work
•Visual Contrast: Sketches vs Realism
•Process Detail
•Expert Metaphor ('Band-Aids')
Builds tension through the secrecy of the repair operation.
03
🌪️
The Ticking Clock
Race against time
00:32 - 00:42
🌪️
Hurricane Season
•Ticking Clock
•Data Visualization (200 joints)
•Deadline Pressure
•Escalation
Introduces a time constraint to ramp up pacing.
04
📉
The Stakes
City-wide collapse risk
00:43 - 01:47
📉
The Catastrophe
•Simulation: Domino Effect
•Hypothetical Horror
•Scale of Destruction
•Emotional Interview
Visualizes the worst-case scenario to maximize emotional impact.
05
👀
The Resolution
Secret monitoring begins
01:48 - 02:08
👀
Watching & Waiting
•Passive Tension
•Monitoring Tools
•Unresolved Unease
•Closing Hook
Ends on a note of vigilance rather than total relief.
EMOTION DECODER
Emotion-Driven Narrative Analysis
This video masterfully shifts from intellectual curiosity to visceral dread. It transforms a static engineering problem into a thriller by focusing on the secrecy of the fix and the catastrophic visual of the potential collapse.
CORE EMOTION SHIFT"Curiosity"→"Relief / Awe"
🤔
Intrigue
twist the object's purpose
creates immediate narrative tension
🤔
The Hidden Crutch
🤔 Intrigue
Start with a 'Solution turned Problem' hook. Show how a safety feature became the only thing preventing disaster to instantly raise stakes.
The Fatal Pivot
00:00 - 00:10
Visuals of the Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) are shown. Narration explains it was for 'comfort' but became a 'crutch'. This pivots the object's role from luxury to survival.
🤫
Suspense
clandestine action beats
hooks via 'forbidden' knowledge
🤫
Midnight Engineering
🤫 Suspense
Use 'Secret Ops' framing. Describing cover-ups or night-time missions makes engineering feel like a heist movie.
The Covert Repair
00:11 - 00:31
Narration details the 'secret' night welding. Phrases like 'after everyone left' and 'rip off sheet rock' create a clandestine atmosphere.
😨
Dread
visualize catastrophic failure
raises stakes to maximum
😨
Total Collapse Scenerio
😨 Dread
Visualize the 'Worst Case Scenario'. Don't just say 'it would fall'; show the domino effect to maximize emotional impact.
The Domino Nightmare
00:43 - 01:47
A simulation shows the building toppling into others. The expert says 'horrific process'. This visualizes the abstract risk into concrete horror.
ESTIMATED AD REVENUE
$13,274
Tech/AI • CPM $12
Tech/Engineering CPM is ~4x Entertainment and ~3x Gaming
What This Video Nailed for Monetization
Smart pacing, premium vertical focus, and elite-friction ad points.
DURATION STRATEGY
1:29
RUNTIME
Below 8-min threshold for mid-roll ads
HIGH-VALUE VERTICAL
Education
CPM: $4 - $12
Same view count earns 3x more than Gaming
NATURAL BREAKPOINT DESIGN
Use these narrative pauses for seamless mid-roll.
@0:39
Shift from Problem to Solution Plan
"...before hurricane season."
@0:47
Shift to Worst Case Scenario
"...ten block evacuation plan."
Sponsor Magnetism
Signals that make brands lean in.
HIGH-VALUE AUDIENCE SIGNALS
Engineering enthusiasts and curious generalists
welders
structural members
engineers
office workers
AUTHORITY CREDENTIALS
Top-tier science communicator
• PhD in Physics Education
• Veritasium Host
VERTICAL DEPTH
High brand safety
Structural Engineering History Crisis Management
Product Placement Craft
Expert breakdowns where integrations feel native.
@0:32
Autodesk / Blender
Visualization Scene
Naturally used to visualize the internal structure, could be a sponsor slot for CAD/3D software.
💡 Visualization tools fit naturally in engineering stories.
@0:48
Brilliant.org
Concept Explanation
Mentioning the calculations/risk assessment is a natural lead-in for educational platforms.
💡 Problem-solving narratives prime audiences for learning offers.
Long-Term Value
Why this video keeps compounding watch time and trust.
EVERGREEN LEVERAGE
Engineering disaster prevention history
Timeless topic with long-term search value
Long-tail revenue can reach 2-3x the first month
SERIES POTENTIAL
High potential for a 'Engineering Disasters' or 'Secret History' series. The format of 'Flaw -> Secret Fix -> Near Miss' is highly repeatable.
QUOTABLE INSIGHT
"It became the crutch that the tower leaned on"
What Could Sponsors Pay?
Based on audience size and category benchmarks.
60-SECOND MENTION
$20,111 - $60,334
Based on $0.01 - $0.03 per view
DEDICATED VIDEO
$100,557 - $201,115
Based on $0.05 - $0.10 per view
Industry reference: Brands typically pay $10 - $30 per thousand views
TITLE DECODE
How They Prevented The Citicorp Disaster
CORE PATTERN
The title uses a classic 'How They [Solved] [Disaster]' structure. It combines a high-stakes event ('Disaster') with a process-oriented promise ('How They Prevented'), appealing to both thrill-seekers and problem-solvers.
Structure Breakdown
Every fragment has a hook job.
How They
Formula
Prevented
Action
The Citicorp
Keyword
Disaster
Desire
Psychological Triggers
Why viewers feel compelled to click.
🛡️
Prevented
Resolution Promise
This word promises a story of competence and solution, satisfying the viewer's desire to see order restored from chaos.
Stopped
Averted
Fixed
Saved
💥
Disaster
Fear/High Stakes
A strong negative trigger that instantly raises the stakes. Viewers click to see how bad it could have been.
Catastrophe
Crisis
Collapse
Failure
Formula Recognition
A repeatable blueprint for future titles.
How They + Crisis Averted
How They {Action_Verb} The {Famous_Event/Object} Disaster
High Impact
EXAMPLE REMIXES
How They Stopped The Chernobyl Meltown
How They Fixed The Apollo 13 Leak
How They Saved The Leaning Tower of Pisa
SEO Potential
Quick read on how search-friendly this title is.
9/10
A strong title that balances curiosity with searchability. The use of 'Disaster' is a key click driver.
🎯
Keyword Placement
8/10
'Citicorp Disaster' is at the end. Moving 'Citicorp' earlier could help, but the current flow is natural.
🔍
Search Intent
9/10
Matches intent for historical engineering stories or documentary content perfectly.
📏
Length Optimization
9.5/10
Perfect length. Short, punchy, and fully visible on mobile.
🌐
Discoverability
8.5/10
Good specific keywords (Citicorp), but 'How They' is a bit generic. Adding 'Engineering' might help discovery.
THUMBNAIL X-RAY
Visual Design Breakdown
The visual strategy relies on 'X-ray' style 3D rendering to promise a look inside a hidden mechanical problem, appealing to engineering curiosity.
📐
Composition Analysis
face position
No face present
visual hierarchy
Building Shape → Text/Overlay → Background
element count
2
💡 REUSABLE TIP
Center the subject (building) and use 3D overlays to reveal 'hidden' details.
WHY EFFECTIVE
Focuses attention purely on the structural object of mystery.
SUITABLE FOR
Object-focused deep dives
😮
Emotion Expression
conveyed feeling
Analytical, Serious, Intriguing
intensity
Restrained
expression type
Neutral
💡 REUSABLE TIP
For technical topics, let the object's complexity create the intrigue.
🎨
Color Strategy
background color
Grey/Blue
primary color
Blue
secondary color
Orange
color strategy description
Cool, industrial tones reflecting steel and engineering.
contrast description
Medium — The blue/grey tones are consistent, relying on the 3D form for interest rather than color clash.
💡 REUSABLE TIP
Use cool, monochromatic palettes for 'serious' engineering or tech topics.
WHY EFFECTIVE
Conveys a professional, documentary aesthetic.
SUITABLE FOR
Engineering, Tech, Architecture documentaries
✍️
Text Strategy
word count
Moderate information (subtitles)
title relation
Complementary
text content
LeMessurier acquired emergency generators...
💡 REUSABLE TIP
Keep text descriptive of the 'action' or 'problem'.
SUITABLE FOR
Educational Shorts
🧩
Design Formula
PATTERN
3D Object Isolation + Text Overlay
Usage Scenario: Explaining internal mechanisms or hidden flaws.
🔗
Title-Thumbnail Synergy
SYNERGY TYPE
Information-complementary
•The 3D model visualizes the 'Citicorp' mentioned in the title.
•The 'Disaster' in the title is hinted at by the structural focus of the visual.
Content Highlights
The most valuable quotes, principles, and actionable takeaways
📉
Visualize the Catastrophe
•Don't just state the risk; visualize it. The video uses a 3D simulation to show the buildings toppling.
•This converts abstract engineering data into a visceral 'horror movie' scene.
•Use simulation tools or clear animations to show the 'Worst Case' scenario.
"The TMD was originally designed to stabilize any swaying for comfort, but now it became the crutch that the tower leaned on."
— Narrator (Derek) - 00:04
🤫
Frame Engineering as a Heist
•The story isn't just about fixing a beam; it's about doing it 'secretly at night'.
•This adds a layer of spy-thriller tension to a technical topic.
•Find the human drama (secrecy, deadlines, cover-ups) behind technical processes.
"Literally Band-Aids on both sides of these joints."
— Expert Interviewee - 00:22
⏰
The Ticking Clock Technique
•The video establishes a clear deadline: 'Hurricane Season'.
•This turns a maintenance task into a race against time.
•Always introduce a ticking clock if possible to drive narrative momentum.
"It would've toppled into another building, which would've toppled into another building... a horrific process."
— Expert Interviewee - 00:54
CONTENTS
Role and Support of the Tuned Mass Damper
Lameasure acquired emergency generators for the tuned mass damper. The TMD was originally designed to stabilize any swaying for comfort, but now it became the crutch that the tower leaned on.
Nightly Welding Repair Process
Each night, welders would enter the building after everyone left, rip off the sheetrock around the chevron beams, and then weld two 5-cm thick, 2 m long steel plates on each joint—like band-aids, literally band-aids, on both sides of these joints. After they'd replaced the wall and cleaned everything up before the office workers came back the next morning.
Scope, Prioritization, and Timeline of Repairs
They needed to weld over 200 joints, and Lameasure ranked them by importance, starting with the ones on the 30th floor. But the repairs wouldn't be completed before hurricane season.
Evacuation Planning and Potential Risks
So City Corp worked with the Red Cross to develop a 10-block evacuation plan. Like how many people were at risk in the building and if it fell would it affect other buildings? This would have toppled and it would have toppled into another building which would have toppled into another building which would have continued a horrific process. So it was untold um what the ultimate effects could have been.
Decision on Public Disclosure and Structural Monitoring
Despite the risk, they decided not to tell the public or even the office workers in the building. No one wanted a mass panic. Instead, they fitted strain gauges on important structural members. The gauges monitored the skyscrapers every bend and twist from a comm center eight blocks away.