Directing their view

Today I presented at what used to be called the AppleExpo here in London. I spent a few minutes telling people about my plugins (links in my Final Cut Pro page) as part of MacVideo Live.

Jonathan Harrison gave a presentation on interview lighting that reminded me of a principle useful in editing and post production as well as lighting, camera and shot setup:

Three things attract the viewers attention in a given shot:
1. The thing that is moving
2. The brightest thing
3. The sharpest thing

Of course the DoP suggests that getting this right in front of the camera is best, but videographers, compositors and editors don’t always have the luxury of perfectly captured footage. At least we have the software technology to control what is seen to be moving, how bright parts of the frame are and what objects are in focus and which are out of focus (Once we know where the audience is looking, there is no need to worry about continuity where the audience isn’t looking).

Use these tools to direct the view of the audience without them knowing. We need to use the tools of visual storytelling to help the people we are telling our tales to forget they are being told a story.