As my mind wandered during a social video presentation*, it made an interesting connection. Film originated as moving images without color or sound in the 1890s. Approximately 120 years later we’ve come full circle, as the best social videos are soundless shorts.
So much has changed, as technology goes. Most individuals in the world have the ability to self-produce and publish said soundless shorts on a tiny device wherever they are, with no help from anyone else. Likewise, the audience reach is basically the entire world within seconds of film release.
The reason for silent shorts is entirely different though. Back in the day, it was because of production costs and limited technologies. Now, it’s because of attention span, multi-tasking, the ability to watch the video at any moment without bothering others close by, the ease in making and sharing them quickly, their ability to illicit a “thumb stop”, and a delightful new avenue for creative expression.
Regardless the reasons for the production or popularity of silent shorts (whether now or in the long since passed era of film), there is a something particularly captivating about this genre of video production. So, what’s so captivating? My guess would be the senses.
Video Stimulates the Senses
The 5 senses stimulate our brains. Video simulates the brain through the senses of sight and sound. These are our strongest and first used senses when having an experience. Social media is limited to only sight and sound. Why wouldn’t you discover ways to heighten a viewers sensory experience?
Just as in the early silent films, today, we usually overlay wordless music scores to our videos – allowing viewers ears to be delighted by simple fun spirited sound fitting to the emotions being illustrated by the movement. Music evokes the best seller, emotion. So then, why is it being suggested that today’s silent shorts be completely soundless? It’s not. Video can captivate an audience without sound. Meaning that the video loses no value or emotional impact whether or not you are hearing the sound (be it voice or music). People today do not click on videos to view the entire clip or hear the sound. Viewers want to see what’s happening in the video as they scroll through their feeds.
Video Captivates, Pause versus “Thumb Stop”
A viewer will pause, but will they stop? The initial subject of the video and movement will catch the viewer’s eye, but what will captivate them to watch the next 10 seconds?
The first thing that will captivate is the use of color and light. One technology we have today that wasn’t available in the past! Create videos that are bright and lively. Choose colors that will evoke the emotions you’d like you viewer to feel, even react physically to the first few seconds of your film.
The second is movement. The amount and speed of movement will either under or overwhelm your viewer. The ideal is to be somewhere in the middle. My wonder here, though, is more toward to concept of using movement to create the illusion of sound, touch, taste and smell. When we lose one or more senses, those that are left are heightened. This knowledge can apply here. If we only give the viewer one sense from which to experience the content how has the viewer’s sense of sight now been heightened? How might we as designers use this heightened sense to speak to the viewer’s emotions and imagination?
The third, and last is the use of captions. Once you have the viewer’s visual attention help them out if the message is too complex to allude to through color, light and movement. In this fast paced, noisy swipe your thumb world, people don’t want to change the direction of their thumb, don’t make them. Make your message available to viewers with limited barriers.
If you’re not producing Hollywood quality motion pictures or engaging individuals personally with live video, find your way to the simplicity of the modern silent short.
*Visual notes from the social video presentation that inspired this post.
By Emily White