Video is a great medium to communicate information to people. You can talk to your audience, display facts, show images, cut to example footage, all at the same time! However, the human body has limits. We can only look at one thing at any given time. For example, in the previous video, we hid a typo in the subtitles, and I doubt you noticed it, since you were focused on looking at the visual above.
So, how do we make sure everything in the video comes across well? Perception control. When we edit videos for Mork Productions, we make sure that people’s eyes don’t have to work super hard. If the point of interest is in the top right hand corner of one shot, we will start the next shot with the point of interest in the same place. That way, the audience doesn’t have to dart their eyes around the screen. If the point of interest changes between shots, we make sure to hold that second shot longer, so the audience has time to adjust their eyes. With this technique, the viewing experience feels more natural, and we can have the video move at a quicker pace.
Here’s the bottom line. By practicing perception control, you can make your audience’s job easier in consuming your content.
