Thread by @iamscicomm

Time to move on to video and animation! I want to start with some general thoughts on how these formats add to science communication.

What do you think is the most powerful asset of video?

I'm not sure I can pick just one!

I started writing long-form stories when I was 6 years old. I got sick of reading others' stories and had a lot of ideas. I still read, but I started spending time creating characters and putting them into tough situations.

This morphed into a need to see them outside of my head, so I started learning to draw more seriously around the age of 10 so I could draw my characters in scenes from my stories. (Art from 2000 & Art from 2018)

Never one to settle, I then started to want to see my characters in motion.

So I started simple hand animations. Making my characters blink, wink, and speak. I started film school and took animation classes. And I learned more on my own, too.

I can't get enough of video! I love finding cool YouTube channels to watch (and study), I love reading about different storytelling modalities. And yes, I still write, draw, and animate stories! Actually hoping to publish something this year.

But when is motion absolutely necessary?

I think it becomes necessary when a topic is about motion or change. You can use arrows to imply motion, but showing the actual motion just makes sense. Especially when things get complex.

I also think motion helps when dealing with something outside of the 2D. Seeing a 3D design (not necessarily 3D animation, but just seeing things from more than one angle) in motion can really help to solidify a concept.

Humans are drawn to motion. Our eyes and attention are drawn to it. We'll talk a bit later about how common mistakes that you can easily fix. But first, how does motion help tell stories?

1) Motion shows the action.

You can see someone walk across the room. It conveys the motion, but also the emotion of the person. All without any words attached.

The context of motion can tell you a lot.

You know based on the motion whether you're looking at a cop drama bringing in a prisoner, or you're looking at a heist with criminals robbing a bank. You don't need words or sounds to get a general idea.

In fact, while I was in film school, we had several projects where we had to do silent films. I learned a lot about conveying ideas without words as well as how to edit video in order to push a story forward.

2) Motion transforms a 2D image into a 3D world.

When you see something from one angle, it can be misleading. How often have you seen a picture of someone online, and then when you meet them and see them in motion, they look somewhat different?

We intuitively know that still images are not the same as 3D objects. Video and motion are transformative, turning an idea into a fully developed concept map inside the heads of our audiences.

Can we take a moment to appreciate sound though?

I think it's totally underappreciated! In film school, I ended up working toward a minor in sound design. This is because sound can make or break a video.

In fact, we are much more likely to stop watching a video with annoying or poor sound quality than poor video. A hiss, background hum, popping sounds, overmodulation. My skin crawls just thinking about it.

You can improve your sound in some simple ways.

You can reduce echo with objects that absorb sound so that it doesn't bounce. Curtains or foam can do this. I've even been known to get under the covers in bed to record narration. (Also it's comfy, don't judge me)

Our brains are very good at tuning out constant noise, but if you take a moment to think about it, you'll hear all the noise that's constantly around us.

You can remove a lot of noise with audio programs, but you want to reduce as much as possible before recording.

Another tip for dealing with sound is to sit back at least a foot from the microphone, or purchase a screen. This helps with those popping Ps.

But you don't want to get too far away from your mic. Figure out what distance sounds best for your mic before you record.

The type of microphone you use can be important, too. Microphones come in different types, and one of the most important considerations is directionality. This is WHERE it records sound from.

For example, a unidirectional mic only records from one direction.

Different mics work well for different scenarios, and you'll want to think about the environment you're working in before you start recording.

A unidirectional mic is great for working outdoors or when there's noises you can't control.

A cardioid microphone works in low noise environments where you may just be sitting and talking (definitely want to beware of echo with these though).

An omnidirectional microphone is best when you want to pick up a group or environment sound.

Okok, I could talk about sound all day, but I'll stop.

In the meantime, here's a guide on microphone directionality:
mediacollege.com/audio/micropho…

In a couple of hours, we'll pick up again. I'll go over some common mistakes I see with video recording and give you some tips on how to film an interview-type video.

In the meantime, what tips did I forget? What do you think makes video so engaging?