Take a look at this clip from Tom Smalls, Directing In 360. >> Traditional movie directors have it easy. They can just force you to look at whatever they want. Close-ups, strange angles, quick zooms and so on. But now, I want you to look over there. [MUSIC] Did you do it? I have no way to know, and your certainly not going to like it if I just force you like this. One solution is to just fill the world with interesting stuff all around. [MUSIC] But since I don't know where you're looking at any one time, everybody in the room has to just keep doing their thing. There's no progression, no build, no story. This is not directing. Well there, that's one way to do it. If everybody in the room looks at the main event, then you're likely to follow. [SOUND] The simplest way to direct in 360 is for me to lead your gaze. But how far around should I lead you? It's fine if you are standing or in a swivel chair, but look behind you. If you are sitting on a couch, it's annoying to have to turn all the way around. So even though I'm shooting in 360, maybe I should direct mostly in say, 180. It's like we both need to be mind readers. Let's see if you can figure out where I want you to look. If the camera is traveling, it's a good bet that you want to look forward. >> As you can see, writers and directors need to consider guiding cues to engage audiences in 360 video. Guiding cues are essentially techniques creators can use to steer audience attention without forcing them. No longer can creators rely on cuts, zooms and camera movements to guide the viewer. Writers who have an understanding of these cues will map out experiences that are easier to produce and often much better for it. In scene visual cues are often achieved by actors showing interest in the direction we want viewers to look. So, if I, gasp and point over there, it's very likely that you'll take my cue and look that way too. Text and graphic overlays are often helpful for educational experiences, though should be used sparingly. Nobody wants to spend their whole time in the headset reading. Another more obvious way to guide attention is to create a host or tour guide for audiences to follow. This actor or object serves as a visual anchor point in helping us know or guess where to look, based on their position and behaviors. A host is one example of a point of interest, or POI. POIs are exactly what they sound like. Elements within an experience that attract a viewer's attention. A POI is a broad idea. It can be anything that draws the user's eye in a video. There can be more than one, but you probably don't want to have too many conflicting POIs in one scene. Camera movements are also helpful if used sparingly and slowly. It's only natural to face the direction you're traveling. Front becomes your de facto POI. We can also use lighting and colors to establish points of interest. Using vibrant colors in an otherwise bland landscape drives attention towards the desired spot. It's important to consider POIs during pre-production, so that you don't accidentally plan a scene that ends up having way too many. Audio cues are a another common way to guide attention. When you here a sound from behind you, for instance, you feel compelled to look. Sound helps us understand the spatial aspect of the real world and we apply the same ideas to the virtual world. We'll explain later how you can put spatial audio to use and making your videos lifelike. Voice-over narration can also be helpful in certain scenarios. Because it ensures that important information is delivered regardless of where the audience is looking.
