Given that many videos play without sound, especially if they are autoplaying, or shared on social media, knowing how to craft a silent story is an especially valuable skill. In this post, we explore the pieces that help your viewers put the picture together without a word.

Our Spooky Story Without Words

It’s the best time of year for cuddling around a campfire and sharing scary stories. So, we made a scary story of our own.

Set deep in the woods, Nick LaClair, creative director for SproutVideo, tries to hide from a blood-thirsty villain. You may also recognize Scott Jansson from our horror lighting tutorial.

Although we don’t know whether Nick made it out alive, we do know a lot about what transpired. And, we learned it all without any dialogue at all.

Let’s break down the different elements that allow for powerful storytelling without words.

You Still Need a Script

The lack of dialogue does not mean that you don’t need a script. In fact, quite the opposite. You almost need more detail in your pre-production planning because all the other elements in your video have to come together just so.

Every sequence was scripted, including the action, the camera angles, and the emotions expressed by our actors. In fact, we originally wrote out a script with dialogue.

The script helped us visualize the story unfolding scene by scene, and clarified what each segment had to convey. As we edited it down, we realized we didn’t actually need any words to tell our story.

Creating a detailed storyboard or script enables you to clearly visualize the end product, and helps eliminate variables that could otherwise derail your video.

Context is Key

We immediately knew the protagonist was isolated and alone because of the drone shot of the moving vehicle in the beginning. There were no other cars or lights, just a pair of headlights in the dark.

Known as an establishing shot, the introductory sequence to your video is key because it orients your viewers. It provides the context in which the action unfolds.

Granted, you might not be filming a dramatic scene like ours, but this type of shot is key for any video. Wide or distant shots of where the action is taking place are typically used to start off nearly any variety of video.

Strong Visual Narrative

From there, we get plenty of clues about what’s happened to Nick. He’s injured, exhausted, scared, and alone.

The visual narrative is built by the set, and the appearance and action of our actors. Without dialogue, you need to spell out the key points of your story in other ways to make sure the message is delivered to your audience.

For instance, Nick isn’t just limping, he’s also spattered with (fake) blood. You know he’s been in a fight, or some kind of trouble, just by looking at him.

Especially for key moments in your video, think about ways you can double down on the takeaways for the viewer. Use more than one visual cue to make sure your message gets across.

Emotive Music

It can be hard to grasp the emotional context of a scene when actors don’t speak out loud. You might be able to tell how they’re feeling, but you might not feel it too. That’s where music comes in.

Music is transportive. It moves us. That’s why it’s so key when you’re working without spoken words.

It’s also one of the hardest pieces to get right, because you have to feel your way through it. Tune into your emotions when listening to your potential soundtracks. Do they speak to you? What do they say?

We went with classic horror movie-style tunes for our video. We were looking for a dramatic climax, with plenty of tension in the build-up.

Consider the genre you’re working with, and above all, the way you want your audience to feel when compiling your soundtrack.

When Wordless Works

Depending on how you’re sharing your videos, you may need to plan for a lack of sound in general. Videos that autoplay, or which are shared on social media, are likely to play without sound.

Shorter videos tend to work best without dialogue. The narrative is condensed, and the action on screen is enough to keep your audience enthralled.

Granted, there are plenty of examples of feature-length films that succeeded without words, like A Quiet Place, or any of these other silent hits.

Still, involved plots or lengthy histories tend to benefit from some dialogue. The more characters you have, the more introductions you’ll need. If there are specific facts you want your audience to remember, they likely need to be reiterated several times.

All that being said, you might need fewer words than you think. Less is often so much more. Cut the fat, and see what’s left.

Questions about crafting your own video without sound? Get expert advice in the comments below.

The post How to Produce a Compelling Video Without Dialogue appeared first on SproutVideo.

Today, that’s where drones come in. Increasingly affordable, and very technologically advanced, a drone might be the best purchase you make all year. This post is all about the types of shots you can only get with a drone to help inspire you once you finally take the plunge.

Car Chase

Drones are perfect for capturing driving scenes. If you program the route ahead of time, and coordinate the speed of the car and timing, you’ll reduce the chances of going off course.

If you’re using a Phantom drone from DJI, you can preprogram a route by using the course lock setting. This will ensure your drone follows a set path when it embarks on its flight.

You can use shots of a car driving to transition between scenes, as an introductory or ending sequence, as part of a montage, or to heighten drama.

Be sure that you’ve taken all safety precautions to ensure you aren’t breaking any laws or endangering anyone’s wellbeing if you attempt this. Be mindful of your surroundings, other cars on the road, road signs, overpasses, or any other potential obstacles.

Moving Low to the Ground

Although drones are probably best known for their ability to fly high in the sky, they are also extremely adept at maneuvering closer to earth. The ability of a drone to hover steadily without wavering is truly impressive.

Forget putting your tripod on wheels, buying an expensive wearable stabilizer, or setting up complex camera tracks to get smooth moving shots. You could almost leave the tripod at home!

Since capturing audio with a drone isn’t practical due to the noise emitted from the quadcopter, action scenes without key audio or dialogue are a natural fit. This type of footage might best serve as b-roll footage, to help you tell your story as it unfolds.

Think about flying under bridges, trees, or other overhanging obstacles. You can also track action happening on the ground, such as a soccer game, or two characters walking.

Over Water

The trouble with scenes happening on bodies of water is not just the risk to the camera gear if something tips overboard. You also have to worry about the natural pitch of the boat or flotation device on the water. If your camera is constantly bobbing up and down, it can really mess up your shot.

Drones obviate that issue, enabling you to capture steady shots even if you’re out to sea. In fact, they could be considered essential equipment if any of your video takes place on or near a body of water.

With a drone, you can dramatically expand the types of shots you can get in an aquatic environment. You can fly high over a boat to demonstrate the scale of a scene (or the boat), or you can hover just a short distance from the boat to capture a more intimate scene.

Of course, we recommend exercising caution and good judgment if you’re flying expensive equipment over water. Be sure to stay within range, and watch closely for any signs of trouble connecting with the drone.

Cityscapes

If you live in an impressive city, such as NYC where SproutVideo is based, a drone is your new best friend.

Footage of city life, including crowds of pedestrians, people playing in a park, boats going by on a river, traffic on bridges, or monuments the city is known for, are all great shots. The thrum of activity in urban areas makes for excellent b-roll footage.

If you need to establish a sense of place, cut to a new scene, or introduce a video, these types of shots are really popular choices.

Be sure to respect all local laws when filming. For instance, you might need to get permission or a license to fly a drone in a specific area. You also might need to get release forms when featuring people in a video. And as always, safety first. Don’t fly a drone near people if it might put them in harm’s way.

Sunsets or Sunrises

No matter where you are, there’s something about the movement of the sun that seems significant. Maybe it’s the poetic passage of time, the beautiful colors, or the gentle reminder that what goes up must come down.

Either way, there’s no better way to capture a sunrise or sunset on camera than with a slowly rising drone filming in 4K. Check out this raw footage we captured when we took our DJI Phantom drone on our company retreat to the Dominican Republic:

Gorgeous, right?

Points of Interest

The ability to program a drone to slowly circle around an object opens up a lot of possibilities. For monuments, points of interest, or even a scene as it unfolds, it has endless applications.

Showing all sides to a scene or an object helps draw viewers in, and creates a very intimate emotional connection. It can also heighten excitement, depending on how quickly the drone is moving.

Property Videos

If you’re selling a home, especially an expansive estate, what better way to show it all off than with drone footage?

You can soar over the roof, showcase a pool, or simply capture the layout of the property with a bird’s eye view. It’s also a great way to make it clear where the house is located in proximity to other properties.

Crowds at Events

Sometimes, it’s not just what’s unfolding at a crowded event that’s exciting. Sometimes it’s the crowd itself!

Showing the scale of a throng of people can really bring home the impact of the event that’s taking place. Send the drone up high, and slowly pan across the crowd to capture an amazing shot.

If you attempt this, be careful to maintain a safe distance from the crowd and the stage. Make sure to get all required permissions from the event organizers, as well as the local authorities, as applicable.

Long Continuous Shots

Since drones aren’t fixed to the earth, they can be used in more agile ways than any other camera set up. For instance, if you are transitioning from one place to another, with action unfolding the entire time, a drone might be your only option for filming.

As this video from the band OK Go shows, you can get really creative when you no longer have to pause the action, and move a tripod between scenes:

This video was filmed entirely with a drone, and really displays their versatility, unlocking all sorts of creativity!

New Perspective

Sometimes, you want to create a sense of space or drama, that only a change in perspective can bring. Drones are perfect for this because of their high-flying capabilities.

Some of the most interesting shots are those taken when a drone is hovering high up, with the camera pointing straight down.

Seeing how small something looks from that vantage point, or the amount of empty space surrounding a scene, can really change the tone and emotional charge of a video.

It’s something to experiment with. See if it fits with your particular project and message, and if so, run with it!

Do you have a drone? How do you use it? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

The post Amazingly Useful Footage You Can Only Capture With a Drone appeared first on SproutVideo.