Engaging The Viewer

Engaging the viewer is very important when making a story, because if the viewer isn't engaged or interested it could result in the viewer turning off the film.

Certain shots will have been filmed in order to maximise the sensory experience for the viewer. This can be achieved through:

• Wide shots which present a panorama of a setting or communicate the scale of an action spectacle
• Aerial shots which follow action while taking in an entire geography
• Crane shots which can scale buildings
• Bullet time camera-setups which allow the viewer to experience a moment of action frozen in the time from 360 degrees.

Variation of shot distance and camera angles, audiences enjoy and expect variations of shot distances and camera angles. Varying editorial pace can engage the audience because it will keep the suspense up when their is a scene with action occurring. 

Audiences like to feel changes in the shape of editorial pacing

• Changing pace - speeding up or slowing down editorial pace can create tension (depending on the context)
• Long takes can also be used to create a sense of naturalism (real time passing) - which can engage an audience by giving the sense of being immersed in a real life situation.